Government to train over 10,000 youths in IT

By Ram Sharan Sedhai

KATHMANDU, Oct 10 - With the objective of producing required manpower in the country, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is going to provide training to over 10,000 youths in information technology (IT) soon after Tihar, one of the biggest festivals of the Hindus.

The ministry is going to provide the training to 10,100 youths in three categories: lower, middle and high level as per the budgetary announcement of the government for the current fiscal year.

Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat in his budget speech for fiscal year 2000/01 had announced "A target of imparting training of lower, medium and higher level skills in various aspects of IT to 50,000 youths in association with the private sector and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within three years".

The government has appropriated Rs 200 million for human resource development and awareness building for the current fiscal year to promote development of IT, which will be spent through the Ministry of Science and Technology.

According to Mahesh Man Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology, the ministry is going to provide low level training to 6,000, medium to 3,700 and high level to 400 youths soon after the end of Tihar.

"This year we are providing training to 10,100 youths and we will meet the target of imparting IT training to 50,000 youths within coming three years", he said. The candidates would be selected through free competition from all over the country, but priority would be given to the oppressed, people from remote areas and women candidates, he added.

The government is planning to provide 90 per cent subsidy to the fees of low level trainees, 60 per cent to medium level and 50 per cent to high level trainees, according to secretary Shrestha. The training would be provided in association with the private sector IT training institutes in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi.

The minimum academic qualification for the three tiers of training is SLC (School Leaving Certificate), certificate level or plus two and graduate level for low, medium and high level trainees respectively.

Apart from giving training to the youths, the ministry is also going to provide a one-month computer training to 300 teachers of public high schools and 200 gazetted and 200 non-gazetted government officers this year.

Secretary Shrestha said that in keeping with the complaints teachers made last year, the ministry is planning to provide certain allowance for trainee teachers for their food and accommodation during the training period.

He also said that process has been initiated to establish Venture Capital Fund to minimize the risk exposure of the fixed capital employed in the production of hardware and software, in association with the private sector.

"Construction of IT Park at Banepa, Kavrepalanchwok district which is 26 kilometres east of the capital, is on progress. Contractors have been pre-qualified and acquiring land and fencing the area is also nearing completion", he said.

In order to generate awareness among the general public about information and communications technology (ICT), the ministry is planning to telecast an awareness programme in association with Nepal Television, he further said.

Secretary Shrestha also said that the ministry has initiated talks with some Japanese companies for joint venture agreement with the private companies and it has also been consulting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for establishing service centres in 15 different parts of the country.

Petro-shortage ruled out

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KATHMANDU, Oct 10 – Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the State-owned monopolist responsible for the import of petroleum products in Nepal, has ruled out the possibility of petro-products scarcity due to the ongoing war on Afghanistan.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post today, Madan Raj Sharma, executive director of the corporation, said that NOC has enough stock of all types of petroleum products that is consumed in Nepal and consumers should not be scared anticipating shortages.

"Given the current demand, the current stock of the petro-products is comfortable enough to meet the demand of one month. Since the supply from India is quite normal, any kind of shortage in the near future not possible," Sharma said.

He further informed that current stock of petrol and diesel is 4,500 kiloliter and 27,200 kiloliter respectively and the stock is enough to fulfill the normal demand for a month.

Similarly, stock of kerosene and aviation fuel is also in a comfortable position that can easily meet the domestic demand for a months and 25 days respectively.

Though the corporation lacks its own storage facilities of Liquefied Petroleum Products (LPG), the uninterrupted supply of LPG from Indian since the last couples of month is satisfactory. The present monthly supply of LPG is around 3,700 tons whereas the demand is just around 3,500 tons, Sharma said.

However, he also said that the future domestic stock condition of the Petroleum products depends on the supply situation of India. "Since Nepal is totally dependent on India for supply of petro-products, any serious consequences that might sprout in Indian due to the war can directly affect the supply to Nepal." Sharma said.

Indian newspapers have reported that the present Indian stock of oil is enough to meet their domestic demand for one month. However, much will depend on the scale of the ongoing American attack on Afghanistan. Since India itself depends on the Gulf States for the supply of more than 90 per cent of its total demand, any intensification of the American attack beyond Afghanistan can disturb the supplies to India and intimately to Nepal.

Sharma also said that the corporation has not made any efforts to cope the possible soar in the demand of petroleum products during Dashin – the greatest Hindu festival. "As per the past experience, the demand of petroleum product during the festival normally soars by just around 10 per cent for which we don’t have make any extra effort," said Sharma.

Buddha Air enters fifth year

KATHMANDU, Oct 10 (PR) – Buddha Air Pvt. Ltd. completed four years of operation today, states a press release issued here today.

The aviation company had initiated its operations since October 11, 1997 with a brand new Beech 1900 D aircraft procured from the United States at a cost of US $ 5 million, the release says.

The company today has four Beech 1900 D catering to the needs of both domestic and foreign passengers. Apart from carrying out mountain flights, Buddha Air operates flights to Biratnagar, Pokhara, Bhadrapur, Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa from the capital.

So far the aviation company has rendered its services to over five hundred nineteen thousand passengers, the release says.

The release also mentions that Buddha Air has contributed immensely to the promotion of tourism business in Nepal. The company has bagged a number of awards in recognition to its contribution towards tourism sector.

Furthermore, Buddha Air topped as a foreign currency earner amongst the domestic aviation companies, the release concludes.

Nepal-India Economic Forum constituted

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KATHMANDU, Oct 10 – Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has initiated a new approach for strengthening and increasing co-operation in the areas of trade, commerce and economics between Nepal and India by setting up a Nepal-India Economic Forum.

According to a press release issued here today, the non-governmental forum will follow a track two mechanism of developing economic ties and trade and investment between the two countries and will also converge similar activities by taking up issues at the government, private and political level.

Among others, the forum will aim to complement the activities currently being undertaken by the FNCCI-CII JEC (Joint Economic Council of the FNCCI and the Confederation of Indian Industries) and that by Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), the release says.

The Nepal-India Forum will sensitise the concerned authorities and help to ensure the effective implementation of the trade and transit treaty between the two countries. It will also advocate with the Indian government and other related groups regarding Nepali export and trade though the counterpart federations in India and other diplomatic channels, states the release.

In addition, the forum will seek to identify infrastructure and social aid projects that can be implemented with the participation of the local business community and act as a nodal point for their start up, the release states.

The forum will consist of Rabi Bhakta Shrestha as the chairperson and Narendra Basnyat as co-chair person. Members include Rajendra Kumar Khetan and Yogendra Shakya, among a host others. Special invitees include representatives from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, including more from the Nepali ministries of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and Foreign Affairs.

The thrust of the forum is to exploit the social, cultural and economic ties that have existed between Nepal and India to the maximum mutual benefit.