"Ticket selling agents are rich overnight, ship owners are in loss for years." Nepal Air Service Corporation, a public organization wholly owned by the government, has been operating as a "white elephant" for years. Whether it is the wide-body or narrow-body ship procurement process that has been in the news lately or the Lauda scandal that has become history, it has been accused of irregularity from time to time. The corporation has been running like this for three decades.
Even if it doesn't work, why! From Girija Prasad Koirala, the names of all the Prime Ministers, Ministers and Secretaries have been associated with the irregularities in one way or another. Because of this, the history of having to ask the parliamentary committee and authority for investigation and action is being made public as a witness.
The oldest and historical airlines of the country, which was established in July 1958 under the name of Shahi Nepal Vayu Seva Nigam, was renamed as Vayu Seva Nigam after the independence of the Republic. Although the name of the first Nepali Airlines, which flew to 7 destinations in 5 countries in the international region during its establishment, was changed, not only did it not care about its management and sustainability, but due to extreme carelessness, the scandal of irregularities has been publicized . Therefore, this public institution operated by the government with billions of loans and grants every year is seen as a stronghold of corruption.
Why should the government run an organization that should earn profits and maintain itself by giving loans for years? This reference is in discussion not only today, but three decades have passed . Based on past experience and developments, the best option is to take the corporation to privatization. The current concept that business should be done not by the government but by the private sector has also strengthened the agenda to privatize corporations.
Due to the liberal economic policy taken by the government after the political change of 2046, the airline companies established by the private sector are now making profits by flying ships and helicopters in the sky. But the 66-year-old Nepal Air Service Corporation, which is fully owned by the government, is collapsing.
The loan given by the government to the air service that flies four international flights and 2 domestic flights has already exceeded 52 billion . The question is that how long the government will keep this way. Therefore, the idea that privatization of the corporation is necessary is being made public.
But no one has dared to make this decision for fear of creating a 'political issue' by accusing the government of privatizing the corporation. Therefore, the discussion about privatizing the corporation almost 32 years ago has not been meaningful yet.
Kantipur published news on 6th December 2050 under the title 'Shanewani also towards privatisation' by linking the reference to the interview given by the then Minister of State for Finance Mahesh Acharya to the Times of India. In an interview given to Times of India, Acharya said that the corporation will be privatized in the near future.
Acharya told Kantipur, "The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation is yet to study the issue of privatization". But the government has been maintaining the concept that Shanewani should be privatized from the beginning.' He also informed that he gave an interview to the Times of India according to the broad national interest that the government has made regarding privatisation.
Acharya also informed that US and UK companies are interested in investing in Shanewani. On the subject of privatization, two British financial companies submitted a report to the government after technical evaluation of Shanewani. Similarly, the International Civil Aviation Association also submitted a technical report on Shanewani. Even though such reports prepared at that time come from time to time, a concrete decision has not yet been made on how to proceed with the airline.
presentation: Rishiram Paudyal
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