42 MORE NEPALIS EVACUATED FROM LIBYA

WIFE OF MARTYR GANGA LAL SHRESTHA DEAD

Kathmandu, 13 March: Hashina Debi, 92, died of brain hemorrhage Saturday night while undergoing treatment at hospital.
She is the wife of Ganga Lal Shrestha, a martyr.
He was hanged in 1941 for opposition to Raana rule.
Shrestha was one of the founding members of Praja Parishand, Nepal’s first political party.
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42 MORE NEPALIS RESCUED FROM LIBYA

Kathmandu, 13 March: Forty-two more Nepalis were airlifted Saturday to New Delhi from Libya with Indian government assistance, Nepali embassy in the Indian capital said.
They were evacuated from Tripoli retaken from rebels by forces loyal to government.

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“If we are united, we can fight against foreign interference and move ahead with changes. As the communists have 65 percent share in the constituent assembly, we can promulgate an anti-expansionist and anti-feudal constitution.)

(Maoist Chairman Prachanda, The Kathmandu Post, 13 March)
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• NEPAL MOVES UP IN TOURISM RANKINGEPORT

Kathmandu, 13 March: Good news for travel and tourism entrepreneurs. Nepal has moved up six places to the 112th spot in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) 2011, The Kathmandu Post reports.

The report prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has also pointed out the multiple constraints that the Nepal’s tourism industry is experiencing.

According to the report, Nepal and its people are friendlier toward foreign visitors compared to India and Sri Lanka. It has ranked Nepal at 44 in the population’s attitude toward foreign visitors while India and Sri Lanka has been ranked at 81 and 89 respectively. Nepal has been ranked tenth in visa requirements by the report. “We are comparatively liberal in visa issuance,” says Thapa. “We have been issuing visa on arrival to many nationalities at the Tribhuwan International Airport.”

Nepal also fares better than India and Sri Lanka in terms of airport density with a score of 64. In terms of the government’s priority to the travel and tourism industry, the report has ranked Nepal at 49th place. Likewise, Nepal has been ranked 72nd in terms of the number of operating airlines. Over the last three years, around a dozen of new airlines have entered the Nepal skies.

However, Nepal is way behind other major tourism destinations in the SAARC region in terms of marketing and branding to attract tourists. The report has ranked Nepal in the 76th position in the effectiveness of marketing and branding campaigns. Compared to Nepal, India and Sri Lanka are much better in marketing and branding.

Tourism stakeholders accept Nepal’s weakness in international marketing and branding. “We have to accept that we are way behind others when it comes to marketing and branding of the country,” says Tourism Secretary Kishore Thapa.

Tourism entrepreneurs also admit that the country is lagging behind in terms of marketing and branding. “It is due to the limited budget for the purpose compared to that in other nations,” said Bhola Bikram Thapa, a tourism entrepreneur.

With the country celebrating 2011 as Nepal Tourism Year, government and non-government organisations associated with tourism have upped their marketing and branding exercises. The NTY implementation committee is about to launch a major marketing and promotion campaign in India from April. For a change, Nepal is adopting consumer marketing for NTY.

With Nepal relying on a single international airport, it has ranked Nepal at 116 in air transport infrastructure. Aviation entrepreneurs say Nepal needs at least one more international airport with more international airlines coming to Nepal. With the decade-long conflict hindering the infrastructure development, modernisation of airports is now taking pace. “Nepal has to work extensively on air infrastructure over the next four years,” says Thapa. “By fifth year, Nepal will enter into a new phase of air transport infrastructure.”

The government, over the last two-three years, has intensified the upgradation of airports across the country. Currently the government is upgrading four airports— Simikot, Rara, Suketar and Manang— to make them all-weather ones. “By the second week of April, ATR aircraft can land at Tumligtar Airport,” says Thapa. “We will also start night services in Dhangadi and Simara airports soon.”

Besides, the government is also gearing up to expand three airports—Bhairahawa, Pokhara and Janakpur—to regional international airports. Currently, the government is doing homework to build a second international airport at Nijgadh, Parsa. “Even if we utilise our only international airport properly, we can adjust many tourists,” said entrepreneur Thapa.

In terms of hotel rooms, Nepal scores an unenviable 126. According to the Economic Survey, Nepal has star and non-star 744 hotels with 28,493 beds. The NTY-2011 saw the opening of more hotels within Kathmandu and outside. However, tourism experts say Nepal has not been able to attract international hotel chains. “After the Hyatt Regency Hotel, we have not seen any international hotel chains coming to Nepal,” says Thapa.

Nepal also lags behind its neighbours in international air transport network. The TTCR has ranked Nepal at 123 in international air transport network. National flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation is still struggling to expand its fleet, while only one private sector airline has started international operations. With earlier efforts to bring in two aircraft from Airbus SAS running into controversy and subsequently cancelled, the tourism ministry says it will initiate a new process to purchase aircraft. “Lack of adequate national flag carrier aircraft is a big bottleneck for the promotion of Nepal’s tourism,” said Thapa.
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HOME MINISTRY DISREGARDS WIDESPREAD MISSUE TO BENEFIT FORMER MINISTERS, POLICE OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS

Kathmandu, 13 March: An investigation by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has revealed massive misuse of state-provided personal security officers (PSOs) by former high-ranking officials, incurring millions to the national coffers, Bimal Gautam reports in Republica.

An investigative report acquired by Republica states that over 3,000 security personnel have been deployed for the benefit of former home ministers, chief secretaries, home secretaries and ministers and also for contractors, businessmen and many others who have links to high authorities.

As per the existing regulations, the state provides security to former high-ranking officials for a certain period of time, but they have to turn the security personnel back after that.

Regulations relating to facilities for former high-ranking officials including ministers explicitly state that former home ministers have to forgo their security related facilities three years after retirement. Similarly, retired chief secretaries can keep the services of personal security officers (PSOs) for a year.

The report prepared by MoHA states that the former officials have not returned the security personnel, nor has the government called them back.

The report states that the number of such PSOs is over 3,000 and the state pays out Rs 400 million a year as salary and other facilities for them.

The report says contractors and industrialists are also in the list of those illegally using security personnel provided by MoHA. Those deployed for the security of high-ranking officials are inspectors, sub-inspectors and constables.

"We have to spend Rs 24 million for 3,000 security personnel even if we just take into account their minimum monthly salary of rupees 8,000 each," said the source, adding, "Spending Rs 24 million each month means we have to invest Rs 292 million annually for the 3,000 security personnel."

If medical benefits, leave and other facilities are added, the amount MoHA is spending exceeds Rs 400 million annually," states the report.

In blatant violation of the regulations, high ranking officials at MoHA are also found to have been providing security personnel not only for former home ministers, but also other ministers, chief secretaries, contractors and industrialists.

Due to the laxity of MoHA officials, almost all former home ministers, some chief secretaries, other ministers, contractors and industrialists have not turned back the security personnel, something they were obliged to do much earlier.

Former home ministers who have failed to return security personnel even after three years are Govinda Raj Joshi (2 security personnel), Khum Bahadur Khadka (2), Kamal Thapa (3), Purna Bahadur Khadka (2), Buddhi Man Tamang (1), Dan Bahadur Shahi (1), Niranjan Thapa (2) and Devendra Raj Kandel (3). MoHA has not requested them to send back the personnel.

Similarly, it has been disclosed that MoHA officials have failed to recall security personnel provided since a long time to former ministers Pashupati Shamsher Rana, Prakash Chandra Lohani, Ram Sharan Mahat, Shyam Sundar Gupta, Arjun Narsingh KC and Nepali Congress leader Amaresh Kumar Singh.

The security personnel provided them include 2 each for Rana, Lohani, Mahat and Gupta, 3 for KC and 2 for Singh.

Former chief secretary Bhoj Raj Ghimire has also been found to have grossly misused state facilities. MoHA officials have deployed 3 security officials for Ghimire´s home at Kuleshwor. Ghimire is Nepal´s serving ambassador to Canada.

"We provided three security officials for Ghimire´s home, following immense pressure from Ghimire before he retired from his post," a MoHA official informed Republica.

Another former chief secretary, Lokman Singh Karki has also been misusing security personnel provided by MoHA. According to the report, Karki has been keeping 3 security officials in violation of the regulations.

Former home secretaries Umesh Mainali and Shree Kanta Regmi are likewise in the list of those using such security personnel.

Worse still, the report uncovers that MoHA officials have providing security personnel even to Nepal Police rations contractor Binod Shah and industrialist Sanjaya Kediya.

Following the unlawful decision of MoHA officials, contractor Shah has been keeping three security personnel while Kediya has long had two security officers provided by MoHA.

"We cannot blame only those who have been using the security personnel for long. MoHA officials, who provided but failed to call back the security personnel are equally responsible," said the MoHA source.
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