End NTB mismanagement‚ JTCC asks Prime Minister

A delegation of Joint Tourism Coordination Committee today met Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar demanding his intervention for a long-term solution to the problems faced by Nepal Tourism Board. According to Suman Pandey, a member of the delegation, the joint team representing 19 travel trade associations also asked Koirala to initiate necessary action on JTCC’s four-point demands submitted to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation on Tuesday. Pandey who is also chairman of PATA Nepal chapter said the associations have asked the government to appoint private sector representatives in the board of NTB on their recommendations. The government has been also asked to study the report of a taskforce constituted by the tourism minister. Following protests from travel trade associations, NTB had postponed its National Tourism Fair (NTF) scheduled for May 2, yesterday. Saying that NTB was organising NTF at the cost of the proposal to organise Himalayan Travel Mart, the associations have said such an act of bias will only dampen relations between NTB and the private sector.During the meeting with the PM, tourism entrepreneurs also drew the attention of the government toward pressing issues of the tourism industry, Ang Tshering Sherpa, President of Nepal Mountaineering Association said. They handed over a memorandum to the PM highlighting the JTCC’s four-point demand. The associations demanded that the government conduct a comprehensive study of plans, programmes and expenditure of NTB over the past five years. “The Chief Executive Officer selection process at NTB has been lingering as one of the candidates is assuming the responsibility of director and acting CEO there,” the memorandum states, “Hence, the candidate has to be removed from the responsibility until the CEO selection process is finalised.” Responding to the delegation, Koirala said he would take necessary action after studying the memorandum. “I will ask the minister to take prompt action,” Sherpa quoted the PM as saying. Source: The Himalayan Times