BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN has expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by Nepal government to end the terrible crisis of hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane which has helped the hostages to be released safely. In a letter addressed to Foreign Minister, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Annan said that the reprehensible act of this kind would strengthen our collective resolve to fight against terrorism and its causes in the years ahead.

ACTIVISTS HAVE DEMANDED THAT THE government formulate a law to abolish the system of bonded labor in the country. At a seminar organized jointly by Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), a Nepalese human rights organization, and the London-based Anti-Slavery International, experts and activists called upon the government to introduce the law as per the spirit of the constitution. A study conducted by the INSEC and ASI said that there were more than 40,000 laborers working as 'kamaiya' (a form of debt-bondage) in five districts of mid-western Nepal. The study said that there were nearly 260,000 bonded laborers under 'haruwa-haliya system' in different parts of the country.Compiled from reports.

A DELEGATION LED BY PRESIDENT of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Pradip Kumar Shrestha, has called on Prime Minister K. P. Bhattarai and demanded that the government take measures to nullify the impact of rise in price of petroleum products and electricity tariff upon the countryís businesses and industries. Shrestha told the Prime Minister that Nepalese industries had lost their prospects following recent hike in fuel and electricity tariff. The delegation also demanded that the government stop its heavy-handed approach to enforce Value Added Tax and, instead, adopt a friendly approach.

A JOINT MEETING OF THE NEPAL-India border survey team has decided to confirm, renovate and reconstruct border pillars which have fallen into ruin or disappeared and halt the encroachment in no man's land. Both the teams also agreed to clamp down on illegal trade and criminal activities in the border areas. The meeting was held at Khiri district of Uttar Pradesh in India on Monday.RSS news agency reports.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE has agreed to provide the services of Singaporean volunteers and training opportunities under its technical cooperation program to support development programs in Nepal. Under the program, skilled professionals will be provided to work in development projects for a period of 13 months. An agreement to this effect was concluded here on Thursday between the Nepalese and Singapore government, Ministry of Finance said.

WORLD DISTRIBUTION PVT LTD AND MIT, Sri Lanka have entered into an agreement for cooperation in promoting networking solutions developed by Sun Microsystems Inc., a US-based company. As per the agreement signed between Navin Joshi, Chairman of World Distribution Pvt. Ltd and Tony Weeresinghe, CEO, Millennium Information Technologies, Sri Lanka, the Mission Critical Application Solutions and E-Commerce Solutions will now be available in Nepal at the Sun Microsystems Forum. Minister of State for Science and Technology, Surendra Chaudhary, inaugurated the technology forum on Friday that showcased latest RISC-based server, solution to mission critical application, development and deployment.

CENTRAL FINANCE COMPANY HAS decided to provide 25 percent dividend to its shareholders for the year 1999/2000. Addressing the third annual general meeting of the Company recently, Ratna Man Shrestha, chairman of the Company, said that Company has collected a total deposit of Rs 45.6 million and invested Rs 43.3 million in the year 1999/2000. The total income and expenditure of the company grew by 91 percent and 71 percent respectively. He said that the Company was committed to provide more reliable and quality services to its clients in the future. There are a total of 13 commercial banks and 45 finance companies being operated in the country now. According to Nepal Rastra Bank, the deposit mobilization by the Nepalese finance companies grew by 28 percent to Rs 8.3 billion in the year 1999/2000 compared to the previous year.

SOME SOUTHERN DISTRICTS IN TERAI bordering India are facing acute shortages of kerosene following the reported smuggling of the same from Nepal into India. There still is a marginal price difference in the prices of kerosene in Nepalese and Indian markets even after Nepal raised the price of the fuel recently. Reports said from Janakpur that a long queue of people could be seen at local petrol pumps throughout the day on Wednesday to buy the fuel. The local authorities, on the other hand, have asked the dealers to provide kerosene to local consumers under quota system as per the orders of the Ministry of Supplies. The dealers have demanded that the restrictions be removed given the increasing demand for the fuel due to cold wave in the region. Nearly 60 percent of the people in the region depend on kerosene to cook their meals.

HM's Birthday Celebration In France

Indra Bahadur Singh, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to France attended a reception in Toulouse, France in order to celebrate the 55th birthday of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. The reception was hosted this year as every year by Gerard Baumont, Royal Nepalese Hon. Consul General in Toulouse. French officials and representatives of consular corps in residence in Toulouse were present in the function. Among the high ranking officials present on the occasion included Bernard Boucalt, governor of the South-west area, Brigadier General Andrew Gadsby, British military attache in France and representatives from the Army, the Gendarmerie and University.