Nepal Tourism Year 2011 being formally launched

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday afternoon will kickoff Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign at the Nepal Army Pavilion at Tundikhel 1.30 in the afternoon.
Nepal hopes to welcome one million tourisms during the year,
16 political parties, including UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and UML, signed a commitment paper not to hold strikes during the year to promote tourism.
Other parties are expected to sign the commitment paper.
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Peace Minister Rakam Chemjunj expresses disappointment with UNMIM

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Peace Minister Rakam Chemjung Friday expressed disappointment with UNMIN’s refusal Thursday to provide government with the number of Maoist combatants remaining in 28 cantonments and satellite camps.
There were 19,000 plus combatants after verification three years ago by UNMIN.
Chemjung sought details from UNMIN Chief Karin Landgren Thursday.
Following the meeting UNMIN issued a statement with which the minister said he ‘was surprised’.
Even without UNMIN cooperation, government has decided to form a
seven-member task force to determine the number of remaining fighters.
officially under UNMIN observation.
‘How can allowances be distributed without the details. We were asking only for record of number of combatants now in the camps. Help was sought to distribute the allowances,” Minister Chenjing said Friday.
“How can allowances be distributed without details,” the minister asked.
“Government called for the data after it was found only 40 percent of disqualified combatants were officially discharged,” he added.
“There’s suspicion combatants may not be there according to information coming in from different sectors.
‘The allowances could be given to real combatants,” Chemjung said amid reports unauthorized people are collecting allowances from 28 cantonments and satellite camps.
The minister said new identification cards had to be distributed to ensure proper persons received monthly salary and allowance.
UNMIN said it shared copies with the minister of an agreement on monitoring and management of arms and armies (AMMAA) which states that such information will be treated with appropriate confidentiality by the UN.
UNMIN said the data could be discussed by a joint monitoring coordination committee (JMCC) with representatives of the government, Maoists and UN.
UNMIN said the JMCC is responsible for resolving questions relating to implementing AMMAA.
UNMIN said neither Nepal Army nor Maoists provided it with
updated strength of their forces at a JMCC meet 24 February.
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PM Nepal, Chinese deputy minister meet

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Thursday discussed bilateral matters with Liu Jie, central committee member of the Chinese Communist Party and Deputy Minister at the Foreign Department.
Nepal sought Chinese support in development of hydropower, tourisms and infrastructure.
Liu is in town to attend a meeting of the standing committee of International Conference of Asian Political Parties.
Leaders of other Asian communist parties are also attending.
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Five secretaries appointed

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Five secretaries were appointed by the cabinet Thursday.
Joint secretaries Shetal Babu Regmi, Bimal Wagle, Mahendra
Shrestha, Madhav Ghimere and Ananda Raj Pokhrel were
promoted.
Their ministries weren’t assigned.
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Russian paraglider killed

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Russian paraglider Kirdy Askin Alexander was killed Thursday at Dhikidanda in Kaski when his parachute didn’t open.
He died while being rushed to hospital.
He didn’t have a flying license of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
A German paraglider was killed in the district last month.
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Barack Obama receives credentials from Dr Shanker Sharma

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: President Barack Obama Thursday received credentials from Ambassador Dr Shanker Sharma at the While House.
He replaces Dr Suresh Raj Chalise.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOIMY

Ajay Shrestha CEO of BOK

Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Ajay Shrestha has been appointed CEO of Bank of Kathmandu (BoK).
He moved to BoK from NMB Bank where he was general manager.
Shovan Den Pant has been appointed CEO of ailing Lumbini Bank for
another four-year term by the bank’s board of directors.
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