Kathmandu. The Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA), a stakeholder group, has presented a 15-point suggestion on the bill related to Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA) that the government is preparing to present in the Parliament.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held discussions with the NRNA leadership and presented the draft of the proposed bill.

However, during the virtual and physical discussions of the draft, Chairman Dr. Hemraj Sharma pointed out the need of revising the bill while founding chairman Upendra Mahato and others expressed his concern for rewriting the bill.

In response, Foreign Minister Sishir Khanal asked the government to bring suggestions for amendment in writing, after which the NRNA office-bearers submitted the 15-point suggestion to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after internal discussions.

Calling for including the main mantra ‘One time Nepali, Always Nepali’ in the preamble of the bill, the NRNA has stressed that the rights of Non-Resident Nepalis should be fully guaranteed as per the Article 14 of the constitution.

It has also asked the government to define Nepalis living abroad in seven categories and make clear provisions to provide non-resident Nepali citizenship up to the third generation. The NRNA is of the view that the right to obtain national identity card and Nepali passport should be ensured to ease the administrative and legal process.

In the context of economic and business rights, NRNA has sought legal guarantees for Non-Resident Nepalese (NRNs) to invest in Nepal, engage in securities and repatriate the money earned.

The NRNA has demanded removal of 50 percent tax on ancestral property, proposing a provision to self-declare the properties in Nepal within five years after acquiring foreign citizenship. It is believed that this will further strengthen the economic relations of Nepalis living abroad with their motherland.

Likewise, the committee has suggested that the government should appoint non-resident Nepali experts to various posts for the utilization of their skills and competencies and allow professionals to work in Nepal. The association has also prioritized the need to provide equal status to Nepali citizens in employment opportunities and to ensure opportunities to participate in national sports.

The Nepali delegation led by Vice-President and Chief of the Non-Resident Nepali Welfare Department and Coordinator of the Citizenship Continuity Committee, Rojina Pradhan Rai, submitted the recommendations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The delegation handed over the integrated consultation paper to Minister Shishir Khanal and Division Chief Pushpa Raj Bhattarai through Under-Secretary Madhusudan Bhattarai, according to the NRNA Secretariat.

The delegation included Vice-President Buddhi Subedi and Women Vice-President Radhika Tika Gurung. President of the association, Dr. Under the leadership of Dr. Hemraj Sharma, General Secretary Dr. Chiranjivi Khadka, vice-president Rojina Pradhan Rai, treasurer Krishna Timilsina, outgoing presidents Dr. Suggestions for the draft were collected from across the globe with the active coordination of Badri KC and Mahesh Kumar Shrestha, focal person Saroj Dahal and the secretariat. The collected suggestions were consolidated and finalized after extensive discussions and consultations with office-bearers, former presidents, advisors and legal experts.