Political wrangling won’t disturb business: FM Gyawali

COVID-19 vaccination by March

 

Kathmandu, Jan. 8

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has assured the private sector businesses that the latest political upheaval will not disturb the business environment in the country.

"Be confident that the political disturbances will not impact businesses. The hard earned achievement will not be ruined," he said at the inauguration ceremony of the Ramada Encore Hotel in Thamel on Friday.

He said that elections were the beauty of democracy and holding elections was the professional method in politics.

Gyawali said that the government was thinking about opening up Nepal for tourism and issuing on arrival visa.

He also stated that Nepal had achieved a significant progress in the three years before the advent of coronavirus pandemic.

 "We achieved the growth trajectory of about 7 per cent for the consecutive three years. The country witnessed a significant progress in doing business index and jumped five places up in Human Development Index," he said while maintaining that the people should take pride in it.

According to him, Nepal had earned goodwill at international level and said that the country had recognised that the non-resident Nepalis were the partner in development.

Speaking about the opening of the hotel, he said that it would benefit the entrepreneurs, tourists and the country. "The coronavirus crisis is about to be over and we have come to rather comfortable time. Tourism sector got the severe blow but we will rise again," he said.

FM Gyawali said that the government would begin vaccination against COVID-19 by March this year.

Increased awareness, development of vaccine and increased herd immunity have signaled the difficult days were going to be over soon, he said.

President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce Rajesh Kazi Shrestha said that the opening of the hotel marked the revival of the hospitality business in the post-COVID-19 scenario.

About 20 hotels were shut in Thamel alone due to the prolonged shut down caused by the coronavirus.

He stated that China is the greatest market for tourism in Nepal and it should be promoted in Beijing and Shanghai.

"Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points should be operated smoothly," he added.

He urged Minister Gyawali to create a provision of paid leave for at least a week to promote domestic tourism.

Ramada Encore is a franchise of an international hotel chain that runs about 9,000 hotels around the world.

Ramada Thamel has investment from various Nepali and non-resident Nepali as well as foreign investors.

"We have applied all the standards set by the Ramada. It is a 4-star standard hotel," said Bhim Lal Poudyal, one of the promoters of the hotel.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 9 January 2021.