E-commerce just does not happen online

-Sanjib Rajbhandari, CEO, Mercantile Office Systems, Kathmandu

It is good that in Nepal we are looking at e-commerce seriously now because the real issues concerning the said technology are slowly coming to light now. We are beginning to see that a lot of B2C concept of selling clothes and tapes on the Internet does not necessarily work. That is an advantage of starting a little late that you can leap forward and learn from other's mistakes.

But e-commerce is not as easy as it seems for a developing country gateway. In such countries, scores of businesses have gone online over the past five years, realizing the importance of the Internet for the exchange and distribution of information. However, various issues must be considered for e-commerce to be an effective tool for businesses to generate revenue. Issues such as costs involved in setting up shop online, both capital and noncapital; ease of use by consumers, sellers and distributors; developing country infrastructure such as telecommunications and postal/shipping services; time taken away from other activities; type of products that can be sold easily online; legal issues such as liability and tax laws, and security software all count. Until and unless these problems are tackled we have to make an extra effort to get the most benefit out of it.

Chances are once the cyber laws are formulated it may or not allow for payment via the Internet in Nepal itself seeing that there are not too many credit card holders and a host of other problems. A lot of transactions in e-commerce like the travel trade businesses have web sites. Because of the fact that we don't have a payment gateway in Nepal, such businesses can't accept credit cards and conclude transactions online. But most of these companies deal offline. So although a payment gateway does not exist. It does not mean that e-commerce does not happen.. It just does not happen online. There are ways of going around some of the infrastructure that does not exist.

As far as legal issues are concerned, the situation might be such that even after the cyber laws are enacted we might not get protection. There is no way that legislation can keep up with technology. There is always going to be Grey area that is bigger than the White area and we are going to have to live with it.

Text courtesy from the book " Information Technology and E-commerce for development" published by Center for development and Governance in cooperation with Asia Foundation, Kathmandu.

Nepal Japan Relations: An Ideal Model of Relations between a Least Developed and an Industrialized Nation - 3

Dr. Ram Kumar Dahal, Political Science, T.U. Kirtipur, Kathmandu

The Japanese foreign Minister Ichiro Hatoyama during his two-day visit in 1977 had drawn the attention of the people by stating that besides the cultural and religious similarities between the two countries, the growing number of Japanese tourists and mountain expedition teams are other important aspects (The Rising Nepal, July 22, 1997). The growing number of religious Buddhists coming into Lumbni is another important aspect in this direction (out of the total such tourists 1/3 are Japanese) (Gorkhapatra, March 17, 1982). A large number of Nepalese students/researchers are studying in Japan under scholarship program including the study of languages of both the countries (Gorkhapatra, Jestha 2, 2035; The Rising Nepal, June 1977; Gorkhapatra, Nov. 15, 1981). Besides these, both the countries have close relations in the fields of art, culture and tradition including their views on monarchy (Krishna B. Varma, "Japani Praja Ra Tinko Raj Bhakti", (The Japanese people and their loyalty to Kingship), (Gorkhapatra, Baisakha 16, 2035).

In the words of Kochi Aki, the chairman of Japan-Nepal Society, (JNS), the JNS has played significant role as a means or link to provide information about socio-cultural, religious and other fields of both the countries (The Rising Nepal, October 27, 1981). Moreover, the exchange of visits of artists, singers and actors (e.g. a group of 37 artists in Nepal in February 25-28, 1981; a group of fifteen artists to Japan in 1981, to participate in the Asian traditional Art Exhibition, to mention a few examples) of both the countries have further strengthened the socio cultural ties between them (Nepal-Japan Friendship and cultural Association, Kathmandu, Shakunage, (May 1981), pp. 3-5). Thus, both of these countries share common socio-cultural and traditional values and the relations in these sectors have to be further strengthened in future.

IV

Nepal-Japan Economic Ties

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Japan has been assisting large amount of Nepal in order to boost up the latter's economy. Currently, Japan's aid to Nepal, according to government statistics and the information provided by the Japanese information has surpassed the aid to many other donor countries (Embassy of Japan, Kathmandu, Outlook of Japan's ODA to Nepal, a typed bulletin, February 10, 1987 p. Annex III). The Japanese aid concentrate in the all round development of the nation including in technical sector (providing technical service and technicians to Nepal) (Sri Ram Poudyal, Foreign Aid in Nepal, Kathmandu : CEDA, 1982, p. 42). According to one statistics (1997), Nepal has received more than US $ 110 million equivalent aid from Japan every Year. (Manju Ratna Shakya "Nepal-Japan Relations A study", Look Nepal Vol. 2, No 1 December 1997-Jan. 1998, p. 24). As Japan had provided a huge amount of money to Nepal's developmental activities and as the list of such amount is quite longer, it becomes a challenging and difficult task, if not impossible, to compile them in one place. In short, Japan has been assisting Nepal in the fields of energy, (building Hydro Electric Plant projects in Kulekhani 1 and 2) health, agriculture, human resources development (Japan International co-operation Agency : JICA also provides training to them), construction, education, and a number of fields (Ram Kumar Dahal, "Nepal-Japan Sambandha" Nepal-Japan Relations, Viswo Rajnitima Nepal, (Nepal in world politics), Kathmandu : Pairabi Books and stationary centre, January, 1998, pp. 263-271). The Japanese aid is also concentrated on training programme, expert dispatch programme, equipment (Indra Kumar Thakur, Nepal-Japan Economic co-opration T.U. Economics Dept. MA Dissertation, Kathmandu, 1995), agricultural development program, western region basic health project, T.U. medicine project, small farmer's development project and so on (Association for promotion of International co-operation (APIC), A Look at ODA and International co-opration, (Tokyo, Japan, 1989. pp. 1-39. APIC, A Guide to Japan's Aid, (Tokyo Japan, 1989, pp. 70-73). The Japanese aid may be grouped in to (1) Grant assistance, (2) Loan assistance and (3) Technical assistance.

V

Recommendations

In order to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries, some suggestions and recommendations could be put forward.

The president of Nepal Journalist Association Manju Ratna Shakya in an article entitled "Nepal Japan Relations : A study" had expressed great pleasure in the widening and strengthening of relations between the two nation in many fields but stated that "The same is not visible in the same spirit and volume in the field of Journalism". (Look Nepal, Vol. 2, No. 1, December 1997, January 1998, p. 24). Therefore, co-operation in such area has also to be further promoted. In order to discourage the illegal activities, as the killing of innocent and humanitarian Buddhist monk in Lumbini by some selfish and irresponsible elements, the two governments should consult from time to time to draw out proper scheme. The people to people relation, particular in socio-cultural and economic field including in trade and commerce, have to be further strengthened. A joint committee of the two countries should be formed so as to review the relations between them and improve them if there are any wrongs. Nepal may seek Japan's co-operation in the utilization of its water resources, in developing its tourism industry, solving environmental challenges, in poverty alleviation, in fighting against hunger, diseases, malnutrition, and in encouraging urbanization. In order to further nurture the existing cordial and warmer relations between them and to minimize misunderstanding, if there is any, (e.g. in the killing of innocent and humanitarian Buddhist monk in Lumbini) the two countries could develop a high level political, diplomatic and bureaucratic mechanisms and immediately solve them in time so that irresponsible factors may not fish in the troubled waters. The Nepalese misbehaving with the foreigners including the Japanese should be strictly punished.

Conclusion

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on July 28, 1955, the friendly ties between Nepal and Japan have been very cordial and warmer. The exchange of visits between the leaders of the two countries from time to time (including at the Heads of the state and heads of the government) level has further strengthened the existing ties in different fields of life including in political, economic, socio-cultural, religious and educational sectors. Japan's huge economic assistance to Nepal, without any interest and political string attached to it, has further brought the two Asian nations into closer ties. In recent years, the construction and development of Lumbini a pilgrimage centre for the Buddhists, and the birthplace of lord Buddha, has become another important attraction for the Buddhist Japan. As the world has entered into third millennium facing new but complicated challenges and problems, the world's most respected monarchies, and the parliamentary democracies of both the countries have to further strengthen the existing ties between them in the changed national, regional and global context. Moreover, besides government to government ties, public to public relations have to be encouraged (including the development in the sector of tourism, mountain expedition, trade and commerce, industry, arts and culture) and a number of collaborative efforts have to be made in future so as to make the relations more lively and tighter one.

Long live Nepal Japan relations.

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