Sagar Pandey, a prominent candidate for the presidency of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), has officially announced his candidacy along with his full panel for the upcoming executive committee election.
The election, scheduled for September 2 (Bhadra 17), will take place during TAAN’s Annual General Meeting. At an event held today, Pandey’s group announced their candidacy for various key positions within the association. Cholendra Bahadur Karki is running for Senior Vice President, Dawa Lama for First Vice President, and Nishesh Thapa for Second Vice President.
Other members of Pandey’s panel include Sonam Sherpa for General Secretary, Sajana Tripathi for Secretary, Ganesh Prasad Neupane for Treasurer, and Dambar Adhikari for Deputy Treasurer. Candidates for executive committee members from the Pandey panel are Madhav Kumar Dhamala, Binod Kumar Tamang, Srishti Bhandari, Phurbu Chhiring Bhote, Utsav Dhakal, Shiva Prasad Silwal, and Ambir Bahadur Gurung.
In his announcement, Pandey emphasized his commitment to establishing a ‘Grand TAAN Endowment Fund’ aimed at directly benefiting those active in the mountain trekking industry, including both business owners and workers. He also highlighted the growing issue of trekking routes being destroyed due to haphazard road construction by local authorities and vowed to focus on their preservation. Pandey expressed his concern over the imposition of VAT on trekking services, which he believes is inappropriate for the sector, and pledged to work towards its reconsideration.
TAAN President Nil Hari Bastola, speaking at the candidacy announcement event, stressed the importance of collective effort for the development of Nepal’s mountain tourism sector, urging all stakeholders to work together for the industry’s growth.
