Workshop on health micro insurance schemes concludes

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 1: The International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s week-long regional workshop on how to set up gender-sensitive health micro-insurance schemes in Asia ended Friday.

The workshop concluded that these schemes have managed to enable the poor to access quality care and reduce their burden of health costs. The training workshop was organised by the ILO Strategies and Tools Against Social Exclusion and Poverty (STEP) programme in collaboration with the ILO Training Centre. It brought together practitioners of micro-insurance from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Nepal.

Organisations that have already implemented successful health micro-insurance schemes, such as the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in India and Grameen and BRAC in Bangladesh, shared their experience and demonstrated their capacity to reach a large number of the vulnerable population in Asia. The increasing use by these internationally known organisations is testament to the potential of micro-insurance to meet the needs of the most deprived.

The training provided an opportunity for the participants to learn how to best set up and extend these innovative schemes in the communities they work in. During the closing ceremony, Ms. Francesca Moneti of ILO-STEP noted that the workshop served to establish and strengthen partnerships within individual countries as well as between countries. The participants unanimously recommended that ILO STEP set up an Asian Network on Micro-insurance through which health micro-insurance practitioners in Asia can share and consolidate their experiences.

In his closing remarks. Bill Musoke, UNFPA Representative, said that if porperly managed, health micro-insurance schemes carry enormous potential for transforming the most deprived.

Nepal promotion event organised in Tokyo

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 1: A three-day Nepal Promotion Event was inaugurated by Former Deputy Prime Minister of Japan Wataru Kubo and the Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Japan H.E. Kedar B. Mathema amidst a function of Nepali dances and music in Tokyo Friday.

According to the Royal Nepalese Embassy, Tokyo, Kubo lauded the efforts being made by the Royal Nepalese Embassy in strengthening Nepal-Japan relations. He said that Nepal-Japan relations were getting stronger by the day. Ambassador Mathema said that Nepal-Japan relations should be taken to a newer height of friendship and cooperation through increased trade between the two countries.

Talking about the current situation in Nepal, Ambassador Mathema expressed thanks on behalf of His Majesty's Government of Nepal to the Government of Japan for their support in Nepal's campaign to fight terrorism in the country. Adding that the state of emergency has greatly strengthened the security situation in the country, he said "Let not the state of emergency discourage any visitors from visiting my beautiful country."

Speaking on that occasion, Executive Director of the Trade Promotion Centre (TPC) Dev Bahadur Rokaya highlighted the quality of Nepali handmade products and said that TPC will continue to work hard towards introducing high quality Nepali goods in the Japanese market.

The opening ceremony was conducted in Japanese by Councellor Mohan Krishna Shrestha. The opening function was attended by many traders as well as representatives of business companies. A programme of Nepali folk dances and music was presented by Japanese dancers and members of NESAJ (Nepalese Students' Association in Japan). A show of ethnic dresses and modern western ladies outfit made out of Nepali fabric and designed by Rajesh Dhakhwa was also presented. A presentation on Nepali pashmina was also made on that occasion.

This event organised jointly by the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Tokyo and Trade Promotion Centre in Kathmandu will continue till June 02. One of the attractions of the event is a 14-foot wooden statue of Avalokiteswara and many other big bronze images of the Buddha.

Govt fixes floor price of carpets in euro

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 1: The government has fixed the floor price of hand-woven woollen carpets in the euro also. The floor price of carpets with 80 knots has been pegged at 35 euros per square metre and 82 euros per square metre for carpets of more than 80 knots.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has hoped that the new arrangement would help boost the export of carpets in the European market.