Handicraft exports dwindling

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KATHMANDU, Feb 21 - Handicraft exports, excluding pashmina, which had always grown in the past years, has declined considerably.

According to data provided by Handicraft Association of Nepal (HAN), handicraft exports, excluding pashmina, in the first four months of the current fiscal year dipped over 36 per cent as compared to the figures of the corresponding period
last year.

While exports in the first four months last fiscal year stood at Rs 747.9 million, the exports dropped to Rs 472 million this year.

Entrepreneurs say that the export figures for the first four months will have an important bearing upon the overall annual performance. It is because the peak season for handicraft demand abroad is before Christmas and New Year.

"The demand of Nepali handicraft in the international markets is adequate. However, many Nepali businessmen are shifting out from the traditional handicraft business to the more profitable pashmina business, thereby affecting the overall handicraft exports," says Dilip Adhikari, Executive Secretary of HAN.

He says that handicraft exports, even without pashmina, in the first four months had never declined in the past years.

The present drop is as a result of entrepreneurs’ reluctance to deal in low-margin handicraft. Businessmen are increasingly preferring to export profitable pashmina, even if less volumetrically.

However, the total handicraft exports, including pashmina shows a good growth. Total exports in the first four months of the current fiscal year stood at Rs 4.15 billion, up from Rs 2.28 billion in the corresponding period last year. Similarly, export figures in the same period the previous year stood at Rs 438.6 million.

Filling stations for LPG vehicles can reduce shortage

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KATHMANDU, Feb 21 - Once the filling stations dispensing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) specifically for LPG powered vehicles come into operation, it is expected to lessen the scourge of the recurring shortage of LP gas in the capital city.

Valley Autogas Suppliers Pvt. Ltd has constructed two first-ever such filling stations with ISO 9002 certified equipment at Kalanki and Chabahil. The stations are equipped with safety valves and dispenser unit with computerised digital display, for better performance and accuracy.

Basanta Raj Nakarmi, MD of the company, speaking at a press meet here Wednesday, said the stations established at an estimated cost of Rs 100 million, can fill 50 liters of gas per minute and would provide LPG at a reasonable price. We will start operation as soon as we get approval from the government and we will open up such stations at other places in the second phase, he added.

Now all the eyes are on the government. If it makes mandatory for the gas powered vehicles to replace the existing cylinders used expressly for cooking purpose with particular cylinders designed for them, it will definitely ease the problem of recurring shortage.

It is widely believed that the shortage is a result of hoarding by gas powered vehicle operators. As the vehicles return cylinders within 12 hours and the households take at least a month, LPG distributors naturally prefer vehicle operators to domestic users , aggravating the problem further.

The stations are built in such a way that it can fill gas to specific cylinders used only in vehicles, which are larger and safer than the ones in use now. Some of the vehicles are in the process of replacing the current cylinders and others are waiting for the government’s decision.

Representatives of gas operated vehicles association say that they are ready to replace the cooking gas cylinders with the new ones, and pave way for the government to make it mandatory to all ‘Gas’ tempos.

Two such filling stations are awaiting government’s approval for operation, which can service 500 vehicles a day . The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), state-owned petroleum produdcts monopolist,is however yet to decided on to import additional quantity of LPG from India for the station.

The shortage of cooking gas is attributed mainly to the growing number of LPG powered vehicles and to some extent the hike in the price of kerosene, which is used by the majority of household for cooking purpose. Soon after the hike in the petroleum products, the demand for cooking gas shot up.

Before October 2000, NOC used to buy 2,500 tons of LPG including Barauni, Haldiya and Mathura of India, which has gone up to 3,500 tons plus since then.

Besides, lessening the pain of housewives, the new filling system will also abate the fear that the cooking gas cylinders may explode if any LPG powered vehicle met with an accident. The new cylinders are 4.5 mm thick while the cooking gas cylinders have only 1.5 mm thickness.

NTB wins PATA Gold Award

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KATHMANDU, Feb 21 - Nepal Tourism Board’s entry Sirubari Village Tourism Project has won the PATA Gold Award in Heritage and Culture - Heritage Category at the 2001 PATA Gold Awards, states a press release issued here today.

The PATA Gold Awards recognises exceptional achievement in a variety of endeavours, bringing acclaim to the best the region’s travel industry has to offer. The Award will be presented at the 51st Annual Conference of PATA in Malaysia on April 9, 2001, the release says.

Sirubari is a small village nestled on the southern slopes of a ridge in Western Nepal. A trip to Sirubari allows visitors to experience a stay in a typical Nepali village. This gives visitors an opportunity to observe teh rich Nepalese tradition from the closest quarter and intermingle with the locals, the release says.