Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra (left) talks with people from various walks of life at Gokarna Palace

IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE, the Royal Palace invited around 300 people including civil society representatives, businessperson, members of the media, social workers, film artistes, litterateurs, professors and so on at Gokarna Royal Retreat for a luncheon-cum-audience with King Gyanendra on Monday (May 17). All of the invitees had some sort of advice for the King regarding the resolution of the current political impasse. The King and also the Crown Prince gave a patient hearing to the advices from peoples from various walks of life. The Queen and the Crown Princess were also present on the occasion.

OFFICIALS OF NEPAL AND CHINA MET in Kathmandu to assess their border security. The meeting began on Sunday (May 23) where officials from both the sides agreed to make the border security effective in view of criminal as well as Maoist activities. Of late, criminal elements are using the border to traffic illicit drugs, wildlife parts and so on. In one incident, Maoist cadres was also arrested in Khasa of Tibet. Officials have expressed serious concern over these incidents.

THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL has approved the dispatch of 5650 UN peace-keeping force to the civil war-ravaged African country of Burundi. According to news reports, the UN will dispatch peace-keeping forces of Nepal, Pakistan and Mozambique to Burundi.

DUE TO LACK OF ADEQUATE FIELDS, 29 districts of the country are food deficit – that is the production of food crops in these districts are far outstripped by demands there. Kathmandu district leads the list of food-deficit ones. Its demand is 2.21 billion calories per day but can only produce up to 588 million calorie on its own. According to date by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in mountainous districts, there is a deficit of around 832 calorie per day per person. Likewise, the deficit in hilly districts is around 6906 calories per day per person. However, the terai districts have the surplus of around 14,328 calorie per day per person. This surplus is used to meet the demands of the deficit districts.

IN ABOUT ONE MONTH’S TIME, the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) – the national flag carrier – has incurred losses of over Rs 100 million, thanks to its fragile management. Talking at a press meet held on Friday (May 21), the employees of the corporation expressed their serious concerns about the deteriorating health of the corporation. Currently, the RNAC has only one Boeing 737 which flies to India, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Out of the two planes, one is in Brunei for ‘overhauling’. “Since May 15, the corporation had stopped flying to Dubai, Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore and Osaka, which is a serious matter for the national flag carrier,” said the employees. In the past, RNAC even used to fly to Germany, London, Paris, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Among the reasons cited by the employees for the downfall of RNAC include political instability, scandals and lack of airplane. They also opposed the traffic rights given to Qatar Airways to fly to Kuala Lumpur as well as the recent license given to Jet Airways and Sahara in the name of brining more Indian tourists to Nepal.

PUTTING FORWARD CONDITIONS LIKE DEMOCRACY, good governance and transparency, European Commission is reported to have told the Nepalese government that it is going to cut down its support in the education sector in the upcoming fiscal year. While other donors have pledged their support for the Education For All (EFA) program – 2004-2009 – the Europeans have said they are not in a position to support at present. In the current second phase of the Basic and Primary Education Program (BPEP), the EC had provided around Rs 1.93 billion as support. A month ago, the government officials had said at the Nepal Development Forum (NDF) meeting that they would require additional resource of Rs 1.31 billion to implement the EFA.

IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THE export of aluminium products to India has grown by nearly three fold. According to Birgunj customs, till mid-May this fiscal year, 4433 metric tons of aluminium products valued at Rs 393.6 million have been exported. In the same period last fiscal year, 1700 metric tons of aluminium worth Rs 205.7 million were exported. Aluminium products exported include household utensils, railings, grills and machinery parts. Likewise, the domestic market of aluminium, too, is growing. At present, the domestic market of aluminium products is in excess of Rs 100 million and is growing at 25 percent per annum. Its consumption has increased due to it replacing wood items in household usage.

THOUGH THE FORMAL INAUGURATION HAS BEEN postponed, Banglabandha land port in Bangladesh is set to commence operation shortly following a soft opening. “A soft opening will be held on May 22 in the presence of commerce secretaries and representatives of business apex bodies from Nepal, Bhutan and India,” a senior official at the Bangladeshi embassy in Kathmandu said. Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, will take part in the opening program. Construction of necessary infrastructure at the port has completed. The building with 8500 square feet space will be used for offices of customs, immigration, bank and land port authority. A 52 km Fulbari transit road through Indian territory in West Bengal links Kakarvitta border point in Jhapa district with the Banglabandha land port in Bangladesh. Though this shortest trade-transit route between the two countries was opened in 1997, trading activities have not picked up to desired levels. The land port is an ideal link to Mongla port of Bangladesh. Nepal exported various goods worth Rs 13.12 million in the last fiscal year, while it imported goods valued at Rs 140.9 million through the Kakarvitta-Fulbari route.

THE CONTRACT FOR THE OPERATION AND management of Inland Container Depot (ICD) located at Birgunj has been awarded to Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) for a ten years period after months of quarrel between the business community and the government over who should be given the contract. The government had invited bids from Indian and Nepali companies for the operation and management of the ICD three times. Only two companies including CONCOR and B Ghosh and Company, both Indian companies, emerged qualified enough for submitting tender documents. The tender documents were opened in the presence of representatives of business community. CONCOR will operate for 10 years and pay Rs 956.4 million for the same period to the government as fee.