By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 20: Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel has said that the government would provide necessary assistance to revive the tourism sector which has been severely affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a discussion organised at the Ministry of Finance with the representatives of tourism and hotel business, Finance Minister Paudel said that the government has introduced relief, concession and incentive programmes and stressed on their effective implementation.
Stating that they will take initiative to solve the problems seen in the implementation process of the mentioned programmes in budget and monetary policy, he said that he would facilitate and assist in case of difficulties while implementing the programmes effectively.
The situation will be eased after the arrival of COVID-19 vaccine, FM Paudel said. "We are sensitive to the difficulties in the tourism and hotel sector. You go ahead, the government is with you.”
He said that further discussions will be held regarding the demand for exemption of electricity fee in the tourism business sector.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that the ministry has held discussions with the concerned sector to solve the problems in the tourism sector.
He asked the private sector to understand the problems of the government crated by the COVID-19.
Finance Secretary Sishir Kumar Dhungana clarified that there was no problem in the policies and said that additional initiatives would be taken for their implementation.
In the meeting, tourism and hotel entrepreneurs urged the government to provide three years for a maximum of two years of the repayment of loans and five years for a maximum repayment period of four years maintained in procedure of business continuity loan flow procedures.
They also demanded for a waiver of electricity demand fee and make arrangements for the flow of loan up to 100 per cent of the collateral value.
They said there were problems in refinancing and business continuity credit flow.
Representatives from Nepal Tourism Board, Trekking Agency Association of Nepal, Hotel Association of Nepal, Restaurant Association and others were present in the meeting.