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Indian State-run Company Wants Reimbursement From Nepal
By KTM Metro Reporter
December 5, 2010: the state-run security printing company has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal for reimbursement of US$48,000 it has spent in preparation for printing the machine readable passports (MRPs) after it has received the contract for the job.
Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has cancelled the international bidding for the printing of MRPs falling in the trap of the Indian envoy, and disregarding the Public Procurement Act of Nepal, then the Foreign Minister awarded the contract for the same to the state-run printing company at the price much higher than the international bidders have quoted for the job.
The Nepalese political leaders and Parliamentary Public Account Committee have opposed the Foreign Minister awarding the contract to the Indian State-run company for printing MRPs bullying the Public Procurement Act and going against the security concerns of Nepalis. Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala cancelled the contract for printing MRPs given to the Indian state-run company under the heavy pressure of the parliamentary committee and the political parties.
After the cancellation of the contract given to the Indian company, the Foreign Ministry called an international bidding for printing MRPs, and awarded the task of printing MRPs to a French company. The Foreign Ministry has been preparing for issuing MRPs starting on December 24, 2010. It has missed the deadline set by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization for April 01, 2010 for issuing the MRPs.
