Game to bring Chinese planes resumes

KEDAR DAHAL

KATHMANDU, Dec 24

The government has again started homework to bring more Chinese airplanes that have proved a nuisance for the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). The government has whimsically started exercise to bring Chinese planes revoking the decision by NAC board to not bring new ones until the myriad problems seen in those given in grant are resolved. The government has converted the commercial issue of plane procurement into a diplomatic matter and moved the process forward.

The Chinese government-owned manufacturer Avic International Holdings has not showed interest in resolving the problems even one and half years after bringing the planes despite repeated requests by the NAC. The Chinese government had provided a 56-seater MA-60 and an 18-seater Y-12E to the NAC in grant. There are problems in operation of these planes in lack of pilots and expensive spare parts and insurance premium. Avic had provided performance document just a few months ago.

A government team has already gone to China last week for another study for the planes that could not be delivered as per the procurement agreement between the two governments without even studying the document. The team led by Joint Secretary at the ministry Suresh Acharya includes a representative from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and three NAC technicians. “Preparations to bring new planes after study instead of putting pressure on China to resolve the serious problems that NAC has pointed make wrong intentions clear,” a top official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said.

“We are forced to buy planes as per the agreement between the two governments. We have no alternative other than bringing the planes as the previous government has already completed all the processes,” Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ananda Prasad Pokharel pointed at the compulsion. China has provided Rs 6.67 billion to the NAC through Export Import (Exim) Bank of China in grant and soft loan to procure the six planes. Rs 2.94 billion out of that is grant for an MA-60 and Y-12E each, and the rest soft loan for one MA-60 and three Y-12Es.

Manufacturer Avic has not provided even basic facilities. It has not showed interest to provide necessary spare parts, when the planes are grounded, for weeks white it also has not paid interest in training of pilots.

Investigation by parliamentary committee aborted

The investigation by the International Relations and Human Rights Committee of the parliament on the Chinese planes started in July has been aborted despite the committee pledging to prioritize it. The issue had reached the committee following complaints accusing that the planes were brought whimsically in greed of commission.

The accusations included that leaders of a few political leaders and the then ministry leadership had brought the planes whimsically without any technical tests by taking a fat commission, and evasion of responsibilities when problems arose in the planes. The complainants had even submitted documents. There have been accusations that top leadership of the ministry and NAC are receiving commission even for the high insurance premium.

The formal decision to bring Chinese planes was taken by the then minister Lokendra Bista Magar while the process had bore fruit under another minister Ram Kumar Shrestha. The European Union (EU) had blacklisted the Nepali sky citing many reasons immediately after bringing the Chinese planes, and Nepal has yet to be delisted.