Entrepreneurs euphoric over Vajpayee’s remarks

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 7:The Nepali business community has hailed the latest assertion of the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the 1996 Nepal-India Trade Treaty would be renewed at the satisfaction of both the countries.

"I am confident that there will be a satisfactory solution (to the impasse over the renewal of the 1996 bilateral Treaty)," Vajpayee had said. The Indian Premier was talking to journalists before leaving for India after the conclusion of the eleventh summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on Sunday.

He had also said that the Treaty, if need arises, would be extended further. It may be recalled that the Treaty was set to expire on December 5, 2001. However, the Treaty was extended by three months at the behest of Vajpayee following the declaration of a state of emergency in Nepal.

Nepali businessmen talking to The Kathmandu Post today said that the Indian Prime Minister’s remarks over the Treaty renewal is a sign of the positive Indian intention to settle the issues in the most amicable manner.

"The statements made by the Indian Premier shows that India is ready to address all concerns of the Nepali business community. Vajpayee’s remarks are highly positive," said Rajendra Kumar Khetan, Second Vice President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

"But it is necessary that the official renewal is done before the expiry of the March 5 deadline. We are now truly optimistic that issues of contention would be resolved amicably," added Khetan. Vajpayee had said that there are some issues of concern to India, which needs to be worked upon.

The Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on the same occasion had clarified that the Indian concerns was particularly in the increase in the exports of acrylic yarn and vanaspati ghee from Nepal to India.

Singh had said that the two Nepali products were having an untoward impact on the Indian industries. India had initially shown serious concerns over the increasing exports of five items including zinc oxide, steel pipes and copper winding wires, apart from acrylic yarn and vanaspati ghee.

"The Nepali business community is aware of the Indian concerns. The issue needs to be settled in a manner that would be beneficial to both sides. However, putting the Nepali items (vanaspati ghee and acrylic yarn) into the negative list is not a good option," said an analyst.

President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Rajesh Kazi Shrestha also appreciated Vajpayee’s assurances to seek a solution to the current impasse in the renewal of the Treaty in the most satisfactory manner.

However, he added that the Treaty’s official renewal should not be delayed. "Delay in the renewal of the Treaty would only prop up the uncertainty in the business circle," he said.

Similarly, President of the Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Arun Kumar Chaudhary said that the Treaty needs to be renewed viewing the interests of both the nations. "The assurances of the Indian PM is laudable. However, in order to achieve a milestone, and to create a win-win situation, much has to be done even from the Nepali side."

Though the volume of trade between Nepal and India since the signing of the landmark 1996 Treaty is on the rise, the trade deficit has barely changed. Trade gap between the two countries presently stands at around Rs 19 billion in India’s favour. While exports from Nepal to India in the fiscal year 2000/01 stood at Rs 27 billion, imports during the same year touched Rs 46 billion.

Nepal to mark three mega tourism events this year

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 7:Nepal is celebrating 2002 as the year of three different tourism events, following a gap of four years of marking 1998 as Visit Nepal Year (VNY).

The three mega events of the year are Destination Nepal 2002, International Eco Tourism Year and International Mountaineering Year. Final preparations are going on to observe Destination Nepal 2002 while the other two events are being celebrated as a part of international events.

The International Eco Tourism Year is being held at the initiative of the United Nations development Programme (UNDP) and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the International Year of Mountaineering at the initiative of the United Nations Organization (UNO).

The International Year of Mountaineering is targeted at boosting the tourism industry across the globe along with safeguarding the deteriorating environment from further degradation.

Experts have emphasized that the international events should be capitalized on attracting the domestic and foreign tourists and in promoting market and establishing better coordination among the concerned bodies. They have also suggested making best use of those events to protect Nepal’s bio-diversity and taking comparative advantages from related fields.

They were speaking at a programme organized by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) today held in connection with the said events.

Of the total species of birds, 10 species and of 2000 species of tigers 350 are found in Nepal. This Himalayan kingdom is also a home to Snow Leopard, Black Bear, Musk Deer, Panda and other rare animals including the Spiny Babbler, which is found only in Nepal.

Therefore, it is hoped that if utilized in a better way the events can attract a good number of bird lovers to Nepal during the year.

Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha expressed the views that the combination of three mega tourism events could have very good impact on the tourism industry of the kingdom.

Of the total area of the country, 67 per cent is covered by mountains and of the 14 eight thousanders 8 peaks are in Nepal. Therefore, tourism and mountaineering are but two sides of a coin and it requires good coordination among related bodies to get most out of the events.

An estimated 400 to 500 thousand tourists visit Nepal annually of which 15 per cent come for jungle safari and eco tourism. The number of the visitors is on the rise. Therefore, it is high time that Nepal introduced itself in the international arena as an international tourism destination, said Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC.

Minister KC also inaugurated Sustainable Tourism Network on the occasion. Minister for Population and Environment PL Singh and CEO of NTB Pradeep Raj Pandey also expressed their views on the occasion.

SMCC formed to regulate supplies

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 7:The first meeting of the central level coordination committee, set up recently by the cabinet under the special plan to ensure supplies of the essential commodities and to strengthen the monitoring mechanism held its meeting here today.

According to a press release issued by the Department of Commerce, the meeting held under the chairmanship of Bhanu P Archarya, Secretary of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, decided to form a national level Supply Management Coordination Committee (SMCC) under the chairmanship of secretary of the ministry. Similarly, the same meeting constituted regional and district level SMCC headed by the regional administrator and the Chief District Officer respectively.

Speaking on the meeting, secretary Archarya said that all quarters of the society including public enterprises and the private sector should cooperate in ensuring a regular supply of daily consumable essential commodities to the public all over the country.

Among others, the meeting also requested all the newly established regional and district level committees to start their function immediately and also decided to formulate a manual to bring uniformity in the working procedures from district to national level. The same meeting also decided to initiate an especial task to ensure the quality guarantee of the consumer products. Similarly, the meeting also decided to request Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry to report the ministry within two weeks on the role that private sector can play in ensuring regular supplies.

Krishna Hari Banskota, Secretary General of the newly formed committee stressed the role of the private sector in smooth supplies of the essential commodities in the market. He also stressed that reliable supply statistics and efficiency of the public enterprises in the production and distribution of the daily consumable commodities are some of the important aspect to guarantee smooth supplies.

Anti-dumping duties on B’desh battery

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 7:The Indian authorities have imposed anti-dumping duties on Bangladeshi lead acid battery exports citing alleged non-cooperation by the country’s biggest manufacturer Rahimafrooz.

Abdul Kader Khan, Counsellor at the Bangladeshi Embassy in Nepal also affirmed that India has imposed anti-dumping duties with effect from 1st January, 2002. "It is true that on the export of Bangladeshi lead acid battery to India, India has imposed anti-dumping duties from the 1st January, 2002," informed he.

The dumping margin ranges from 33 per cent to as high as 107 per cent. The anti-dumping duty that was imposed from Jan 1, 2002 stands at US $ 2.532 per kg.

The Bangladeshi battery manufacturers formerly enjoyed a preferential entry into the Indian markets under South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA). The duties after SAPTA concessions stood at a little over 38 per cent.

However, following the slapping of the anti-dumping duties, the total duties have shot up. Bangladeshi battery that captures 0.63 per cent of the Indian battery market now pays duties ranging from 56 per cent to as high as 131 per cent. The total battery export from Bangladesh to India is valued at US $ 1.3 million.

Soaltee extends legendary hospitality

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 7:The Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu, the official hotel for the Eleventh SAARC Summit, displayed its legendary hospitality, states a press release issued by the hotel here today.

The Regal Suite Complex, which was built in 1987 for the third South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit, had the privilege of accommodating the heads of state and government of the region this time too.

Prime Ministers Begum Khalida Zia of Bangladesh, Lynpo Khandu Wangchuk of Bhutan, Atal Behari Vajpayee of India, Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepal and presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives, General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka stayed in the hotel.

The hotel also had the honour of accommodating Foreign ministers, foreign secretaries and other officials of the participating countries. Meetings of the Pre-Summit Programming Committee, Standing Committee and Council of Ministers were also held in the hotel, adds the release.