April 29 : Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, has said the forthcoming policies and programmes of the government as well as national budget would be focused on reviving the tourism sector which has been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.
Minister Bhattarai assured this while receiving a memorandum from the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN), and Nepal Trekking, Culture, Archaeological, Cargo and Courier Workers’ Union on Tuesday (April 28).
Minister Bhattarai further said the joint efforts of government and private sectors were however essential to uplift the tourism sector. Revival of tourism was imperative for the security of investment and workers as well, he stressed.
A delegation of the representatives of TAAN and Union met Minister Bhattarai at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar and submitted the memorandum. Various demands as exemption of interest, loan amount of Rs 2 million without security and discount on office rent were made through the memorandum. Utilization of money collected in the employee welfare fund for workers, extension of trekking company renewal by six months, special discount in various headings under tourism in the coming budget are also included.
On the occasion, Minister Bhattarai further said government was doing homework on how it could revive the tourism industry which has employed thousands of people. Adequate move is necessary to ensure safe livelihood of nearly one million people which were directly indirectly engaged in tourism, he added.
The Minister informed that the Council of Ministers had urged the landlords not to take house/office rent for the immediate relief to the entrepreneurs and announced to extend the loan submission deadline. Even the scheme of alternative employment was being considered, according to the Minister. RSS
