Parliamentary panel concerned over royalty collection by NMA

KATHMANDU, June 27:

International Relations and Labor Committee of legislature-parliament has raised question on collection of permit for 33 mountain peaks by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), saying that the act is against the Interim Constitution 2007.

Parliamentarian Rajan Bhattarai told Republica that the committee has started discussion on the issue, stating that revenue mobilized by NMA has not been deposited in national treasury. "As per the Interim Constitution, non-government organizations cannot raise public fund and use the fund on their own. The amount has to be deposited in the government's reserve," added Bhattarai.

According to Bhattarai, parliamentarians have proposed to provide annual grant to NMA instead as it has remained a technical wing of sorts for tourism ministry for mountaineering issues.

NMA has been collecting royalty for 18 peaks since 1977. The government authorized to collect revenue from 15 more peaks in 2002.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of NMA, said they were given permission to collect royalty fee from 18 peaks as per the cabinet decision of 1977 and later in 1978 it was published in Tourism Act 1978. "We have not been informed about the discussion at International Relations and Labor Committee," Sherpa added

Source: Republica