KATHMANDU, JUN 27 -
In an apparent “encroachment of the ambit” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Home Ministry wants the right to issue visas to those coming to Nepal and also deploy its staffers in some of the Nepal’s most lucrative diplomatic missions abroad as visa consulars.

In an internal report, the Home Ministry said it wants to deploy its immigration officials in nine diplomatic missions where the visa pressure is high. “We have finished the study which suggests deploying our own officials for issuing visa. The visa affairs are normally looked after by immigration officials rather than the Foreign Ministry staff,” said a joint secretary at the Home Ministry.

It wants to deploy visa officials in the US, the UK, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia, from where Nepal receives the largest number of tourists.

“We must slash the provision of on-arrival visa for boosting tourism, and we also should issue visa from our missions. Getting visa for Nepal in their own countries will boost the confidence of tourists and promote travel,” the Home Ministry official said. “Citing unstable political scenario, the ministry has halted the proposal for endorsement from the Cabinet. We will forward it once the political deadlock is over.” 

MoFA has reacted sharply to the proposal. Recently, it strongly objected to the idea of deploying six labour attachés by Ministry of Labour.

“They can open Trade Representative Offices if they want to deploy Commerce attachés,” said MoFA officials while rejecting the idea. The ministry added that other ministries are free to deploy tourism, agriculture, and science attachés, but they should not encroach on its ambit.

MoFA argues that the move will increase government expenditure while not necessarily reflecting job requirements. Some officials like Defence attachés in Bangladesh and Pakistan are doing nothing but the government has to pay millions to them yearly as remuneration and provide them other facilities. The same is the case of officials of Nepal Police and National Intelligence posted in New Delhi.

Posted on: 2010-06-28 09:04

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