Freedom Of Press

PRIME Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated a three-day national seminar on "Media Freedom in Nepal" organised by Nepal Chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Kathmandu the other day. Addressing the inaugural ceremony Prime Minister Deuba assured that His Majesty’s Government would do every thing possible for the professional and institutional development of Nepalese press. Prime Minister Deuba also expressed his commitment to enact Right to Information Bill which Journalists have long been demanding. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal has accepted right to information as one of the fundamental rights of the people. However, people have not been able to enjoy this right in the absence of necessary laws. Although the history of Nepalese press is relatively young, it has been growing slowly but steadily in the recent years. There has been significant development of Nepalese press both in terms of quality and quantity in the last ten years, especially after the restoration of multiparty democracy. The press has, indeed, gained maturity and become more professional over the last couple of years. Nevertheless, Nepalese press is still not free from problems and constraints. Media persons have often raised the issues concerning the press. One of the problems being faced by the Nepalese media persons is access to information. Once the law concerning the right to information is enacted, this problem would be solved to a certain extent. The government has expressed its commitment for solving the problems faced by journalists and also to helping the media. Free and responsible press is the vanguard of democracy without which democracy cannot sustain. In the same way, free press cannot materialise in the absence of democracy and pluralist society. It acts as a bridge between the government and the people. It is the press that keeps its watchful eye on the government activities and points finger at the shortcomings and weakness through which the government gets feedback of its activities and performance. This is the age of information and only those people who are informed and educated can make proper choice and decision and contribute to the development of the country. Free and responsible press creates informed and educated people. Thus, the role of press is not only to inform the people but also educate them and build public opinion on certain national issues. Thus, there is a need of partnership between the government and the press for the consolidation of democracy and social and economic development of the nation.

Maintain The Quality

AT a meeting held at the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) the other day, exporters, manufacturers of carpets and pashminas urged the concerned officials to take initiatives to boost the sagging exports of their respective commodities. Of late, carpets and pashminas, two Nepalese commodities that were selling like hot cakes abroad, are experiencing difficulties in the export front. If this trend is to continue for long, then its repercussions would not only be felt by the national exchequer in terms of less foreign exchange earnings but also by the employees in lay-offs by the manufacturers due to dwindling demands for these two items abroad. This, in turn, could aggravate the problems of unemployment, balance of payment and low economic development currently saddling the nation. As such, it looks to reason on the part of the government and concerned authorities to not only delve into the issues raised by those engaged in the carpet and pashmina businesses but also come up with necessary initiatives to boost their exports.

Carpets and pashminas are two commodities that Nepal has a comparative advantage over other countries. One likely reason for this is that Nepal, over these years, has managed to establish a name for itself as a manufacturer and exporter of quality carpets and pashminas. Highly labour-intensive, both these items have been woven by the Nepalese for centuries. To cater to the foreign customers’ aesthetic taste and interests, the Nepalese manufacturers have effected certain changes in designs and sizes—but without compromising on the quality of materials used. Yet, these two export items seem to be having problems in finding markets overseas. One reason for this could be the sub-standard materials used by some unscrupulous manufacturers to make these two items. Another could be the continued exports of such faulty carpets and pashminas by crafty exporters. Yet another could be the changes in overseas customers’ interests concerning carpets and pashminas. If these two items are to continue generating the much-needed foreign exchange earnings for the national exchequer and employment opportunities for the people, the concerned authorities, with full cooperation of the manufacturers and exporters of these two items, should initiate concerted moves to ensure that only quality carpets and pashminas are exported. While they are at it, both should launch joint export promotion activities abroad to not only retain the existing markets of these two items but to explore fresh markets for them.