Hoteliers seek facilities in new budget

The Nepalese hotel industry has urged the government to incorporate the various facilities and incentives in its budget for the next fiscal year and implement them immediately in line with the government’s recent decision.

The government has come up with a plan to recognise the tourism industry as a national priority industry.

The Cabinet has approved the recommendations made by a high-level tourism task force to offer electricity facilities to hotels as enjoyed by the industrial sector, reduction in the value added tax (VAT) and incentives in the import of tourist vehicles.

After holding a joint meeting in Pokhara on Saturday, the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) and the Western Regional Hotel Association Pokhara have shown their concern over the growing fuel crisis, adverse environmental impact, strikes and bandhs and labour problems in the country.

Issuing a joint press statement on Sunday, the associations have also said that the recent strikes and bandhs caused massive cancellation of hotel bookings for May, June and July this year.

They said that the growing political uncertainty could badly affect the country’s tourism sector even in upcoming autumn.

Mentioning that the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has nearly become passive in the absence of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the associations have also drawn the government’s attention towards appointing the CEO after taking the private sector’s consent.

The other demands forwarded by the associations included accelerating the construction of the regional airport in Pokhara, resolving the problems related to operation of tourist vehicles on the various routes linking Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini, amending the existing labour-laws and giving a face-lift to the Phewa Lake.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of HAN’s president Shyam Sundar Lal Kakshapati. Various speakers, including president of the Western regional Hotel Association Pokhara Biplav Paudel and its senior vice-president Hari Sharma, shared their views at the meeting.

Meanwhile RSS adds: Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Krishna Hari Baskota said that the budget for the next fiscal year would be presented abiding by the fiscal discipline.

Speaking at a press meet today in Nepalgunj, Baskota said the next budget would be of around Rs 429 billion as per the ceiling of the National Planning Commission (NPC).

According to the Finance Secretary, the budget would primarily focus on hydropower, tourism, education, health and infrastructure construction.

"Making an investment-friendly environment, luring foreign investments, continuity of ongoing mega projects will be priorities and strong aspects of budget", he said.

Asked about the approval of the budget, Baskota hoped that political parties would find a suitable measure for passing the budget."

source: Risingnepal, 10 June 2012