Balen’s assurance to private sector: Government has given top priority, work with confidence

लगानी न्यूज

३१ असार २०८३, बुधबार १५:३६July 15, 2026

. Prime Minister Dr Balendra Shah has urged hotel entrepreneurs not to worry as works were underway to promote tourism in the country.

During a meeting with the office-bearers of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, the Prime Minister urged the government to work considering the state as a strong partner as the government has given top priority to the private sector.TAG_OPEN_div_26

The Prime Minister urged the entrepreneurs to fulfill their business responsibilities by abiding by the law, register small and medium hotels with the Department of Tourism and bring them under the tax net, and study the cooperation that can be carried out in the public-private partnership (PPP) model.TAG_OPEN_div_24

Minister for TAG_OPEN_div_22 Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Poudel also participated in the discussion. Stating that only 12 lakh tourists visit Nepal annually at present, entrepreneurs said that the hotel industry would become a strong medium to stop Nepali youths from going abroad for foreign employment.

They have presented some policy demands to the government, pointing out that there is immense potential to develop the country as a health tourism, ‘wedding destination’ and cross-border tourism.TAG_OPEN_div_20 They also demanded that the hotel industry be given concession in electricity tariff at par with other production-based industries and that the brief environmental assessment study up to 25 beds for small and medium hotels was impractical and it should be upgraded to 50 beds.

They also requested the government to make Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports fully operational and improve the service of Nepal Airlines.TAG_OPEN_div_18 They also urged the government to amend the Foreign Investment and Technology Handover Act-2075 BS to fix the royalty amount for the use of trademark under technology transfer and the provision not excluding the existing tax not exceeding five percent of the total sales value.

{{TAG_OPEN_div_16} They have urged the government to make the process of bringing jewelry for the wedding destination of the country easy and to promote health tourism, not limited to ‘photo and video’, but also to arrange ‘package’ with ‘full storytelling’ and experts.

HAN Acting President Dinesh Tuladhar, General Secretary Sajan Shakya, Treasurer Yubaraj Shrestha, Executive Members Jaydin Shrestha and Ashlesha Karki and Secretariat Chief Tek Bahadur Mahat were present in the meeting.TAG_OPEN_div_14