On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
This loktantra has become very much beneficial for those loktantrawallas and their families. They are involved in the daylight loot.
The word “policy corruption” has become very famous these days. Those leaders in the government implement the policy from which they will be benefited enormously.
The (Royal) Nepal Airlines is a pride of Nepal. Established on 1 July 1958, the then Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) became NAC along with the introduction of loktantra, perhaps loot-tantra. The national flag carrier had helped Nepal during difficult times. When India had imposed an economic blockade in 1989 with the plan of bringing Nepal under the Indian security umbrella, the government undertaking airlines airlifted petroleum products and emergency medicines from Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh.
In another Indian blockade in 2015 also, the NAC aircraft had airlifted fuel and emergency and essential commodities from abroad.
Nepal is a landlocked country. Therefore, the air service is the only direct access for Nepal to develop contact with the third countries. Thus far, airlines is strategically important for Nepal.
In the past, especially during the panchayat era, the airlines had achieved tremendous success in expanding its wings by operating direct flights to European countries, Shanghai, China and Japan as well as the SAARC countries.
The Airlines was adding one after another fleet for the international sector by the profit that the airlines had earned. The Airlines was providing service to the people in remote areas in the country by operating flights at a subsidized rate.
Of course, the private sector airlines have been flourished in Nepal and they are doing good business. But Nepal Airlines was providing service to the people in remote areas and the airfare was also very low, which we cannot expect from the private sector airlines.
Unfortunately, along with the dawn of the multiparty democracy in 1989, all the profit-making government undertakings started to ruin due to the political intervention, nepotism, favouritism, sycophancy, corruption and inefficient management encouraged by those political leaders.
Hundreds of thousands of people were getting employment in such government undertakings directly or indirectly. Almost one member from one house in Janakpur town was employed by the Janakpur Cigarette Factory. Besides, thousands of farmers were receiving payment in advance for tobacco farming. Today, the factory venue has been converted into the provincial headquarters of the No 2 Province employing those political leaders instead of economic upliftment of those poor farmers.
Similarly, the Birgunj Sugar Mills was providing jobs to educated youths and illiterate farmers from Birgunj. The sugarcane farmers were receiving payment in advance for sugarcane farming. Today, the group of private sugar factories’ owners is selling sugar in cash by securing their profit but for years they are not paying the amount of the sugarcane farmers that they have used as raw materials.
The difference we can see between the private sector run factories and the government-run factories. The private sector is for profit and it always tries to exploit the employees and also the government revenue. The government undertakings also try to understand their social responsibilities.
The main argument of those who are campaigning for a free-market economy is that the government undertakings cannot be operated efficiently, which the Panchayat system has proved wrong. During the Panchayat days, all the government-funded corporations and industries were running in profit by manufacturing quality products. The secret of the success of those government undertakings was that they were free from government intervention. Management experts were being assigned in such factories. There was very little chance of corruption as the anti-corruption body was very strong and visible. No political intervention; appointment of professional experts; free hand to work; scrapping the old mechanism on procurement and auction; transparency and strong anti-corruption body are essential for the success of the government undertakings.
The government is planning to reward Yeti Holdings, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s business partner, with the NAC, pioneer airlines having a glorious history. Under the instruction of Baluatar, the present management has undervalued the property belonging to the Airlines at 50 billion rupees, whereas, the valuators have calculated at 80 billion rupees. Clearly, those in the government are planning to manipulate 30 billion rupees. Different teams formed by the government have already submitted the report to the government that NAC cannot run in the as-it-is environment. However, if free hands are given to the management, it can operate in profit, which has been proved from the success achieved by the Airlines during the panchayat days.
The ill-intention among the political leadership has become a serious disease for the government undertakings established during the Panchayat days. As result, our youths are compelled to go abroad for dirty and hard works.
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