NFC sends 200 quintals low quality flour to Pokhara

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) has supplied 200 quintals of flour to Pokhara for sale today, which insiders say is not fit  for consumption.

A major portion of the flour supplied to Pokhara was stored at the Kathmandu Zonal Office of NFC, which had turned hard due to months of storage and humid climatic conditions. Eyewitnesses claim that the flour which has set was powdered first and then a major portion of it was sent to Pokhara.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, on condition of anonymity, an employee at the NFC said, “The flour supplied to Pokhara is not fit for human consumption. Blocks of hard turned flour was taken out of sacks, the outer portion of the flour block was scrapped, and then powdered, before sending it to Pokhara.”

However, NFC officials at the zonal office refuted the allegations.

Zonal Manager Murari Prasad Adhikari too accepted that some sacks of flour had set but claimed that it was fit for consumption after being powdered. He elaborated that hardening of flour was natural since sacks are stacked and exposed to humid conditions.

Food technician at the office, Indra Sitaula said, “The flour has been sent only after quality test. It well falls within the criteria for consumption.” However, the officials denied providing this reporter with the quality test report of the flour sent to Pokhara.

In the meantime, complaints have also come that sacks of flour supplied by the zonal office, which should be 79 kilograms (kgs) each, underweigh by 4-5 kgs.

The flour stored in Thapathali and Nakhhu godowns in Kathmandu, was purchased from Birgunj, Bhairawaha, Biratnagar, Hetauda, Janakpur and even from Kathmandu itself starting almost 7 months ago when almost 3000 quintals of flour was in the godown.

A total of about 20500 quintals was purchased in this period and about 15000 quintals sold. According to statistics about 8500 quintals of flour stock is lying in the office godowns presently.

Intially flour sold well in the market. However the flour stock started rising in the Kathmandu zonal office godown, when NFC started pressurizing dealers to buy low quality fine rice, imported from India, along with the flour.

At a time when NFC has decided to indulge in commercial activities, many questioned the action of the corporation when it sent 200 quintals of flour to Pokhara involving unnecessary transportation cost from Mungling to Kathmandu and back.

However, this action of the corporation was defended by the officials saying it was undertaken to fulfill the demand of flour in Pokhara.

British trade official to launch partnership

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - John Shepherd, a top British government trade official, will be arriving in Kathmandu on 19 January. He will spend five days in Nepal meeting Nepalese businessmen and officials, reads a press release issued by British Embassy, Kathmandu today.

Ambassador Ronald Nash says “trade is at the top of the British Embassy’s agenda in Nepal. We are creating a unique partnership between the Embassy and business. John Sheperd’s visit will set the seal on key elements of that new partnership”.

According to the Ambassador, John Shepherd has been instrumental in guiding the establishment of British Trade international, the new British government trade promotion body, and is a member of its Board. His visit underlines the importance that Britain attaches to trade with Nepal.

While he is in Kathmandu, John Shepherd will review the work under way on the new Nepal-British Chamber of Commerce office. The British Ambassador says this is a first. “Nothing could demonstrate our partnership with business better than the location of the new Chamber of Commerce office. It is a unique experiment, designed to ensure that we work together in the interests of both countries, and are responsive to the requirements of business. One key feature of the new office will be a reference library open to the business public. This will allow Nepalese business people to find out directly about trade with Britain and British companies. It will include the latest CD-ROMs and access to the British companies. It will include the latest CD-ROMs and access to the British Government’s global ‘Trade UK’ computer database,” states the release.

John Shepherd will meet the new leadership of the Chamber of Commerce. He is holding talks with Chamber President Rajendra K Khetan and the Chamber’s committee, and will meet a number of the Chamber’s members. “I want to hear about the opportunities for increasing trade between Britain and Nepal. The new partnership between the Embassy and the Chamber is a fantastic start. I am coming to show the British Government’s firm support for that partnership”, he says. He will discuss with the Chamber the Embassy’s forthcoming programme of trade promotional activities; including initiatives in tourism, wool and carpet imports and exports, sheep farming, investment by  British multinationals in Nepal, educational exports and language training, and investment by British companies in power and water.

“In today’s global economy a country is as strong as the international alliances of its businesses. As a leading global trader, Britain already has a unique range of international alliances. We have set up British Trade International to strengthen those alliances, by offering the best possible unified service to business. The British Embassy in Kathmandu and the Nepal-British Chamber of Commerce are doing the same in Nepal,” he added

Mulmi appointed advisor

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - His Majesty’s Government has appointed Ananda Raj Mulmi as advisor to the Ministry of Industry. Mulmi has been appointed to the post as per the recent cabinet decision, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Industry here today. Mulmi the immediate past president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is also the former Chairman of FNCCI Employers’ Council.

Mulmi who has contributed a lot to the commerce and industry of the country, has taught for more than a decade in Prithvi Narayan Multiple Campus, Pokhara.

Stock exchange transaction modest in ’99

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - Out of 108 companies enlisted in Nepal Stock Exchange limited, only 70 witnessed transactions of their shares during the whole year of 1999.

Those transactions mainly included banking and financial sectors, while the manufacturing sector continued to draw least interest in the secondary market as in the previous years.

According to an annual Stock Exchange Report, ninety percent of the transactions made in 1999 concentrated on the share dealing of financial and banking sector. In the previous fiscal year, over 80 percent of the share transactions included banking and financial sector.

Similarly, during the last fiscal year shares of only 69 companies, out of 104 enlisted companies were transacted. 

According to the report, 85.46 percent of the transacted shares was of the banking sector while 5.65 percent of the transacted shares was of the finance companies. This share transaction was 69.54 percent and 11.85 percent respectively last fiscal year.

Though the manufacturing sector companies dominated the list of the companies enlisted in the Stock Exchange in 1999, share transaction of these companies was only around 3.06 percent.     

Currently, 9 commercial banks, 30 finance and insurance companies, 37 manufacturing and reprocessing companies, 3 hotels, 22 trading firms and 4 other companies have enlisted their shares in the Stock Exchange.

The report has also cited top ten companies on the basis of their value of transaction.

According to the report, Nepal Arab Bank Limited (Rs 1.05 billion), Bank of Kathmandu (Rs 92.74 million), Nepal Grindlays Bank (Rs   55.24 million), Nepal Bank Ltd ( Rs 54.52 million) Necon Air Ltd (Rs 53.77 million), Nepal Indosuez Bank Ltd (Rs 35.79 million), Himalayan Bank Limited (Rs 28.73 million), Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd( Rs 23.82 million), Nepal Lever Ltd (Rs 22.89 million) and Bottlers Nepal Terai Ltd (Rs 19.22 million).

Similarly, based on the number of share transactions: Nepal Arab Bank Limited, Bank of Kathmandu, Necon Air, Nepal Bank Limited, Gorkha Finance, Himalayan Securities and Finance Limited, United Insurance Company, Nepal Gridlays Bank, Bottlers Nepal Ltd and Everest Insurance Company are among the top ten companies.

More publicity needed to lure French tourists to Nepal

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 - Robert Les Foll, Mayor of Cregy Les Meaux,   Paris, says Nepal has to intensify its publicity campaign in France to attract more French tourists to this Himalayan country.

Mayor Meaux expressed the view while talking to The Kathmandu Post during his recent visit to Nepal.

Foll, a frequent visitor to Nepal, says he has visited many parts of the country that are out and out eye-catching.

He says more French tourists would come to Nepal if they got more information about the country. However, Nepal should be able to identify what sort of products the tourists love here, he opines.

He says popular trekking routes for French are Annapurna and Mount Everest.

An easy air accessibility would help to bring in more French tourists. France-Nepal Association has also been playing a crucial role in raising awareness about Nepal to French people. In his view, it is better to increase quality tourists that help the country both in preserving nature and earning more foreign currencies.

According to him, French tourists love Nepal for two reasons: First, Nepal is rich in mountains and; second, Nepalese people are very friendly.

When Foll first came here during 1982, he fell in love with the country. During his first visit, French Embassy had asked him to render some support to renovate Panauti temple area (one of the heritage sites). He also donated some money for that purpose then, he recalls.

He has been associated with the France-Nepal Brie-Panauti Association since long and has helped to build Technical School at Panauti. Presently, 25 students of diesel motors mechanics are studying at the school. The school was established in 1993 with his sole finance.

When he was a member of French National Assembly, he had donated some money to Panauti heritage site.

A total of 18,000 French tourists came to Nepal during the year 1998, while the figure touched a little high recording 21,000 tourists during the year 1999.

Foll has already visited Nepal more than 20 times.

He says Visit Nepal Year 1998 campaign helped to promote Nepalese tourism in the global markets.