Given the unhelpful bureaucracy, the new regulation will give unnecessary trouble to ordinary people
The new 'regulation related to approval of tourist visas for foreigner countries-2022', introduced by the Department of Immigration (DoI) for Nepali travellers, has irked the travel agents and those who wish to visit foreign countries under tourist or visit visas.
The DoI officials have said the new rule will come into force after all necessary management procedures are complete. New software will be developed to manage the visit visa procedures. The Home Ministry officials claim that the new rule had to be introduced after they received complaints about the hardships faced by the Nepalis while travelling abroad on visitor visas, such as trouble in tracking them down and rescuing them in times of emergency. This rule is being introduced to differentiate between the genuine travellers and fake ones, especially women and girls who could be trafficked to foreign countries under the visit visa and others who intent to visit foreign countries to bring gold and other valuable items for business groups without having any source of income abroad. The government has imposed a ban on imports of luxury goods, including gold and expensive electronic gadgets, to save foreign currency.
Under the new provision, the DoI has categorised people into 16 categories. Those who want to visit their relatives abroad, operators of import and export businesses, operators of organisations or unions, students and teachers, people going abroad for training or practical studies, exhibition, sports, film shooting, talent and cultural shows will have to receive approval from the DoI and submit more documents before applying for tourist visas. Only people from the frequent travellers cluster will have to show proof of having to travel to more than two countries, excluding India, Malaysia and the Gulf countries. Others who are applying for the tourist visas for the first time are required to show proof of having an annual income of at least Rs 400,000 and a bank balance of Rs 200,000.
The remaining clusters will need approval from the DoI to apply for tourist visas before purchasing a plane ticket.
The new regulation has added a burden on tour and travel agents in confirming if the person seeking to apply for a tourist visa is legal before issuing the air tickets and ensure the return of the Nepali tourists, and also submit a report to the DoI. Legal action will be taken against tour and travel operators for failing to meet the two conditions mentioned. The National Association of Travel and Tour Agents (NATTA) has objected to the rule, saying it is impractical, which aims to discourage genuine people from travelling abroad for good purposes. In recent times, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, an unexpected number of people have obtained tourist visas, only to be used by business groups to smuggle in gold and expensive electronic gadgets banned by the government.
However, given the country's unhelpful bureaucracy, the new provisions will give unnecessary trouble to ordinary people and travel agents, as feared by NATTA, while obtaining permission from the DoI for visit or tourist visas. Unless allowed by law, no citizen should be barred from travelling abroad in the guise of controlling illegal activities.
The government agencies have the legal teeth to take action against those who violate the laws.
Transparent wall
Since the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Balendra Shah swung into action to demolish illegal structures that had been built across the capital, other municipalities have followed suit.
It's been a hundred days since Shah took over as the mayor, and his enthusiasm to spruce up the city has seen great support from the young population. In other parts of the country, too, other mayors are coming up with innovative ideas to promote good governance. In Shukalagandaki Municipality in Tanahun district, a transparent wall has been erected, which provides information about all the activities of the municipality on a daily basis.
The board gives daily notices, programmes, details of monthly income and expenditure, decisions of meetings, audit report as well as decisions of the municipal assembly instead of giving out information only in response to an application. This is a good initiative which deserves to be emulated by all the other municipalities and rural municipalities. If every municipality were to come up with an innovative idea, it would promote a lot of good practices, which will help improve transparency and curtail corruption at the local levels.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 8, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.