Nepal Embassy in US Plans ‘Biggie’ for its Envoy

In a step enhancing Nepal’s portfolio on a global stage, the Nepali Embassy in the United States is planning a ‘biggie‘ for its Nepali Ambassador Arjun Karki in Washington DC.

Nepali Embassy Spokesperson Jeevan Prakash Shrestha revealed the Embassy’s plans to buy a new residence in a recent statement.

“The Government of Nepal has asked the Embassy to buy a new residence as the present residence doesn’t have space for parties and meetings,” says Shrestha.

As the reports say, the proposed residential property (nearly 10,000 sq.ft. area) is going to be costlier than the ex-US President Barack Obama’s new house purchased last year.

To our surprise, it is most likely to be a whopping USD 7.25 million worth property after the mandatory 3 percent closing fee set by the US Government for every buyer!

Some other sources from the Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) say the property cost is about USD 8 million with USD 20,000 maintenance cost per month.

Speaking on the property’s cost, Shrestha explained that they would not go beyond the government’s budgetary allocation.

“The house we are planning to buy is a bit expensive because only a few houses meeting the government criteria were available in the area,” he adds.

Responding to the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Nepal, Shrestha clarified that there are no plans to buy residences for staffers anytime soon.

As the sources say, the Embassy had published a procurement tender notice in 2017 itself and the process is currently at a conclusion stage.

However, the move is still under government’s perusal. “Why not buy an apartment at around US$ 740,000 to 925,000 (80 to 100 million rupees) to save the cost? What is the motive behind buying an 8-9 million dollars residence when there is already a four-story residence?” MoFA asked the Embassy citing Office of the Auditor General (OAG) report.

Currently, the Ambassador is residing in a four-story residence at the heart of Washington DC.