NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

1500 HOUSES TO BE REMOVED FROM AROUND TIA

A senior official has said the government will remove nearly 1500 households surrounding the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in order to reduce chances of plane disaster due to bird hitting. Minister of State for Local Development Suresh Malla said Thursday that the government will resettle these people after paying them due compensation. He said solid waste and pollution generated by these households were primarily responsible for attracting birds at the country's only international airport. Meanwhile, the government has formed a high-level committee to control activities of birds in and around the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). The committee, headed by the Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MOCTCA) has joint secretaries at the Home, Defense, Population and Environment, and Local Development ministries, along with military and local officials and the Mayor of Kathmandu as its members. According to MOCTCA, all governmental, non-governmental and other units will be required to follow the directives of the committee. The government has constituted the committee after international airlines operators in the capital warned that they will close down their services if the growing incidences of birds hitting aircraft were not controlled. Compiled from reports Oct. 20.

A NEPALI PILOT LANDS AT A RECORD ALTITUDE

A Nepali pilot has claimed that he has set up a record by landing a helicopter at 19,380 feet ( 6000 meters) Wednesday to airlift a dead Greek tourist from Island Peak near Mt. Sagarmatha, the highest peak in the world. Capt. Vidhyananda Sharma of the Karnali Airways rescued the dead body with the help of a climber by landing his French built Ecureuil AS 350 B2 helicopter on a slope, the airlines said. A former army pilot, Sharma said the temperature at the place was -5 degrees Celcius when he conducted the mission. Compiled from reports. Oct. 19.

NRB LAUNCHES COMMEMORATIVE COINS

Nepal Rastra Bank has launched six different types of commemorative coins of Buddha series, produced by Singapore Mint, beginning Wednesday. All the coins, made of gold, silver and Nordic gold, bear different postures of Buddha on their head and symbols of regular coins on their tail. The coins also carry a short introduction to Nepal in Chinese and English languages. The Singapore Mint will pay a royalty of 31,000 Singapore dollars in royalty to NRB for minting the coins. Chief manager at the Department of Mint at NRB Damodar P. Sharma said circulation of such coins would help establish the fact that Lord Buddha was born in Nepal. The 300-mg coin is the smallest coin ever minted with the approval of the central bank. Leading dailies report Oct. 19.

BANGLADESH OFFERS FACILITIES TO NEPALI CARGO

The government of Bangladesh has made a temporary provision for customs and immigration facilities at Banglaband checkpoint to "immediately facilitate" movement of Nepali goods through Kakarvitta-Fulbari-Banglaband transit route, a Bangladeshi diplomat said. Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal, Cyril Sikdar, said Thursday that with this temporary arrangement there would be no hurdle for trucks carrying goods to or through Bangladesh to the third country. He also urged the Nepali business community to immediately utilize the route. The ambassador said the provision was being arranged keeping in view the delay in signing transport modality between the two countries. Once the modality is signed, the problem will be solved permanently, he said. Ambassador Sikdar said his government was ready to exempt visa fees for Nepalis on a reciprocal basis. Leading dailies report Oct. 20.

`FOREIGN INVESTORS FEELING INSECURE'

Amidst complaints of growing insecurity to industries and businesses in the country, a diplomat based in Kathmandu has said foreign investors are also feeling insecure in Nepal. British ambassador to Nepal, Ronald P Nash, has said British investors are keen to invest in Nepal but the atmosphere is not conducive due to growing Maoist activities in the country. Addressing the fifth annual general meeting of Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI) in the capital Friday, the British envoy said there was a need to expedite industrialization process in Nepal. President of NBCCI Rajendra Khetan said economy was moving at a snail's pace. He also agreed that both local and foreign investors were shying away from making any new investment in Nepal due to deteriorating law and order situation. The business community has proposed to set up an 'Industrial Security Force' by mobilizing Nepal Police as a joint effort between the government and entrepreneurs. Leading dailies report Oct 22.

"DECREASE IN PETROLEUM PRICES NOT POSSIBLE"

Amid protests against the recent hike in petroleum prices all over the country, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar has reiterated that the government is not in a position to withdraw the hike. Addressing an interaction program Sunday, Tamrakar said as oil prices were continuing to increase in international markets, there were no possibilities of a roll back in prices in Nepal. The government would review the prices if the fuel prices declined in the international markets, he said. Meanwhile, the central working committee of the ruling Nepali Congress on Sunday has directed the government to increase the quota of subsidized kerosene to each family in the country. The government had said it would provide three liters of kerosene a month to each family at the subsidized rates. Officials said the Nepal Oil Corporation would have to suffer a loss of Rs 1.5 billion a year due to the subsidy. Compiled from reports Oct. 22.

GOVT. BANS NEW VEHICLES

The government has banned the registration of three-wheeler tempos and minibuses within the Ring Road area in Kathmandu Valley with immediate effect, officials said. According to the Department of Transport Management, the ban will not affect vehicles for which import facility formalities have been completed. The ban has been imposed to relieve pressure on roads and limit inconveniences. Earlier, the government had decided not to register new meter taxis in the capital. Five-year old buses and minibuses have also been banned from Kathmandu Valley. The decision has been taken on the basis of recommendation of a government-formed to study carrying capacity of roads in the capital five months ago. Leading dailies report Oct. 22.

UML ASKS GOVT. AND MAOIST FOR DIALOGUE

The main opposition CPN-UML is exerting pressure on both the government and Maoist rebels to come to the negotiating table to put an immediate end to the four and half year old insurgency, a senior party leader said. Leader of the main opposition and UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal reiterated on Monday his party was willing to mediate between the government and rebels if both the parties urged them. Earlier, Nepal had said some of his top leaders held talks with the rebel leaders in an insurgency-hit district in regard to finding a peaceful solution to the problem. "Our party is pressurizing both the sides to come to an agreement to end the insurgency immediately," said Nepal, addressing a press meet organized by Nepal Press Union in his home district, Rautahat. Leading dailies report Oct. 24.

MAOISTS RE-CONSIDER THEIR `DEATH PENALTY'

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has reviewed its policy of death sentence to its political enemies and informers, KANTIPUR daily reported, quoting sources within the underground party. The party decided, some three months back, that it would inform leaders of the concerned political parties about those accused for working as "informers" and "corrupt" or any other allegations against them. The party has also decided that local units of the party should approve before punishing somebody with death sentence. The Maoist cadres have killed hundreds of political workers, most of them belonging to ruling Nepali Congress, over the last four and half years. Compiled from reports Oct. 19

GAP BETWEEN NEPAL AND SOUTH KOREA INCREASING

Trade gap between Nepal and Republic of Korea is widening due to failure on part of Nepal to make its presence felt in the booming Korean market, officials said. According to available statistics, Nepal imported goods worth US$ 27 million from South Korea in the year 1999 whereas it exported goods worth US$ 500,000 only to South Korea the same year. "At present, the trade between the two countries is generally one sided and volume of export from Nepal to Korea is still insignificant," said Ryoo See Ya, South Korean ambassador to Nepal, addressing a reception hosted in his honor Friday by the Nepal-Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "The trade imbalance is so great that all the Nepali and Korean businessmen should pay more attention to narrow the trade gap," he added. The ambassador said Nepal and Korea were negotiating to finalize the air services agreement, the implementation of which would pave the way for the Korean Airlines to fly to Nepal thereby boosting trade and tourism between the two countries. Leading dailies report Oct. 21.