The fee for a drone registration in Nepal is set at $50. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) increased the fee by 400 times from the previous fare of $10. The decision hasn’t gone down too well with a leading association related to drone operation in Nepal. Keep reading.
If you want to fly a drone (an unmanned aerial vehicle), you will need to spend $50 on its registration fee. This will skyrocket the total cost of operating a drone, including the price for buying one in the first place.
CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul said that the decision to increase the fee has been taken to effectively regulate drone-related activities. “This decision was made by the board a few days ago. Once we make some preparation, we will formally implement it,” Bhul said. “Rather than discouraging drone users, we have decided to increase the fee to properly manage and monitor drone activities.”
He further added that drone operators will only need to pay $50 at first for registration. Afterwards, they only need to pay $10 in renewal. He claimed that the increased fee will discourage those who intend to fly drones with “wrong intentions.”
“We believe that this will control people who come to register for unnecessary purposes rather than causing trouble to anyone,” he added.
Also: Flying Drones Restricted Around Tribhuwan International Airport
Drone registration cost increased to $50, but it’s criticized
But the decision to raise drone registration costs to $50 has been strongly rebuked. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Association of Nepal has declared the increase “unfair” and has drawn attention to the concerned agencies. It claimed that the authority didn’t discuss with stakeholders before deciding to raise the drone registration cost.
Prabin Bhattarai, the general secretary of the association, met Civil Aviation Minister Badri Prasad Pandey and Secretary Binod Prakash Singh and submitted a memorandum. “The authority has unilaterally increased the drone registration fee by 400 times without consulting the stakeholders. Drone technology is a field linked to research, entrepreneurship, and national security.
“The high fees can negatively impact innovative thinking, startups, and youth efforts,” argued Bhattarai. “The authority has taken this decision after the Nepal Drone Ecosystem program was organized to promote drones. This will directly discourage startup companies.”
The association has indicated that they will take matters to the Prime Minister if CAAN doesn’t come up with a resolution.