Task force recommends NAC to procure planes directly from manufacturers Wide-body planes were not procured from manufacturer Airbus raising suspicion of corruption

Setopati

2019-09-18 14:04:30

A task force formed by the government has recommended the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to procure airplanes directly from the manufacturers. The task force formed for reform of the aviation sector immediately after Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai assumed office has advised to form regulation for broker-proof procurement. The task force formed on August 7 under former secretary Sushil Ghimire and including chartered accountant Subodh Karna, Jeet Prasad Paudel, captain Sudhir Shumasher Rai had Joint Secretary at the ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane as member secretary. The NAC had procured the two Airbus A330 wide-body planes not from the manufacturer and from a third party AAR Inc that had supplied the planes originally sold by the manufacturer to Hi Fly X to the NAC. There were widespread allegations of corruption in the procurement process with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the parliament concluding there was corruption of Rs 4.3556 billion.

Published Date: 2019-09-18 14:04:30

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