Trade talks end on positive note Value addition breaks stalemate

By Bhaskar Sharma

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 – Despite the fact that the latest round of trade negotiations between Nepal and India over the renewal of the 1996 Trade Treaty concluded without any concrete outcome, some cloud of uncertainty has finally cleared.

According to officials who participated in the discussions, the two sides have agreed to adopt a certain value addition slab on material and labour content on Nepali exports to India as a means to weed out the contentious issues that have soured the trading relations between the two countries lately.

The delegation of the Indian commerce officials who were here to negotiate with Nepali counterparts for the first time proposed to allow duty free market access to Nepali products in India if the two sides could agree on value addition slab on material and labour, Nepali officials said.

And though Nepali side agreed to stick to the Indian proposal, no discussions were carried out to determine the extent of value addition on Nepali exportable goods. Furthermore, no consensus could be reached on the modality implementing the value addition norm.

The Indian officials are learnt to have presented a modality on value addition based upon various international conventions and different regional and bilateral trading arrangements. However, the Nepali side put forward a different modality that sought to protect and safeguard the domestic Nepali industries from injury and uncertainty. Both Nepal and India are likely to study each other’s proposals before taking a final decision.

Despite the new differences, this is the first time that the two sides came to some kind of understanding ever since India proposed to review and revise certain provisions contained in the Treaty. The earlier two rounds of trade talks over the Treaty renewal had completely failed.

Leader of the Nepali negotiating team Purushottam Ojha, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, said that an exchange of a few more missions would be required before a final understanding is reached through an exchange of Protocols. No dates for the next round of talks were fixed.

Another official who took part at the talks today preferring to remain unnamed informed The Kathmandu Post that Commerce ministers and secretaries from the two countries are likely to hold informal discussions over the Treaty renewal even at Doha during the fourth ministerial meet of the WTO.

While Nepal has for long been asking to impose a 30-per cent value addition slab on material and labour content of the exported goods as jointly proposed by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries and Confederation of Indian Industries, Indian officials had remained tight lipped over the issue until the latest talks. Indian entrepreneurs who claim their industries are being elbowed out by Nepali exports, however, had been demanding value addition on Nepali goods to the tune of 85 per cent.

The two sides since August have been wrangling over the export of five products from Nepal that includes vanaspati ghee, acrylic yarn, zinc oxide, steel pipes and copper winding wires. India claims that these items fall under the surge net. India’s call for changes in the Treaty’s provisions was with an intention to curtail the export of these items from Nepal. It also has been arguing that Nepali products have forced the closure of many of its domestic industries.

It may be recalled that the 1996 Treaty expires this December unless both the Indian and the Nepali governments ratify it before December 5. "The concerns of both Nepal and India have narrowed down and the talks has moved ahead. Some amicable solution would surely be reached before the deadline for ratification expires," Ojha said.

Despite the optimistic note, Ojha said that flexibility is required in talks and that the Nepali side is worried. Asked on if a political solution would be sought if the two sides fail to come to reconciliatory terms even after the latest achievement, he said, "That is an alternative which can be pursued."

With the latest string of flexibility in the Indian stand, it appears that provisions relating to rules of origin would not make into the amended Treaty, neither the five items into the negative list as earlier demanded. However, the two sides agreed to recognise surge as per international practice and to develop a modality to establish if any domestic industries in any of the countries are injured by imports from the other.

Nepal-India bilateral trade since the signing of the Treaty in 1996 has increased tremendously. While exports to India from Nepal has leaped from Rs 5.23 billion in 1996/97 to Rs 27.3 billion in 2000/01, imports have surged from Rs 24.85 billion to Rs 46.66 billion in the same period. Almost 20 per cent of the total exports from Nepal consist of the five items that India wants to check.

NSP to launch Madhesi awareness campaign

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 (PR) – Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) is going to launch Madhesi Awareness Campaign from next week, said an NSP official today.

"According to the decision made yesterday during the meeting of National Working Committee that was also participated by leaders of its sister organisations, the party has decided to carry out the campaign to make the Madhesi community aware about the issues affecting them," said Hem Shankar Singh, acting secretary at the NSP office.

The meeting that was held in Birgunj has decided to take back the earlier decision of picketing Singhadurbar on November 6. After conducting the nation-wide awareness campaign, the party will picket Singhadurbar, Singh said.

The party during this week will be busy in sending information about the campaign in the respective districts and right from next week the campaign will be initiated, said Singh.

The NSP has been carrying out protests demanding with the government to roll back its decision of ceiling on land ownership or otherwise the party has demanded to put ceiling on the property as well. The NSP has now also demanded of the government to roll back the Education Bill, which was endorsed by the 20th session of the parliament.

NSP claims that Madhesi population (mostly inhibiting in the Terai region) occupies 50 per cent of Nepal’s 23.2 million people.

Govt set to open new trekking routes

By Satyendra Timilsina

KATHMANDU Nov 4 – A recent joint meeting of officials from the Home and Tourism ministries and Department of Immigration has recommended to re-open trekking routes in six districts in northern Nepal for group trekking.

The recommendation has been sent to the Ministry of Home, which is set to forward it to the cabinet for final approval. The approval could come soon, say government officials.

According to sources, the recommended trekking routes include routes to Limi of Humla, Byas of Darchula, Olangchungola and Lele of Taplejung and Nanche and Nangpala of Solukhumbu, Kimathanka of Sankhuwasava and Kanda and Dhuli of Bhajhang. These routes were banned for trekking in the mid-1960s.

However, the routes would not be fully opened. It will be opened only for group trekking headed by liaison officer of the Department of Immigration, says the source.

Currently four trekking routes to Humla, Manaslu Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa are opened for group trekkers also led by the liaison officer. Lower Dolpa and Kanchanjunga routes are open for trekking without any government official.

"The government banned those trekking routes in 1965 due to the then revolt of the Khampas to liberate Tibet from China. In keeping with the possibility of being used Nepali soil against China the government had banned the routes," says Tamla Ukyab, former Royal Nepali Councilor General to Lasha.

Experts believe that the decision of restriction was made in the interest of Chinese government. Before the prohibition, Nepalese government had deputed lieutenant colonel to administer four villages adjoining to Tibet. The four villages include Olangchungola, Jomsom, Soru Burma and Darchula.

The recommendation comes at a time when the tourism industry is dwindling and tourism entrepreneurs are requesting the government to expand and diversify tourism products.

The reopening of these routes is expected to attract more tourists, says Suman Pandey, president of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN). "There is a need to expand our tourism products and it would attract more adventure tourists."

Nepal has emerged as one of the best adventure tourist destination in the world in recent years. Nepalese trek routes are becoming more popular worldwide and the inclusion of some more routes would contribute to more tourist arrivals, hope entrepreneurs.

Also, the expansion of trekking routs would attract more tourists, as a recent survey commissioned by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has found that more than 40 per cent of total visitors to Nepal are on repeat visits.

During the last 15 years number of adventurous tourist has increased significantly. According to the latest statistics, number of tourist visiting for adventure has touched over 98,000 which was just around 15,000 15 years ago.

S Lanka FM confirms SAARC meet in Jan

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 - Sri Lanka, the current chairman of the seven-member regional grouping, SAARC, has confirmed that the long-delayed 11th SAARC Summit would be held in Kathmandu on January 4-6, an Associated Press report from Colombo said today.

Sri Lankan Foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said that Sri Lanka will hand over the chairmanship of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation to Nepal at the Summit to be held in Kathmandu in the first week of January in Kathmandu, according to the report.

Sri Lanka has remained the chairperson of this regional organisation more than the stipulated time due to the postponement of the Summit in December 1999 after India refused to share the platform with Pakistan where General Pervez Musharraf had taken reins after a military coup in October. The mantle of chairmanship will pass onto Nepal after the Summit in Kathmandu.

In Kathmandu, Nepalese officials, however, said that they are yet to be formally informed by Sri Lanka about the confirmation to the dates by other member states. They admitted that they were aware about the news in India and Sri Lanka.

"We are working towards it," an official told The Kathmandu Post on condition of anonymity. "Although we have not received any formal intimation."

On Friday, The Hindu, one of the leading newspapers of India, today reported that the SAARC summit could be held from January 4-6 in Kathmandu. The paper also reported that Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Gen. Musharraf could hold a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Kathmandu. The report said that the two leaders could hold the mini-summit here if their proposed meeting in New York failed to materialise.

The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka also reported that Foreign ministers of SAARC nations are likely to meet in New York at the United Nations General Assembly session scheduled for later this month.

Some of the issues before the Summit is endorsement of a social charter and establishment of South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

Meanwhile, Bhutan’s Foreign Secretary Ugyen Tshering, arrived here today ahead of the official Bhutanese delegation that is coming to Kathmandu tomorrow to participate in the Secretary-level talks on harmonising their differences on the categorisation of Bhutanese refugees.

Hundreds flee homes after Maoist attacks

By Om Prakash Sharma

SYANGJA, Nov 4 - Hundreds of people from the south-eastern part of this hill district have thronged the district headquarters demanding an army deployment to ensure security in the area after the Maoists stormed into Chapakot, Kuwakot and Ratnapur villages and beat up several people, leaving one local teacher dead on Friday.

Gupta Bahadur Bishwokarma, a teacher of a local school, was beaten to death after the rebels attacked the villagers to take revenge against the beating of their two cadres a few days ago. Deceased Bishwokarma’s funeral procession was taken out here today after carrying out his post-mortem at a local hospital.

Around 500 rebels attacked the locals, especially those people who had forged unity to counter the Maoists.

The rebels had earlier abducted five cadres of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, after breaking their hands and legs, according to the locals. The rebels moved them toward an unknown destination with their hands tied to their back.

Later on, two of the abducted persons - Shankar Bandhu Bhandari and Narayan Bahadur Thapa - were found to have been left by the rebels near a chautari (public rest place) with their hands and legs crushed. CPN-UML’s district committee said that both of the injured were rushed to the capital for treatment after being referred by the Pokhara hospital.

Amidst the tension, almost all the adult men from the three villages have left their homes for other places for security reasons.

"There are only kids, women and elderly people left in the villages after the deadly Maoist attacks," said Rajendra Aryal, a local from Chapakot, who also fled his home fearing his life.

In another report, locals on Sunday recovered a body of a Maoist on the banks of the Kaligandaki River near Siltung. Police have identified the body as M.S. Gaire from Kuwakot-7. Locals said he had escaped from Suntalitar village of Chapakot VDC after being attacked by the villagers.

Another Maoist, Hari Prasad Khanal from Pakwadi VDC-4, who sustained serious head- injuries in the same incident is reported to have been rushed to a Kathmandu based private nursing home as referred by Manipal Teaching Hospital in Pokhara. His condition is reportedly critical.

Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the central office of the Nepal National Teachers’ Organisation from the capital today condemned the rebels for killing Bishwokarma, who was a Syangja district committee member of the organisation and brutal attacks of others people, including another teacher Bhandari.

Likewise, World Hindu Youth Union, Nepal also condemned the Maoists for killing the teacher and abducting several others, including Mukti Prasad Subedi, the father of central secretary of the union, who was abducted by the rebels last week.

Meter taxis continue to defy traffic regulations

By Kiran Chapagain

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 – Despite traffic regulations that require meter-run taxis and tempos plying inside the Ring Road area of the capital to go to the place commuters want, many vehicles are flouting the rules, commuters complain.

"I have faced many occasions of taxi drivers refusing to go to the place I wanted to go," said Tikaram Shrestha, a businessman at Thamel. "I was refused by a cab driver on the night of dashain tika when I asked him to go to my residence at Baluwatar from Thamel."

Like Shrestha, other three passengers also told the same story of two taxis refusing to take them from Bisal Bazaar to Tinkune on Sunday evening. There are many others besides these hapless four commuters as telephone complaints to the Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO).

According to the regulation of the VTPO, the meter-vehicles plying inside the Ring Road cannot deny commuters’ call to go to a desired place, provided they are being parked or plying on the road with meter "off" (not "down") at any time. Except in these two circumstances, the drivers are free to act as per their will.

The irony of the matter is, despite the publicity by the VTPO, many cab drivers say they don’t know of the regulations’ existence. Those who do also flout it because drivers are very selective where to go. They prefer to go to the place where they are likely to get passengers. They often prefer long routes, say taxi drivers.

"I do not want to go for a short distance as I make little money in doing so," was the candid admission of Madhab Budhathoki to The Kathmandu Post. Budhathoki, who hails from Sindhupalchowk came to Kathmandu as driver of the three-wheeler auto tempo, was waiting with his auto, Ba 1 Ha 1117, at Anamnagar for passenger(s).

Another cab driver, Bharat Maharjan from Bhaktapur, termed the latest regulations as unfair. "The regulations do not address our problem. We are compelled to go even to the places which can be reached after a five-minute walk," he said.

Despite many instances of the vehicles breaching the regulation not a single case seeking action against the errant drivers have been lodged at the VTPO. According to Purushottam Silwal, Assistant Inspector at the office, the traffic office has occasionally been receiving complaints through telephone. But the office cannot take action to the drivers just on telephone complaint, he added. He further said written complaints are needed to punish the drivers breaching the regulation.

"If the drivers are found breaching the regulation, they face a 24-hour detention at the office and have to pay Rs. 200 in normal case," Silwal said. However, the punishment for the breaking of the regulation may be higher and severer if the case of denial is serious, he added. For instance, if they refuse to pick a passenger in critical case of say, a sick person, they can face serious penalty. However, this "severer" penalty is still not defined.

Meanwhile, ten auto-tempo-drivers chosen randomly along the route from Anamnagar to Baneshwore, denied existence of the regulation. However, ten taxi drivers admitted that they have come to know about the regulation through ‘Traffic Update’ programme of Kantipur FM. The FM airs the programme every day at 7:55 a.m.

W’shops and seminars: No more for Dalits

By Subas Risal

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 – Sundry Dalit organisations that fell over each other in churning out various workshops, seminars, et al as a daily fare have all of a sudden stopped organising any such programme during the past three weeks.

Better late than never. Both the government and non-governmental organisations related to Dalits have started to realise that organising programmes like workshops and seminars will not help in uplifting the socio-economic status of the oppressed section of the society, say the concerned officials rather sheepishly.

"We have now realised that the programmes like workshops and seminars are not cost-effective," says Hari Rimal, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Local Development. He says, adding, "I admit that Community for the Upliftment of Development of Deprived Community (CUDDC) which is running under the Ministry of Local Development (MLD) used to organise such programmes. But recently, we give least priority to such programmes."

He also says that the MLD has issued directives to CUDDC to curtail a number of programmes like workshops and seminars. "We should be more focused on long-term programmes intended to raise the living standard of Dalits instead of frittering away the budget in workshops and seminars," says Rimal.

However, the real reason for the Dalits’ reluctance to organise workshops and seminars seems to be the news published in The Kathmandu Post on October 15 regarding the misuse of funds by different Dalit organisations.

"The news published in The Kathmandu Post on October 15 has created this situation," says Durga Sob, President of Dalit Non-Governmental-Organisation Federation. Adding, she says "But we take the report very positively and will certainly think twice before organising any such programmes."

It is not only the government organisations but even those NGOs and International Non Governmental Organisations (INGOs) which fork out hefty sums to uplift the socio-economic status of Dalits apparently are dissatisfied with the results of such programmes.

"It is useless to squander money on workshops and seminars," says Deepak Jung Bishwokarma, member secretary of Mukti Samaj, an NGO. "We used to organise seminars and workshops but after we realised that such programmes have not produced desired result, we are thinking of curtailing them."

More than Rs 150 million is allocated every year for various development programmes for the deprived Dalit community. But the real impact is yet to be felt as they remain deprived and indigent as ever. It is believed that hundreds of workshops and seminars have been organised in the name of Dalits following the restoration of democracy in 1990 but with negligible impact. Moreover, mounting incidents of discrimination against Dalits across the country have raised doubts over the proper utilisation of funds.

Dalits are the most oppressed section of the society. Being Hindus they are discriminated by the people belonging to the so-called upper caste Hindus. From the time immemorial, they have been treated as second class citizens.

According to the Census 1991, Dalit comprises of 20 per cent of the total population of the country and twenty-eight castes have been identified as Dalit castes. Reportedly, over 60 per cent of the total Dalits are living under the poverty line.

UML re-warns rebels

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 – The main opposition party CPN-UML in strongest denunciation ever made by it against the Maoists has warned the rebel group that no one will be able to save it from total destruction if it does not correct its ways "when there still is some time left."

In a statement issued by UML’s central office today it is stated that the recent criminal activities unleashed by the Maoists have cut down all the foundations on bases of which Maoist party could be accepted as a political party. "The rebel group is transforming itself into a criminal group with a mask of a political party," the statement added.

Meanwhile, a party leader claimed that an informal meeting of the party’s top brass was held today at an unspecified location in Lalitpur to discuss party’s strategy against the Maoists. It was also confirmed that a senior leader of the UML was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today. However, no further information was disclosed regarding the meetings.

The UML in its campaign against the Maoist has called for Kavre bandh on Wednesday where all the offices, educational institutions, market places will be shut down and no vehicles will ply on the streets in protest of the Maoist atrocities. This will be the first public protest programme conducted by any political party against the Maoists.

The statement undersigned by Yubraj Karki also stated that yesterday’s emergency meeting of the party’s standing committee meeting declared Gupta Bahadur Biswokarma and Balram Sapkota martyrs. Biswokarma was murdered by the Maoists Friday evening in Chapakot in Syangja district and Sapkota was earlier killed by the Maoists in Panchkhal in Kavrepalanchowk. The party has also asked the government to track down and punish the culprits and arrange for medical treatment for the injured in the Syangja incident.

The Maoists on Friday evening had murdered Biswakarma and along with him injured Bhakta Bhandari and Narayan Bahadur Rana. The rebels also abducted Netra Bhandari, Padam Prasad Pageni, Ram Chandra Pageni, Navaraj Shrestha and Hom Bahadur Shrestha.

Fisticuffs mark Birgunj municipal council meet

By Gopal Devkota

BIRGUNJ, Nov 4 – Almost a dozen locally elected leaders were injured today in scuffle among themselves during the meeting of Municipal Council of Birgunj Sub-Metropolitan Corporation (BSMC).

The meeting has been postponed after the local representatives exchanged chairs and fisticuffs in the aftermath of hot argument on passing of the budget for the Fiscal Year 2057/058 (2000/01), said Jabahar Gupta, member of Municipal Committee.

The scuffle has led to the full destruction of minute book, two dozens of chairs and banners. Later, 67 representatives jointly filed no-confidence motion against the speaker of the Sub-Metropolis in the office of the BSMC, on charges of postponing the meeting.

According to Gupta, the scuffle started after the representatives of main opposition CPN-UML and ruling Nepali Congress were about to endorse the budget after Narendra Shah of Congress tabled it. At the meantime, independent representative, Madan Gupta who leads the group of independently elected representatives’ group, raised discontent over it.

Later, other independent members joined Madan and the scuffle took place. They have blamed the speaker of trying to pass the budget without consulting them.

ICC consultation ends National coalition to be formed

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 – A two-day consultation on the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) organised jointly by Asian Network for the International Criminal Court (ANICC) and INSEC concluded here today.

The consultation participated by Ninety-two participants from Nepal and aboard aimed to educate the Nepali people about the ICC and express their support for ratification by the government of Nepal of the Rome Statue that guides and regulates the formation and the conduct of the Court.

Representatives from political parties, legal professionals, journalists, human rights defenders and other members representing various civil society groups participated in the consultation.

On July 1998 in Rome, 160 nations had decided to establish International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Statute of the Court was approved by an "unrecorded vote" of 120 countries in favour and seven against with 21 abstentions. Among the seven powerful countries that voted against it were United States of America, China, Japan, India and Israel.

The ICC will come into existence only after 60 countries ratify it. Countries such as Belgium, Belize, Canada, Senegal, Fiji, France, Ghana, Iceland, Italy, Mali, Norway, San Marino, Trinidad and Tobago, Tazikistan and Venezuela have already ratified it but Herculean task of getting 39 other countries ratify it still remains. The Asian scenario is gloomier with only one country Tazikistan out of five that voted in its favour in Rome ratifying it.

As informed by the organisers during a press conference organised here after the consultation, the general agreement of the two-day consultation was that ICC and the Statute governing it should be supported regardless of whether or not USA or Japan or any other countries support it. "It is good to try to muster their support in favour of ICC, but need not doubt the value and importance of it just because a few powerful countries do not like it. It is needed for the weak, for us, not for powerful nations. The opportunity to act, as it is available now, should not be allowed to pass. The Rome Statute should be ratified immediately so that we (Nepal) can participate in discussions relating to the establishment of the Court including the appointment of judges and officials," states a statement issued after the consultation.

According to the statement the consultation made decisions to form a national coalition of civil society groups, legal experts and other individuals and that coalition is to act on different platforms for ensuring a) ratification of Rome Statute by the Government of Nepal; b) dissemination of information on the Court to all different sectors within Nepal; c) harmonisation of domestic laws with the provisions of the ICC Statute; and d) successful prosecution of the crime of Aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of Genocide both nationally and at ICC.

To this aim, the coalition will undertake education and promotional campaigns and make long and short term strategies and will act as a catalyst to initiate, complement or tackle any other works as required. The coalition will be co-ordinated by INSEC.