Tourism in turmoil

Hard times stalk our tourism industry. The World Tourism Day has brought to the fore an array of issues and problems just when the industry is limping. The possibility of a complete collapse cannot be brushed aside. Already battered by a number of ills, the Nepalese tourism industry, the second largest foreign exchange earner, is sinking further following the recent terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, and the ensuing tensions in this region. The threat of possible US retaliatory strikes in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the horrendous September 11 attacks, is believed to be in hiding, has apparently discouraged potential dollar-paying tourists from coming to this region. Our tourism industry is bearing the brunt of international tensions. In the last few weeks alone, cancellations of flight bookings have hit fifty percent. This is an alarming drop and could portend free fall.

Over the years, the tourism industry has seen fewer ups than downs due to a number of factors. Of late, the downturn has been more pronounced, and hence more painful. Increasing pollution and poor infrastructure are not the only things that have put off the tourists. Frequent Nepal bandhs, chakka
jams and other demonstrations accompanied by violence have given Nepal a bad name among potential tourists. It should be noted that there have been more bandhs and demonstrations in the last few years than in the previous fifty years combined. Given such irresponsible use of democratic tools of protest, it is all but natural to find the tourists shying away from our country. However, not all the problems originated here. Politically orchestrated and malicious publicity by Indian media in the aftermath of the Indian airliner hijack about two years ago also hurt the industry badly. The latest global turn of events have only added salt to the injury. And this at a time when the ailing industry was slowly inching towards recovery, thanks to the bilateral cease-fire with the Maoists.

World Tourism Day has turned out over the years to be little more than an annual ritual. In the face of difficult times, it should serve as an occasion for addressing the grievances of tourists, and stamping out the ills plaguing the industry. Amidst the gloom, the government and the entrepreneurs must hammer out ways and means to bring tourism back from the brink. Instead of lamenting the downfall, the government must draft a comprehensive programme to revive the industry, and provide more incentives to the entrepreneurs. The private sector complains that a two percent service charge levied on top of a 10 percent VAT has not been utilised properly by the Nepal Tourism Board. The authorities have remained mute over this. At the local level, service charges or entry fees are being imposed arbitrarily on tourists. With the help of experts, new avenues can be explored for developing tourism. And to tell tourists all over the world that Nepal has something more to offer than tall snow-capped mountains, rhododendrons, daura suruwal and dhaka topi, and sel roti. This is by no means an easy task. But with firm commitment and a pragmatic and integrated approach, it will not be impossible either.

Military action, not solution

By Ravi K Rauniyar

The enormity of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, in New York and Washington has awaken America to the terrible truth that the world’s most powerful nation is also vulnerable to terrorism and a tempting target as is any other democracy around the globe.

The perpetrators of the unspeakable acts of violence against the American people should be brought to justice. The desire of the Americans to avenge the loss of innocent lives is understandable but revenge should not be confused with justice. A war that would kill few if any terrorist but a large number of impoverished Afghan civilians who are also "moms and dads, neighbours and friends" as US president Bush had said, is not a solution. Justice can be served by holding accountable the culprits alone, not an entire nation and hence the talk about "proportionate response" should shift to effective response. The danger in the current situation is that hasty, ill-targeted military action could do more damage than good by arousing anti-Western sentiments right across the Middle East and other parts of the world.

There is no denying that avoiding such events in the future requires an understanding of what it is that drives people to such a level of righteous anger that they believe killing thousands of civilians, and themselves, a necessary and virtuous action. A response to the shock of September’s tragedy that is tough on terrorism must be tough on the causes of terrorism as well. The US and its allies must tackle the underlying injustices that are seen by Muslim populations across the Middle East as reasons for hating the West. Jonathan Powers writes in the Boston Globe - "In any political movement - whether it be the Palestinians or the globalization protestors in Genoa, there are fringe elements that advocate violence. This does not mean that the mainstream of that movement is wrong. It might or might not be. But, right or wrong, there will always be powerful elements of truth contained within it, or the passions and purpose would never be ignited." The elimination of a bin Laden will not likely lead to a solution to the menace of terrorism that we face today unless the root causes of the problems are also addressed as a component of international security and international action.

America’s policies of political and military intervention from the Balkans to the middle east to Africa and beyond have exposed civilians in these societies to destruction that bears unfortunate similarity to what we have seen in last Tuesday’s destruction. Small arms result in 1,000 deaths everyday but even as the world’s largest arms supplier, America has ignored that the victims of conflict involving its weaponry are 90 percent civilians and 80 percent of them women and children. The current situation in Afghanistan can be traced to the arming and training of Islamic fundamentalist in Afghanistan by the CIA in the 1980s in resistance to the Soviet occupation. The rise of religious fundamentalism is Pakistan is the legacy of the military dictator, general Zia-ul-Haq who got active support from the United States. This foreign policy based on short-term risk management is partly responsible for the crisis that we are facing today.

A protracted and ill-defined American onslaught wouldn’t necessarily yield an "effective response", In the Gulf War for example, thousands of civilians were killed in ‘collateral damages’ and according to an UNICEF study the US insistence on sanctions remaining in place has led to the death of more than 500,000 Iraqis most of them children. Saddam Hussein is still in power while the coalition that was build against Iraq has all but disintegrated.

The American Middle East policies have created a perception of prejudice, which contribute to the deep resentment among Arab nations. Numerous United Nations resolutions clearly define Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as illegal. Yet Israel receives 40% of the United States’ annual foreign aid total, which is used to build new settlements on Palestinian land and to buy US-made warplanes and missiles. The United States stands by Israel even as it defies UN resolutions, which urges Israel to withdraw from Palestinian land occupied in the 1967 war. While the right of Israelis to security cannot be denied, the uncritical and partisan support of Israel needs reconsideration. Hence building an international coalition against terrorism will not suffice unless the US confronts the historical legacy of its flawed policies towards West Asia and other parts of the world.

The "war against terrorism" to be successful should not just be a matter of capturing people and holding them accountable but removing the sanctuaries, removing the support systems, ending states who sponsor terrorism and understanding the sociopolitical grievances of the disaffected populations. If the fight against terrorism has to be successful a broad coalition of nations will be required including the Arab nations form the Middle East. Mr. Bush’s rejection of Kyoto, his determination to press ahead with the missile defence programme his rejection of anti-ballistic missile treaty has shown increasing American unilateralism over consensus on such crucial issues as environment and defence. It is now for Mr Bush to lead America and the world to strengthen the cause of world peace by both enlarging and enhancing international cooperation to combat the menace that threatens us all.

Let us hope and pray that out of the rubble and smoke of Manhattan will arise as president George W Bush the elder put it though in a different context, "a new era, freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, east and west, north and south, can prosper and live in harmony."

(The author is a research assistant at Joslin Diabetes Centre, Harvard Medical School)

My lost rupee

By Nitya Nanda Timsina

We live thick and stumble over one another losing respect for one another. With this the value of a man diminishes to next to nothing.

It’s been sometime since I had to endure a special kind of experience with a friend who owes me money. A fairly small amount but it had cost me a lot of hard work. He mysteriously forgot to repay the money he borrowed. How lucky he must feel?

I have found this mental dementia that works well for some sort of people who feel typically happy to forget that they owe something to someone after borrowing.

Picturing those days when we reached our deal, I’m reminded of how my friend opened by saying, "It’d fetch you twice!" And when hours, days, weeks and months passed by, I started feeling cold that the question had almost disappeared from the mental horizon of my friend.

And as the rich days of Dashain unfolded with all their magical qualities and the departmental stores and show rooms looked jam-packed with bustling crowds doing their shopping, I was again reminded of it for it might help me do a bit of shopping for myself for the festival.

I last met my friend at Archie’s card shop where I was doing a bit of shopping for my friend’s birthday festivities. I turned to him and said, "Hi, do you remember our deal...?" "I do... Isn’t that going for a trip to Bhaktapur?," he said and hurried off home. That was the last daring attempt I made, driving a stake into the ground to remind him of my money. Ever since, I have not been able to utter a word on that damn thing "money" for he had almost forgotten.

My story of money acquired more complicated dimension-days, weeks and months went by, it became twice as impossible as talking to walls. I sometimes wished it could grow on trees and birches or fall from the sky so that we’d all have no problem about money and I need not try in vain to remind him of it.

I counted months like counting the white clouds that sail across the bright blue sky and like counting hairs. I ever remained patiently. I lay moored to my thoughts that someday somewhere my friend would remember to pay me back. But nothing ever happened-my hope to regain my lost money mysteriously paled, thined, turned gray and cold.

And as the rich days of Dashain with smiles and spreens, quips and wanton wiles unfolded again reminding me of the loveliest days ahead, the thought again recoiled on me this morning as I began asking myself, "what could be the best gift I can purchase for my mom down there?"

In my constant search for answers, I couldn’t come to the conclusion but the thought clinged to my mind refusing to die. Yet, we most stop somewhere.

Computer software export possibility in Nepal

By Dr Suman Kumar Regmi

Amajor instrument for the implementation of the foreign investment policy is the adoption of one window system under which a high level committee has been constituted to provide infrastructural facilities and ensure easy access to all declared fiscal facilities to the foreign investors. The Department of Industry is declared as the focal point for the one window system.

The above policy statement is all geared up to encourage the private sector, with or without foreign collaboration in identifying non-traditional national resources based industry opportunities, which have potentials for generating income and employment opportunities. Obviously, computer services can be regarded one of the most prospective industries and this industry can be shown very well quality for being considered as a high priority industries which can flourish to contribute significantly towards the national development objective within the framework of the above mentioned government policies. In addition to the provision for a favourable institutional and administrative base requires for the development of computer software industry, there is need for existence of a cost of infrastructures. These include efficient services with regard to electricity, telecommunication, air services linkages with overseas market. Electricity availability, telecommunication network, sufficient fiscal facilities and international air links are the factors for reviewing the current status of the above mentioned physical facilities.

The Kathmandu Valley City has the highest concentration of computer service industries. This city’s power supply situation has been lowering and cannot cope in future years until big hydro-project is completed. The use of voltage stabilizer, spike protectors and generators are commonly used in important computer environments. There has been significant improvement of telecommunication network in this country. The communication system is sufficient for the export of computer services from Nepal.

In the lines of computer services, Nepal had better communication system compared to other South East Asian countries. Computer hardware was considered luxury goods and used to be listed as the luxury items. Since 1992, successive governments have liberalized and simplified the import of computer along with the economic liberalization programme. Computer are now listed as a necessary item and can be imported easily and can be bought easily in towns’ shops.

Existence of air link with overseas market is a key factor for the development of computer service export business. For the employment generation, the promotion of export of computer services and computer manpower export has become very important to the country. The computer companies in Nepal are capable in terms of technical manpower and managerial capabilities. Some of these companies have tried to approach to overseas market on their own. However, the results have not been satisfactory due to different problems and constraints faced in reaching overseas markets. The constraints identified are: difficulty in finding the real buyer; financing the promotional activities in overseas market; lack of exposure in the proper job market; lack of effective marketing strategies; funding for manpower development and research and development to prepare for overseas markets; lack of information on market; difficult in convincing the capabilities to overseas buyers and lack of government support and information technology promotion policies.

There is lack of administrative and technical support from the government for the computer service industry. International marketing skill programme, information service and assembly service are needed. It would be necessary to explore international market in order to determine specializes training requirements for local manpower. There should be information of policy thrust from the government to boost the computer service industry within the country and to promote export of these services. There is lack of information on international demand, difficulty in locating right buyers and financial constraints in international marketing have been identified as major hindrances in the export of software service. There is high potential to use the Nepalese low cost manpower in developing programming service, data entry services and software packages for export market.

Though there is export potential of computer services, the computer services industry in Nepal is expanding rapidly but on a small scale basis. Some of the recommendations for providing the supply of computer service in Nepal are: we should regularize the periodic seminars to discuss the possibilities, strength and weakness of computer services for export; government should take initiatives to introduce an information technology promotional policies and strategies with a view to boost the computer service industry within the country and in the international export market; it should be promoted the international companies to set up joint ventures with Nepalese computers companies to provide specialize computer service for export; it should be organized Nepalese computer service trade shows in capital to display the local computer capabilities and invited international buyers of computer services; it should be assisted in organizing programming training and prepared programme focusing on programme export; it should be provided training to the companies to enable them to enter into international marketing; it should be financed periodic visits of selected software vendors to the international seminars, exhibitions, and trade shows; it should be set up a coordinating body to promote computer services industry for export in collaboration with computer related bodies.

Some of the workplans for future for the promotion of computer services for export base can be: organize a computer show in Nepal; set up Computer Bureau in Kathmandu; study the international market trend , business prospects; organize seminar and training in Nepal; prepare software development for export and manpower export pilot programme.

In this way if we follow software industries can be regarded as potential export-oriented service industry in Nepal. Though we have been lagging behind in the development of information technology related industries, presently emerging ideas of joint ventures efforts for the development of software industries in Nepal must be taken as a prelude towards this direction. Export of software and related products have been possible in Nepal.

Nepal is in a position to develop computer software and export them. The future of Computer science is bright in Nepal as thousands of computer Experts would be returning and had returned from abroad. So, computer manpower is not lacking in Nepal. As we are preparing to develop computer software in the country, training programme for software development is needed. Such training programmes are not good for seeking jobs but also useful to become self-reliant long and short term training programmes being conducted in the country. In a bid to promote computer service in the country, production of computer services has already been started with joint investment of foreign countries.

CAN also wants to keep people acquainted with the latest information developed in the computer world. The Nepalese computer programmes have been sold in Japanese market in the form of database software naming -DB. The software "Nepal Data Base" was invented by the Nepalese youths dedicated to computer fields. They spent two years in developing the programme .They had to undergo a lot of difficulties as the communication network was not sufficient in Nepal. Nepal –Database version 2.1 facilitates graphical object like lines, pictures, text, fields, and function buttons to incorporate card. Trade Promotion Centre also conducts seminars on export-oriented computer services and related subjects for exploring avenues in which Nepalese could develop software exports finding preparation for software developer’s responsibilities and assistance expected from agencies for software export.

(The writer is associated with Trade Promotion Centre-ED)