Koirala's absurd proposal

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has proposed to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to import 4 million Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) from Indian Security Printers (ISP) at a cost of $4 per piece to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization-set deadline of April 1. Koirala has argued that since it is impossible to meet the time limit through a new tender process, it would be best to bring the high-tech passports from India, which has offered the Nepal government to supply the passports from the Nasik-based printers. The $4 figure was agreed between Koirala and Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna during the latter’s recent Nepal visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had scrapped the last tender citing ‘technical reasons’.



While batting for the Indian offer, Koirala has sidelined all other better proposals that have come up from various foreign companies. The companies have submitted their proposals before the ministry via their respective embassies in Nepal to supply MRPs at cheaper price. While the French has offered at $3.65 per booklet, the Indonesian company has quoted $3.5. Similarly, there are offers from Malaysia, the UK, and Canada as well. In the face of better proposals from other suppliers, it is completely unjustified that the state should pay 50 cent more for every MRP booklet from the taxpayers’ money. Minister Koirala has not explained why we should go for the expensive Indian proposal. She told the cabinet meeting that because of the ‘intimate friendship’ and ‘spirit of cooperation’ between Nepal and India, the deal should undoubtedly go to ISP. However, this cannot be considered a valid justification.



“Intimate relationship” with India never means that we should buy from the southern neighbor even if it costs more for similar products that can be procured from the third country. Koirala’s explanation only leaves room for suspicion and raises doubts whether the deal with India has been collaborated in a manner to benefit few high-ranking officials, including Koirala herself? One news report claimed on Wednesday that a total of 90 cent per passport has been kept aside as the commission amount in the deal. If this is true, and so it seems from Koirala’s own proposal, this will be the first case in Nepal of blatant state-level corruption in striking bilateral deal involving a cabinet minister. The total cost of 4 million MRPs at $4 per piece will be $16 million. And not to forget, this is only the first phase of requirement. Nepal will buy more MRPs.



Koirala’s proposal is simply not acceptable unless she or the council of ministers comes out with a better and a reasonable explanation. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, which has rightly questioned the minister over her intention of bringing MRPs from ISP, must step up its intervention and the prime minister must take the right decision and explain the reason behind it.

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