Of passports and driving licences

The new folks in Parliament should work at making services easily accessible to win the next elections.

The story that we hear most often in Nepal now is of people travelling to Kathmandu from different parts of the country and outside to get their passports made. People queue up at government offices to get a National ID, correct their date of birth, or simply figure out how to apply for an appointment at the passport office. My niece from Dharan has been trying for months just to find a slot and get her passport made. Touts have approached her with offers to expedite the process for a fee of Rs5,000 to Rs6,000. Many people find it cheaper to pay them rather than lose money taking a leave of absence from work and spending on hotel bills.