KATHMANDU: A committee formed to investigate into alleged irregularities at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) submitted its report to the government on Monday. Sources said that the report showed that there has been corruption at NTB.
The report was submitted to Tourism Minister Bhim Acharya, on Monday. The probe panel was formed by Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in May, after tourism entrepreneurs launched protests claiming of financial irregularities at the tourism promotion body.
“We have submitted the report as per the mandate given to us,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, coordinator of the investigation committee and joint secretary at Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development. He, however, did not reveal about the findings and recommendations made in the study report.
A separate investigation is also being carried out by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) regarding the alleged corruption at NTB, for the last two months. The committee had also studied the files seized by CIAA for investigation. Suresh Man Shrestha, secretary at the tourism ministry said that if it is necessary, they will send the committee’s report to CIAA too.
A source said the report revealed of financial irregularity mainly with support of ‘policy corruption’ like amendments to the NTB Financial Bylaws. “Changes have been made to the bylaws giving more power to the NTB chief executive illegally,” the source added.
Earlier, tourism entrepreneurs had protested for 52 days claiming of gross misconduct at NTB.
The amended bylaws had given power to NTB chief to spend freely without the need to follow the limit set by the Public Procurement Act, according to tourism entrepreneurs. The bylaws have given the NTB chief executive the right to spend up to Rs 10 million at a time for tourism promotion activities inside the country, and up to $400,000 at a time outside the country.
The investigation committee comprising three representatives from the private sector was given the mandate to investigate issues related to the amended NTB Financial Bylaws, NTB’s income and expenditure of the past three fiscal years, and provide recommendations to the government for action. Similarly, it had been asked to check expenditure of tax money collected from issuance of Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) cards and the royalty raised by Nepal Mountaineering Association by issuing climbing permits.
Members of the committee included Dhyan Kumar Rai, under secretary of the tourism ministry, Uttam Prasad Kharel, legal officer of the tourism ministry and Narayan Niraula of the Office of the Auditor General. Members from the private sector included Nawaraj Pandey, Achyut Guragain and Bhim Pant. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Investigation+committee++submits+report+on+NTB+&NewsID=426834#sthash.yw2ZXrvX.dpuf
The report was submitted to Tourism Minister Bhim Acharya, on Monday. The probe panel was formed by Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in May, after tourism entrepreneurs launched protests claiming of financial irregularities at the tourism promotion body.
“We have submitted the report as per the mandate given to us,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, coordinator of the investigation committee and joint secretary at Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development. He, however, did not reveal about the findings and recommendations made in the study report.
A separate investigation is also being carried out by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) regarding the alleged corruption at NTB, for the last two months. The committee had also studied the files seized by CIAA for investigation. Suresh Man Shrestha, secretary at the tourism ministry said that if it is necessary, they will send the committee’s report to CIAA too.
A source said the report revealed of financial irregularity mainly with support of ‘policy corruption’ like amendments to the NTB Financial Bylaws. “Changes have been made to the bylaws giving more power to the NTB chief executive illegally,” the source added.
Earlier, tourism entrepreneurs had protested for 52 days claiming of gross misconduct at NTB.
The amended bylaws had given power to NTB chief to spend freely without the need to follow the limit set by the Public Procurement Act, according to tourism entrepreneurs. The bylaws have given the NTB chief executive the right to spend up to Rs 10 million at a time for tourism promotion activities inside the country, and up to $400,000 at a time outside the country.
The investigation committee comprising three representatives from the private sector was given the mandate to investigate issues related to the amended NTB Financial Bylaws, NTB’s income and expenditure of the past three fiscal years, and provide recommendations to the government for action. Similarly, it had been asked to check expenditure of tax money collected from issuance of Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) cards and the royalty raised by Nepal Mountaineering Association by issuing climbing permits.
Members of the committee included Dhyan Kumar Rai, under secretary of the tourism ministry, Uttam Prasad Kharel, legal officer of the tourism ministry and Narayan Niraula of the Office of the Auditor General. Members from the private sector included Nawaraj Pandey, Achyut Guragain and Bhim Pant. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Investigation+committee++submits+report+on+NTB+&NewsID=426834#sthash.yw2ZXrvX.dpuf
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