BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

Meena Day was observed on Monday to celebrate Meena, the protagonist of cartoon film, which represents South Asian girl

THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Rs 585.5 million to Nepal for the construction of primary schools under the third phase of the second Basic and Primary Education Program and for debt relief measures. According to the Japanese Embassy, two separate notes were signed and exchanged Wednesday between Japanese Ambassador Mitsuaki Kojima and Finance Secretary Dr. Bimal Koirala. Under the first note, the government of Japan will extend a grant worth Rs 510.5 million for the procurement of construction material for 794 new class rooms, 12 resource centers, 248 toilet blocks and 148 water supply facilities in Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat and Banke districts. Under the second note, the Japanese government will provide a grant assistance worth Rs 75 million for debt relief measures. The grant will be used for the procurement of construction materials, fertilizer, petroleum products, medicine and transportation-related equipment.

CHINESE OFFICIALS have released nearly 150 Nepal-bound trucks from Wednesday after stopping them for 18 days at Wangju. According to Keshab Bahadur Rayamajhi, general secretary of Trans-Himalayan Trade Association, the trucks carrying Chinese goods were released only after the decision of the Bank of China to systematize Nepal-China trade through banking channel. According to the concerned businessmen, the Chinese authorities have agreed to open the customs office for 10 days only. They said the introduction of banking channel in the bilateral trade has affected small traders.

LUMBINI BANK LTD., a private-sector commercial bank, has announced that it is going to issue public shares worth Rs 150 million soon. The bank that began operations as a regional commercial bank in Narayangarh with a paid up capital of Rs 50 million has increased its amount to Rs 500 million in accordance with the requirement set by the Nepal Rastra Bank. Executive Chairman Suresh Bahadur Malla said the bank decided to start operations in Kathmandu as no bank could prove its mettle unless it worked in the capital.

NEPAL WOULD BE IN a position to meet its domestic demand for electricity by 2005, a senior official said. Minister for Water Resources Bijay Gachhadar told a meeting of House of Representatives Sunday that domestic demand for power by 2005 could be met through internal production. Saying that Nepal generates 393 MW of hydropower and 57 MW of thermal power at present, Minister Gachhadar said demand for electricity in 2002 has been estimated at 440 MW. He said the 144-MW Kali Gandaki A project, 20-MW Chilime project and other half a dozen projects with the capacity to generate nearly 100 MW of power were in the pipeline. Nepal has been able to exploit only a fraction of its hydropower potential of 42,000 MW, the minister said. Only 18 percent of the country’s 23 million population has access to electricity.

THE GOVERNMENT HOPES to bring down the fertility rate to replacement level (that is, zero percent growth) in the next 16 years, a senior official said. Addressing the House of Representatives meeting Thursday, Minister for Population and Environment P. L. Singh said the end of the 12th five-year plan, effective demographic management would effectively reduce the fertility rate. He said efforts were under way to provide reproductive health and family planning services to encourage the small family concept.

ANNUAL CONSUMPTION OF noodles in Nepal has crossed Rs 1.25 billion, Space Time daily reported. From a humble investment of Rs 5,000 nearly three decades back, the noodles industry has drawn millions of rupee of investment over the years. Annual production of noodles in Nepal has been about 3.8 million cartons (one carton consists of 30 packets of readymade noodles). Over the last five years, annual growth rate of noodles industry has been up to 20 percent. Entrepreneurs say nearly 60 percent of the raw material and material for packaging has to be imported but the government hasn’t given them any concessions. On the other hand, growing competition among noodles producers has compromised quality, reports said.

THE NINTH SOUTH ASIAN Federation (SAF) games have been postponed indefinitely after the host nation, Pakistan, called off the games amid mounting tension in the wake of possible US retaliatory attacks against Afghanistan. Slated to take place between October 6-15 in Islamabad, the games were expected to draw over 1,600 sportspersons from the SAARC region. The National Sports Council was preparing to send a 220-member team to take part in 14 disciplines. The games might be convened in the next six months, officials hoped.

THE KATHMANDU METROPOLITAN Corporation (KMC) and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) have launched a project to construct and operate the Ganesh Man Singh Memorial Academy for ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat), Head and Neck studies. The four-storey building covering an area of 2242 square meters will be built in four phases an estimated cost of Rs 41.65 million. The KMC has agreed to construct the academy building to be housed within the TUTH premises, whereas the latter is to provide manpower and equipment. Nearly Rs 10 million has been collected in donations for the construction of the buildings. Impact Nepal, a non-government organization, has provided equipment worth Rs 25 million. The academy aims at producing high-, medium- and low-level manpower in ENT within the country and conduct community field-based programs through its products. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba laid the foundation stone of the academy building amid a function Tuesday.

THE NEPALESE RUPEE depreciated by 30 paisa against the US dollar for the third time in 10 days. The official exchange rate of one US dollar slipped to Rs 76.40 on Sep. 17 — the lowest ever recorded. The depreciation of Indian currency against the US dollar was mainly responsible for the slide in the Nepalese currency vis-à-vis the greenback, officials said. Nepal maintains a fixed exchange rate with the Indian currency. The possible US assault on Afghanistan in retaliation of the recent terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC has also resulted in a rise in demand for the US currency, reports said.