PM to visit New York for UN children summit

Kathmandu, Apr. 29 (RSS): Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is leaving Kathmandu for New York on 5 May 2002 to participate in the special session on children to be held at the United Nations, New York from 8 to 10 May 2002, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first world summit for children held l0 years ago had pledged to improve the living conditions and the chances of survival of all children by increasing access to health services, reducing the spread of preventable diseases, creating more opportunities for education, providing better sanitations and adeuqate food supplies, and protecting children in danger.

The current special session will review the progress made in these fields and share views on further enhancing efforts to raise the status of children.

The current special session will review the progress made int hese field and share views on further enhancing efforts to raise the status of the children.

The special session is also expected to endorse a renewed agenda for children.

The participation in the special session on children by the Prime Minister is important in view of His Majesty’s Government’s continued commitment to children’s rights and welfare.

On his way to New York, Prime Minister Deuba will reach Washington D.C.on Monday, 6 May.

During his stay in Washington D.C. from 6 to 8 May, Prime Minister Deuba will meet Mr. George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, and also meet senators and congressmen, high officials of the U.S. government and the Nepalese community living in Washington D.C..

Prime Minister Deuba will attend a reception to be hosted in his honour by the Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the United States of America.

Prime Minister Deuba will leave Washington for New York on 8 May 2002.

On 9 May, Prime Minister Deuba will address the special session on children at the United Nations.

Prime Minister Deuba will meet various world leaders attending the summit.

On 11 May, Prime Minister Deuba will leave New York.

Prime Minister Deuba will be accompanied by his spouse Dr.Arzu Deuba, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel, advisers to the Prime Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat and Baldev Bohara, Members of Parliament and some high official of His Majesty’s Government.

Permanent representatives to the UN and other official of the permanent mission of the Kingdom of Nepal to the U.N. as well as the Royal Nepalese Ambassador for the United States of America will join the delegation in New York and Washington D.C..

Members of prominent NGOs working on children’s issues in Nepal are also participating at the U.N. special session on children.

Terrorist aims security men, but kills himself

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 29:A terrorist died when a bomb targeted at a security patrol in Dhawa of Gulmi exploded in his hand.

Six more terrorists were killed in encounters yesterday – two in Mahatgaon of Rukum, and one each in Manpur of Dang, Tuki jungle of Gulmi, Bhimgithhe of Baglung and Taraghari of Udayapur.

Weapons, explosives and ambush equipment have been recovered from the sites.

Security forces arrested three of the terrorists who had robbed Rs. 38,531 from locals in Jitpur of Bara. The victims were carrying the money to deposit it in the village development fund. The forces seized guns and bullets from the perpetrators and paid the money into the fund.

Security forces are interrogating seven terrorists arrested yesterday in Morang and three in Haldibari of Jhapa.

During the search operations, security forces consfiscated four guns in Titikhi of Kapilvastu, combat uniforms, explosives and medicines in Charkhu of Okhaldhunga, a 12-bore rifle and three muskets in Fattehpur of Saptari.

Soldier Dharma Narayan Shrestha died while receiving treatment at Birendra Army Hospital. He was one of the 10 injured in the ambush at Turture of Sindhupalchowk Saturday.

The Defence Ministry has called a report, published in a Nepali national daily under the headline ‘The American Security Team’s Suggestion to Increase Number of Soldiers to 200,000,’ a fabrication.

Terrorism hurdle to development : Acharya

Kathmandu, Apr. 29 (RSS): Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahesh Acharya inaugurated a day-long review on food security on the topic "World food summit conference after five years" and a consultative meeting regarding preparations for the Pacific Region meeting organised by the NGO Federation of Nepal here today.

The Summit conference on food security going to be held during the first week of June in Rome, Italy, is expected to evaluate and discuss strategies and plans of action regarding food production and distribution, food security and consumption, poverty alleviation and malnutrition adopted by the food security summit held in 1996.

The participants of the consultation seminar pointed out that in view of the ground realities of the two-third people of Asia living in stravation and Nepal not being an exception to it, His Majesty’s Government should do concrete home work and present itself effectively at the summit conference on food security.

It was informed at the meeting participated in by the representatives of various NGOs and the civil society that the 26th ministerial level review meeting of the countries of Asia and the Pacific will be held in Kathmandu in may in connection with reviewing the outcome of the Rome Conference and five years of implementation.

Addressing the consultation and review meeting, Minister Acharya underlined the need for the NGOs and the civil society to counter terrorism as retardation in the industrial, business and tourism sectors which is an outcome of the terrorist activities being perpetrated across the country has created problems even in the objective of poverty alleviation.

Nepal also is battling terrorism along with the rest of the world, Minister Acharya said, adding that His Majesty’s Government is always working towards poverty alleviation and eliminating malnutrition.

He also assured that the government will take the suggestions and recommendations of the seminar with all seriousness.

General secretary of the NGO Federation of Nepal Shanta Lal Mulmi said the meeting has been organised with the objective of working out a successful food security and poverty alleviation programme for Nepal at the international level.

Federation advisor Dr. Arjun Karki called on the government and the civil society to devote attention as to why the country, which used to export food grain prior to the 1980s, is now dependent on food imports.

From the chair, Federation president Gauri Pradhan pointed out that the government should involve the NGOs while formulating poverty alleviation programmes.

MPs acquire information from army

Kathmandu, Apr. 29 (RSS): A team led by House of Representatives State Affairs Committee chairman Hridaya Ram Thani made an on the spot study tour of the Royal Nepal Army headquarters and acquired information on the present state of peace and security, the work carried out by the Royal Nepal Army, problems encountered and solutions.

Chief of the Army Staff General Prajjawal Shumsher JB Rana briefed the team on the role of the Royal Nepal Army and various aspects of national security.

The team was also briefed by Pyar Jung Thapa, Pradeep Pratap Bam Malla, Victory Shumsher Rana, Kumar Bahadur Fudung, Balananda Sharma and Govidna Bahadur Gurung on the activities of their respective departments.

A meeting of the committee held subsequently discussed the important projects completed since the restoration of democracy and discussions were also held with the vice chairman and members of the National Planning Commission on the coming budget.

The meeting was chaired by committee chairman Thani.

PAC alerts Space Time over news reporting

Kathmandu, Apr. 29 (RSS): The meeting of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee here today took up issues raised in a news item published in the Space Time daily on Chaitra 12 in connection with the report presented by the study sub-committee constituted by the committee and the editorial published in the same daily on Chaitra 23.

The news item and editorial in the daily had mentioned a combined game plan of the Minister for Information and Co mmunications and an MP and said the report was prepared out of petty interests at the behest of the Minister and had created confusion.

News coordinator Tarun Paudel, the authorised representative of the daily, could not furnish any basis and evidence for the issues raised in the paper.

It was apparent that the daily had disseminated the news and written the editorial irresponsibly, without unaccountability and without any evidence and confirmation thereby creating confusion.

The meeting decided to alert the management of the daily not to disseminate news irresponsibly and without any proof. It also decided to inform the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Press Council and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in this connection.

The telephonic conversation between the then joint secretary at the Ministry Prabhakar Adhikari and managing director of Space Time Jameem Shah has raised the serious issue of bribery.

As the information received by the committee had confirmed the gravity of the issue, the committee decided to send the documents received from the Ministry of Information and Communications to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

Committee chairman Subas Nembang presided over the meeting.

Water supply privatisation in limbo

By Navin Singh Khadka

Kathmandu, Apr. 29:Left with only one bidder, the privatisation process of Kathmandu’s water supply management is in limbo.

The Private Sector Participation Committee (PSPC), which is steering the privatisation process of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation’s management, is itself undecided. The reason: Only one party – Vivendi, a French Company – is left in the pre-qualifying round, officials with the committee said.

The only rival bidder, Stakraft Groener, a Norwegian Company, could not qualify itself during the pre-qualification to be followed by the final bidding. "It did not have adequate experience (of water supply) that our criteria demands," said an official with the PSPC.

The Norwegian Company, the source said, had stated it would bid together with Oslo Water Works, another Norwegian company. "But the Oslo Water Works did not confirm the joint venture with Statkraft Groener," the official said.

In effect, Vivendi, which is said to have many working experiences in Latin America and South East Asia, is the only horse left in the race. "And so, our dilemma is whether we should continue with the final bidding when there is only one bidder left."

Unable to make up its mind, the PSPC has asked for suggestions with the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning (MoHPP) and the World Bank. The WB is in the scene as it is chipping in US$ 15 million loan for the rehabilitation of Kathmandu’s water supply system. Under that scheme, the management of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation must be handed over to the private sector.

The MoHPP is awaiting World Bank’s response, according to Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel, Secretary at the ministry. If the multilateral agency gives a positive nod to go ahead with one bidder, the issue will have to be taken to the Cabinet for approval. If it’s a "no" from the bank, the criteria for the bidders will have to be relaxed before going for the bidding once again, Pyakurel said.

So, what would be the WB’s response? "Before we offer our suggestion, we will have to take the counseling of our procurement experts at our headquarters in Washington D.C.," said Rajib Upadhya, Senior External Affairs specialist with the bank.

This is not the first time the privatisation process of Kathmandu’s water supply system has faced the hitch. A similar complication had cropped up last year even when there were three bidders – Vivendi, Suez de Lyonasse, another French Company, and Azurex, a company then amalgamated with Enron Corp.

Suez de Lyonasse backed off citing its reservation on the terms and condition of the privatisation process, according to PSPC officials. As per Azurex, it collapsed together with the notorious bankruptcy of its affiliate — Enron Corp., the one time US-based energy giant.

Privatisation of the NWSC management is a key condition of donors funding the US$ 464 million Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP). Without that condition met, MWSP’s cornerstone – construction of a tunnel – would not begin. A 27-long kilometre tunnel is crucial to pipe in the water from the snow-fed Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk district.

The MWSP aims at bringing in 170 million litres of water a day for the Kathmandu Valley that now suffers a deficit of nearly 50 per cent of its 180 million litres a day demand during dry season.

Some of the US$ 120 million loan the Asian Development Bank has approved for the MWSP would go for the tunneling component while Norad, Norway’s aid agency, is funding in around US$ 30 million. These donors, however, would open the purse string only when there is a private management at the NWSC.

Together with the handing over the NWSC’s management to the private sector, the corporation itself will be converted into Kathmandu Valley Water Authority. The new authority for water supply is ADB’s brainchild the government is set to endorse, while the World Bank has a different prescription.

The WB has recommended Kathmandu Valley Water Corporation and the Bagmati Basin Authority. Unlike the ADB-prescribed authority that would manage both ground and surface water in Kathmandu Valley, the WB-suggested corporation is designed to be the owner of the water utility, while the Bagmati Basin Authority would be the resource manager.

"From the very beginning, we have been sticking to the idea of water authority," this daily had quoted officials as saying in the April 9 issue. "The concept of the Bagmati Basin is too early for now."

Trade deficit narrowed in Asia-pacific region: Report

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 29: The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2002 shows that the trade deficit and the current account deficit both narrowed during 2001 despite the global economic slowdown.

But the budget balance deteriorated due to fall in imports, said the survey released today.

The GDP growth came down to 6 per cent in 2001 from 6.4 the previous year, owing to the slowdown in the industrial sector. The manufacturing sector also suffered because of a decline in the production of ready-made garments, textiles, woolen carpets and construction materials.

"The growth will continue to decline in 2002 because of medium-term global economic outlook, before it recovers."

The urban consumer price index rose by only 2.4 per cent following improved food supply and reduced monetary growth, and inflation remained below three per cent.

"Growth in broad money supply decelerated as did private sector credit growth. Nepal Rastra Bank lowered cash reserves ratios for commercial banks by an average of one per cent and the refinancing rate by 1-2 per cent. The spread between the lending and borrowing rates of five per cent at commercial banks, however, reflects weakness in the banking system."

Capital inflows, mainly in the form of official aid, were more than adequate to offset the current account deficit in Nepal, where nearly 60 per cent of development spending is financed by aid, said the survey.

While the external debt amounted to 49 per cent of GDP in July 2001, debt servicing has not become a critical problem as most debt is confessional. The growing debt-servicing ratio, however, reached 10.8 per cent of merchandise exports in 2001, according to the report.

In view of the widespread poverty among subsistence farmers in rural areas of Nepal, steps have been taken to reform the civil service and the financial sector and to develop a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, the survey said.

The increase in civil disturbances, however, may make reforms more difficult to implement and force reduction in social depending to accommodate increased security costs, according to the survey.

The survey was prepared by Centre for Policy Research and Analysis for the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Nepalese adolescents lack proper knowledge on sex

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 29: Adolescents in Nepal lack knowledge about sexual matters. Many believe falsehoods such as "You can’t get pregnant if you have sex standing up", "Masturbation can lead to serious health problems", "The oral contraceptive pill cures diarrhea and fever", "Contraceptive injections for men are available".

These are some of the findings of a research on reproductive health and family planning among young people and adolescents in Nepal indicating lack of knowledge on sex-related issues and problems.

The survey was carried out by SOLID among 1059 students of class 8, 9 and 10, parents and teachers Nepal of six schools in Dhading, Morang and Lalitpur.

Sex education in schools is lacking, with only a few lessons dedicated to the subject, and poor tuition. This leads to complicated problems. The study found that teachers use only the lecture method and cover only the topics and phrases related to sexual problems are expressed English, not described properly.

Teachers themselves either do not have sufficient knowledge and appropriate techniques to deal with topics such as sex, sexual organs, masturbation and family planning. "They are either shy or are embarrassed by the students," the report found out.

The family environment does not contribute to imparting health knowledge about sex. Parents are either unaware of the education provided on sexual issues at schools, or they are against sex education for adolescents in schools.

"Parents of Morang and Dhading are against sex education in schools. They think it might provoke sexual crimes, rapes and social abuses," the study found.

But majority of the students, teachers and some parents agree to education on sexual issue. They think sexual education should start at the age of 12-13 and the best place is class room teaching, if the curricula is designed appropriately.

The study found several misconceptions about sexual health. Nineteen per cent of the boys and 13 per cent of the girls among the sampled students thought masturbation could cause serious health effects. Twenty per cent of the boys and 19 per cent of the girls believed sex in standing position does not cause pregnancy. Students who thought injecting contraceptive for male was available were 21 per cent among boys and 14 per cent among girls, whereas 28 per cent of the boys and 23 per cent of the girls thought oral contraceptive pills can help cure illnesses like diarrhoea and fever.

But behind these misconceptions, there were curiosity and inquisitiveness about sex and sex-related issues with 70 per cent of the boys and 66 per cent of the girls thinking knowledge on sex is no longer a taboo and wanting to be educated on sexual issues and 69 per cent of them think sex education makes their lives healthy.

Lack of education on sexual maturity, sexuality, family planning and sexual health at large have had several negative effects and the most important is the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Figures compiled by UNAIDS/WHO as of Februry 2002 put the number of HIV positive in Nepal as 2,197 and people living with HIV/AIDS as 572.

The estimated new adult infection per day has been put at 14 and AIDS related death per year is put at 3,000. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2001 is put at 38,000. The study said the electronic medis is the leading source of information on HIV/AIDS.

According to another study done by Mahesh Puri among young factory workers in Nepal, there were 550 girls (66 per cent) and 500 boys (83 per cent) were between 17-19 years old. The study found that 15 per cent of the 14 years of age had experienced sexual intercourse. The number is 50 per cent among 19-year-olds. 51 per cent of the girls and 34 per cent of boys had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 16.

The study said 95 per cent of the respondent had heard of HIV/AIDS, but the number of married women was only 68 per cent. Of them 84 per cent know that STIs spread through sexual contact with infected person but only 14 per cent knew all five forms of transmission.

A study on urban youth by S. Neupane found 2,824 men and women of the age group 14-22, primarily single, live in the urban areas. Of the 99 per cent of the respondents were aware of at least one method of contraception and 93 per cent were familiar with the way to use it but only 25 per cent are currently using it. It also said only 40 per cent women and 26 per cent reported to use condoms. The major source of information was television and friends.

Another study done by UNICEF KAP on 1400 boys and girls of 12-18 age groups in seven districts found that 94 per cent of the respondents had heard about HIV/AIDS, and only 74 per cent knew they should use condoms when having sex. Only 69 per cent say that they should not have sex with commercial sex-workers. But 20 per cent of the teenagers considered premarital sex as not wrong. The study also found unprotected sex led to 14 per cent pregnancy and 22 per cent STD rate in boys and 13 per cent in girls.

It also said the number of boys who had sex was far higher than the number of girls. "This suggests a high number of boys were visiting commercial sex workers, constituting high-risk behaviour.