Holiday talk

The two-day weekend scheme is a classic example of how not to make right administrative decisions. Since the very beginning, public holidays for two consecutive days have been predicted to be a fiasco. But it amounted to even more than that. Surprisingly, the government took nearly two years to admit its mistake and to make some revisions. Introduced in 1999 on an "experimental basis", Saturdays and Sundays were declared holidays in Kathmandu Valley. But it failed to evoke warm response from most employees and entrepreneurs. For some, it was an unexpected bonanza and for others, another unwanted leisure. Labour problems galore, the employees were not vociferously pressing in for that extra holiday. But out of the blue, it came.

Even the revised scheme is not free from flaws. The government has decided to run only the offices and institutions of essential services from Sunday to Friday, effective from next month. The exclusion of civil service offices from the domain of this directive is shocking and simply unjustifiable. The civil service is notorious for bureaucratic bungling, red-tape and corruption. And two-day holidays will only help make matters worse. In the last two years, it has been seen and felt that the civil service has been far from what it had been hoped. Inefficient and incompetent as ever, to say the least. The holidays would, we were led to believe, help reduce fuel consumption, give some relief to this polluted and traffic-choked Valley and ensure smooth and efficient services. But the promise proved to be too tall talk. Mondays were as mad as ever, and the rest of the weekdays could easily be imagined. It is an open secret that white collar civil servants turned up only after ten though the office hours started from nine in the morning, and disappeared hours before the clock struck five. Rather than boosting the morale of the employees, it became an incentive for poor attendance and poor work. Under such circumstances, giving weekend holidays for two days is to push the country’s administrative system into chaos and confusion, and to waste the taxpayers’ money. Moreover, it will be an open and painful insult to the public. Also, there is no uniformity in the policy. Since it is confined to the Valley and to certain essential services, the coordination between and among administrative agencies, scattered across the country, will certainly break down. This makes the new policy nothing but a total farce. And as usual, the public will continue to suffer due to this piecemeal and whimsical policy.

Perhaps, Nepal tops the list of countries' for having the largest number of public holidays, not to mention the uncountable days off due to sudden bandhs and strikes. More unasked for holidays will in no way be an incentive for workers, with other things still lurching between bad and worse. It is high time the government trimmed the bulging list of holidays more generously. Or has its better sense taken a holiday for a long hibernation?

Agenda for foreign aid policy

Foreign aid is in national debate. For sometime now, members of the international donor community have begun to speak out loud and clear, against a plethora of shortcomings on the part of HMG and related agencies. It has been a tale of political nepotism, interference, frequent transfers of top officials, inefficiency and corruption. That bitter message has come from a whole series of donors, both bilateral and multilateral.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world (per capita income $ 220). Half the population lives on less than a dollar per day. Social indicators resemble the worst as in Africa. Key characteristics of poverty are low calorific intake; low health and low literacy standards especially amongst women and girls; high indebtedness and high migration. The poor have no effective voice in the political process and limited rights to resources. The rate of growth in per capita income needed to halve poverty in 25 years is 1.6 percent per annum.

Many people are critical of overseas aid. They argue that donor governments use it to further their political and economic interests. Tied aid is seen as a subsidy for donor exports and services or as promoting, directly or indirectly, exports of raw materials and food crops from developing countries for processing by industries in the North. It is estimated that as much as 30 percent of aid fails to reach its intended target, being consumed by high administrative costs or diverted corruptly into private bank accounts. It is also claimed that many of the large scale development projects supported in the past by aid, often to serve the interest of donor nations, have resulted in increased living standards for urban elites in developing countries rather than providing real benefit to the poor and needy. This problem is now recognized and there is a trend towards supporting smaller projects which focus on poverty alleviation amongst rural and urban communities.

The policies of the donors have changed. While sympathy for the plight of the developing countries faced with overwhelming problems persists, a new benchmark for aid has appeared, or to put it more accurately, it is performance that is emphasized. There is nothing wrong with this measuring rod; after all, everything in this world is one way or the other measured by performance, without which there can be no progress. However, the question that remains is what are the indicators of performance whose satisfaction will yield more assistance, and over what time frame should this performance manifest itself?

Democracy is not only holding elections, as was remarked by a US diplomat in Malaysia. It is the ability to listen to different options and articulate the same.

The increasing foreign assistance to Nepal plagued by a politicized and inefficient administration is not much better that pouring water into sand. Lack of transparency- on the part of both the government and donors - has made matters worse.

It is against this backdrop that the Finance Minister has made public the preliminary draft of a Foreign Aid Policy as enunciated in the Budget Speech for the fiscal year 2000/2001. The policy, which has come about five decades after the country started receiving external assistance, has adopted four broad objectives. The foreign aid policy, inter-alia, aims, to enhance transparency, uniformity, accountability and predictability in all procedures and decisions relating to foreign aid, to redefine the inter-relationships between HMG and the donor community and promote the donor community’s role as facilitator and promoter rather than implementor; to contribute to realizing the goal of development by channelling foreign aid toward the prioritized sectors of the nation; to make the foreign aid management function consistent and reinforcing of the nation’s economic growth. Moreover, the draft policy states that neutrality shall be the guiding policy in mobilizing foreign aid, that is, relations with all donors shall be promoted and strengthened on an equal basis. The acceptance and the use of foreign aid shall be governed by the principle of national interests.

Some opine that the foreign aid policy will at least put a break on past legacy and help us look afresh at Nepal’s national need and priorities regarding foreign aid. It is no doubt a good start but there are serious methodological errors in the policy. There is a coherent lack of consistency in priority, objectives and strategies. And framing of the policy alone will not solve the problem. The most important aspect is implementation.

According to some comments in the Draft Policy paper, the importance of the National Planning Commission should not be over-emphasized. The donor’s comparative advantage areas should be identified properly and the strategy laid down accordingly. No international consultant should be hired at the cost of foreign loan money. Nepal should increase the absorptive capacity of foreign aid; the aid dependency syndrome should be gradually reduced to the minimum possible limit; a Project Bank should be established at the National Planning Commission and the respective ministries.

Aid in Nepal has been much higher per capita than in most other South Asian countries, with a plethora of donors quite eager to provide financial assistance for Nepal’s development. The potential of donor assistance has not been fully realized although aid has had some success. A question can be asked as to whether the quite significant aid volumes should not have produced more results, particularly among the most disadvantaged, the rural population, that still represents the overwhelming majority of Nepal’s people. Lately, there is a growing recognition among many, if not all, donors that the past approach to development aid simply
cannot go on, since, even when there are results, their sustainability is often far from certain.

Why has the nation failed to develop even after receiving so much foreign aid? In the first place, we have taken foreign assistance as a consumer item rather than a capital investment. Whatever we receive, we consume. Secondly, we have taken foreign assistance as something that is available free of cost, like air and water. This attitude has given rise to various inconsistencies, which are obstructing the process of our development. We must not, therefore, determine the philosophy of development through reliance on external sources of finance.

There is a danger that external aid will continue to shield Nepal from the full extent of its economic mismanagement, merely postponing and deepening the eventual, inevitable crisis, until the situation finally deteriorates to the point where circumstances force painful emergency adjustments on Nepal. To preclude this possibility, we will call upon donors to share in our strategy.

Cost of high heels

By Perina Pathak

Wearing high-heels can be very costly at times. Notwithstanding a series of hassles it brings up, the craze for high-heel shoes shows no signs of waning in popularity. It’s not only the shorter ones but taller ones are also equally eyeing high-heel shoes of all colours and shapes.

After window-shopping, or if you have the time and patience to rummage through fashion shops, you find that being short is not a curse, and it is actually a curable defect. This is not hearsay but experience that is speaking. After my long battle with height, I found an outlet finally. Four inch tall shoes did help me look tolerable by the side of my five foot- seven- inches tall pal, my best, I should add.

This height difference really came in our way. We never went together for shopping and for anything else. We used to meet everyday except in our houses. The problem was nerve wrecking that finding solution to it became inevitable. One day, I went to buy a pair of shoes.

Going through the shops, for the high-heel shoes, I bought a pair that cost Rs l,000. It was the happiest day in our life. Now, we could go together anywhere we liked without being conscious of the difference we had in our height.

Once the height difference was bridged to some extent though, our shopping spree soared up. And then came an unpleasant twist. Maybe Dame Luck was not so happy with my high-heel shoes and me. I started having back pains. I couldn’t walk straight, and as it was hurting so much, I used to limp around.

As it became too unbearable, I went to a hospital for checking. Till then, I was oblivious to the fact that the villain was my high-heel shoes. The doctor pointed at my shoes. Yes, that was the cause of all the nuisances.

A red faced young doctor got a bit angry with my craze for heels and recommended the use of shoes not exceeding 1 - 2 inches in height.

This wasn’t the answer I was expecting. Rather disappointed, I disclosed the news to my best friend that we could no longer go for shopping together. And walking with her, that too wearing one-inch heel, was to look rather funny. Our
happiest days were gone in a second now we cannot again walk and roam together.

But my friend consoled me and got a little disappointed that I was too height conscious and it was actually playing foul with our friendship.

With her support and with a stone in my heart (mutu mathi dhunga rakhi), I bravely came out of the house and went for shopping. Later, on that very day, while we were walking together in New Road, some rowdy guys came near us and started to tease. Being so furious and supportive, my friend scolded them. Rather embarrassed, they disappeared from the scene.

With her support I am proud of my self though I'm shorter then her with my original height of only five feet. And after that fight she told me "Great things come in small packages."

Asian Economic Forum named after ‘Boao’

By Binod P Bista

While covering news of the establishment of the ‘Boao Forum for Asia’, one western media (television) described the event as "long on show and short on substance". In fact, almost all institutions, be they National, Regional or International, are founded with a lot of fanfare and publicity. It is a necessary first step to attract the attention of all stakeholders who are ultimately responsible for the success of any institution. Boao Forum for Asia must be complemented for organizing the event in an outstanding manner. Apart from the active participation of former leaders of almost a dozen nations of Asia and Australia in the establishment of the Forum, the inaugural ceremony was graced, among others, by President Jiang Zemin of the People’s Republic of China, His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of the Kingdom of Nepal and Prime Minister Dato Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamed of Malaysia. The leaders not only provided the necessary first support to the Forum with their august presence, they also shared their views, born out of long experience in socio-economic development, with Forum participants for pitting the work of the Forum on a concrete footing. The people of Asia will ever remain obliged to these great personalities.

In his maiden address to the Forum’s inaugural ceremony, President Jiang Zemin stressed the need to support multi-level and multi-channel dialogue among Asians in various fields. He also indicated that the Forum can take up issues such as population and environment while discussing social and economic development. He has made a call to the people of Asia to join hands and work vigorously for the joint development of all Asian countries through enhanced exchanges and cooperation between Asia and the rest of the world for building a prosperous, strong and better Asia. The Chinese President stated in no uncertain terms that the Chinese government would provide full support to ensure the growth of the Boao Forum for Asia.

His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev drew the attention of the Forum to the disparity in the level and pace of development of the countries in the Asian region. King Birendra urged the Forum to assist the Asian nations to chart a definite course to reduce this disparity so that our future generations can lead a life of dignity and honour. For those countries aspiring to integrate themselves into the global mainstream, it was necessary to give due consideration to the protection of their respective social and economic interests while getting into action. This was another important message given by King Birendra. His Majesty the King not only spoke of sharing available resources for the collective benefit of all peoples of the Asian region but also indicated that waters from the snow-capped Himalayas can be one such resource.

Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamed cautioned that income and corporate taxes or value-added-tax are not reliable sources of revenue for the governments of poor countries. Commenting on the possible frightening consequences of free trade, Dr. Mahathir said that "Even the mere lowering or abolishing of import duties may result in depleted treasuries for countries which have no other worthwhile taxes." He suggested that the Forum needs to engage in serious studies and work out different scenarios arising out of newer concepts such as free trade and the like. Pointing to an urgent need to develop infrastructure in poor countries by taxing the rich countries on a sliding scale, Dr. Mahathir made his point that even this move would benefit the rich countries as they only have the know-how and expertise to implement such projects. Fully cognizant of the problems of landlocked countries, Dato Seri Mahathir Mohamed emphasized the importance of the development of infrastructure such as roads and rail-roads in those countries. He also outlined the importance of utilizing big rivers for cheap transportation, and suggested that pipelines can be built for water from melting snow in the North to the arid deserts of the South.

It can thus be seen that the meet in Boao has been more than a simple get together in China. The great minds have aired their views explicitly for Asians to listen to. It is after all the people of Asia who stand to benefit from a prosperous Asian region. Collective efforts are required from all nations, big or small, rich or poor, to realize the dream of every Asian citizen who wishes to live with honour and dignity, with the basic human rights guaranteed for all. For this to happen, all Asians must open up their minds and think beyond their narrow self-interest. We must come together and assist our respective governments to take up a course that reflects commonality of interest and purpose. After all, it is us who make up the governments.

It is, however, quite interesting to note the commonality of views that is found in the addresses of the leaders. President Jiang Zemin sought joint development of all Asian countries through enhanced cooperation. While His Majesty the King of Nepal spoke of sharing of water resources in the region, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed went a step further and talked about building of a pipeline to transport the water from melting snow to the arid deserts for the benefit of all Asians. We should not let this idea go to waste for want of timely understanding because it is almost becoming certain that if ever a great war breaks out again it will be for water or lack of water.

A new chapter on yet another grand effort of great minds, who have amply shown their dedication and commitment to the wellbeing of humanity, has been written in the beautiful city of Boao. Boao acquapolis is being developed into an eco-friendly travel destination, which integrates lakes, rivers, sea, mountains, foothills, islands, sand beaches, exotic stones and hot springs. The people and the government of Hainan Province deserve highest accolades for their development efforts, especially in tourism, with full regard paid to nature, environment, and above all providing a cheerful, friendly and well managed support service to the Secretariat of the Forum. The task of developing an effective and well functioning Secretariat now is in the hands of Tan Sri Dato Mr Ajit Singh, the newly appointed Secretary General of the Forum. However, all organizations, be they regional or international, draw their strength from their membership. Boao Forum for Asia, essentially an economic Forum, needs all the support and strength it can muster from all Asians, far and wide, since it is established for bringing prosperity and happiness to all peoples of Asia.