KATHMANDU: In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, newly-elected Mayor Balendra Shah is trying to solve the problem of public toilet use in the metropolis to some extent.

The mayor has called for making arrangements for the public toilets in hotels, restaurants, banks, and commercial buildings.

Some stakeholders say that the announcement of toilets in restaurants in the Kathmandu metropolis was made without any discussion.

In this regard, Khabarhub approached Araniko Rajbhandari, the President of Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal seeking hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs’ opinions on it.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

The restaurant and bar sector was adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. How is it now?

With the receding influence of the pandemic cases in Nepal and other countries, the restaurant and bar sector is also gaining momentum.

The restaurants have opened well for the last five months. The number of foreign tourists is also increasing.

Especially Indian tourists have come in large numbers. In places like Thamel, the bustle is increasing. The excitement has begun.

Domestic tourists also played a significant role to help the COVID-struck industry come back to normalcy. We are in a ‘back to normal position,’ now.

To what extent has the budget 2022/23 addressed the issues of your sector?

The government has included hotels, travel agencies, and trekking in the list of the areas affected by the coronavirus in the budget meant for the fiscal year 2022/23.

It has included the provision of a 50 percent tax exemption or income tax exemption for this sector. However, the government has not been able to assess the impact on various components of the tourism sector.

We found out that there was no evaluation. There are so many restaurants operating on rent.

In the eyes of the government, the big hotels will suffer as soon as they close down. The government did not heed the thousands of small and medium-sized restaurants in operation.

We were not included in the COVID Response Concessional Loan announced before. Also, there was no concessional loan for tourist vehicles. There was no discount on tourist vehicles.

We did not even get a loan facility from the bank. How many restaurants are closed in Thamel? The government regards only the big hotels, it listens to them; but, not us.

The budget has clearly shown that the government does not understand the plight of small entrepreneurs. This is the weakness of the government. We should not be the victims of the government’s shortcomings. We should also get the 50 percent exemption.

How optimistic are you about the upcoming NRB monetary policy addressing your sector?

Monetary policy has been particularly difficult. Most restaurants operate on the movements of the tourists. The tourists do not confine themselves in hotels and eat more in restaurants.

When the tourist arrival is affected, restaurant entrepreneurs also suffer. The interest rate is hiking every month. Nepal Rastra Bank’s (NRB) policy to increase interest in the deposit has affected us badly.

The interest rate should be brought down to single digits, i.e. below 10 percent. In order to run industries, factories, hotels and restaurants, interest rates should be brought to single digits in monetary policy.

NRB also does not consider small hotels and restaurants as an industry; the hotels it recognizes are the big ones as of the Durbar Marga.

If NRB authority takes only trekking and travel as the tourism sector, such people should resign instantly. The tourism sector includes everything from vehicles used by tourists to restaurants. Why the discrimination? We are providing employment to domestic agricultural products.

We are hopeful that these issues will be given priority in the coming days.

How do you regard Kathmandu Metro Mayor Balendra Shah’s appeal to let the toilets in hotels, restaurants, banks, shopping complexes, etc. be used as public toilets?

We feel Mayor Shah has done this in good faith. It deserves support and encouragement. However, had he consulted us as stakeholders prior to making such decisions, we could offer some constructive suggestions.

He announced it in consultation with a few companies. Had he not done it unilaterally, he could have gotten wider support. We could help make it sustainable.

When such announcements are made, the projects can go sustainable provided stakeholders are consulted. What will happen if his present announcement proves unrealistic and stop operation in just a few days. We had proposed similar projects in Thamel 2-3 years ago.

Personally, I have experience related to public toilets. I had my own complex with modern toilets. I had imagined that there would be any problem.

However, we found the toilets being used as a drug station. We found syringes in the lady’s and gents’ bathrooms. Staff had to be hired to monitor the users. It was inconvenient. The drug users broke and stole the taps.

Without announcing it, the restaurant entrepreneurs have been letting the public use their toilets. They have to be assured that they would not face any legal complications if they are unable to let the toilets be used as public all the time.

NABIL Bank CEO Anil Shah and Saurabh Jyoti of Honda showrooms announced to let the toilets in their outlets be used as public toilets. We are ready to cooperate as well. However, we have to be assured that we will not face hazards provided we have to shut them down due to some inconvenience.

Hope the metropolitan leaders will consult us and we can discuss the issues related openly.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of providing public toilets in restaurants? What do you see as its challenges?

Unofficially, restaurants have been letting their toilets be used as public toilets. However, if we look at the issue seriously, there are many things to be considered while making such announcements.

Will the security guards in the NABIL bank outlets and Honda Showrooms allow all types of people, including the street children, beggars, and passers-by, to enter their premises? We are aware that there should not be discrimination on any grounds.

Although we are ready to cooperate, we have to be sensitive towards the response of the customers. How they respond to the campaign is also worth considering. Besides, there are issues relating to the maintenance of hygiene.

Such things should be considered prior to make any announcements. Interestingly, the toilets of Metropolis offices are often found locked.

Metropolis should make the toilets in all 32 ward offices accessible to the public. We are ready to cooperate with them. We want to make the program sustainable. It needs further discussion.

While signing the agreement on a public toilet, what do you expect the metropolis to do to you? 

Each restaurant has its own level and customer categorization. There is a target group. The level is made according to the group.

We should be open to all. When we say public toilets, there should be no discrimination among them. People of all types should be allowed to use it.

We should serve the public. Public means everything is public. It does not have categorization. It should be open to people from all walks of life. We have been providing this service unannounced. We have been providing service. Today, no one has openly defecated on the road outside.

The thing to consider is who are the people to defecate in public? For example, beggars and street children are littering behind the Mahankal temple.

Will the beggars and street children be allowed to use public toilets in Honda showrooms or NABIL bank? The metro authority should consider these things. Such people should be considered while making policies or announcements.

In the end, what are your suggestions to Kathmandu Metropolitan?

The metropolis should manage the use of toilets from sanitation by giving a budget in each of its wards. Make the ward office toilets public.

Make the existing public toilets clean and tidy. Enforce the regulations, and keep the promises. Rather than making populist announcements go for sustainable changes. We are ready to cooperate.