Casinos in Nepal are under new orders (again) by the country’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to have their casino licenses renewed. That much was made clear by the government ministry after issuing a new notice asking casino operators to adhere to its request.
Actually, it’s not so much of a request anymore as it is a threat directed at casino operators who are in danger of losing their licenses should they fail to comply. The MCTCA decided to issue this latest public notice after a previous call to the casino operators went largely ignored, something that apparently won’t be tolerated anymore. “If the casinos fail to comply, they may lose their operating licence,” MCTCA joint secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota warned.
To be fair to the operators, Nepal did put the renewal license on hold for almost a year, preventing any of the operators to undergo the process. But now the entire process appears to have been ironed out, the MCTCA is issuing what is tantamount to a “comply or get lost” choice for the operators. Officials of the ministry have told casino operators that they must have their licenses renewed by the end of the current fiscal year. Failure to comply, as what Sapkota said, may mean the forfeiture of operating license.
Casino operators in Nepal have historically ignored the ministry’s calls, including an older notice issued just last month that instructed all of the country’s casinos to provide information about their operational and ownership status. Guess how many casino operators obliged and gave the requested information?
Zero. Nada.
More egregious is the case of the Nepal Recreation Centre (NPC) whose license was scrapped over disputes over unpaid tax revenue back in June 2011. It’s been almost two years since the NPC had its license scrapped yet until today, all four of its casinos are still in operation.
All this points to what appears to be a lack of organizational control by the MCTCA. If casino operators are ignoring its calls and continue to of so, then the ministry needs to strap on its belts and get serious with its orders. Otherwise, they’ll just be talking to a deaf crowd.
