Evaluate weaknesses to derive lessons : Koirala

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): Prime Minister and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala has stressed the need to do comparative study of the manifestos presented by the Nepali Congress during the past three parliamentary elections and evaluate the achievements made after the implementation of the manifestos.

Prime Minister Koirala, who was addressing a seminar on internal evaluation of general elections manifesto 2056 organised by NC Central Training Department here today, said analysis of the past and present helps chart the future course.

Political character reflects on society and the reflection affects the behaviour of individuals, he said, adding the government’s character should help build the nation’s character.

The Prime Minister also said we should not go beyond the natural limits of party politics nor should we bring about social divide in the name of congress and communist. Both activities are against the national interest, he added.

Since the Nepali Congress is in power, it should take care of every section of society, he said, asking party leaders, ministers and MPs to behave with party workers and the people in a decent and civilized manner.

Corruption control, good governance and proper law and order situation help find a way out of most of the existing problems, said the Prime Minister, adding that the present government has adopted the policy of resolving the Maoist problem through dialogue, effective economic programme and a national consensus.

At the first session of the seminar chaired by NC central member Bhim Bahadur Tamang, chief of the NC training department and party spokesman Narahari Acharya expressed confidence that the seminar will come up with substantial conclusion on how the commitments made in the manifesto can be fulfilled in the coming four years.

Likewise, at the second session chaired by NC general secretary Sushil Koirala Dr Ram Sharan Mahat presented a working paper on major commitments made in the election manifesto 2056 and their implementation status. In his paper, he said the policies of the party and its government are good but the management and administrative aspects are too weak to make big achievements.

NC central member Laxman Prasad Ghimire, National Planning Commission member Dr Shankar Sharma and 26 others from among the participants commented on the paper.

In the third session, Home Minister Govind Raj Joshi, in a working paper on the efforts of the past one year carried out for maintaining peace and security, and priorities of the next year, mentioned the comparative details of the incidents which took place in the previous elections and the efforts carried out so far for bringing the Maoist activity under control.

Stating that Maoist violence is a terrorist activity and this is directed against the stability of democracy, Mr Joshi observed that the Maoist insurgency is an attack on democracy.

Twenty-two persons including member of the National Planning Commission Dr Jagadish Pokhrel, party central members and experts had commented on the working paper.

In the fourth or final session of the seminar, Deputy Prime Minister and NC central member Ram Chandra Paudel, presenting a working paper on the initiatives taken in the past one year to control corruption and the programmes the government is trying to push ahead, said today’s politics is dominated more by the tendency to capture power than showing allegiance to ideals and principles .

Noting that Prime Minister Koirala has given priority to controlling corruption and maintaining peace, security and good governance in the country, Mr Paudel remarked that long-term programmes, and policy, legal and structural changes have been made to control corruption.

Decisions taken on administrative and political areas and appointments on contract basis are meant for good governance, said the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that giving and taking bribes is responsible for creating people’s disenchantment with democracy.

Commenting on the working paper were 25 persons including member of the National Planning Commission Hari Shankar Tripathy, MPs, central members and experts.

The fourth session was chaired by NC central member Miss Shailaja Acharya.

NC MPs and party central members were present in the seminar.

Foreign secretaries discuss issues

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): The foreign secretaries of Nepal and India met at the Foreign Ministry, Shital Niwas today to discuss various issues related to Nepal-India relations. The meeting will continue tomorrow also.

Nepalese delegation to the Foreign Secretary level talks is led by Foreign Secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa and the India delegation by External Affairs Secretary Lalit Mansingh.

External Affairs Secretary of India Lalit Mansingh met Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola at the Foreign Ministry today.

Matters of bilateral interest were discussed on the occasion.

Royal Nepalese Ambassador to India Dr Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, Indian Ambassador K.V. Rajan and Foreign Secretary Thapa were also present on the occasion.

Courtsey call: Indian Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh paid a courtesy call on Minister for Water Resources, Physical Planning and Works Khum Bahadur Khadka at the latter’s office today.

Matters of mutual interests were discussed on the occasion.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Secretary Mr. Lalit Mansingh arrived here Friday night for a three-day official visit to Nepal.

Foreign Secretary Narayan Shamsher Thapa welcomed him at the VIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two-day talks are being held between the delegations of the two countries at the Foreign Ministry from tomorrow.

Social dividends of globalisation stressed

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 20: The two-day 60th council meeting of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers and Industry (CACCI) urged the governments and business entrepreneurs in the region to co-operate in dealing with the economic and social problems brought about by globalisation.

The meeting held on May 18-19 in Kathmandu appealed to the governments in the region to undertake measures in support of capacity-building that would enable Asian economies to meet the challenges of globalisation and take advantage of the opportunities it offers, a joint communiqué issued by CACCI said.

The press communiqué said that the meeting called on the governments in the region to support the process of liberalisation by putting in place the measures that would enhance its benefits and facilitate the adjustment.

The meeting discussed safety-net measures to cushion the pains of policy adjustments that countries in the region face as a result of their participation in the globalisation process and agreed to support trade and investment liberalisation in the region.

CACCI urged the governments in the region to adopt policies that go in harmony with the liberal economic regime, make infrastructure spending productive, promote the private sector, encourage the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and enhance human resources development.

CACCI also called on the developed countries to help developing ones to build capacity to realise the commercial and social dividends of globalisation. For the least developed countries, this can targeted foreign aid programmes which help those nations build fundamental capacities for self-sustained economic growth and development.

In line with its policy to set in place programmes aimed at the long-term development of SMEs, CACCI agreed to organise an SME trade fair in India in 2001. The project will feature two concurrent events: the Asia-Pacific Expo 2001and Asia-Pacific Business Forum 2001.

CACCI also agreed to organise a dialogue between the SAARC CCI and the ASEAN CCI in the near future to provide a forum for the two regional bodies to discuss trade and investment promotion issues and identify areas of possible co-operation.

Participated in by the representatives of the national chambers of commerce and industry from Nepal, Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the meeting decided to hold its council meetings as well as its 18th conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on November 30-December 1 this year.

CACCI - established over three decades ago - has 21 national chambers as its members representing the interest of some 2.5 million entrepreneurs and businessmen in the region.

The ball now is in Nepal’s court, says WIPO official

BY ARHAN STHAPIT

Kathmandu, May 20: "The ball now is in Nepal’s court," WIPO’s senior counseller for the Cooperation for Development Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Mr. Ranjana Abeysekera said as his concluding remarks, referring to the need for initiating actions towards modernising Nepal’s intellectual property system in compliance with the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement latest by January 1, 2006.

His remarks came at a time when participants of the WIPO National Seminar on Copyright and Related Rights that began here Friday, May 18, were about to call it a day Saturday concentrating mainly on how World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) could assist Nepal in the latter’s bid to build and modernise its IP system (including those for industrial property rights and copyright and related rights) in compliance with the TRIPS Agreement latest by January 1, 2006 as required for its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Apart from the need for preparing for the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement within the stipulated deadline, Nepal is apparently grappling with the imperative need ensuing from the recently emerging indigenous public pressure, particularly from the authors, artistes, inventors, designers and other creators, towards bringing in an effective IP system that would ensure effective enforcement of the IP legislation to combat the present rampant infringement of the IP rights in the country.

"Within its ‘mandate,’ WIPO is ready for extending any type of assistance to Nepal for building and modernising the IP system in Nepal along with effective enforcement of IP legislation" said Abeysekara speaking on how WIPO has so far assisted Nepal in this regard.

Briefing on the potential areas where WIPO can extend to Nepal its technical and other assistance—including that for human resource development (HRD) and effective legislation and its enforcement—for having an effective system of IP rights and copyrights protection in place, Abeysekera said,"There is a need for Nepal to make efforts to explore what types of assistance Nepal requires from WIPO."

"WIPO is ready to provide required support to any country willing to modernise the IPR protection system and it is never negative for any sort of assistance if it is within its mandate," he said.

"But the main point is—Nepal, as an LDC, has to come to the WIPO through its proper channel of (His Majesty’s) government specifying the areas where it requires the WIPO’s assistance," he articulated.

Earlier in the two-day long national seminar, general secretary of Copyright Protection Society of Nepal (CPSN) and the HMG’s nominee speaker Santosh Sharma presented his paper on the Situation and Perspective of the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights in Nepal.

"We should gear ourselves towards creating infrastructure (for the) TRIPS demands, and in the long run, this would require creation of one IP directorate with several departments to deal with different subjects," Sharma opined in his paper that offered a synopsis of the efforts made in Nepal towards copyrights protection in the past.

"We should establish active relationship with WIPO to gather help towards the realization of our goals, " he concluded.

Another paper by Ang Kwee Tiang, regional director at Asia-Pacific Office of International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), Singapore also came in a direction geared towards sharing expertise and experiences on the management of collective societies, one of the basic requirements that Nepal also will have to fulfil for the effective enforcement of copyright and related rights laws.

Based on the experiences of collective management of copyright and related rights in different parts of the world, his paper identified the five major difficulties such collective management organisations have encountered during their formative years. They were: inadequate appreciation of economic contributions of copyright, lack of proper industry infrastructure, slow legal process, new or newly enforced copyright laws and resistance by users.

At this juncture of tremendous technological development, another working paper on the Impact of New Technologies on the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights came as an eye-opener for bracing for protection of such rights amid the complexity created by the info-tech revolution.

In this paper, Masahiro Motoyama, a fellowship from the Japan Copyright Institute, Copyright Research and Information Centre (CRIC), Tokyo, observed that, as the provisions made in the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) also include the protection of technological measures, they facilitate the copyright or neighbouring rights, namely, electronic copyright management systems (ECMS).

"In order to facilitate and further develop an information society, the establishment of ECMS is necessary," Motoyama concluded.

WIPO’s senior counseller for the Cooperation for Development Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (including Nepal) Mr. Ranjana Abeysekera, who was on the chair to run the proceedings of the concluding day of the seminar, remarked, "The seminar is very, very successful."

The two-day long national meet was organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation under the active participation of the Copyright Protection Society of Nepal (CPSN).

Earlier, the WIPO’s Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar on Modernisation of the Intellectual Property (IP) System for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) concluded here Thursday agreeing on sixteen (16) principal areas identified as of vital importance to the LDCs. The three-day long seminar had also expressed firm hope that the deliberations of the regional seminar would provide inputs into the preparatory process for the Third UN Conference on LDCs scheduled to convene in May 2001 in Brussels (Belgium).

Ayurvedic medicines in need of strong institutional back-up

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): If a large number of herbs to be found in Nepal are properly preserved and brought into use, the nation can derive substantial benefit on the health side and also economically.

For this to happen, what needs to be done is that the government should mould the Singha Darbar Baidyakhana, a Government entity into a strong and reliable alternative in public health.

Singha Darbar Baidyakhana which functions under the Development Committee Act has been striving its best to foster Ayurvedic treatment methodology in the country and inculcate among the people the habit of using a wide variety of Ayurved products.

The Baidyakhana is currently producing over 100 varieties of Ayurvedic medicines. These medicines prepared with natural herbs and without any chemicals have been able to grab a significant portion of the Nepalese market.

The inputs for producing such medicines have been generally classified into the three categories of botanical inputs, sea-shells and animal inputs and minerals.

Botanical inputs cover an array of products such as Harro, Barro, Amala, Asuro, Kutaki, Tejpat, Pipala, Tulsi, Satabari, Chutro, Sutho, Hadchu, Mrigaraj and Rasanjan, while the second category consists of conch shells, coral, cow milk and deer horn.

Copper, gold, iron, sulphur and mercury are among the minerals used for producing herbal medicines.

Out of the total input, about 75 per cent is purchased within the country from farmers or from herb processing centres. Those not easily available here are purchased through tender calls. Some herbs are bought from neighbouring India.

The undertaking uses its own production methodology. Herbs are used as inputs only after checking and refining them through experienced hands.

It produced Ayurvedic drugs equivalent to Rs. 11.5 million and generated a total of Rs. 10.5 million from saled last fiscal year. It made a profit of Rs. 3,869,000 in aggregate during that period.

Diseases such as jaundice, arthritis, uric acid and diabetes can be cured through this methodology, Dr. Shyam Mani Adhikari of the undertaking claims. Over 60 per cent of the population of the country believes in Ayurved medicine.

Nepal is a country of villages and anyone who develops ailments such as colds or coughs first prefers to use of easily available herbal drugs rather than rush to buy allopathic medicine.

The number of herbs that can be found in different parts of the country could not be used properly due to lack of preservation and scientific research and development.

Yarchaguba, a rare herb found in Karnali zone fetches Rs. 15,000 to 20,000 per kilogram in the European market. But it is sold here at a much cheaper rate of Rs. 3,000 to 4,000 per kilogram.

The herb which is considered an aphrodisiac exists six months of the year as a plant and the remaining six as an insect.

Export of valuable herbs like Yarchagumba, Panchaule, Jatamasi and Satabari has been restricted. But they find their way out of the country somehow or the other. It has been found that Yarchaguma is even despatched abroad in powder form.

The vast array of herbs found within the country is like a gold mine. But they drain out of the country in return for a paltry sum. They are then brought back here in the form of tablets or capsules on which we spend thousands of millions. This is unfortunate for us, says managing director of the herbal undertaking Dr. Chandra Raj Sapkota.

We have to go by the slogan "health for all" announced by the world health organisation and for this allopathic medicine is not enough. Moreover, Nepal has a number of rare herbs not to be found elsewhere in the world. These can become a source of wealth if used in a scientific manner.

The government is positive about Ayurvedic treatment methodology. "The government is assisting us to the maximum extent through its limited means and resources", says Sapkota.

The Baidyakhana, which was established by King Pratap Malla has done well in bringing Ayurved to the people.

Silajit, Chandra Nighantu, Chyawanprash, Abipatikar, Panchasakar, Tulsi tea and Aswagandha are among its products which have earned a name among Nepalese consumers.

Health services for poor emphasised

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): Minister of State for Health Tirtha Ram Dangol inaugurated and initiated the first convention of the Volunteer Clinics Society Nepal which brings together nine institutions working to provide free public health services.

Jan Chikitsalaya, Nhoukha, Olympus Club, Ombahal, Chhetrapati Free Clinic, Chhetrapati, Nibha Free Health Care Centre, Inbahal, Shree Swetakali Free Clinic, Tahanani, Maitri Family, Kwabahal, Shree Ganesh Health Service Centre, Lagan, Kumari Free Clinic, Naya Bazaar, and Dharmasthali Clinic run by the community development organisation, Banasthali are rendering health services to city dwellers free of cost.

On the occasion, Minister of State Dangol said that health workers should accord top priority to the poor who lack the capacity to pay for health services as this profession has a service motive rather than a profit motive.

He also said that the government was ready to cooperate with such institutions.

Referring to the clinics being run in 17 wards in cooperation with the Municipal Corporation, deputy mayor Bidur Mainali said that the mission of rendering health services to the general public would be easily fulfilled if both the municipal corporation and the volunteers society worked in a co-ordinated manner.

Chairman of the society Dr. Thirman Shakya, from the chair, said with 55 per cent of the total population living below the poverty line, this will naturally have an adverse impact on public health.

The child mortality rate is 91 per thousand, the rate of malnutrition 70, and the mortality rate of mothers during delivery 15,000 per million while only 10 per cent of the total population has health service access on the basis of distance and only 20 per cent use toilets, he elaborated.

He also called on the government and the local bodies to extend maximum cooperation for institutions providing free health service.

Vice chairman of the society Subarna Shakya, general secretary Bijaya Bahadur Mali and secretary Bijay Narayan Manandhar also spoke of the importance of the clinics run at the people’s level.

‘Dhobini’ plant can be useful for medicine

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): A former Fulbright scholar in Nepal has come across a unique alternative sweetener and that in turn has led to discovery of plant antimicrobial compounds that may be alternatives for chemicals now used to control gum disease.

Anne Desjardins, who along with colleagues wrote about the discovery in the journal of natural products, first came across the plant Mussaenda Macrophylla, known in Nepal as Dhobini, in the Marshyandi valley in l993, according to USEF Nepal, a bulletin of the United States Education Foundation.

When she chewed the small, yellow-brown Dhobini fruit and drank from her water bottle it suddenly began to taste sweet and delicious, better by far than the soft drinks now ubiquitous in Nepal.

Later, while visiting the University of Illinois, she told about her chance discovery to Dr. Douglas Kingborn, an expert in alternative sweeteners. He was fascinated by the story of the sweetness-inducing fruit from Nepal, and asked her to find out more about it.

Her search took her near the Gurung village of Chhamdila just west of the Marshyandi river.

One of her friends identified the mystery fruit as Dhobini, a shrub common in nearby woodlands. Locals have long used various parts of the Dhobini plant as treatment for sore mouths and throats.

Although woodland plants are widely used in Nepali traditional medicines, the active compounds in many of these plants are largely unknown.

She asked local village friends to collect more Dhobini root bark, and colleagues at the Nepal Aagricultural Research Council assisted in identifying Dhobini as Mussaenda.

She took 1 kg of dried root bark back to Illinois for extraction and analysis by Dr. Kinghorn and his students.

They discovered a heretofore unknown sweetness-inducing compound, which they have named Mussaendoside W.

They also discovered six compounds with antimicrobial activity against a bacterium that is the most common cause of human gum disease.

The Dhobini story highlights the importance of preserving both the Nepal woodlands and Nepali ethnomedical knowledge of woodland plants.

Nepali Pavilion in Germany completed

Kathmandu, May 20 (RSS): Construction of Nepal’s Himalayan Pavilion at Expo 2000 has been completed in Hannover, Germany.

On the occasion of the 2544th Buddha Jayanti, a special Puja (or worship) was performed to mark the completion of the pavilion.

Royal Nepalese Ambassador Balram Singh Malla and Commissioner General of Expo 2000 ambassador Birgit Breuel were.

More than 200 guests including Nepalese consul general, senior government officials, businessmen and prominent personalities attended the function.

Ambassador Malla speaking on the occasion, described the Nepalese pavilion as the symbol of Nepal-German relations.

Expo 2000 commissioner general ambassador Birgit Breuel congratulated the Nepalese team on the completion of one of the nice pavilions for Expo 2000s and hoped that Nepalese participation will bring people of the two countries closer and help promote Nepalese economic and cultural interactions with Germany and Europe.

Chairman of the implementing experts group and deputy commissioner general for Nepalese participation Amrit Ratna Shakya spoke about what Nepal intends to present at the Expo.

Ambassador Malla and ambassador Breuel gave away special decorations to Nepalese carpenters and carvers.

German TV, radio and newspaper give wide coverage to the function.

Nepal Himalayan Pavilion has a 23 metres high Buddhist Stupa together with 11 meters high Hindu temple at the centre of 2500 sq.meters Mandala shaped garden, encircled by 62 meters long walkway and a 150 sq.meter-pond.

A team of 30 carpenters, masons, engineers and architects worked for more than three months to build the Himalayan pavilion.

About 450 MT of construction materials including hand carved artistic wood stone and metal works were brought from Nepal.

During the 153-day Expo, Nepal will present at least 10 special programmes.

Prominent artists including popular film actors and actresses will present cultural programmes at the Expo during the country national day on 19 September, 2000 and beyond.

A number of skilled craftsmen will demonstrate live their work on wood, clay, metal.