PM urges transport enterpreneurs for support

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has requested transport entrepreneurs not to carry out any strike as an immediate study is to be made and a decision taken regarding the 17-point demand put forth by the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation, according to the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management.

RPP body formed

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: A gathering of the Far Western Region level leaders and cadres of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has constituted a 15-member RPP Far Western Region- Kathmandu liaison committee with Mohan Raj Malla as the chairman.

Nanda Lal Chataut is the vice-chairman, Kalendra Shahi the secretary, Bhim Bahadur Bishta joint secretary and Devendra Bahadur Shah treasurer of the committee.

Gorkhapatra tops in materials on children

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan.28: The Gorkhapatra daily topped all other Nepalese dailies for having published the maximum of news materials on children.

The Hatemalo Sanchar made the above conclusion after collecting and monitoring materials on all the dailies published during the first three months of year 2002.

A Report on "Cases Regarding Material on Children in Newspapers" also announced the Rajdhani Daily has obtained second place for giving spaces to children related stories.

The newspapers that were included in the study were: Gorkhapatra, Kantipur Daily, Nepal Samacharpatra, Rajdhani, The Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times, The Space Time and the Himalaya Times.

Out of 999 reports on children in eight newspapers, Gorkhapatra alone published 150 during the first three months of 2002.

Micro finance lends support to rural economy

By Indra Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: The prosperity of a country and the living standard of its people would be marginalised if proper and effective measures are not taken to uplift the rural economy.

It has been proved in many countries that investments in rural development have been successful and has enriched the country in due course of time. The economy and prosperity of a country is based in its villages and rural areas. And if these countrysides are developed properly; what we call rural finance, the country's economy would surely receive a boost.

Rural finance in Nepal started quite a few years ago and has contributed to a significant improvement in national development. These rural development schemes in the country were started with the establishment of the Agriculture Development Bank, Nepal (ADB/N) in 1967. The bank provides loans for biogas plants installment, micro hydropower generation, establishment of Solar Photovoltaic and in many other such smaller schemes. After the government permitted private sectors for smaller hydropower generation, loans to this sector had increased rapidly.

Rural finance was further strengthened with the establishment of five Regional Rural Development Banks (RRDBs) in all five development regions, under the ADB/N. They have been providing loans at the lowest possible rate of interest to local people, especially the farmers, in different sectors for bringing up their living standard and raising their economic status.

Furthermore, there are Rural Micro Finance Centres (RMFC) and Micro Finance Development Banks (MFDB) in the country under the ADB/N that provide smaller loans to farmers to start small enterprises. Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) established in the private sector by the local people are additional get-up-and-go towards improving of rural life. There are at present 2,200 Saving and Credit Cooperative societies under the Cooperative Act 1992. Many of them are providing rural finance services to their members. These programmes focus on poverty alleviation, which was given priority by the tenth 5-year development plan, 20-year long Agriculture Prospective Plan and Poverty Alleviation Fund as well.

RMFC and MFDB also provide wholesale and rural and micro finance loans to rural MFIs in the country through which it reaches the local people. The NRB has licensed rural based saving and credit cooperatives and financial intermediary NGOs and FI-NGOs and playing an important role in rural financing. As of July 2002, the NRB has given such licenses to 11 saving and credit cooperative societies and Micro Finance NGOs in the country. They are mostly registered for providing limited rural finance services. The NRB has given top most priority in issuing licenses to MFIs if they come forward to serve in the western and the mid western region of the country at present.

Though there are numerous institutions working in the rural financing, ADB/N occupies the major portion of credibility today. It has the share of 60 to 70 of the total rural finance. The Rural Credit Review Survey conducted by the NRB, with financial support of Asian Development Bank, Manila (ADB/N) in 1991-92 revealed that ADBN services reach 85 per cent of the loan borrowing families in the rural areas. But these services reach them through informal sources. For instance, a person takes loans from ADBN and he then distributes them to the villagers at higher rate of interest than he has to pay to the bank.

In spite of its effectiveness, there are many problems and obstacles that these banks, institutions and cooperative societies have to face such as political instability, terrorist activities and inadequate infrastructure. The system has not been as effective as per the target set in the initial stage. This is because of the lack of market and access of the produced goods to the towns. Inadequate financial structure, various institutional weaknesses, weak cooperative and financial governance, lack of proper auditing and accounting systems, improper management and information system and inadequate regularity and supervisory environment and framework are some of the drawbacks seen in the rural financing in Nepal.

Six terrorists killed in operation

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: The security forces, during the course of search operations in various districts and retaliatory action, killed six terrorists including a so-called area committee member and squad member at Suda Ilaka of Kanchanpur district, one in Pyuthan and another in Nuwakot, the Defence Ministry stated here today.

According to the Ministry, one terrorist was killed when a police team patrolling at Sunbarsha of Banke district yesterday was attacked by a gang of the outlawed outfit.

The security forces have made a haul of guns, pistols, socket bombs, explosives, live cartridges and miscellaneous logistical material from the sites of the incidents in Kanchanpur, Nuwakot and Pyuthan districts and also seized six guns and six quintals of foodgrain at Hangpang Ilaka of Taplejung district.
A temporary health camp of the security forces at Gorkha yesterday provided health check-ups to 223 local people and free drugs to the needy.

TDF okays loan for Tulsipur

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: The Town Development Fund (TDF) has approved a loan of Rs. 3,241,970 to Tulsipur Municipality for the implementation of the second phase municipality building project.
An agreement in this connection was signed here today by the executive director of the Town Development Fund Hemanta Gyawali and ward chairman and executive officer of Tulsipur Municipality Tuphan Singh KC.

The Town Development Fund is providing 90 per cent of the total estimated outlay of Rs.3,602,270 as a soft loan.

The first phase of the municipality building project has already been completed with the cooperation of the fund and a ticket counter and shops have already been built under the KFW first phase.
After completion of the second phase, the municipality is expected to become better planned. A well-equipped meeting hall, the offices of the mayor and deputy mayor, a computer room and various other rooms will be built, the town development fund has stated.

Over 160,000 people visit CAN Infotech

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KATHMANDU, Jan. 28: The Ninth Information Technology Fair "CAN Infotech" organised by the Computers Association of Nepal (CAN) concluded here today. More than 160,000 people visited the six-day event, it is learnt from the CAN. Domestic and international companies had showcased new technology at 107 stalls at the fair.

Hardware and software training institutes, educational institutions, information technology colleges, internet service providers, and those selling books and educational CDs took part in the exhibition.
More than 25 experts presented working papers on various topics at the information technology conference organised on the occasion. Over 150 persons participated in the conference.

During the exhibition, computers and other technical material, software, internet services and books worth more than Rs. 500 thousand were sold, CAN has stated.