Privatise PEs

The manner in which the Department for International Development (DFID) has warned the government over the privatisation process indicates that DFID is unlikely to extend its three-year-old project aimed at assisting the planned privatisation programme. This has come at a time when the government has taken too slow a pace to fulfil its commitment. But the government can neither afford for this to happen, nor it can allow the sick enterprises to run at the cost of taxpayers’ money. Such a withdrawal is bound to send a negative signal to the donor community as well. As a result, the country may face an economic setback that it will take years to recover from.

Technically, DFID has been assisting the government in the privatisation of the sick public enterprises (PEs) for the last three years. Besides, it is a known fact that DFID is one of the major donors to this country. It has extended its project by just one month, slamming the government’s slow process of privatisation. DFID’s warning to withdraw its project proves that the government has failed to go ahead with its planned economic reform. The government had identified a list of seven non-performing state-run corporations before it sought DFID’s technical assistance to oversee the privatisation programme. This was no doubt high on the agenda of this government as a process of economic reform. However, the government has so far only managed to privatise the National Tea and Development Board, while the rest of non-performing enterprises continue to remain in a state of uncertainty. The government appears to have failed in its commitment to economic reform.

The fear that looms large over the possible economic downturn, if DFID withdraws its three-year-old project, is that the international financial institutions have categorically linked their financial assistance with the country’s economic reform. To qualify for World Bank loans, the government has had to privatise the seven identified state-run enterprises including the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation (NTC). Had the government privatised RNAC, the recent controversy generated by the Lauda Air leasing would not have been possible. Surprisingly, the government even ignored to abide by the law before the Lauda Air leasing. This leasing appears to be one of the reasons that DFID has been compelled to take such a move. That too at a critical time when the government is preparing for the IMF-sponsored poverty reduction and growth facility programme.

The government must realise that it has no option but to go ahead with the planned privatisation programme. The government-run enterprises have been incurring heavy losses due to corruption and mismanagement. This has not only affected the country’s economic growth but has also pushed these public enterprises to the brink of collapse.

Monarchy and national consensus

By Kirti Nidhi Bista

Never before in her proud modern history as a sovereign and independent nation, had Nepal been subjected to such a degree of embarrassment, humiliation and loss of prestige. Unfortunately, this situation has occurred in spite of the fully democratic majority government that received people’s mandate twice in this decade. It seems that there is no relief from the present situation of helplessness and despair. Of late and out of compulsion, people seem to have resorted to violence to simply draw the attention of the government on matters of daily necessities. The Nepalese have become so panicky and insecure that a mere mention of dislike by a foreign person provokes nationwide demonstrations, resulting in senseless deaths and destruction of properties. People’s voices have found their expressions through editorials of various newspapers and magazines, which can be summarized as follows:

The pillars of peace, equality and equity, development-oriented living social respect and justice are rapidly crumbling down. The boundaries of honesty, integrity and self-respect have been broken. Voices of division and separation are becoming louder. Common folks are being killed senselessly. The Nepalese feel unwanted in their own country. They feel vulnerable to dangerous situations, where the government is virtually non-existent and their beloved Monarch has been assigned the role of a mere spectator.

This picture is not far from the truth. The open dissension within the ruling party and an unanimous opposition outside indicates bad governance. Unlimited corruption, inviting actions from the legislature within the country and from the international development and financing institutions like the World Bank from outside speaks of a sorry tale of a poor country getting poorer day by day. Dissent has found its voice in violence. Everyday violence in one pretext or another is spreading like a wildfire in the country, which is signalling towards an impending disaster. The country is virtually under siege. It neither requires a common agenda, nor a significant group to bring Nepal to a standstill. The government’s total failure in providing adequate safety and security to its citizens is responsible in the creation of a state of instability and confusion. Such a situation is liable for flaring up of any small incident to a larger episode like the one that occurred in the capital and other parts of the country some time ago.

While every conscious Nepalese must have been angered with the government's senseless attitude which took the lives of five innocent people, including two children. From the view point of national pride, the issue seems to have taken a new twist of creating divisions between the people of the Terai and the hills. Cashing in on a weak and ineffective government, other groups and associations have declared their intentions to join the bandwagon for "Bandhs". And the government seems to have been bewildered in grappling with the situation. Now, it has started to talk about imposing bans on peaceful demonstrations and strikes that are not only protected by Nepal’s Constitution but are also an integral part of the Universal Human Rights. Obviously, the government and the opposition parties need to find a common ground to steer the country away from total destruction to a purposeful mission aimed at the well -being of Nepal and the Nepalese.

The recent statement by a high level official of the ruling party of India with regard to the concept of Sikkimization of Nepal, during the early years of India’s independence is a stark reminder of the situation we live in. Starting with an attempt to defame our venerable institution of Monarchy in one of the intelligence reports, a few years back, followed by the Nepal Game Plan episode to the recent utterances of a responsible official India’s attitude towards Nepal has been demonstrated rather clearly. However, a person of wisdom and stature like Prime Minister Vajpayee not only provides solace to our anxiety but also sees that Indo-Nepal relations are based on a timer footing of mutual respect and friendship.

All major parties that have enjoyed power after the restoration of the multi- party polity have been harping on reaching a national consensus on issues of national interest. However, even after spending over a decade in democratic governance they have not been able to define the main issues of national interest. Our leaders appear to be extremely busy, caught up in a tug of war for power, both within a majority well as a minority government.

Nepal’s national interest lies in maintaining and developing close and cordial relations with both its neighbours in an equidistant manner. This is not only the adage of the founder of modern Nepal but has also proved its merit many times in the past. The geographical barrier is no match to the marvels of modern day communication that enables Nepal to establish and develop good contacts with China and India. Since any country’s identity, prestige and honour is contingent on its citizens, the issue of citizenship is of profound importance to Nepal for its very survival. The recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act of 2057, if implemented, would reduce the indigenous Nepalese to a mere minority in their own country. All Nepalese must not only come together to oppose this Act that hands out Citizenship to every Tom, Dick and Harry, but they must also apply pressure to their respective elected Members of Parliament to come out with a new citizenship bill that takes care of the overall interests of Nepal.

A country of various ethnic, religious and cultural configurations, Nepal can never survive as an independent nation on any ground except on unity with harmony. Social equality and harmony must be one of the vital issues of interest to Nepalese. Benefit of natural resources Nepal must make use of its water resources to the benefit of its people. Nepal is blessed with so much of perennial water resources that, in addition to helping its close neighbour India by developing hydro power generation singly or jointly, it can also reach out to the entire South Asian Region.

King Birendra has reminded us, time and again, that the Nepalese must rise above petty interests in matters of national interest. He did not only draw our attention to this practical reality, but he also indicated to the sensitivities of the people that had to be fully considered while pursuing national interests during his speech on Magh 2053 (1997). His Majesty’s long experience in all issues of development and his contacts with all the people of Nepal gives him an edge over all others in building a national consensus successfully. The parties and their leaders do not appear to be nearing a national consensus soon. But time seems to be running out. Won't it be a matter of serious consideration to seek help from King Birendra on issues of rational consensus? A consensus which can be built upon on the collective experience and wisdom of Nepal’s eminent personalities, including political parties and representatives discussing the issue under the august presence of His Majesty.

(The author is a former Prime Minister)

The game of "69"

By Anuj Mishra

To be or not to be," Shakespeare once said, and it seems truer than ever for our circus clowns, who might otherwise be called "Movers and Shakers" of our society in more correct political terms. And our clowns are amusing us very skilfully. And "69" is happening all over the places that we are really having the best of our time! The power of this "69" must be enormous as no one has been spared of its venomous influence.

Take for instance Girija Prasad Koirala’s recent triumph over challenger Sher Bahadur Deuba by garnering support from 69 MPs. This latest hurdle (a clown post?) has been easily overcome by Koirala. And by the way, who is there to dare question him over his morality of running the country with the support of minority mandate of only 69 members of the Parliament? Nobody! What actually matters is how one aptly manages to overcome obstacles in the way to hassle-free job of national robbery

It appears that the loosing side of this "69" game, this time Deuba and his loyal lieutenants have yet to learn how to wait and much more. Right now, they may focus on devising a strategy to lure some of the MPs back to their side so that they can have the lucky number "69" next time. They can even throw out some tempting offers like guaranteed ministerial posts and even handsome advance payments and so forth. The mantras that help you "get through" the national game of "69" are Sam, Dam, Danda and Bhed. In this art of horsetrading are there other better experts than Deuba, Khadka and Gachhedar? They obediently executed many such missions and projects in the past with the blessings of Koirala until they fell down along with him.

Right now, Deuba, Khadka and Gachhedar will be very glad to go back to their original position of being Koirala's cronies in case Koirala offers them tempting cabinet posts. And they will all forget this number equation. So, this game is a complete facade.

However, Terai has become a scapegoat for Gajendra Narayan Singh’s grand design of catapulting himself in regional (irrational?) limelight. Singh is trying to project himself as a messiah of Teraibasi. Terai and Madhesiyas are a die-hard cast-oriented society. How much of respect one poor and low cast Madhesiya like a Mushhar from Rajbiraj can get in his Rajput household? Meanwhile, the Delhi South Block must be having a grand feast on this latest development that can further solidify its position on having yet another leverage tool to manoeuvre occasionally disobedient Nepal. And that is yet another "69" itself!

The main opposition party in the parliament tactfully organized a very timely interaction program for communal harmony in Kathmandu while Terai was simmering with currents of hostility. Nice timing, Comrades! Good publicity, too! Interaction programs and communal harmony are needed in Terai and the leaders are busy hitting headlines in Kathmandu with a number of processions.

The CPN-UML too has its fair share of some "69" game in Kathmandu, which if properly channelled can shower them with fame and money. One can never fathom our fate under this very talented group of individuals who have occupied positions of high stature in our society. But we are surely having helluva fun in our circus. No gas, no problem! No sugar, no problem!! Boys, just keep on with "69".

Family planning and welfare

By Dr Kanhaiya R B Mathema

Adeleterious effect of high population growth in the overall development of a country is discerned when women are circumvented from educational opportunities, either formal or informal. Imparting education to women is important so that they are better equipped for a positive socialization process of young females within the family. Accordingly, they can prevent unwanted "virginally" impregnation of young females with little education caught up in the syndrome of faint knowledge of reproductive system and family planning . Educating women in developing countries such as in Nepal is very important in order to bring down the growth rate of population within a reasonable range. It has been already proved that educated females are more likely to resort to contraceptive devices than the illiterate ones. Education is also a major tool that helps reduce infant mortality. In addition, educated women are more inclined to participate in other economic activities outside their houses. Likewise, they are also likely to be more receptive to the ideas of fertility reduction.

The socio-economic indicators in Nepal present an unpleasant scenario of deprivation in terms of health, education and income, which are the three important parametres of human development index. The national literacy rate in the country is just 39.6 percent. The male literacy rate is 54.5 per cent whereas the female literacy rate stands at 25.0 per cent . Our per capita income is not above US $ 210.0 presently. The problem of unfavoural balance of payment situation in international trade looms large as ever before. One can see a strong societal approval of having families with more than three children despite economic difficulties. That is why a high fertility rate of 4.6 is still a reality.

Since Nepal is an overwhelmingly agricultural but technologically backward country, farmers rely more on their children for labour. As infant mortality rate is high (79 per 1000 live birth), parents desire additional children least they die. In the absence of any social security schemes, the aged population depends upon their children in their old ages to fulfil their basic necessities. Thus, family planning programmes arouses a great deal of suspicion among the people.

The family planning programmes are centered on females through the maternal and child health programmes that help promote female contraceptive devices. The fact is that males play a major role in family planning decision -making and their wives are influenced by their views. Due to this pressure and practice, the female contraceptive prevalence rate has not increased beyond 29.0 per cent, creating a wide vacuum of unmet demand for family planning services of the married women.

Given such a situation, a need to provide parallel family planning services for both males and females cannot be underestimated since they involve economic productivity of common households. In this way, an average household need not spend a greater proportion of its income on childbearing and childcare. Nonetheless, a very high proportion (41%) of population below 15 years of age not only presents the country with a high dependency burden upon economically active population but also on a high propensity for population momentum. On the one hand, an overwhelming majority of the population (89%) lives in rural areas, which are engulfed by traditional values and are secluded from modern means. The other side of the coin is such that women enter into wedlock in their early ages and have their first child at a relatively younger age, spending more years in childbearing. The tendency, therefore, for these women is to have more children during their reproductive life span.

On the other hand, in these traditional regions, age-old contraceptives such as the use of herbs , coitus interruption, and abstinence, are used. They have limited access to modern family planning services, which are available only in hospitals or in medical clinics, leading to the incidence of high fertility of 5.8 in these areas, according to the 1991 census.

The need of the time is to do away with socio-cultural and institutional impediments to education and empower women economically so that their status in the society can be elevated. There is a need for the promotion of productive and gainful employment for women so that a wide range of non-domestic roles for these women can be created. This will act as a double-pronged weapon in the sense that productive employment is generated, which will make the best use of human resources available in the country and the much-needed fertility limitation can be achieved that will in turn pave ways for overall family welfare. In this way, the general well-being of the community can be promoted.

Thus, it is important that the practice of family planning be conceptualized as a planning for total family welfare. In the Nepalese society, as elsewhere in the developing countries, where males dominate females in reproductive decision-making , male involvement in family planning is crucial to the success of any family planning programmes. Moreover, ways have to be found out for the provision of family planning services in countries such as Nepal, where sex discussion is restricted and where ethical, cultural and social norms prevent people from using contraceptives. No doubt, knowledge of the condom and pills is well diffused but permanent sterilization such as vasectomy is not entertained to a desirable extent. In the broadest perspective, education can be the beacon in the provision and acceptance of new norms and values in terms of family planning services both for males and females. This will delay child bearing and marriage until a woman attains maturity and becomes a good source of family welfare.

(The author is a Reader in Economics at Tribhuvan University)