July 26: Tourism entrepreneurs are preparing to reopen hotels, restaurants and trekking agencies which were closed since the last four months after the government imposed lockdown on March 24.  However, despite the government lifting the lockdown, tourism entrepreneurs are not in a position to reopen their businesses right away due to lack of  capital. Therefore, they have urged the government to immediately release the fund announced as a relief for this sector.

Nepal Rastra Bank has maintained that its new monetary policy and an additional fund of Rs 50 billion pledged by the government for the tourism industry would help in revitalizing the sector which has been badly affected by coronavirus.

However, tourism entrepreneurs have urged the government to immediately release the fund stating that they lack capital to resume their business.

The government had pledged Rs 50 billion to facilitate the payment of workers associated with the tourism industry. The fund will be released as soon as the government makes it available to the Nepal Rastra Bank.

Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said that they have already urged the finance ministry to set up the fund. “But we have not received any word from the Finance Ministry,” he said.

Meanwhile, the central bank has announced various concessions for the tourism sector in its monetary policy.