By Ashok Ghimire

The Nepal Army said the process for procurement of medical supplies required for fighting against COVID-19 pandemic has completed.

In a news conference organized at the Army Headquarters here on Tuesday, the Army Spokesman Bigyan Dev Pandey, said the Army is at the stage of purchasing 342 tonnes of medical goods from China through the Government-to-Government process.

He added that a purchase agreement has already been reached with the Chinese side and the amount has also been paid in that connection. The amount was paid to the Chinese party on Monday itself for the purchase of 67 kinds of medical goods.

The Army spokesman said  18 million 441 thousand 706.35 US Dollars has been paid and the Chinese side has also confirmed of the receipt of the amount.  An agreement has been reached with China Sinofirm International Corporation, a government-owned company, for purchasing the medical goods.

As per the agreement, the Chinese side will have to deposit the consignment in Guangzhou within a week from the date of payment.

Pandey said information has been received from the Chinese party that it would deposit the medical goods in Guangzhou within a week’s time. He added that it will take around seven days to transport the medical supplies from there up to Tatopani transit point. It will take two more days for customs clearance.

According to him, discussions are also being held with the airlines companies on the possibilities of bringing the most essential consignment by air. “We are in discussions with Nepal Airlines Corporation and Shree Airlines. We will reach a conclusion on this matter once the medical goods are deposited in Guangzhou by the supplier company,” Pandey said, adding that consultations were also on for transporting goods other than the emergency ones by road.

He said they are in talks with the Chinese transportation companies through the Nepali Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Guangzhou in that regard.

Discussions with India on

The Army spokesman further said discussions were ongoing regarding purchasing medicines for the COVID-19 patients from India.

The government has made preparations for bringing 53 types of medicines from India. “We have sent a list of the medicines that we require. Discussions are ongoing with the Indian side regarding the process of payment after the procurement of the medicines. We have not received any information from the Indian side so far. This matter will also be finalized in some days,” he said.

KATHMANDU, April 3: A day after the terminating the controversial COVID-19 emergency medical equipment procurement contract with Omni Business Corporate, the government decided to entrust the supply the materials to Nepal Army through government to government process.

But the government’s move has face criticisms again with the leaders within the ruling party and various other quarters slamming the decision as “weakness” and questing the government’s “competence”.

सार्वजनिक खरीद विक्रीको काममा समेत सेनालाई प्रयोग गर्नु उपयुक्त हुंदैन। सेनाले पनि त्यस्तो जिम्मा स्विकार गर्नु हुँदैन। त्यसले सरकारको नियमित कार्य क्षमतामा ह्रास आएको र असक्षम भएको प्रमाणित गर्दछ। मलाई लाग्दैन हामी त्यो अवस्थामा पुगिसकेका छौं https://t.co/8wobv5SuDA

— Kamal Thapa (@KTnepal) April 3, 2020

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair Kamal Thapa argued that it will be inappropriate to hand the job of public procurement to the army.

“Nor the army should accept the tender,” Thapa wrote on his Twitter account.

“Or it will prove government’s incompetence,” he added.

यो औषधी खरिदकाण्डको नालीबेली बुझ्दै जाँदा वर्तमान सरकार सबै पार्टपूर्जा खुस्केको दुर्घटना उन्मूख गाडी जस्तो देखिन्छ! यो दुर्घटनाले गाडी हाँक्ने नालायक र होश गुमिसकेका मान्छेहरू मात्र होइन देशका तीन करोड जनताको ज्यान जाने खतरा रहन्छ! हामी सबै डीलबाट खस्न लागेको गाडीसंगै सती जाने? https://t.co/fopCWWlToc

— नियमित हात धोऔं / Wash your hands ! (@brb1954) April 3, 2020

Former prime minister and Samajbadi Party Federal Council Chair Dr. Baburam Bhattarai commented saying the government is heading toward an accident that would doom 30 million Nepali citizens.

“Should we go Sati with the government?” he questioned.

हुरीबतास आयो, घर बनाउने जिम्मा सेनालाई । महामारी आयो, औषधी किन्ने जिम्मा सेनालाई । ठूलो बजेट भयो, बाटो बनाउने जिम्मा सेनालाई । यो सेनाको यो कामै होइन। सेनामा अख्तियारले हेर्न नपाउने भएकाले लिने-दिने दुबैलाई राम्रै लाग्ला तर हाम्रो प्रणााली कमजोर हुन्छ । दीर्घकालीन रुपमा सोचौँ ।

— Bishnu Rijal (@bishnurijal1) April 3, 2020

Nepal Communist Party leader Bishnu Rijal expressed his dissatisfaction saying this is not the job of the army.

“Housing, road construction, medicine procurement … all tenders are awarded to Nepal Army. It is not their work. Let’s think for the long-term.”

OLI ON HOT WATER

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is also not untouched by the criticisms, especially after it was revealed that he tampered with the minute of Council of Ministers’ meeting to assign the tender to the army.

Reports have claimed that Chief Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi added the agenda of awarding the contract to the army as per the direction of the prime minister, concerned ministries have expressed ignorance about the decision.

The Health Ministry had scrapped the contract with Omni Group after a Nepali businessman in China disclosed that the government was procuring the medical equipment such as PPEs, test kits, ir thermometer and other essential materials at a price four to seven times higher than the usual price. He also accused Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal of embezzling more than Rs 500 million in the procurement process. Also, the rapid testing kits supplied by the company were substandard.

The government had awarded the procurement contract worth Rs 1.25 billion necessary to combat the coronavirus to Omni Group on March 29.

Bagmati Province Assembly member and Bibeksheel Nepali Dal leader Ramesh Paudyal has filed a complaint against Minister for Health and Population Bhanubhakta Dhakal at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority accusing him of canceling the procurement tender announced three months ago and awarding the contract to the unregistered company (at Department of Commerce) and businessmen close to him overnight and without competitive bidding, purchasing the medical supplies at an exorbitantly high price and asked the anti-graft body to launch a thorough investigation into the financial irregularities.

But the Health Ministry has dismissed committing any irregularities saying the purchase price was a “bit higher since the materials are in short supply across the globe”. The ministry also clarified that they terminated the contract with the Omni Group as the company failed to supply materials as promised. The ministry had also seized the 50 million security deposit.

KATHMANDU, Jan 8: Nepal Army Wednesday has directed its peace keepers deployed in Iraq to remain alert in the wake of the intensifying tension between the United States and Iran.

Iran fired a more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops early Wednesday in retaliation for the airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week—the first act of the Islamic Republic after it promised revenge against the US move.

“The Nepali Guard Unit deployed at the UN Base in Kirkun and Erbil have been directed to adopt caution” said Nepal Army in a press release.

The Nepal Army also stated that Nepali peacekeepers are safe until now.

NA also directed Nepali peacekeepers in Lebanon and Sirya to remain alert and regularly report to the mission and NA headquarters.

There are currently 77 NA UN peacekeepers in Iraq, 230 in Libiya, 342 in Sirya, 871 in Lebanon.

KATHMANDU, Aug 30: The 59^TH course of the extremely prestigious National Defence College (NDC) India had their delegation visit Nepal for three days from 25 Aug to 28 Aug. As part of this course, the delegates visited various Nepalese Army sites along with briefing and information on functioning.

The entire team during their stay of 3 days visited the Nepalese Army headquarters, the Western Division headquarters in Pokhara and the acclaimed Mountain Warfare School in Jomsom.

The 59^th course is part of the curriculum of the NDC, and this year 15 senior officers from the civil services and defence forces of India, United Kingdom, Japan, Mongolia, and Bangladesh were a part of this exercise.

The visiting team was led by Vice Admiral Srikant, AVSM, and Commandant NDC. During their stay, Vice Admiral Srikant paid a courtesy call to the Honorable Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and the Defense Secretary Reshmi Raj Pandey.

(Defence Secretary Reshmi Raj Pandey along with the visiting delegates) 

The visiting team from India also met the Commander in Chief of the Nepal Army Purna Chandra Thapa where they discussed matters of mutual interest.

The National Defence College of India is one of the best institutes for defence studies not only in Asia but also has a remarkable global outreach. It provides thorough instructions and courses to senior Defence and Civil Service officers in the overall framework of strategy and warfare.

These courses are attended by senior officers of the Indian Defence Forces and Civil Services as well as the Armed Forces of other Nations with a clean bilateral standing with India.

Currently, only one officer of the Nepalese Army is undergoing the ongoing course whereas there are nine other officers are enrolled. There are 19 retired officers of the Nepalese Army who have graduated from the prestigious National Defence College in New Delhi.