Nepal Rastra Bank amends LC directives
Sets a new ceiling for BCI

By Milan Mani Sharma

KATHMANDU, Jan 26:
Under intense pressure from the business community, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has
amended its earlier directive that required importers opening Letters of Credit (LC) of over US $ 15
thousand to submit Business Credibility Information (BCI).

The NRB has raised the ceiling from US $ 15 thousand to US $ 50 thousand for the mandatory
submission of BCI. The decision regarding the same was reached on Friday and comes into
effect Monday, said highly placed NRB sources.

Dr Tilak Rawal, Governor of the NRB talking to The Kathmandu Post said that the central bank
has revised the earlier directives. "The decision regarding the same will be made public on
Monday," he added.

Meanwhile, sources at the NRB said that the central bank has also increased the validity period
of the CBI submitted to the commercial banks. The latest change has raised the validity period of
the CBI for a year. Earlier directives had provisioned to validate the BCI for three months period
from the date of its submission.

The decision has come as a part of "flexibility" over the earlier directives as promised by Dr
Rawal. Very few LCs valued over US $ 15 thousand were opened after the imposition of the
directives.

According to the reviewed directives the BCI provided by the corresponding foreign bank dealing
with the LCs will also be validated by the commercial banks and accepted for opening the LCs.

The central bank has also decided that the BCI would not be required while opening the back to
back LC and Usagence LC.

The decision has also lain off export LC from its effect. "If there is no discrepancy seen in the
export LC it would not come into the bracket of the BCI requirement," said the source.

The amended directives further states that official senior to the official responsible for opening LCs
can grant permission for opening of the LCs in case the BCI rating is "high risk" or "no
information".

The source further added that the governor has shown willingness to revise the latest decision as
well if required.

The central bank’s decision has come in the wake of business community urging the central bank
to review it. FNCCI and Nepal Chamber of Commerce had submitted letters to the central bank
suggesting the flexibility measures.

A four-member committee of the business community led by Rajendra Khetan Second Vice
Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) had dealt
the matter with four-member NRB team led by the Governor on Monday and Wednesday. Talking
to The Kathmandu Post, Khetan said that the current decision will ensure that 85 percent of the
LCs opened during the last fiscal year will not come into the effect of the directives. 30 thousand
LCs were opened during the last fiscal year. This decision is expected to facilitate the small and
medium entrepreneurs and will effect the large importers only, Khetan added.

7 alleged robbers arrested

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: The police on Saturday arrested a group of seven people, who were allegedly involved in robbery
while pretending to be night surveillance police.

Threatening and intimidating, the looters pretending to be on a night surveillance duty broke into
Sankar Dotel’s bread factory at around 10 p.m. and looted a cash amount of Rs 100,000 and
destroyed furniture worth thousands of rupees.

The police arrested the fake police two hours after the incident occurred. They were found
sneaking around the village in police dress pretending to carry out house search operation at a
village of Gothatar lying close to the capital.

‘You are suspected Maoists, you have hidden arms in your house,’ Dotel, quoted the proxy police
as saying. ‘After saying so, they started beating the factory workers, using Khukuris and fists and
then stole away large cash, gold and some valuable furniture…,’ Dottel continued.

However, one of the factory workers identified as Arjun Thapa was found assisting the robbers,
Dottel told the police after the incident.

However, a team of police under the command of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abhaya
Bikram Shah from Koteshwor Police Post not only arrived at the scene on time but also
apprehended all the robbers a few hours after the incident.

According to DSP Shah, the police recovered a cash amounting to RS 44,000, gold ornaments,
Indian currency notes – Rs 840 and some Khukuris from the looters.

The robbers were identified as: Factory worker, Arjun Thapa of Morang, Arjun Lama of Chitwan,
Hari Tamang of Makwanpur, Bijaya Lama of Ramechhap, Sanukancha Lama of Kavre, Narayan
Rai of Thimi and Kharendra Prasad Dahal of Okhaldhunga.

Police said Thapa, who was found helping the robbers remains absconding while six others were
arrested soon after the incident.

District houses of APF, ex-army chiefs bombed
9 Maoists killed in army operation

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: In their latest attack, Maoists on Saturday bombed the houses of Krishna Mohan Shrestha, chief of Armed Police Force (APF) and Garud Shumsher JB Rana , retired Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepal Army in Chainpur Bazar, Sakhuwasabha district, leaving them completely destroyed. No one was hurt in both the incidents.

It is learnt that the rebels set off pressure cooker bombs in both the houses. Land Revenue
Office, which is adjacent to Shrestha’s house, was also partially damaged. Inspector General of
APF Shrestha had posted a battalion of the APF only six weeks back. The battalion, headed by a
DSP, consists of 118 armed constables.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Shrestha admitted that the attack occurred. When asked
about the damage, he replied, "I still do not know the extent of the damage."

Meanwhile, security forces in their crackdown on the Maoist "terrorists" shot dead at least nine
rebels and arrested 50 suspects across the country in the last 24 hours.

In Khajurani area of Dadeldhura district, two rebels were gunned down by the joint armed forces of
Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and Armed Police Force (APF) following a clash, according to the press
release issued here today by the Defence Ministry.

The release said that the slain rebels have not been identified yet. Armed forces were also able to
recover nine socket bombs and large amount of explosive materials from the site.

In another incident, two other rebels fell prey to security forces following an exchange of fire in
Thalaraikar area of Jajarkot district, according to the release. It is learnt that armed forces also
arrested seven suspected rebels and recovered large cache of arms from the site.

Likewise, Home Ministry issuing a press statement said that three rebels were shot dead in
Naryanpur Village Development Committee (VDC), Kailali district. Security forces were able to
seize three guns and some explosive materials from the site.

The release also said that two more Maoists were shot dead in Kalika VDC, Kanchanpur district
following a clash with the security forces.

Altogether 50 suspected rebels were arrested by the armed forces throughout the country, the
release added . Currently, the security forces are investigating them.

Our Kailali-based correspondent said that, group of armed Maoists killed a ward chairman of ward
No. 8 of Dididhara VDC. He has been identified as Bish Ram Chaudhari. It is learnt that
Chaudhari was dragged out from his residence before being beaten to death by the rebels.

According to our district-based correspondent at Nawalparasi, insurgents burnt down the
residence of Bishnu Lal Shrestha . It is learnt that Shrestha was affiliated to Nepali Congress .

Likewise, the rebels in Tharmare VDC, Salyan district, abducted 15 workers who were busy in
road construction. According to the eyewitness, the Maoists were taking the workers to
Thakadam VDC.

Stigma, still main stumbling block for prompt cure

By Pragya Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: As the world is observing the 49th World Leprosy Day Sunday, 30- year-old Mana Kumari Chaudhary is living a very difficult life without fingers at the Anandaban Leprosy Mission,
Chapagaon. It was lack of awareness about leprosy, both in Mana Kumari and other people in the
community, that drove her life to the present situation.

In the beginning, there appeared red senseless patches on various body parts of the mother of
four who hails from Bara, a Terai district. But, because of failing to detect the disease in time she
lost her fingers. "Had I been able to diagnose it earlier, my body would have remained intact," she
laments.

Instead of taking Mana Kumari to health centres for treatment, the community people opted for
other superstitious and traditional practices, further making the disease more acute. "All the
family members instead of taking me to the doctor started relying on the traditional practices and
treated me very badly," says Mana Kumari, adding, "I was not allowed to live, eat and stay
together with them and was completely made to live an isolated life."

The blues did not stop here. She had more to suffer. Her husband not only remarried but her
family members also stopped to visit her at the Anandaban Leprosy Mission. Mana Kumari is still
having high fever and rheumatic problems at times.

Though the government by adopting the National Leprosy Elimination Programme has pledged to
eliminate the deadly but curable disease by 2003, indications show a host of work is yet to be
done to achieve the goal.

However, doubting over the government’s target, Dr Ravi Kumar Singh of Anandaban Leprosy
Hospital says, "The government target to eliminate leprosy by 2003 is not possible as there is not
sufficient resources."

There is no access to medicines in the villages and an extensive research is needed to address
the problem, says Dr Singh. "But above all, awareness is the most essential thing required," adds
he.

The slogan for this year’s Leprosy Day has been designed as "Leprosy Elimination: Early
Detection and Affection to the Patients".

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defined leprosy elimination as the attainment of a level
of prevalence below one case per 10,000 population. But while peeping into Nepal’s figure, the
problem is far intense. Government data shows that there are six out of 10,000 persons affected
with leprosy.

According to experts, leprosy is a chronic infectious disease, accompanied by sensory loss in
the extremities (toes, fingertips) and in many advanced cases, parts of body "die" and become
deformed.

Director of the Leprosy Control Division, Department of Health Services, Dr. J.P Baral, says lack
of enough resources, facilities and present political condition in the country is creating the
problem to work actively. The leprosy medicine is available free of cost in all district hospitals,
Primary Health Care Centres, Health Centres, Health Posts, Sub-Health Post across the country.

"We are now basically concentrating on elimination of the disease rather than research and
rehabilitation," says Baral, adding, "The maximum inflow of leprosy cases is found in the Terai
region. So a special package programme has been designed on the occasion of the World
Leprosy Day."

Among others, the special programme includes, providing basic training to the health workers,
mass public awareness campaign and door-to-door search of the patients. There are only three
hospitals including Anandaban Hospital for leprosy patients. Others include Green Pasture
Hospital in Pokhara and Lalgadh Hospital in Dhanusa, including referral centres in various parts of
the country like Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Surkhet.

Experts say the long-term effects of leprosy cannot be completely averted, but it can only be
checked from further extension. In Nepal, of the approximate two million cases, only half of them
are being treated in this way.

Govt yet to pay dues to NCCN

By Shova Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: The government might have been able to garner sympathy and admiration from every citizen for its round - the clock - work during the 11th South Asian Association for Regional Co- operation (SAARC) summit earlier this month.

But SAARC gone, the hasty preparations have begun unleashing the secrets, the government
was able to covert till the Summit. The half-patched roads are going worse, not yet completed.
The company, which won the tender for the construction, on the other, is now having very tough
time to pay its dues to the lenders.

"The government is yet to pay back Rs 100 million," says Tribendra Raj Pant, manager of the
Construction Management Department of the National Construction Company Nepal (NCCN) that
took charge to mend 30 kilometres of the scratched roads in the capital.

NCCN officials say that they have so far received only Rs 25 million. Suresh Kumar Regmi,
Deputy Director General of the Road Department says that the budget will be released next year,
if not possible now.

"The increased security expenditure has forced us to curtail the budget for development works,"
he said, adding, "The budget of this fiscal year had not included that for the SAARC preparation,"
adds Regmi.

However, Regmi said his department has been making efforts for the release of the budget to pay
the NCCN.

But Pant insists that the government should pay the money this year. "The government should
pay back the money this year. If it is not materialised, we will sink."

Pant said the NCCN had credited required sum from Santosi Nirman Sewa, Gaura Company,
Stone Chips Supplies and Bituman Company. "We have pledged to pay them back soon," he
said.

As per the agreement, the NCCN has completed the construction of the road along Baluwatar,
Nagpokhari, Jay Nepal Hall, Nirmal Niwas, Bansbari, Sinamangal, Bag Bazar, Gaushala, Krishna
Pauroti, Gokrna Area, Soaltee Mode, Pashupati Area, Swoyambhu, Shova Bhagawati and Grand
Hotel.

One of the officials at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works cast doubts on the quality of
the roads the NCCN claims to have done at a very short time. But, Pant who is also the
spokesperson of NCCN believes that the roads are of better quality than "ever before".