NDF meeting begins in Paris

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 17- Nepal Development Forum (NDF) Meeting, a three-day long meeting between His Majesty’s Government and the bilateral and multilateral donors assisting in Nepal’s development endeavor, began in Paris, France, today.

A team led by Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, which includes Prithibi Raj Ligal, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Bimal Koirala, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Tul Raj Bashyal, Chief Advisor at the Ministry of Finance and Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Chief at the Foreign Aid Division, Ministry of Finance is taking part on the meeting from Nepal’s side. The meeting, which typically takes place every two years, is being held after an interval of four years following the ensuing political instability since the last meeting held in 1996.

Current NDF meeting, formerly known as Paris Aid Group meeting marks some deviations from its past footprints. Until the last meeting, Nepal used to pledge assistance from the bilateral and multilateral donors for various projects and programs.

"This time we will concentrate on winning donor’s confidence in our policy and priority for reform in various areas including financial sector and civil service," said

Finance Minister Acharya addressing a press conference last Friday, a day prior to his departure to Paris.

This time we will not care how much aid the donors would commit, rather our emphasis would be to persuade them to assist in our priority areas and as per our policy, said the minister.

Nepal is expected to pledge a number of reforms in the meeting that will include financial sector reform, civil service reform and other necessary institutional reforms. The delegation will also present a time frame for the completion of reforms in each of this sector. The government will also, for the first time, pledge the donor communities that it would take together the civil society as a partner in development endeavor.

A discussion on Poverty Alleviation Strategy, a comprehensive policy package to take on severe poverty in the country is another important part of the three-day meeting. Donor communities, especially International Monetary Fund (IMF) has shown serious displeasure over Nepal’s project-based poverty alleviation targeted programs and has urged for a comprehensive and integrated approach. National Planning Commission has prepared a poverty alleviation strategy draft for discussions in the meeting.

Himalayan Expo 2000 concludes

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 17 - The tenth Himalayan Expo 2000, organized by the House of Rajkarnikar, which took place for five days, concluded amid a function today at the Bhrikuti Mandap.

At the closing ceremony, managing director of the House of Rajkarnikar, Birendra Rajkarnikar informed that 85 thousand visitors showed up at the five-day exposition.

On the occasion, State Minister for Industry and Commerce, Narendra Bahadur Nemwang opined that such exhibitions help massively to disseminate information regarding products not only to businessmen but to the consumers as well.

He also said that trade fairs also help in developing the tourism sector, generating employment and promoting markets for domestic as well as foreign products. The newly elected president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Rajesh Kazi Shrestha, lamented on the indifferent attitude shown by the government inspite of repeated requests made by the businessmen community for constructing an exposition hall of international standard. Stressing that foreign businessmen face a lot of hassles at the customs points while bringing goods into the country for exhibition purposes, he said that the continuance of such a practice would adversely affect foreign investments.

Shrestha also informed that the Chamber will display various exportable domestic items in the Osaka International Trade Fair, which is going to be held shortly in Japan. At the function, amongst the exhibitors, Dugar Incorporate was awarded with the best Promotion Award. Similarly, Nepal Overseas Trading Company and Princessa Overseas were presented with the Best Display Award and Best New Product Award respectively.

Ansal Chaudhary introduces apartment housing

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 17 - Ansal Buildwell Limited (India) and the Chaudhary Group (Nepal) have formed a joint venture Ansal Chaudhary Developers announcing a full-fledged apartment system housing project, that is going to begin a new definition of living in the country.

Formally announcing the commencement of the project, Binod Chaudhary, Chairman of Chaudhary Group and Gopal Ansal, Chairman of Ansal Buildwell explained the new concept of modern housing for the general public.

Named Kathmandu Residency, the project has been designed on the most modern lines, with all the amenities that today’s life is accustomed to. As explained by Chaudhary, Ansal and other members of their team, the complex will contain well laid studio apartment, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, which will reflect the high-point of the contemporary architecture and also offers the modern facilities of lush green surroundings, modern European design, abundant water supply, sufficient electricity & power back-up, and effected drainage system, concealed copper wiring for electrical fittings, private space for parking, 24-hour security, in-house club, crèche and convenient shopping.

It was informed in the press conference that Kathmandu Residency is a preamble to a major involvement that the joint venture has chalked out for itself. It aims at setting a new pace of construction and development in Nepal and bridge the housing needs. It was told that the expertise of Ansals in the sphere of real estate-development and construction and the standing and resources of the Chaudhary Group will find manifestation in the emergence of numerous residential complexes throughout Nepal, bringing housing within the reach of the people.

Responding to the questions of the press, Chaudhary said that the concept of apartment building could be brought into reality following the government’s announcement of related legislation. "However, there is still a lot of things government should be doing on it. The government should be providing infrastructure facilities in such areas so as to spur such housing projects," he added.

Ansal’s Chairman Gopal Ansal said, the joint venture between him and the Chaudhary Group would not confine itself within the capital city. "We will be developing satellite cities around Kathmandu, that is the future," he said.

The housing project will have altogether 145 apartments, which is costing the developers around 300 million rupees.

Ansal Buildwell, the Indian counterpart of the project is a major entity in the sphere of real estate and construction in India. It emerged on the scene three decades ago and since then it has changed the skyline of Delhi and various other cities in the country with numerous high-rise buildings and complexes. They have built a host of prestigious commercial buildings, modern shopping plazas and sprawling residential complexes. The company has developed several townships with the most modern infrastructural facilities.

The Chaudhary Group has been leading the development of Nepal since 1935. It is poised to continue its endeavors in the 21st century. The Group has wide interests in manufacturing, trading, energy, automobiles, publications, electronics, services, tourism and philanthropy.

Webster University keen to invest in Nepal

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 17 - Webster University system that offers accredited American University degree programs in over 70 locations worldwide is interested to invest in Nepal, provided a suitable partner encountered.

It was informed by Brad Keith, Director of Webster University, Thailand, who is currently in Kathmandu to promote his university located in the capital city of Thailand.

Keith is hopeful that if Webster University opens an office in Nepal, it could be helpful to the students of the country itself and all the people around in South Asia region. "The South Asian would be benefited by the quality and standard of American University," he explained.

According to the Director of Webster University Thailand, Nepalese students deserve a very good education center because they have been performing very well in Bangkok. "They just need a little adaptation to the country and American education system, then most of them have perform very well," he said.

According to him the university has been getting around 20 students in each academic year. Most of such students are just under-graduate, and needs about 4 years to complete their education. "But, graduates would need only about one and a half year to complete their masters, and would result very cheap," he said.

At present, a Nepali student has to pay around 350 thousand rupee per year. "If we could open a center here in Nepal, the price would be very cheap for Nepalese students, and it would also be encouraging for neighboring countries," Keith explained.

The quality of Webster in Thailand, as explained by its director, is at par with the American counterpart. "Our teaching medium is English and almost all the teachers are Westerners," he explained.

When asked if the quality of the Nepal center, when opened, would also be the same, he said it depends mainly upon the formulation of the texts and quality of teachers. "We calculate the credits of the course once it come into operation, then only this issue can be addressed properly," he added.

Despite being quite expensive, Webster University is getting popular among Nepalese students. "It is because the education quality and merits are exactly like in the USA, course is same, course-books are same even teachers come from there. "In addition the University is offering full-fledged internet-based library, all other facilities for boarding etc. which has made it popular even among Nepalese students," he added.

Rail link to Sirsiya: Lifeline of ICD

By Purushottam Ojha

The growth of ICD concept in Nepal has a vis-à-vis relationship with the infrastructure development in India. The good neighborliness between the two countries has made a debut in establishing and running the rail based ICD in Birgunj. His Majesty’s Government of Nepal carried out a number of studies in the form of; rail related survey, feasibility study, detailed design and study of a rail based ICD at Birgunj. The project was found feasible and the World Bank/IDA has provided the loan assistance of 23.5m US dollar to implement the project.

Sufficient deliberations were held in the past about the benefits of Dry Port or ICD in Nepal and the Birgunj ICD is the first modern facility to be realised in near future. The ICD is being linked with the railway system in India, which is the most important feature of the project. Whatever better facilities there may be, this can not get life until and unless the railway link, is adequately established. The railway network in India is the largest among all network elsewhere, the Indian Railway is also modernising overtime with the introduction of new technology and innovations.

Of the many front of Indian cooperation, Railway system is also one where GOI has provided assistance in renovation and upgrading of Janakpur railway in 1993. As part of total package of dieselisation of Janakpur railway, the GOI has provided four diesel locomotives and eighteen coaches to Janakpur railway between 1994 and 1996. The added facilities has given comfort to the passengers to use railway as an alternative to tiresome journey of Bus.

It is apparent that the effort on promotion of trade need to be duly supported by physical infrastructure and trade logistics measures. As a continuum to the economic co-operation between the two countries, the Government of India has agreed to provide the necessary support along with the financial assistance to construct the railway line between Raxoul and Sirsiya. An agreement was signed between the two governments in June 1997 to implement the Rail Link project with grant assistance of GOI. The estimated cost of this project is almost 21 crore Rupees. The length of railway line from Raxoul to Sirsiya is 5.4 km and the length only inside ICD is 6 km and the total length of railway lines under the cooperation scheme comes about 12 kilometer.

The construction of Railway line has kicked off since October 1999 and it is likely to be completed in June 2000, more or less the same time of completion of Sirsiya ICD. The proposed rail link will facilitate the movement of cargo to and from ICD to various parts of India including the gateway port of Calcutta/Haldia. The investment made in this project goes a long way in supporting the trade regimes of Nepal as well as promoting bilateral trade with India. The operation of ICD with rail link, will also be a milestone in the development history of trade in this country.

Now the officials of the two governments are working together to develop the Railway operation Arrangement which will help in smoothening the railway movement by instilling a good operation modality. The use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is of utmost in importance in view of bringing efficiency in trade. It is pertinent to note that both the governments need to work together in a more coordinated way in the days ahead to improve the living conditions of the common people in both countries. The cementation of the ties will be realized in the true sense through mutual cooperation and benefits brought by the fruits of economic development.

(Ojha is the Project Director at Nepal Multimodal Transit and Trade Facilitation Project). - Concluded