Royal Nepalese Army asks foreign arms suppliers to enlist with it
As major suppliers of arms continue to suspend their military supplies to Nepal in the aftermath of the four-month-old royal takeover, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has asked foreign-based manufacturers and authorized distributors of arms and ammunition to enlist their company with it ..
A month after the Home Ministry made similar advertisement for the Armed Police Force, the office of the Master General of Ordnance (Provision) of the RNA headquarters has invited formal applications from reputed foreign-based manufacturers and authorized distributors to enlist their company in the annual procurement list 2005/06 for the supply of “various Military and Civil pattern goods to the RNA.”
In an advertisement published in the state-run The Rising Nepal daily on Saturday, the RNA has asked foreign suppliers to make available their company’s profile, ISO certificate of their products and has made it mandatory to inform it about their local agents within 30 days.
In the advertisement entitled “Notice for Enlistment,” the RNA said it was looking for various types of arms, accessories and spare parts, ammunition and explosives, Armed Personnel Carrier (APC), tanks, aircraft, armed/gunship helicopter/aircraft, accessories and spare parts, communication equipment, optical instruments and security equipment including mine detectors, bomb disposal unit, bullet proof vest, frag jackets, parachutes and accessories, among others.
The advertisement, however, doesn’t mention about the quantity of arms the RNA needs and the budget available for the purpose.
RNA officials said the advertisement was part of the normal procedure. “Since the current fiscal year is coming to an end, the RNA has asked foreign suppliers to enlist themselves with it,” RNA spokesman Brigadier General Dipak Kumar Gurung told Nepalnews Sunday. He said the RNA would then short-list the foreign suppliers who meet the set criteria.
The Nepali fiscal year starts in mid-July.
The RNA’s public notice for enlisting the foreign arms suppliers has come after major arms suppliers to Nepal-- India, US and UK – have suspended their military supplies to the Himalayan kingdom after the royal takeover of February 1. India—the biggest arms suppliers to Nepal—used to offer concessional rates to Nepal. RNA officials said they haven’t received any military supplies from India after February 1.
The US officials said they have delivered non-lethal military aid to Nepal this month while continuing to review their ‘lethal’ military aid to the Himalayan kingdom. The UK has also adopted similar posture.
Reports said last week that Nepal had procured some military equipment from China including five APCs. Nepali officials have neither confirmed nor denied the news report.
Only last month (on May 19) the Home Ministry published an advertisement.
"interested and reputed foreign manufacturers or authorised distributors" to approach the government within 30 days for sale of arms and equipment.
The Ministry said it was looking for “equipment concerning explosives and equipment for crowd control, communication equipment and spare parts, necessary scientific goods and equipments, disaster relief and rescue equipment and necessary goods and equipment for Armed Police training,” among others.
The deadline set by the interior ministry ended Saturday. The authorities have not said how many foreign companies responded to their call. nepalnews.com by June 19 05
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