The appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is unlikely to happen for another two months. Although the government had formed a sub-committee two weeks ago to advance the appointment process, the committee has not yet invited applications.
The sub-committee formed on February 11 includes Chakra Bahadur Budha, Milan Devkota and Madan Acharya as members. Devkota said that preliminary discussions are underway for the appointment of the CEO. “We have started discussions. We will call for applications after completing the process,” said Devkota.
Another member Acharya said that the committee will invite applications only after making the procedure. “We will first make the procedures. After that, we will call for applications,” Acharya said. “We are planning to appoint the chief executive within 65 days.”
The post of executive head of the board has been vacant for about one month.
Similarly, the appointment of vacant members of the board has also been delayed. Although it has been almost three weeks since the post of three members became vacant, the government is yet to form a recommendation committee.
There is a legal provision for the Cabinet to form a recommendation committee and appoint board members based on the recommendation of that committee.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati has ignored the legal provisions and formed a committee under the coordination of the ministry’s Joint Secretary Gobinda Bahadur Karki to propose the names of 18 people as board members.
Kirati has taken a proposal to the Council of Ministers for the formation of the recommendation committee.
