POLICE SEIZE SEALED LETTERS ON US EMBASSY FROM TIBETAN REFUGEES, US EMBASSY DOES NOT COOPERATE IN INVESTIGATION OF PASSPORT MISUSE

FLOOD WATER ENTERS HOUSES IN ALL 22 WARDS OF BIRATNAGAR

Kathmandu, 30 July: Flood waters have entered hundreds of houses in all 22 wards of Biratnagar municipality following heavy overnight rain.
People are wading streets in knee-deep water Saturday, Radio Nepal reports.
Without drains and outlets for water, the problem has been compounded.
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US EMBASSY ASKS POLICE NOT TO OPEN EMBASSY LETTERS SEIZED FROM TIBETAN REFUGEES GOING TO US ON ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED NEPALI PASSPORTS

Kathmandu, 30 July: Officials of US embassy haven’t allowed police to open letters seized from two Tibetan refugees Tuesday night flying for USA, Rabi Dhami and Chandra Shekhar report in Annapurna Post.
The letters were written by US embassy were seized from them.
Cases have been filed by police for misuse of passport and letters as proof.
Other materials seized from them have been opened and studied. Police didn’t open the letters saying they were ‘diplomatic’ material.
Hanuman Dhoka metropolitan police has summoned the officials Friday to open the sealed envelop.
The officials asked the sealed letters be returned.
Police replied the letters had already been mentioned in an on-the spot report and couldn’t be returned
The officials returned asking the letters shouldn’t be opened.
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FOREIGN MINISTRY PROBING PASSPORT MISUSE AFTER MISUSE BY FIVE TIBETAN REFUGEES

Kathmandu, 30 July: A five-member probe committee headed by Joint Secretary Dhananjaya Jha was formed Friday to investigate possible involvement of ministry staff in issuing valid Nepali passports to non-nationals
The probe was formed after five Tibetan refugees traveled on such documents.
Tapas Adhikari, Dhan Bahadur Oli, Tirtha Raj Wagle and Toya Adhikari, are members.
The body will report in one month.
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CHINA ASSIST TO STRENGTHEN SECURITY

Kathmandu, 30 July: To strengthen cooperation with the Nepali security establishment, China will provide Rs 100 million (10 million RMB) through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Chinese offer came on Thursday at a meeting of Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Home Sudhir Shah and his visiting Chinese counterpart Wang Chaun Qi, head of International Cooperation, Ministry of Public Security Affairs, Anil Giri writes in The Kathmandu Post.
In March during the visit of Chinese Army Chief Gen. Chen Bingde, Beijing had signed a bilateral agreement with the Nepal Army pledging assistance worth Rs. 1.42 billion (130 million RMB).
"We discussed areas of mutual cooperation for the benefit of both sides. The meeting mostly dwelt on how to extend cooperation between law enforcement agencies of both countries. Also, we discussed how to enhance the capacity of our security and civil officers," said Shah.
Last July, Nepal and China established a joint secretary level mechanism to share intelligence for containing anti-China activities in Nepal and the Chinese side had assured full support to enhance capacity building and training of Nepali security personnel to be deployed along the northern border, while seeking Nepal's commitment on information sharing on anti-China activities with an effective law enforcement mechanism to contain such activities.
The visiting four-member Chinese delegation, which is still in town, has sought a proposal from the Nepali side on the Chinese government's allocation of Rs 100 million (10 million RMB) to assist and enhance the capacity of Nepali security officials during 2011. "Of the Rs. 100 million offer, four million RMB (Rs 40 million) will be spent on training, workshop, language training (Chinese and Tibetan) to Nepali security and civil officials and the rest six million RMB (Rs 60 million) will be spent on upgradation of infrastructure of security agencies. This includes constructing buildings and other logistics," Shah said. More than a dozen security and civil officials from the Home ministry will visit China shortly for training. "The assistance fulfils our needs and requirements," said Shah.
The Home Ministry is forwarding a proposal in this respect very soon as Nepal needs to secure the assistance by the end of September. If it fails to submit a detailed proposal by then, the allocation is likely to be frozen and will automatically be transferred to next year.
Both sides also exchanged views on border security issues including curbing anti-China activities on Nepali soil. "We reaffirmed our one-China policy," said Shah. China has listed Nepal as one of the aid priority countries and committed that it will increase bilateral aid gradually.

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PLAN TO CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS


Department of Labour discussed with a dozen of government agencies today seeking their support in cracking illegal foreign workers, The Himalayan Times reports.
About 40,000 foreigners are believed to be working in Nepal but only 3,500 have taken work permit from the department.

“We discussed possible intervention measures strategy and cooperation among different government agencies in the meeting,” said director general of the department Dr Man Bahadur BK.

“We all agreed to make Nepal an illegal foreign worker free country within a year,” he described.

Officials of foreign affairs, home affairs, industry, education, labour and transport, physical planning and works, women, children and social welfare, energy ministries and Department of Immigration, Social Welfare Council and Nepal Police attended the meeting.

“We are dedicated to abolish illegal foreign workers in the country,” he said, adding that the stakeholders have committed to support the drive.

The department has asked over 100 diplomatic missions, donors and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) about the status of illegal foreign workers in their respective institutions.

The department has written to them last week and Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with the diplomatic missions and donor agencies.

Likewise, Social Welfare Council is coordinating with the International non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Diplomatic missions and donor agencies are sincerely cooperating in the issue,” BK said, adding that the department is now looking into schools, colleges and private sector

industries.

Detail plans to explore illegal foreign workers in those institutions has also been developed, he said.

The Department of Labour has estimated over 20,000 foreigners illegally working in schools and colleges across the country. at present.

According to the department, over 10,000 foreigners are working in hydropower, real estate and housing, banks, telecommunication, tourism and aviation sectors in the country.

“We are mobilising concerned ministries and departments in exploring foreign workers’ status in those sectors. Legal action will be taken to those violating laws in hiring foreign workers,” he said.

Labour laws of the country bars public and private sector institutions to hire foreign workers without approval from the Department of Labour.

But the law has given exemption to hire foreign workers when the specific work forces are not available in Nepali market.

The Department of Labour grants permission to employers to engage a non-Nepali at work for a maximum period of five years and the term could be extended up to seven years.
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NO INTEREST NRB LOANS TO COMMERCIAL, DEVELOPMENT BANKS TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN RURAL AREAS ATTRACTS

Kathmandu, 30 July: The central bank’s interest free loans to commercial and development banks to venture into remote areas have garnered quite an interest from financial institutions, Dikshya Singh reports in the Himalayan Times..

“About 12 banks and financial institutions obtained the loan to open branches in remote areas,” spokesperson for the central bank Bhaskar Mani Gyawali said, adding that most of the loans were meant for branches outside the district headquarters.

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has provided interest free loans worth Rs 115 million in the last fiscal year to open branches in designated remote districts, according to the Monetary Policy for the current fiscal year.

However, the central bank itself is not sure about its effectiveness. “The NRB will review the decision after conducting a thorough study of the benefits,” he informed.

The central bank had — last December — introduced zero per cent interest loan to class ‘A’ and ‘B’ financial institutions to start a branch is any

of the 22 remote districts by

the government.

According to the regulation, any banks and financial institution is entitled to zero interest loan up to Rs 5 million to open a branch in the district headquarter, whereas the amount is double for those that want to open branch outside headquarters.

The measure was introduced as an incentive to venture into rural areas after the central bank decreed that banks and financial institutions will be allowed to open branch in Kathmandu valley only after opening two branches outside the valley.

Due to the central bank’s efforts, the number of districts with only one commercial bank branch has reduced to nine by the end of the third quarter of the lat fiscal year from 18 in the beginning of the fiscal year, according to the Economic Survey.

The mandatory provision, on one hand has increased the access to formal banking in the remote areas, but on the other hand, has increased the financial burden as without commercial viability the banks and financial institutions could not be interested to open branches.

“On the current scenario, it is not prudent decision for the finance companies to start a branch in remote areas as it is an expensive affair,” said president of Nepal Finance Companies Association Rajendra Man Shakya pointing out the absence of financial assistance from central bank to open branches in rural areas to class ‘C’ financial institutions.

The central bank governor

Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada has also admitted that it has not been successful in increasing banking access despite all its efforts.

Lately, the central bank is also shifting its focus on promoting micro-finance institutions to increase banking access of the rural populace instead of coaxing the urban-centred commercial banks to go into remote areas.

“The emphasis will now be given to micro-finance institutions by providing interest free loans up to Rs 1.5 million to set up branch in nine districts — Manang, Humla, Dopla, Kalikot, Mugu, Jajarkot,Bajhang, Bajura and Darchula — that have limited access to finance,” Gyawali added.
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