Twenty travel trade organisations have decided not to get involved in any national and international programmes organised by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), accusing NTB officials of engaging in massive irregularities of funds collected from tourists.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Joint Tourism Coordina-tion Committee disclosed that NTB’s amended Financial Bylaws have authorised its chief to spend Rs 10 million at a time for tourism promotion inside the country.
The NTB chief has also been authorised to spend $400,000 outside the country and spend any amount through NTB’s honorary representatives, according to the committee’s letter addressed to the Tourism Minister.
The bylaws, which the private sector said was amended behind closed doors through a board decision, have allowed NTB to make a consignment or tender of goods amounting up to Rs 2.5 million without following the Public Procur-ement Act and Regulation.
The Public Procurement Regulation says a tender has to be called to procure goods worth above Rs 1 million. However, the amended bylaws have allowed NTB to procure goods worth Rs 1-2.5 million through quotation instead of a tendering process. The bylaws, which have not been made public, have provisioned tender for procurement worth more than Rs 2.5 million.
“The government and its agencies are guided by the Public Procurement Act and its regulation and amending the Bylaws overtaking the Act is unlawful,” said an NTB official. “The amendment has given the acting CEO full authority to misuse the fund.”
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At a meeting on Tuesday, the Joint Tourism Coordina-tion Committee disclosed that NTB’s amended Financial Bylaws have authorised its chief to spend Rs 10 million at a time for tourism promotion inside the country.
The NTB chief has also been authorised to spend $400,000 outside the country and spend any amount through NTB’s honorary representatives, according to the committee’s letter addressed to the Tourism Minister.
The bylaws, which the private sector said was amended behind closed doors through a board decision, have allowed NTB to make a consignment or tender of goods amounting up to Rs 2.5 million without following the Public Procur-ement Act and Regulation.
The Public Procurement Regulation says a tender has to be called to procure goods worth above Rs 1 million. However, the amended bylaws have allowed NTB to procure goods worth Rs 1-2.5 million through quotation instead of a tendering process. The bylaws, which have not been made public, have provisioned tender for procurement worth more than Rs 2.5 million.
“The government and its agencies are guided by the Public Procurement Act and its regulation and amending the Bylaws overtaking the Act is unlawful,” said an NTB official. “The amendment has given the acting CEO full authority to misuse the fund.”
Remaining
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