NOC plans dual price for kerosene

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 11 - Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is preparing to introduce dual pricing system in the distribution of kerosene.

NOC’s plan to introduce the dual pricing through ration card system is at the final stage and will be implemented after the cabinet endorses the Corporation’s proposal.

Addressing the 30th annual general meeting of the Corporation held here Monday, Raj Krishna Amatya, Chairman of the NOC Board said, “As per the directives of the cabinet, NOC has sent a report to the Ministry of Supplies,” said the president of the working committee of NOC Raj Krishna Amatya.

“To supply kerosene at a subsidized price to the targetted group, ration card system will be established soon,” said Minister for Supplies Prakash Man Singh.

The corporation is introducing the ration card system to ensure the distribution of kerosene to the targetted group and curb the increasing misuse of kerosene as an alternative source of energy by industrial sector. Currently, NOC is subsidizing the prices of kerosene by Rs 3.37 per litre. Following the hike of electricity tariff by 25 percent few months back, industrial sector is increasingly substituting the consumption of power with kerosene.  

Justifying the rationale behind the introduction of ration card system, Amatya said, “The use of subsidized kerosene intended to the general public by the industrial sector has bloated the costs of the corporation considerably.”

This is, however, not for the first time that ration card system is being introduced to distribute kerosene. It was temporarily introduced in 1989 during the trade and transit impasse with India, which created huge shortage of daily commodities including kerosene. However, the rationing system was abolished after the stalemate was over and status quo was maintained with India following the establishment of multiparty democracy in 1990.

Know ICD - 30

-By Chinpal RauniarThe Hague Rules
(Continued from Know ICD-29)

Article 4
Neither the carrier nor the ship shall be liable for loss or damage arising or resulting form unseaworthiness unless caused by want of due diligence on the part of the carrier to make the holds, refrigerating and cool chambers and all other parts of the ship in which goods are carried fit and safe for their reception, carriage and preservation in accordance with the provisions of § 1 of Article 3.    Whenever loss or damage has resulted from unseaworthiness the burden of proving the exercise of due diligence shall be on the carrier or other person claiming exemption under this Article.

Neither the carrier nor the ship shall be responsible for loss or damage arising or resulting from:
Act, neglect, or default or the master, mariner, pilot, or the servants of the carrier in the navigation or in the management of the ship;
Fire, unless caused by the actual fault or privity of the carrier;
Perils, dangers and accidents of the sea or other navigable waters;
Act if God;
Act of war;
Act of public enemies;
Arrest or restraint of princes, rulers or people, or seizure under legal process;
Quarantine restrictions;
Act or omission of the shipper or owner of the goods, his agent or representative;
Strikes or lockouts or stoppage or restraint of labour form whatever cause, whether partial or general.
Riots and civil commotions;
Saving or attempting to save life or property at sea;
Wastage in bulk or weight or any other loss or damage arising from inherent defect, quality or vice of the goods;
Insufficiency of packing;
Insufficiency or inadequacy of marks;
Latent defects not discoverable by due diligence;
Any other cause arising without the actual fault or privity of the carrier, or without the actual fault or neglect of the agents or servants of the carrier, but the benefit of this exception to show that neither actual fault or privity of the carrier nor the fault or neglect of the agents or servants of the carrier contributed to the loss or damage.

The shipper shall not be responsible for loss damage sustained by the carrier or the ship arising or resulting from any cause without the act, fault or neglect or the shipper, his agents or his servants.

Any deviation in saving or attempting to save life or property at sea or any reasonable deviation shall not be deemed to be an infringement or breach of this Convention or of the contract of carriage, and the carrier shall not be liable for any loss or damage  resulting therefrom.

Neither the carrier nor the ship shall in any event be or become liable for any loss or damage to or inconnexion with goods in an amount exceeding 100 pounds sterling per package or unit, or the equivalent of that sum in other currency unless the nature and value of such goods have been declared by the shipper before shipment and inserted in the bill of lading.

This declaration if embodied in the bill of lading shall be prima facie evidence, but shall not be binding of conclusive on the carrier.

By agreement between the carrier, master or agent of the carrier and the shipper another maximum amount than that mentioned in this paragraph may be fixed, provided that such maximum shall not be less than the figure above named.

Neither the carrier nor the ship shall be responsible in any event for loss or damage to, or in connexion with, goods if the nature or value thereof has been knowingly misstated by the shipper in the bill of lading.

Goods of an inflammable, explosive or dangerous nature to the shipment whereof the carrier, master or agent of the carrier has not consented with knowledge of their nature and character, may at anytime before discharge be landed at any place, or destroyed or rendered innocuous by the carrier without compensation, and the shipper of such goods shall be liable for all damage and expenses directly or indirectly arising out of or resulting from such shipment.    If any such goods shipped with such knowledge and consent shall become a danger to the ship or cargo, they may in like manner be landed at any place, or destroyed or rendered innocuous by the carrier without liability on the part of the carrier except to general average, if any.

Article 5
A carrier shall be at liberty to surrender in whole or in part all or any of his rights and immunities or to increase any of his responsibilities and obligations under this Convention, provided such surrender or increase shall be embodied in the bill of lading issued to the shipper.

The provisions of this Convention shall not be applicable to charter parties, but if bills of lading are issued in the case of a ship under a charter party they shall comply with the terms of this Convention.   Nothing in these rules shall be held to prevent the insertion in a bill of lading of any lawful provision regarding general average.

Article 6
Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding Articles, a carrier, master or agent of the carrier and a shipper shall in regard to any particular goods  be at liberty to enter into any agreement in any terms as to the responsibility and liability of the carrier for such goods, and as to the rights and immunities of the carrier in respect of such goods, or his obligation as to seaworthiness, so far as this stipulation is not contrary to public policy, or the care of deligence of his servants or agents in regard to the loading, handling, stowage, carriage, custody, care and discharge of the goods carried by sea, provided that in this case no bill of lading has been or shall be issued and that the terms agreed shall be embodied in a receipt which shall be anon-negotiable document and shall be marked as such.

Any agreement so entered into shall have full legal effect:

Provided that this Article shall not apply to ordinary commercial shipments made in the ordinary course of trade, but only to other shipments where the character or condition of the property to be carried or the circumstances, terms and conditions under which the carriage is to be performed are such as reasonably to justify a special agreement

(To be continued in Know ICD-31)

ICDs to help export promotion

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 11 - With the construction of the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) at Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Birgunj nearing completion, Nepal Freight Forwarders’ Association (NEFFA) has demanded concerned authorities to provide with information regarding impact of ICDs in the overall export of the country.

“The completion of the ICDs, with assistance of the World Bank, would definitely make the export of goods more quick, efficient, simple and economical,” said president of NEFFA, Rabindra Man Singh.

“The concerned authorities should however tell us how Freight Forwarders would be benefitted from it”, he added. Singh was speaking at 1st annual general meeting of the association here Tuesday.

On the occasion, Chief Technical Advisor of UNCTAD, Shanta de Silva informed that the extension of the railway line from India to ICD in Birgunj would decrease the transportation cost between the two countries by 30-40 percent.

Referring to the increasing importance of Freight Forwarders in import/export, Minister of State for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Chaudhary said, “Freight Forwarder is taking the form of an industry, not just transport brokers.”

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, NEFFA officials informed that with a view to develop staff members of freight forwarders, a training institute has been jointly set up by NEFFA, Campion Council and UNCTAD, with modules on “Diploma on International Freight Forwarding.”

Asian Pharmaceuticals produces drugs for mental patients

- By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 11 - Asian Pharmaceuticals has become the first manufacturer in the country to produce and market psychotropic drugs for the mentally ill patients.

It is learnt that Department of Drug Administration has provided the marketing and manufacturing licence to the pharmaceuticals for eleven major drugs for the use of psychiatric patients.

“As this branch of drugs need highest degree of quality control and other record mechanisms, we have separated this department under the name of Solar Pharma,” said Shankar Ghimire, Executive Director of Asian Pharmaceuticals.

The drugs permitted permission by DDA are antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, anticonvulsant and antiparkinsons.

Ghimire said following the manufacturing of the medicines, the problem of shortages of these drugs would be controlled, and patients would not need to pay unnecessarily high prices in the name of shortages.

“Because of the highest quality control measures taken in the production of these drugs, patients would not need to compromise on the quality by buying high priced and low quality goods imported from nameless companies from India,” he added.

Ghimire also informed that DDA has acknowledged Asian Pharmaceuticals as the company to meet the minimum standards of Good Manufacturing Practices set by World Health Organization.

Apart from psychotropic drugs, Asian Pharmaceuticals has also introduced 14 new types of drugs in the country for the first time. 

The company is also producing Ondansetron, critical drug for the patients taking chemotherapy for the first time in Nepal.

“We also have other critical medicines line Klarion for ulcer patients, Colchicine for uric acid patients, Zanoxin and other essential drugs” said Diwakar Chhetri, Marketing Manager.

When the country is largely dependent on imported drugs, Nepalese entrepreneurs are also pursuing their best to reduce dependence of the country on major medicines.

Shankar Ghimire said that, however, it was a sad part on the manufacturers that they still need to pay Value Added Tax on the packaging materials. “While drugs from India come in packed form without any VAT, it is sad that we need to pay VAT for packaging materials,” he added.

Asian Pharmaceuticals started its manufacturing since last year, and has now 40 different products in the market.

At present, out of Rs 5 billion worth of consumption of medicines in Nepalese markets local manufacturers are capable of fulfilling the demand only by 18 percent.