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PRIME MINISTER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA, who went to Singapore en
route from Bangladesh to Maldives, met with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on
Saturday (December 20) and discussed bilateral issues. PM Thapa urged Singapore government
to help in setting up of Nepal’s Information Technology (IT) park. Tong requested
Thapa to send an expert team clarifying details about the cooperation Nepal is seeking.
Likewise, PM Thapa also requested his counterpart to re-start the Singapore-Kathmandu
flights, which remains suspended. PM Thapa also raised issues regarding opening Singapore
market for Nepalese laborers and strengthening bilateral economic and tourism cooperation.
He also sought Singapore’s support in Nepal’s bid to fight for temporary
membership of the United Nations Security Council for the year 2007/2008. Nepal and
Singapore had established diplomatic relations in 1969. Currently, there are 1600 Nepalese
working in the Singapore Police. THE SUGARCANE PRODUCERS HAVE STARTED to urge farmers not to
supply sugarcanes because of price dispute. In Morang district, the local sugarcane
producers have urged farmers to stop harvesting their produces after the Federation of
Sugar Manufacturers fixed a low price. The federation has fixed the per quintal price of
sugarcane at Rs 124 – which is Rs 16 less than last year’s price. The government
has not yet made any decision to this regard, which threatens to hurt the sugar industry
of the country. NEPALESE GARMENT ENTREPRENEURS HAVE roundly criticized the
government for failing to raise the issue of Nepalese readymade garments before the
visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca. “Although the main
objective of her visit was something else, the government should have raised the issue of
garment, as it is very important for Nepal,” said Kiran Sakha, president of Garment
Association of Nepal. The United States is the single largest market for Nepalese
garments. And currently a bill proposing to provide duty free and quota free access to
Nepalese garments is under consideration in US senate. TEN SECURITY PERSONNEL INCLUDING a Royal Nepalese Army (RNA)
lieutenant were killed after a truck they were traveling in fell into an electric ambush
laid down by the Maoists near Shivagadhi VDC of Kapilbastu district. Among those killed
include five RNA soldiers and five police personnel. In another incident, an Armed Police
Force (APF) personnel died after falling into an ambush in Bardiya district. THE RNA OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT THEIR soldiers are taught
about the protection of human rights. Taking a strong exception to media reports that RNA
is abusing human rights, Brigadier General B.A. Kumar Sharma, chief of the human rights
cell, said that the RNA has already taken actions against soldiers found guilty of abusing
rights in 17 different cases. He said that no one will be spared if found to have engaged
in rights violations intentionally. At a press meet, RNA officials said that due to
effective security operations, the rebels are on their back-foot. Colonel Deepak Gurung,
spokesperson of the RNA has said that 1056 Maoists have been killed in operations since
August 27, when the ceasefire broke down. It has also estimated that additional 200
Maoists have also been killed in different operations. RNA has lost 82 soldiers, APF has
lost 171 personnel and Nepal Police has lost 105 personnel in the same period. Gurung said
that the Kathmandu Valley has become safe after the security forces were able to unearth
huge amounts of explosives. DUE TO THE SITUATION OF INSECURITY and inability to use
explosives, the construction work of the Chinchu-Jajarkot road has been halted. The 107 km
long road, which could have directly benefited people of Jajarkot, Salyan and Surkhet
districts, could have been a milestone in the development of mid-western region. But due
to lack of security arrangements, the construction work has suffered. NEPAL RASTRA BANK (NRB) – the central bank – has done away
with the provision of compulsory requirement of keeping 1 percent margin between the
buying and selling rates of foreign exchange. The new decision is aimed at providing more
autonomy to the commercial banks and leaving the foreign exchange market to be governed by
open competition. Earlier, the commercial banks had to keep the 1 percent margin although
they could fix the foreign exchange rates on their own. “This latest decision will
truly create an environment where foreign exchange rates will be determined by the market
forces,” said an official at the NRB. POVERTY ALLEVIATION AS WELL AS social and economic issues
will be the main focus at the forthcoming 12th South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) summit. According to SAARC general secretary Q.A.M.A. Rahim, the
summit will adopt the regional poverty profile, social charter and the final report of the
South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). Rahim said efforts were on to reach accord on SAFTA.
Commerce secretaries of the member states will meet in Islamabad in the last week of
December to fine-tune the accord. NEPAL SCOUT HAS ANNOUNCED two awards to journalists, which
it will provide to selected persons every year on the occasion of Scout Day. At a press
meet organized by the Nepal Scout last week, chief commissioner Shri Ram Lamichhane and
co-chief commissioners Pushpalata Bhattarai and Rabindra Prasad Pandey highlighted the
Scout activities in the country. A PROGRAM WAS ORGANIZED BY the Dhading Introduction Academy
last week in the capital. Chief guest Taranath Ranabhat, speaker of the House of
Representatives, took part in the program where senior teachers and writers from Dhading
district were felicitated. Educational and health materials, sports items and school
uniforms were also distributed at the program. Shankar Shah, the president of the academy,
spoke about the need to develop Dhading district. |
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