Finally, an economist has attempted to assess the impact of what has become a pastime of almost every political party worth its name. Professor of economics at the Tribhuvan University, Bishnu Prasad Sharma, calculates that Nepal had 190 chakka-jams in 1999-2000, which accounted for a total loss of 2.3 million work hours. Sharma has looked closely at the service industry, and claims that each worker there contributes $1,391 to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and that this sector adds $1.12 value per hour worked. Tek Bahadur Dangi of the Nepal Tourism Board had something else to add: About 40 percent of tourists visiting Nepal are coming for the second time, and strikes and chakka-jams are likely to discourage them from paying another visit, he says.