-KATHMANDU
The government of Nepal had previously announced to divide CAAN into two abstracted autonomous entities in 2012, though the process has not been confirmed till date. They had said to slice up the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal into two body; regulatory and air navigation services provider.
The government had said this action would help to improve the regulatory mechanism and also to develop civil aviation infrastructure. However, the Ministry of Culture,Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has not executed any effective precise step.
Joint Secretary of MoCTCA , Buddhisagar Lamichhane said cabinate returned the draft we have forwarded regarding splitting CAAN citing missing up of some technical details. The ministry has forwarded the draft document to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for additional assessment, he added.
The independent regulatory body CAAN was established in 1998 and works under its own Civil Aviation Act. It has been working on safe aviation services, air navigation, issuance of Airworthiness Certificate and License, Rating,Technical regulations and Certificate to aviation personnel and advise government on civil aviation matters as well as the development of airport infrastructures.
Dislocating of CAAN has been needy so the government should introduce appropriate laws as soon as possible said Dinesh Shrestha, former general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Nepal government not only looks after laws but also operates airlines, airports, air navigation services and conducts other aviation monitoring activities too. So it would be very difficult for them to reach the root cause that are dragging Nepalese aviation downwards and correct them. This has also led Nepal on the blacklist of European Commission (EU).Hence the only reform we can bring on Nepalese aviation industry seems to be the separation of CAAN into different entities. This could help to conduct tasks effectively and we may find positive changes on upcoming days.
He further said that it’s very important to make separate two entities as per the policy of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that aid autonomy for the air navigation service s provider and help in effective functioning of the system.
Moreover delay in splitting CAAN has literally affected the entire civil aviation sector and created abominable image of the nation, he said.
In accordance to Rajan Pokhrel, deputy director general of CAAN, the MoCTCA has shown keen interest in it and has also taken suggestions from the regulatory body regarding that. He added it’s the duty of the state to implement the safety standards, policies, and guidelines as per ICAO standards and maintain and implement its best applicable practices corresponding the reason separating CAAN to meet global aviation standards.
Source: thehimalayantimes.com
