Three years on, Govt yet to appoint labour attachés

By Sameer Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : Even after three years of its decision to appoint labour attaché in countries employing significant number of Nepali labourers, the government has not yet appointed single such official in these countries.

The cabinet, with an aim to protect the rights of migrant Nepali labourers, had decided to appoint labour attaché at those parts of the world where at least five thousand Nepali workers are working.

With the reluctance in implementing the policy, the government has failed to preserve the rights of migrant Nepal labourers, at a time when most of them are reported to be exploited by their employers. Over three hundred thousand Nepali workers are currently absorbed in the foreign employment market in various parts of the world, according to official record.

"Obviously the chances of labour exploitation is high in the foreign land in the absence of labour envoy," says Bishnu Rimal, General Secretary of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (Gefont), further stressing on the need to appoint such officials in several countries to protect the rights of Nepali labourers.

According to data recently released by Labour and Employment Promotion Department (LEPD), over ninety-six migrant Nepali workers have died in last ten years and most of them are said to be the victims of the industrial accidents.

Among the total deaths, thirty-nine were recorded in Qatar alone, a destination notorious for unfavourable working condition. But interestingly, Qatar is still one of the most favourite working destinations for Nepali labourers despite all adversities.

The absence of labour attachés has been felt mostly by those workers who eventually lost their hands or legs while working abroad. Most of these victims are still deprived of the compensation amount from the government of their working country.

Manpower agencies are generally blamed for all this suffering of migrant workers, as they are the ones who lure the aspiring overseas-job seekers with so and so facilities and an attractive salary.

However, the agencies deny taking the sole responsibility for the suffering of Nepali workers going abroad. They rather demand the government to immediately appoint labour attachés. "This is very essential to deal with the increased problems between the employers and migrant Nepali workers," said Bharat Singh Thapa, President of Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs’ Federation (FEEF) talking to The Kathmandu Post.

"We cannot arrange everything. Had there been labour attachés in the concerned countries, over ninety-nine per cent problem of overseas labourers would have been solved," he claimed.

Rimal also reiterated the urgent need for the appointment of labour attachés. "Our workers are under-paid and are given unhygienic food in most countries. But the government seems to have neglected to its own decision of appointing labour attachés," he said.

"Most of the Nepali workers are forced to work for fifteen hours instead of standard eight hours," he said, adding, "The overseas factories, however, do not pay them for the overtime."

The government points out inadequacy of budget for its failure in appointing labour attachés. "We are aware of the harassment our workers are facing abroad. But we do not have sufficient funds to materialise the formulated policy," said Prem Nidhi Gyawali, Secretary of MoLTM.

The foreign employment entrepreneurs, however, do not agree to the government logic. They claim presence of other factors, beyond the budget deficiency. "The lack of co-ordination among foreign ministry, labour ministry and finance ministry is the major reason behind the failure to implement the policy," said a foreign employment entrepreneur, requesting anonymity.

He also lambasted the government for failing to materialise the policy when it comes to foreign employment. "While the government is not paying heed to protect the rights of Nepali labour abroad, it has taken up a strategy to promote foreign employment," he said.

The government has taken up a policy to promote foreign employment as domestic unemployment is on rise in recent times. According to an independent study, remittance of over seventy billion rupees has been flowing each year to the country.

Int’l travel advisories hit Nepali tourism

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KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : The ailing tourism industry, which has been badly affected by unwillingness of the international wholesaler tour operators to market Nepal abroad due to lack of safety and security, has been aggravated by the negative travel advisories of several countries, said J L Khanna, President of Nepal Association of Travel Agent (NATO).

Speaking at a special meeting of the NATO held in the capital on Tuesday, Khanna urged all tourism entrepreneurs to work together to stay afloat at the jucture of such crises. The meeting was organised to discuss the present crisis situation faced by the Nepali tourism industry.

Likewise, Tek Chandra Pokhrel, executive member of the association viewed that all association related to tourism industry should make damage assessment to find out the real loss incurred by tourism industry in last three years. "These should also provide possible solution as to how quickly and effeciently can the industry recover from the crisis," he added.

Basanta Raj Mishra, secretary of NATO, highlighted the importance of building consumer confidence in Nepal’s products which has slid in recent years due to the portrayal of the country negatively in the international media.

"It is very pertinent to manipulate media to repositing Nepal’s image as a safest destination," he said further stressing on the need to ask the diplomatic missions based in Nepal to disseminate only the required information through travel advisories based on facts.

Mishra even went on to ask the government to provide some incentive to retain international airlines that are operating in Nepal, states a press release issued here today. Navneet Nagpal and Ravi Chandra Hamal of NATO, among others too had shared their views during the meeting.

NRB to tighten monitoring measures

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KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : At a time when questions are being raised over the weak inspection and supervision capabilities of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank is set to take various steps to strengthen its procedures for monitoring and supervising the banking and other financial institutions of the country.

A high-level source at the NRB said that the central bank is planning to take measures such as issuing time-bound warning to banks and financial institutions to improve their performance, barring distribution of profits, suspension of transactions and management intervention to improve the overall performance of the banking sector.

The high-level source at the central bank stressed that the NRB is committed to the development of healthy banking system and all the proposed steps are aimed at safeguarding the interest of financial institutions and depositors.

In this regard, the central bank had recently issued letters to three commercial banks, which are yet to issue public shares, urging it to go for public shares by mid-January.

As per existing banking rules and regulations, commercial banks are required to issue public shares within a year of commencement of operations. However, four commercial banks have yet to issue public shares, in clear violation of the central bank directives, which had directed the commercial banks to fulfil the condition by the end of last fiscal year.

According to the source, the central bank has recently issued letters to Nepal Credit and Commercial Bank, Kumari Bank and Machhapuchhre Bank. The NRB, however, has not issued such letter to Lumbini Bank since the bank is currently under the management of the central bank itself.

The Credit and Commercial Bank said that the bank is preparing to issue public share within the deadline fixed by the NRB. Narendra Bhattarai, Chief Executive Officer of the bank told The Kathmandu Post that the final preparation is underway to issue public shares within mid-January. The Bank is to issue public shares worth Rs 150 million.

Indian tourist inflow on rise

By Tejasuee Rajbhandari

KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : With more than 800 Indian national landing Nepal on December 23rd for the religious tour, the negative image of Nepal portrayed by the hijacking of Indian Airlines, exactly three years ago, looks to have improved among the Indians.

The Indian team had come to Nepal in a three-day visit to the places of religious interest. "The team, during the stay in Nepal, visited several Hindu Shrines including Pashupatinath, Manakamana and several Hindu temples of Kathmandu valley," informed Manoj C Bafna, the Event Manager.

The visitors of the team showed their satisfaction over their Nepal visit and said Pashupatinath is the main attraction for Indians in Nepal. "Kathmandu is like a city of gods", said Reshma Dugad, one of the visitors to Nepal. She then added, "Temples and the religious places are the main attraction of Kathmandu city and most of the Indians come to visit Pashupatinath."

Nepali tourism entrepreneurs have expressed that the arrival of this huge group for regional visit, indicates that Nepal has huge potential of religious tourism. Of more than one billion Hindus, 10 percent go for religious tour every year. "Even a small one percent of the total Hindus can make a significant impact in Nepal’s tourism Industry," they say.

Despite the huge attraction on religious places in Nepal, the latest government statistics say only five per cent of total tourists come to Nepal for a religious visit. The Indian tourists usually comprise more than one-third of the total tourists coming to Nepal.

Tek Bahadur Dangi, Marketing Director of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) stating that the NTB, in Association with Indian Airlines has come up with package tour for Indians from various cities of India said, "The NTB is taking several measures to attract the Indian tourists."

With the beginning of DNC, NTB has organised many press conferences and Tour Operation Meet in the different cities of India namely New Delhi, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.

"Besides, religious tour, the subject of interest for other Indian tourists are art and architecture, soft adventure like jungle safari, white water rafting and casino", he added.

The worsening security problem is the main cause for the decline in the numbers of incoming tourists. However, the reduced numbers of Indian Tourists are changing the track and have taken the escalating ride once again. In contradiction to the total reduction of tourists in Nepal, the facts show that the total numbers of Indian tourists are in increasing trend.

After the success of Visit Nepal Year 1998, the hijack of the airplane had almost abyssed the tourism industry in Nepal. However, the Destination Nepal Campaign (DNC), has positively acknowledged the industry.

The dramatic shrinkage in the number of tourists can be recuperated only if we can compensate the other vanishing tourists by the Indian tourists. And we can attract more of Indian Tourists by promoting the religious tourism, which is one of the objectives of DNC.

Religious tourism has a great potentiality for the country like Nepal. It is the only country, which is known for Hinduism and Buddhism as well. If we can just publicize the few eminent places of worship like Pashupatinath, Muktinath, and Mankamana temple, we can attract many Hindu tourists. At the same time Nepal can also be developed as the pilgrimage for the Buddhists, which will undoubtedly attract lots of Buddhist tourists as well, tourism experts say.

Export of silver jewellery rises

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KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : At a time when the major handicraft commodities have been going through bleak period in terms of exports, silver jewellery is enjoying rosy days. The export of the third largest handicraft industry products has been registering a rise despite all the odds.

The export of silver jewellery registered a growth by over 31 per cent during the first four months of the current fiscal year, according to the latest export figure. The figure, which was issued by Handicrafts Association of Nepal (HAN) recently states that Rs 131.85 million worth silver jewellery was exported during the period. Its export during the like period last year was Rs 100.60 million.

Even during the last fiscal year, when the total handicraft exports recorded a massive plunge of 60 per cent, the export of silver jewellery had shot up by over 25 per cent to secure the place of second largest handicraft exports from previous third largest position.

The export of the silver jewellery during the year had gone up to Rs 283.29 million, while its export during the previous year was Rs 225.91 million. The uniqueness in design and Nepali craftsmanship, which are difficult to copy is one of the key factor that has been assisting the Nepali producers and exporters in maintaining the growth in exports.

As per the HAN figure, silver jewellery exports soared by 60 per cent, 18.57 per cent, 27 per cent and 27.78 per cent each during the first, second, third and fourth month of the fiscal year respectively.

In monetary worth, the product’s export was Rs 30.72 million during the first month of the fiscal year, while during the second third and fourth month it was Rs 34.04 per cent, 41.59 per cent and 25.48 per cent respectively.

Exporters attribute price competitiveness of the domestic product over that of the other countries’ for the growth in its trade abroad. They even add that the marketing of the product is more focused when it comes to set the target consumer and market.

"The flourishing of the product is largely due to the fact that people in the largest markets of the product, like the United States and Japan, prefer unconventional jewellery items for the general use. And Nepali silver jewellery has been serving this purpose," they said.

Although regarded as a traditional product having more cultural value than the monetary worth in the country, Nepali silver jewellery is regarded as highly unconventional in the major markets. It is largely used as gift items.

The Nepali export is largely targeted to the middle class businessmen in the major markets and exporters regard this as the strength of the Nepali exports.

"The larger exporter of silver jewellery from the other countries target bigger businessmen. The middle-class group that we target is the speciality of Nepali marketing, which no other countries have been able to penetrate successfully," said Suman Dhakhwa, proprietor of Valhalla Enterprises.

Nonetheless, the silver exporters are yet to tap the potential of its exports. Niche market and brand conscious businessmen could still be our strength, which Nepali exporters are yet to rely on, said Dhakhwa.

Lack of demand-orientation in design is yet another constraint, which the Nepali manufacturers are yet to look beyond, according to analysts. Also the difficulty in obtaining quality silver in the market is another problem that the manufacturers have been urging the concerned bodies to address. "If the standard quality of raw silver could be secured, the silver jewellery exports could still go higher," stated office bearers of HAN.

Another strike hits sugar mills

By Rabindra Upreti

MAHOTTARI, Dec 25 : The sugarcane farmers of the district held a protest rally against Everest Sugar Factory today, after the Factory, going against the usual trend, reduced the price of sugarcane compared to last year.

Farmers say they were compelled to organise the strike, after they were unable to reach any common point with the factory management regarding the setting up of price of the sugarcane.

Although the farmers demand of fixing the price of sugarcane at Rs 168 per quintal placed since last two years was never agreed upon, the price used to be fixed on a higher side than the previous years. However, the sudden decision of the sugar mills to slash the price below the last year’s rate has stirred the farmers that decided to launch protests against the sugar mills.

The sugar mills management has fixed the price of sugarcane at Rs 130 per quintal, which is down by Rs 15 per quintal from Rs 145 per quintal fixed the last year. "Cut in the price of the sugarcane is nothing but the ill intention of the mills management towards farmers," said a sugarcane farmer of the district.

However, officials at the sugar mills said that the mills was forced to cut the price of cane sugar to bring its supply rate at par with the sugar that has been entering the market from India.

They also said that the Nepali sugar mills have been badly affected by the inflow of the cheaper Indian sugar illegally. "Due to the price difference, the Nepali sugar have been losing competitiveness. It is to address this problem we decided to slash the cane’s price," Rajendra Singh General Manager of the Everest Sugar Factory.

However, the farmers say that the Mills’ move to slash the price to compete with the illegally brought in sugar was unjust. "If the sugar smuggling is rampant, it should draw the attention of the government and revenue patrol rather than snatching away the farmers’ piece of pie. The Federation do not buy this logic on the case," they add.

Singh, in the meantime, claimed that the protest is not from the farmer but the Federation of Sugarcane Farmers is organising the strike. He pointed out more than 10,000 quintals of sugarcane and said the farmers have not protested. The sugarcane produced by more than 6,000 farmers in 12,000 bigahas of land is consumed by the factory every year.

A similar strike was organised on Saturday in Sarlahi on the same reasons. The farmers of the district had also protest against Indu Shanker Sugar Mills, a sugar mill in Sarlahi district arguing that the management had unilaterally decided to slash the price of sugarcane and fixed it lower than that of the last year.

The annual demand of sugar in the country stands at 150,000 tons, while the Nepali sugar Mills produced just 90,000 tons of sugar last year. Customs data shows that 8,500 tons of sugar was brought in the country through customs offices. Despite the deficit of over 50,000 tons in the supply, the country did not face the shortage last year.

Farmers attracted to vegetable farming

By Tularam Pandey

MANMA, Kalikot, Dec 25 : After a significant increase in profit margin from vegetable farming, the people of this remote district of Mid-Western Development Region are now taking a deviation from traditional foodgrain farming.

More than ninety per cent farmers here are now attracted to vegetable farming. The reason behind this, the farmers say, is more than five-time profit from vegetables than from the foodgrain farming.

Bhim Prasad Pandey, a local farmer of the Manma Village Development Committee has begun vegetable farming in the land he has hired from one of the local landlord. "I have planted vegetables in more than 10 Ropanis of land at the rent of Rs 10,000 annually," he said.

As the vegetable farming has been lucrative and has produced good income paying the said rent will not be a difficult task, he expressed. Pandey, who has studied up to the SLC Level, is optimistic that he would make a profit of more than Rs 50,000 from the farming.

Currently, per kilogram price of Cauliflower is Rs 50, Cabbage is Rs 25, Carrot is Rs 15, potato is Rs 35, and Tomato is Rs 60 among others.

Bharat Mani Pokhrel, the Agriculture Development Chief of the District, informed that Pandey is the first farmer in the district to begin farming in the rented land. He added, "It is an example of self-dependence from the vegetable farming."

Like Bhim Prasad, there are several farmers making livelihood from the vegetable farming. Gopi Pandey is also expecting good return from vegetable farming. Gopi hopes to earn more than Rs 60,000 in this season.

Due to cool temperature in Kalikot, the farmers say the season farming is not possible. The farming is non-seasonal and not that specific, they add. The District Agriculture Development Committee provides required seeds, fertilisers and training for the development of the agriculture sector.

However, local farmers say it is Gopi Pandey, who had worked in an Indian farm in India for more than 20 years, is an Agriculture expert in the Village. "Whenever the problems arise, Gopi is there to help," they say.

‘18 hybrid tomato seeds developed’

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KATHMANDU, Dec 25 : After over a decade of research, Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) has said to have achieved a tremendous success in producing 18 different species of hybrid tomato seeds.

With the production of hybrid seeds within the country, huge import of such seeds from overseas countries including Japan, India and America is now expected to decline. Hybrid seeds have become more popular among the farmers against the local seeds due to its capacity of high production in recent times.

Earlier, NARC was able to produce only improved quality seeds that had a production capability only marginally higher to that of local seeds. However, the improved seeds are produced after carrying out reproduction process between opposite sex of same species unlike reproduction among different species in case of hybrid seeds.

According to Kedar Budhathoki, Chief of the research team, it took almost three years to get the final production after the scientifically carried out reproduction between male and female species. "The selection of appropriate male and female seed for the reproduction took almost a decade," he added.

Despite the higher productivity of imported hybrid seeds, the plants of these seeds failed to sustain for longer period as they were unable to adapt to the local environment, added Thapa. "The newly produced seeds, however, will be suitable to Nepali climate," claimed Budhathoki.

The research team has predicted that the productivity of tomatoes will be higher by about 402 per cent with the usage of hybrid seeds compare to those of local seeds.