My Dear Fellow Nepalis,
Let me first begin by saying how much I respect you. With all the crisis going on in Nepal, I understand it is not easy to work and live in Nepal. Even if you have work, you may not be happy with your pay scale, you are probably treated badly, people perhaps pay no respect to you. I understand, it’s tough. When I say, I feel your pain, trust me I do. I have worked in Nepal for many years. Just recently too I worked from Nepal. I set up my own company, I thought the IT policy behind setting up a company was very impressive. I was pleasantly surprised by how you kept up with the technological changes. Brownie points for that!
But of course, the whole process of setting up to begin with, wasn’t easy. Dealing with bureaucrats wasn’t easy. I have taken many days off just so I could wait for the ‘right’ person to arrive to get the job done. I have wasted numerous days waiting to get a government approval. While I witnessed a bunch of people at government office, just laughing away while the lines kept growing outside the office. Still nobody had a sense to listen to the grievances of ordinary Nepalis, who just wanted to get the job done.
Seriously, you get paid for your job. It may not be enough to make a foreign trip but at least it puts food on your table. The money makes it possible to send your kids to school. It is enough to make an honest living. As a government worker, you get additional benefits as compared to those who work in private companies. At least have some respect for tax payers who work hard to make sure you get paid. Be thankful that you have a job that you can serve so many people. Imagine all the goodwill you would gain. But you still take time to do simple things. I was willing to take it all while I was in Nepal. It was hard enough back then. But now that I am 1000 miles away, working with you has been a complete nightmare.
My grievances is not just limited to Nepali government workers. Even the young generation folks I have dealt with have given me a very unpleasant experience. I guess, Nepal doesn’t prioritize on communication. Please understand communication is extremely important. I am living far away from home. I have made investments in Nepal. Any delayed information becomes extremely critical. I don’t have money to waste. Your slow and inept communication affects my investment and I am not willing to accept the loss incurred by your inefficiency.
Please understand I am a Nepali too and so are you. I am not expecting you to move mountains. I am just asking you to get the job done that I have paid for you to do. That is not too much ask. I am not even expecting a free service from you. In fact, as an investor I have paid all the required taxes, aside from giving you employment and paying the deserved amount. I would be forever grateful to you if you could just do what you have to do, so I can complete my task and move on with my life and not waste any more resources on you.
Sincerely,
Shailiza Manandhar