ANUJA BANIYA CLAIM A HOAX ADMIT NEWSPAPERS

NEWSPAPER APOLOGY FOR FALSE NEWS

Kathmandu, 25 April: Newspaper, including Kantipur, Monday admitted the sensational story of Anuja Baniya, 23, who claimed she returned Rs 9.1 million abandoned in a bas to its rightful owner last week was a claim framed up by the Dharan resident.
‘The story was all framed up,” the newspaper said with a note of apology to readers.
President DR. Ram Baran Yadav even congratulated Anajua over telephone when the news first broke and later ordered east Nepal district authorities investigate the claim when doubts were raised.
Baniya succeeded in duping journalists and some people.
But her own brother put Anuja in bad light exposing some of her past actions.
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JORNALISTS MEET IN CAPITAL FROM 3 MAY

Kathmandu, 25 April: The Federation of Nepalese Journalists has convened a two-day met in the capital from 2 May.
The meeting will elect a new executive.
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GURKHA DEVELOPMENT BANK TO RETURN DEPOSITS FROM MONDAY

Kathmandu, 25 April: Gorkha Development Bank, declared troubled three weeks ago by Nepal Rashtra Bank 9NRB), re-opened and started returning deposits Monday.
Depositors can withdraw fixed sums from Rs. 5,000 to Rs 100,000 depending on the size of deposits.
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SANIMA BIKASH BANK LTD. EARNS Rs. 90.3M NETPROFIT IN Q3

Kathmandu, 25 April: Sanima Bikash Bank Ltd earned a Rs. 90.5 million nt profit in Q3 of the current fiscal year ending 13 April
The bank earned a Rs.80.3 million net profit in the corresponding previous quarter.
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GOLD FETCHES ANOTHER RECORD PRICE MONDAY

Kathmandu, 25 April: A tola or gold was traded Monday at another record price of Rs. 42,100 after it was bought and sold at another record price of Rs 42,100 per told Sunday.
Sliver price also increased Monday as it was traded for a record price of Rs. 1,330 Sunday ahead of the coming marriage season.
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COMMITTEE TO PREPARE HONOURS’ LIST

Kathmandu, 25April: Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari heads a nine-member committee appointed by the cabinet to recommend names for an honours’ list this year, Kantipur reports.
Honours, including medals, announced last year haven’t been distributed after controversial election of nominees when Mahdav Kumar Nepal was rime minister.
Altogether 238 persons were mentioned in the list last year; some of the recommendations were challenged in court.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“As time is running out for us, it seems hard to find a date to visit India before PM leaves for Turkey [on May].”

(PM’s Foreign Relations Advisor Milan Tuladhar, The Kathmandu Post, 25 April)

“It’s not to inappropriate to raise the issues of professionalism and apolitical character of the army. But India right now is inciting the president and inviting the army chief for secret talks.”


“Security analyst Dr. Indrajit Rai, Naya Patrika, 25 April)
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PM’s CA EXTENSION EFFORT TO FACE BLOW

Kathmandu, 25 April: Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s proposal for a preliminary draft of a new constitution before the deadline for a new constitution expires on May 28 and extend the CA tenure is not likely to see the light of the day because two ruling partners—UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML—stand confused over the post-May 28 situation.

Leaders from his own party—Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli—have warned of dislodging him from power if he sticks to his proposal. The Nepal-Oli faction is deadset against the extension of the CA.

“Since he has failed to deliver what he had promised—forging a national consensus government by including the Nepali Congress—he should resign.

CA tenure extension is not the alternative,” said UML leader Karna Bahadur Thapa, a leader close to Oli.

Apprehensive of ‘pressure’ from the Nepal-Oli faction, Khanal on Sunday postponed the Central Committee meeting slated for Wednesday, where he was supposed to table the proposal outlining the party’s strategy on the post-May 28 situation. The irate Nepal-Oli faction, according to a leader, was also all set to demand Khanal’s resignation for failing to implement the party’s decisions, among other things, on portfolio allocations.

The intra party rift is manifest in the party’s senior leaders’ remarks. In his knee-jerk reaction to Khanal’s proposal to extend the CA tenure, former Prime Minister Nepal said on Sunday that such an idea was a tactic to prolong the current government’s tenure. “The CA tenure should not be extended in the name of constitution writing,” said Nepal, at a public function in Bhaktapur.

Party insiders said Nepal’s remarks indicate that the intra-party rift could deepen further, thereby keeping the party confused and undecided on the post-May 28 situation. “Given the tug-of-war in the party, it is not certain whether Khanal’s proposal will see the light of the day,” said a moderate UML leader.

However, a PM aide said that the intra-party rift would not affect the government. “The sole motive is to press the prime minister to step down. Just as efforts to prevent Khanal from being elected to the top post did not succeed, these machinations will also fail,” said

the aide.

UML’s coalition partner, UCPN (Maoist), is also sharply divided over its post-May 28 strategy. While party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has proposed extending the tenure of CA by preparing a preliminary draft of the constitution before May 28, the hardline faction led by Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya is against it. Baidya has been pushing for a “people’s revolt”, which he says, is the official line passed by the party in last November’s Palungtar plenum in Gorkha district.

“Some forces are hatching conspiracies to impose presidential rule. So, the only way to counter these is to adopt the slogan of peace and constitution,” Dahal stated in the political document presented in the ongoing Central Committee meet.

The hardline faction is maintaining that the chance of the promulgation of a pro-people constitution is not possible through the ongoing process and that the only way is to go for a people’s revolt after May 28.
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BID TO STREAMLINE IMPORT

Kathmandu, 25 April: With the revenue target proving difficult to achieve, the government has decided to increase the valuation of 3000 goods. The move is aimed at curbing the decline in the customs revenue collection, The Kathmandu Post reports.

The annual seminar on valuation organised by the Department of Customs (DoC) that concluded on Saturday took a decision to this effect. The meeting of the finance ministry and customs office chiefs decided to increase the valuation by 10-100 percent for local import—import of goods from India and China without opening the letter of credit (LC)—and 10-60 percent for goods to be imported from third countries allowing LC.

Among the goods seeing a rise in their valuations are garlic, betel nut, spices, biscuits, soft drinks, cosmetics, plywood, monosodium glutamate, textile, readymade garments, footwear, carpet, aluminium profile, glass, sports materials, marble, bicycles, bakery and dry foods.

Usually, the government recognises purchase bills, but whenever it feels that goods are being undervalued, it uses own valuation measures to fix the purchase rate. “The valuation will be adjusted based on the retail price in the local market, price in border areas of neighbouring countries and factory price here,” said Tanka Mani Sharma, director general of DoC. He said the adjustment was necessary as prices have increased in both international and local markets.

Although the meeting used to take place in September-October, this year, the meeting was held in April. Ministry officials expect that the adjustment in the valuation would help increase revenue.

As of mid-April, revenue collection grew by just 15.2 percent to Rs 145 billion against the target of Rs 152 billion. Revenue collection should grow by 20 percent to meet the overall revenue target of 216 billion for the current fiscal year.

Officials said achieving the revenue target from customs offices would be a challenging job due to slowed import.

Import has risen by just 1.76 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year against the growth of 41.3 percent in the same period last year, according to the ministry.

A senior ministry official said the revenue target from customs and registration fees are unlikely to be met due to slowed import and poor realty trading. As of the ninth month, customs failed to meet the targets of value added tax, excise duty and customs duty.

Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has also been unable to meet the targets of VAT and excise duty. Its income tax collection has surpassed the target, though, according to the ministry. As of the ninth month, VAT and excise duty collection fell short of target by Rs 720 million and Rs 530 million, respectively, according to IRD. “Delay in the budget presentation affected both VAT and excise duty collection,” said a senor IRD official. “Slow government expenditure also resulted in low VAT collection.”

Alarmed by the situation, Revenue Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota at the seminar on Friday warned customs chiefs of transfer if they fail to achieve the revenue target. Response of the Birgunj customs office Chief Labanya Dhakal was also straightforward that he could not meet the target at a time when business activities are slow. “I am ready for transfer,” he said.

Besides the revision of goods valuation, the meeting also decided to carry out administrative and management reforms in customs offices, develop physical infrastructure, prepare strategies to prevent and control smuggling, bring reforms in information technology infrastructure and work for human resources development.

The officials also discussed proposing customs duty on different goods for the next fiscal year’s budget. The meeting formed two committees each headed by deputy director generals Madhusudan Pokharel and Anandaraj Dhakal to recommend reforms in customs’ infrastructure sector and valuation, respectively. “The committees have been told to submit their reports within three days,” said director general Sharma.
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