Following the directive of the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale, the payment of royalties for operating a casino has increased. As of Sunday, Rs. 810 million has been collected from casino companies in the government's account, said Khemraj Joshi, hotel and casino manager of the tourism department.
He said, "Casinos that do not pay royalties have also started paying royalties. So far, Rs. 810 million has been deposited into our account. Some other companies have taken documents to pay royalties. In a few days, more money will come." According to the Department of Tourism, casino operators have started paying royalties after Minister Ale warned a few weeks ago that licenses for non-payment of casino royalties would be revoked.
According to the Department of Tourism, at least 17 companies have so far paid royalties.
According to the department, the total amount owed by the casino operators to the government is only Rs 1.1184 billion. Similarly, the department claims that other casino operators have started paying the amount after the license of Hotel Yak & Yeti in Durbar Marg of Kathmandu was revoked. Following the directive of Minister Ale, the department has also made public the three-page details of casino operators who do not pay royalties. Now, six companies are yet to pay the royalty renewal fee, the department said.
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