Govt brings ordinance to meet security expenses expenses

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KATHMANDUM, Dec 16 The government has brought an ordinance to change some of the clauses of the Financial Act 2058 to manage extra resources due to the pressure created by unplanned extra-security expenditures. The ordinance comes into effect from Wednesday.

As per the ordinance, the Agriculture Improvement Fees charged while importing paddy and rice has been increased to 10 per cent. Similarly, the goods on which customs duty was charged at the rate of 5 per cent has been added with 1 per cent while the special fee of 1 per cent has been increased to 3 per cent. The special duty on the imports of car, jeep, van motorcycle double and single cab pickup has been set at 10 per cent.

The new ordinance, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry, has also imposed a special fee of Rs 1 per liter on diesel, patrol and kerosene each. Similarly, changes have also been made on the export taxes. As per the new arrangement, the export charge of vegetable ghee and oil has been increased to 10 per cent while the export tax on cathodes, billet, wire, sheets and other copper goods and zinc oxide has been set at 6 per cent. Similarly, the export tax of 2 per cent has also been imposed on acrylic yarn.

The ordinance has also increased the telecommunication service fee from 10 per cent to 15 per cent while the excise duty on cigarettes, liquor, beer, pan parag have been increased by 5 per cent on average. A new arrangement has been made to bring soft drinks and mineral water into the net of excise duty, states the release.

The special fee on the net income for the purpose of income tax has also been increased to 3 per cent. As per the demand of the business and other sectors, the deadline for the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme (VIDS) has also been extended till mid-February.

The government had to allocate extra budget for security purposes after the declaration of emergency on November 26 that led to the mobilization of the Royal Nepal Army, thereby incurring extra financial burden.

The government is expecting to accumulate over Rs 2 billion from the upcoming changes in the tax rates, said a highly placed source of the Ministry of Finance. Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat told The Kathmandu Post that he is optimistic that the new measures will help to reduce the mounting financial burden on the government. He also urged for cooperation from all quarters of the society.

Plunging revenue is one of the main hurdles that prevented the government from managing extra funds for security. The government in its budget for the current fiscal year has targeted to accumulate Rs 60.25 billion in revenue. However, economic slowdown particularly in the foreign trade sector, is likely to bring down the overall revenue to only around Rs 55 billion. Experts point out that the revenue growth rate for the current fiscal year could slip to remain at around 10 per cent against over 18 per cent witnessed last year.

Apart from the upcoming changes in the tax structure through the ordinance, government will also change the limitation of internal borrowing set by the bill to raise internal debt. The bill for the current fiscal year has authorized the government to raise Rs 9 billion at maximum.

However, the source said internal borrowing limitation would be raised by tabling a separate bill during the upcoming winter session of the parliament. This comes as a relief to the government whose total non-budgetary expenditures within the first month of emergency crossed Rs 500 million.

The budget for the current fiscal year had allocated Rs 10.31 billion for security purposes. However, the source said that the overall security budget could surge to Rs 15 billion.

11 killed, 9 injured in road accident

By Narayan Sharma

NAWALPARASI, Jan 16  At least 11 people travelling in a jeep on its way to Narayangadh from Kawasoti were killed on Wednesday when the jeep collided head-on with a passenger bus heading towards Bardiya from Kathmandu at Gaidakot, police said.

Nine others were injured in the tragic accident. All the injured are undergoing treatment at the Bharatpur Hospital. The police at Gaidakot said that they are giving shelter to a five-year-old girl, Amrita, whose address has not been known yet.

Among the dead are two from a family and the driver of the ill-fated jeep. Those killed in the collision have been identified as jeep driver Rudra Bahadur Thapa, Lalu Maya Adhikari and her two-year-old son, Arjun Adhikari from Madi (Chitwan), Faju Thapa and Sursingh Thapa, both from Bharatpur Municipality-10.

Others who succumbed to the accident have been identified as Ashok B K from Arjun Chaupari VDC in Syangja, and Tulmaya Saru, Nirmal Lama and Bir Bahadur Pariyar, all from Pragatinagar VDC in Nawalparasi district. The bodies of two others have not yet been identified, said Police Inspector Bikas Khanal at Gaidakot Area Police Station.

Inspector Khanal said the passenger bus (Na 2 Kha 5370) was travelling at a high speed when it hit the jeep (Na 1 Ja 1332).

There were 20 people travelling in the jeep, which has a capacity of only a dozen people, the police said.

6 Maoists killed, several held

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KATHMANDU, Jan 16 Security forces intensifying "Cordon and Destroy" operation killed six Maoist rebels including a Maoist commander, across the country Wednesday, according to the press release issued here today by the Defence Ministry.

The four rebels were shot dead at Sunsera, Darchula district while two were killed in the similar operation in Gorkha states the release.

The security forces also recovered a large trash of explosives, detonator and socket bombs at Dolalghat, Kavrepalanchowk. The security personnel have arrested five rebels in Kavrepalanchowk. The arrested are under investigation.

The release further adds that the security force has taken 10 suspected rebels into custody from Dolalghat, eight from Latikoli, Surkhet, four from Chulachuli, Ilam, three from Hangpang, Taplejung, one each from Rolpa and Salyan.

The security force is currently investigating 26 suspected rebels taken into custody during the operation, the release adds.

In a separate press release issued today from the Home Ministry, it is said that five Maoists rebels from Gulmi, one from Bardiya and two from Sindhupalchowk have surrendered themselves before the respective District Administration Offices (DAO).

The Home Ministry release further adds that the rebels shot dead a civilian in Lamatia VDC, Dang district. The killed has been identified as Srinarayan Chaudhary, Deukhuri – based NC president.

In another press release issued from Nepali Congress (NC) Central Office,Teku Girija Prasad Koirala has strongly condemned the killing of Chaudhary. The release states that over 20 rebels stormed into Chaudhary’s house at night, dragged him out of the house and stabbed him at several places to death with Khukuris.

Similarly, expressing grief over the killing of Chaudhary, NC General Secretary Sushil Koirala has condemned the death of Chaudhary and demanded that the government should make an appropriate security arrangement.

"NC strongly condemns the merciless murder of Chaudhary. We feel that the government has not been able to tighten the safety measures so more and more people are being killed," the release says.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Lamjung said that the Maoist rebels shot dead, Mukti Nath Adhikary, a newly appointed headmaster of Duradada-based Sanskrit Secondary School.

The headmaster was shot dead on a broad day - light hours after his appointment. "The rebels called him to a nearby water-tank and shot him with a pistol after telling him it was unwise for him to teach at this time," eyewitness told The Kathmandu Post.

30 prisoners flee Surkhet jail

By Motilal Poudel

SURKHET Jan 16 Thirty prisoners, including 20 Maoists, escaped from the Surkhet District jail through a tunnel in the wee hours of Wednesday, the District Administration Office here said.

There were 50 prisoners in the male ward. The jail is located in an isolated area near a jungle, where police patrolling used to be lax.

Jail authorities said the prisoners dug a 30-feet long and 22 inches wide tunnel with the help of sharp firewood. The jail authorities suspect that the prisoners might have escaped taking advantage of the heavy rainfall yesterday night. Sources also said no policemen were on duty at the southern point of the jail when the jail inmates fled. There were 25 policemen assigned to look after the prison house. Other policemen, who were not on duty, heard gun sounds from outside the jail. It is suspected that other Maoists must have arrived near the jail to take their comrades. The jail authorities today found that the prisoners had hidden debris of the tunnel in sacks. Interestingly, other prisoners, who remained inside the jail, never informed the jail authorities about the clandestine plan. All the Maoist prisoners were facing charges of anti-state activities, while others were murder convicts or on judicial remand.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has formed a three-member probe committee, headed by Umesh Prasad Mainali, Director General of the Department of Prison Management, to submit a report about the incident within a week. Other members of the probe committee include Senior Superintendent of Police, Sharada Bhakta Ranjit, from the Police Headquarters and Senior Superintendent, Karna Dhoj Thapa, from National Investigation Department.

Gurkha files suit against British Defence Ministry

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 16 A Nepali Gurkha soldier in the British Army has lodged a case against Britain’s Ministry of Defence, alleging racial discrimination by his seniors, reports received here said.

Lieutenant Navin Kumar Gauchan of the British Army has taken his case to an employment tribunal in Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk in north Britain, according to a report filed by Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).

He filed a case after officers from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Transport Regiment, where he was a lieutenant, wrote an unfavourable annual report against him. Lt. Gauchan, 40, claimed that he was not promoted to a captain’s rank, instead has been pensioned out of the Army.

"I believe the racial discrimination took place in order to gain personal interests of superior officers mainly to cover up the lapses on their duties and responsibilities," the IANS quoted Gauchan as submitting to the tribunal. "There are different rules and regulations only for Gurkha soldiers, which I believe is total race discrimination," Gauchan said.

He said he had to leave the British Army in "disgrace and humiliation" after 20 years of hard work and dedication. Lt. Gauchan is claiming redress for discrimination and also unfair dismissal, according to the report.

The Nepalese soldier was dismissed under an agreement signed by the governments of Britain, India and Nepal in 1947, the report said. Under that agreement there is no guarantee how long a Gurkha can serve in the British Army. There are 3,000 Nepalis serving in the British Army at present.

Rajena: first VDC to register births cent percent

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KATHMANDU, Jan 16 Rajena of Banke has become the first Village Development Committee in Nepal to register births cent percent.

According to the registrar at the Department of Demography (DoD) Badri Prasad Parajuli, the VDC will be formally declared as the first VDC in Nepal to register births cent percent on Saturday, marking the National Immunisation Day.

The VDC had started the movement of registering the births on September 4 last year, according to Sher Bahadur Dhungana, co-ordinator of the movement. "About 900 births were registered on that day," he said.

The DoD under the Ministry of Local Development started the movement to register birth, marriage, divorce, migration and death last year, declaring Greater National Kathmandu Declaration though the registration of personal incidents was started in 1976.

The Kathmandu Declaration had proposed to mobilise Association of District Development Committees, local bodies and donor agencies to register personal incidents.

According to DoD, from the time of the Kathmandu Declaration, the registration of births and marriage have been recorded significantly. However, the registration of immigration, divorce, deaths has not seen progress.

Number of donor agencies like UNICEF, Save the Children Japan, SCF US and SCF Norway have been supporting the MoLD to implement personal incident registration.

The programme has been very successful in Jhapa, Humla, Dhanusa, Chitwan, Sunsari, Banke, Kavre and Udayapur districts, according to the Registrar.

Snowfall cripples life in mountains Increased rainfall likely

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KATHMANDU, Jan 16  Nepal will be witnessing increased rainfalls during this winter season as compared to the previous five years, weathermen said here today.

This is the effect of the westerlies which began blowing eastwards 15 days’ back from the Mediterranean Sea, said Vijaya Vaidya of the Airport Office of the Department of Meteorology.

Nepal came under its influence from Monday night, as a result of which rainfall began in some western hilly areas of the country, Vaidya said. He added that the country is likely to see further rainfall after a few days’ gap. But the weather is expected to be completely clear by Friday morning, said Suman Regmi, another meteorologist at the Airport Office. "Thursday will be partly cloudily and Friday will be fair," said Regmi.

"Thirty ml rainfall was recorded in the far west of the country, 13-15 ml in the mid-west and around 10 ml in the east," he informed.

As for the capital Kathmandu, it is expected to experience winter rainfall above the usual average of the season. "Rainfall of 10.2 ml was recorded on Wednesday morning and is likely to reach 18 ml by this evening, which is 4 ml above the average figure in Kathmandu during the same season," said Mandira Rajbahak of the Department of Meteorology.

Winter rainfall across the country over the last five years had reduced because the westerlies were not showing its influence, said meteorologist Vaidya.

The rainfall in winter especially through December to February had begun declining from 1998, with the average being at 0.1 ml. Prior to 1998, however, the average rainfall during this period was at 14 ml.

SAARC Secretary General Rahim has his task cut out

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KATHMANDU, Jan 16  The task is cut out for the new SAARC Secretary General, Q. A. M. A. Rahim, who took over on January 11 as the head of the seven-member regional grouping, which was accused of tardiness by all the seven heads of state or government during the recently concluded 11th SAARC Summit.

"SAARC has been slow but that does not mean it will continue to be the same," said Rahim, during an interview with The Kathmandu Post. "All the leaders have reiterated the importance of quick decisions and have set specific deadlines for the implementation of various decisions and agreements."

Terming the 11th Kathmandu Summit a "success", Rahim said that its success would contribute to a great extent to the quickening of the development process.

The new Secretary General, who earlier served in the Secretariat in Kathmandu as one of its directors, admitted that there was a general commitment to further strengthening the functioning of the SAARC Secretariat for which the current chairperson, Nepal, has been given the responsibility.

The regional grouping, formed in 1985, has failed to live up to its promise and no less than the Kathmandu Summit leaders admitted to this stark reality. When reminded of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s observation in her address that SAARC has not even formulated a single regional project in its 16 years of existence, Rahim insisted it was not fair to consider only the negatives.

"If she had observed that, it must be true. But she has followed it up with positive remarks. Her address must be seen in its totality," he said.

Speaking about terrorism, Rahim said that although some member states have not enacted the "enabling legislation" vis-à-vis the SAARC convention on suppression of terrorism, this would not render the convention ineffective. "There has not been a single instance when national law has proved to be an obstacle to the convention (on terrorism)." He added that even those countries that have not enacted the enabling legislation to amend laws that are in conflict with some provisions of the convention "are still implementing it".

One of the agendas that dominated the recent Summit was the eradication of poverty. Reacting to the views that diverse policies in the seven nations have handicapped a common regional strategy on poverty alleviation, the Secretary General remarked that a single programme may not be suitable for all the countries in the region. The effective way was to exchange the experiences of all the member countries to reduce and eliminate poverty, said Rahim.

Besides terrorism and poverty alleviation, the vision of South Asian Economic Union (SAEU) along the lines of European Union had also figured highly in much of the talks at all the levels during the Summit. Commenting that the EU had faced initial hurdles, the Secretary General said that SAARC would have to take gradual steps towards forging an economic union. Making SAPTA more effective, graduating to SAFTA, forming South Asian Customs Union in the third phase, are the steps to the ultimate goal of SAEU, added Rahim.

He, however, preferred not to comment on Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s suggestion that the SAARC Charter be changed so that the annual summits could be held even if one or two heads of state or government could not attend. "It’s a view of a leader. If all the seven agree, then even the Charter can be changed. However, at present, the Charter is the guiding document."

Referring to the sub-regional groupings, Rahim said that the existing Charter did allow it. Article 7 of the SAARC Charter says that three or more member states could come together for a common project. "They are not against SAARC, rather they are complimentary to it."