MoFA asks Finance Ministry to release 800,000 pounds for repairs
KATHMANDU, Sept 2: The government has paid 43,000 pounds sterling (approximately Rs 59 million) in annual insurance premium for its UK-based embassy building nearly six month after the payment deadline expired.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed that the amount was paid to the insurance company nearly two weeks ago. “We already settled the insurance amount. It has already been over two weeks since we settled the amount,” said MoFA Spokesperson Arjun Bahadur Thapa. [break]
Thapa said that MoFA has requested the Finance Ministry to release 800,000 pounds sterling for the maintenance of the embassy building as demanded by insurance companies. “The Finance Ministry is yet to take a decision to that effect. We will carry out the maintenance work once the budget is released,” Thapa further said.
The embassy building, which is the most expensive property that Nepal owns abroad, was handed over by the British Government to Nepal on lease in 1938 in recognition of the contribution made by the Gurkha troops. The lease will expire in 68 years.
The government’s move comes amid concerns that failure to pay the insurance amount and repair the building on time could place Nepal at risk of losing the prime property located in the heart of London.
The embassy building is currently in a dilapidated state, requiring complete overhaul of its electric wiring, plumbing and water pipe system. Earlier, a London insurance surveyor had refused to accept the insurance money without prior maintenance work on the building.
Amid concerns that it would take a huge amount for carrying out maintenance work, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the dissolved parliament had even discussed whether to sell off the property. However, a meeting held a few days after parliament was dissolved had failed to arrive at any decision.
But as the government has not taken any decision to sell the property, MoFA is preparing to carry out maintenance as per the surveyor’s report. “We are currently awaiting the surveyor’s report. We will do the needful based on that report,” Spokesperson Thapa further said.