September 3: The Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has demanded the government to bring a special economic package for the revival of the tourism sector and hotel industry that has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

A delegation of HAN led by its president Shreejana Rana made such request to Finance Minister Janardan Sharma during a recent meeting. President Rana demanded a package to resolve the problems faced by the hotel sector.

On the occasion, Rana drew the attention of the Finance Minister to the fact that the tourism industry, especially the hotel industry, has started sinking due to Covid-19. The hotel industry has invested billions of rupees and provided employment to millions of people.

She stressed on the need to pay attention to the protection of the industry arguing that it is the responsibility of the state to protect and promote it.

HAN demands that the issues addressed by the budget for the Fiscal Year 2078/79 as well as the plans included in the monetary policy should be implemented as much as possible. Rana said that a special economic plan should be formulated for the revival of tourism sector. She added that the hotel industry should be kept in a different group and a regular monitoring mechanism should be developed for the implementation of the programmes included in the budget.

During the meeting, Finance Minister Sharma expressed commitment of the state to provide all possible assistance to protect this industry. 

HAN has also demanded the government to amend the Social Security Act and regulations on behalf of hotels to ensure that contributors are not deprived of access to health and other emergency services.