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Kathmandu Friday January 18, 2002 Magh 05, 2058.
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Nepal soon to have provision for
non-residents
By Rudra Sharma
KATHMANDU, Jan 17: The Finance Ministry is planning to introduce a provision of
Non-Resident Nepalis in the upcoming budget, solving a long-standing problem of about
60,000 Nepalis, presently living in various parts of the United States and Canada.
This provision would also help thousands of Nepalis living in other parts of the world.
"I have made several provisions in the forthcoming budget including the visa waiver
and the
provision of Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN)," Finance Minister Dr. Ram Saran Mahat told
The
Kathmandu Post. Over the last decade, the Nepali Americans had tried vehemently for such
arrangements, but in vain.
This new provision would allow Nepalis living abroad to come back to their homeland for a
longer
period after this provision of non-resident Nepalis is included in the budget in July.
These Nepalis
have been facing many hurdles as the Nepali law recognises them as foreigners once they
acquire the citizenship of other countries.
Since a dual citizenship is allowed in the US and Canada, they need not relinquish Nepali
citizenship while acquiring citizenship there. But Nepali law does not allow a dual
citizenship.
Nepali citizenship of such Nepali Americans is automatically terminated by the very time
they get
citizenship of another country. If they want to resume Nepali citizenship again, they will
have to
relinquish the citizenship elsewhere.
"We are Nepali Americans who have made significant contribution for the restoration
of
democracy in Nepal," said Khagendra Chettri through email. Chettri is a Nepali
American
practising law in the US for the last 15 years.
"We are treated as foreigners when we go back to Nepal," complains Chhetri. He
told The
Kathmandu Post that he and some of his friends have met all the post-democracy Prime
Ministers - Girija Prasad Koirala, Manmohan Adhikari and Sher Bahadur Deuba and
influential
leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, but nothing has happened.
Out of the 60,000 Nepali Americans living in the US and Canada, about 10,000 have taken
citizenship there, according to Dr. Shyam D. Karki, immediate past president of
Association of
Nepalis in the America (ANA). "And rest of the others will also get the citizenship
sooner or
later," Karki said via email.
Those living in the foreign countries say Nepal has been not able to tap a huge resource
of these
people.
Nepali lawyers practising here opine that the government should offer a package to such
non-resident Nepalis who want to return to Nepal and invest. "A separate provision
could be made
in the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992 or a separate Act could be made
to
bring this huge resources here," says Dr. Bharat Bahadur Karki, a corporate lawyer.
"Investment
of non-resident Nepalis would be more viable since the forces like Maoists may be
comparatively
lenient to them than the foreign investors."
Shyam Karki shows a long list that the nation could take benefit from if they are to be
provided
with a long-term visa, preferably for "ten years." At present, these Nepali
Americans come to
Nepal on a month-long visa and they have to renew it once it expires.
They also flay the legal provision that does not allow them to acquire immovable property
here,
like any other foreigners. Thus, they demand the right to own property in the country. If
they
government take a more liberal policy, many retired Nepali Americans are looking forward
to do
volunteer work in Nepal in their respective field of expertise, Karki further said.
Though the provision of NRN is a new concept in Nepal, similar practice is already in
place in
many other countries like India. Experts feel Nepali government can take a cue from the
practices
in India where the non-resident Indians contribute a lot in the overall development of the
nation.
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