The Nepali government is set to bring in a new aviation policy within a week, liberalizing the sector to ensure more private players and a competitive environment, a leading English newspaper, The Himalayan Times reported on Wednesday.

The amendment to the existing aviation policy is at the final stage and a bill for the new policy will be tabled in parliament by next week, minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Pradeep Gyawali told the newspaper.

According to the report, Gyawali was speaking at a program organized on Tuesday to mark the 27th World Tourism Day 2006.

"It's timely and will give greater priority to the private sector," said Gyawali, adding that the state-owned national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation will be made an autonomous entity.

"The new policy has envisaged the aviation industry as one of the lucrative sectors for the socio-economic development of the country. Thus, it has emphasized a long-term development of the sector," said Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary at the ministry of tourism and civil aviation.

Gyawali also informed that the existing rules will be made flexible in order to give relief to international airlines to operate more flights during the peak tourist seasons.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)