Laid off workers likely to agitate at Hetauda Textiles

Post Report

HETAUDA, May 7 - Laid off employees of the Hetauda Textile Industry have threatened to agitate
from May 16 if the government fails to clear their dues by May 15.

In an unprecedented step, the government ,last February, for the first time had laid off all its
employees before pushing with the privatization of the largest textile industry, promising to pay
Rs 250 million to settle the workers’ salaries and wages. The industry is closed since February
12.

The former employees, in a memorandum submitted to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and
Supplies through the Chief District Officer Sunday, has said that they would launch the agitation
program if the government does not clear the promised dues by May 15.

"Almost three months have passed since the government promised to clear the employees’ dues.
However, the government has so far failed to clear the total bill," the memorandum states.

The 1100 workers of the industry, mostly women, are yet to receive salaries for nine months and
allowance for six months in full. So far the government has cleared Rs 100 million and recently
released Rs 50 million for the purpose, informed sources.

As per the scheduled program, the employees would forcibly close down the industries within the
Hetauda Industrial Estate for three days, following which they plan to indefinitely block the
national highway, among others.

Established over 25 years ago with Rs 200 million investment, and with the technical and
financial assistance of the Chinese government, the textile industry ran into doldrums four years
back. It had gone to complete shut down from December six last year.

Employees of the industry had resorted to strikes from January seven, demanding that the
government inject Rs 130 million to kick-start the factory. They had also pressed the government
to diversify the industry in collaboration with some foreign companies.

Decision to privatize one of the oldest textile factories of the country had come as a renewed
effort of the government to move ahead with privatization policy, which had slacked in the recent
years.

Till the end of the fiscal year 1998/99, the government had invested Rs 17.01 billion in equity and
Rs 47.27 billion as loans so far. However, the return on share investment was as low as 2 per
cent.

VAT Dept probes Birgunj tax evasion

Post Report

BIRGUNJ, May 7 - Value Added Tax (VAT) Department has initiated investigation against Sip
Enterprises, a local business firm, accused of maintaining two different books of accounts with
intentions of tax evasion.

The department started its investigation after the firm, which is registered at the Birgunj VAT
office, was suspected of showing undervalued transactions to the VAT office. The firm has been
accused of duping the VAT office of a substantial amount in revenue by involving in issuance of
undervalued bills.

Apart from Sip Enterprises, an investigation team from the department last month had raided the
offices of Rajnish, Aman and Hari Om Traders and had confiscated their books of account for
necessary investigations. The raids were carried out suspecting tax evasion offences. All firms
are accused of showing lower transactions in their monthly statements to the VAT office.

"All the investigations are being carried out by the team from the department," said chief of the
VAT office Govinda Adhikari.

The department initiated its investigations against the firms following complaints by some local
businessmen of the alleged tax evasion by duplicate bill issuance at the consumers’ level. The
businessmen had even provided proof against some of the accused business firms.

According to sources, Sip Enterprises, for mid-June to mid-July, had shown Rs 345 thousands
as its monthly transaction in its statement. However, real accounts maintained by the firm, which
presently is in the hands of the investigators, show that an obvious higher transaction.

A bill issued by the firm on June 1 alone shows a transaction of Rs 518 thousands, which the
accused did not mention in its monthly statement. The omitted June 1 transaction alone cost the
government revenue losses of Rs 51 thousands. Similarly, undeclared bills showing transactions
of Rs 226 thousands and Rs 287 thousands, again both dated June 15, were recovered during the
raid.

Said an official of the VAT office, "Firms proved guilty of involving in maintaining double accounts
with dubious intentions will be taken action against. The firm will be made to pay not only the
taxes but will also be fined."

According to the source, SIP Enterprises’ statements have not exceeded monthly transaction of
Rs 500 thousand except once. However, he claimed that the firm’s turnover is over Rs 10 million
in a single month. The latest case of tax evasion in Birgunj is one of the biggest cases so far
discovered.

Nepal Online quiz contest held

KATMANDU, May 7 - With an objective of building awareness among school students on
information technology (IT), ITNTI, a pioneer in application service providers organized Nepal
Online Quiz contest, an inter-school IT brain test.

Organized on the occasion of the 5th Nepal Education & Book Fair 2001, being held at Bhrikuti
Mandap, the final round of the quiz contest was completed today.

Chief guest Rajib Subba, General Secretary of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) gave away
prizes and certificates to the winners of the contest. The Excelsior School, Campion Kathmandu
College and Modern Indian School stood first, second and third in the contest.

Commending the efforts of the company to organize such an immensely useful program, he
urged the students to benefit from the study programs being carried out by CAN, which is
expected to develop and foster growth of IT and technical expertise in the country.

Manish Kansal, senior Vice President of ITNTI said that the quiz contest was different from the
ritual ones as it could help the students keep pace with the fast changing trends in the
information technology.

NARC drafts long term strategy for ten years

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 7 (PR) - Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), an apex body for
agricultural research, has drafted its strategy for the next ten years, with a view to rendering its
programs integrated and result-oriented.

Dhruba Joshi, Executive Director of NARC, speaking at a press meet organized on the eve of the
Council’s 10th anniversary Monday, said that the strategy entitled Vision 2000 will usher in a new
direction in the research work of the institution.

Shedding light on the major achievements of the Council, he said that Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Thailand are demanding the new varieties of maize, wheat and
rainbow trout fish fingerlings developed in Nepal.

He further added that the Council has been using internet, Geographic Information System (GIS),
International Information System for Agricultural Sciences & Technology (AGRIS) and Current
Agricultural Information System (CARIS) to keep itself abreast of the latest trends in agricultural
sector and share global information on it.

The Council has also developed surface seeding, relay seeding, Chinese hand tractor, harrow,
seed drill and leveller, zero till, bed planting techniques in order to boost yield and reduce
turn-around-time and harvesting more crops at the same time.

Likewise, NARC has also developed a package of cultivating Baby Corn and Pop Corn and
artificial insemination (AI) for cows and buffaloes, which has shown marked increase in milk
production and weight gain. Similarly, it has also successfully developed a technology of
impregnating very young calves through balanced fodder.

But unfortunately, farmers have not been able to reap benefit from the technologies the Council
has developed, targetting them. Thanks ,mainly , to lack of publicity and partly, because of lack
of awareness among the farmers.

The officials of the Council admitted that there is a need to invigorate the publicity of their
achievements that have direct impact on the life of farmers. Various experts discussed many
issues on the occasion.