HOURNALIST TEAM IN BIRATNAGAR AFTER UML YOUTH LEADERS' THREAT

PM JHALANATH KHANAL TO ADDRESS PARLIAMENT AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON MONDAY UPDATE

Kathmandu, 15 Aug. Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal is scheduled to address parliament at three in the afternoon.
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has asked Khanal to continue in office pending another arrangement for government after the government tendered hiss resignation Sunday night.
President normally asks parties in parliament/legislature first to assemble a consensus government.
The appeal to parties should come later Monday.
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JOURNALIST TEAM IN BIRATNAGAR
Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: A team of senior journalists from the capital Monday arrived in Biratnagar where a senior youth leader of ruling UML leading the majority communist government threatened newspaper and journalists with closure and beatings.
The team is headed by Shiba Gaunle, chief of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists.
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NMB BANK LTD ANNOUNCES Rs.240.440 MILLION NET PROFIT

Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: NMB Bank Ltd. registered a Rs.240.440 million net profit in fiscal year 2067/68.
The profit increased from Rs.159.870 million net profit the previous fiscal year.
All major banks have announced increased in the last fiscal despite a faltering national economy.
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MORE ITEMS ON EXPANDED LIST OF INDIAN GOODS IMPORTS AGAINST CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY PAYMENT

Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) is expanding a list Indian goods imports against payment of convertible currency on the suggestion of commerce ministry , Nagarik reports.
“Against the advice of government, a policy to expand a list of goods to be imported against payment of dollars from India is being updated,” said NRB Spokesman Bhaskar Gyewali told Nagarik.
Last fiscal year 20 items, including tobacco imports of Surya Tobacco were added to the list There were more than 150 items in the expanded list.
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OUTGOING DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SHRESTHA DEFENDS ACTION DURING SHORT TENURE

Kathmandu, 15 Aug : Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha has said that the transfer of the Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) of Nepal Police was decided on the basis of service criteria and that there was no prejudice about it, The Rising Nepal reports.
"The decision on the transfer was taken as per the official comments of the IGP. The Home Ministry has already initiated discussions over the issue of transfer. I did not make transfer an issue after I joined the Cabinet," Shrestha told reporters during an informal meeting at his residence in Lalitpur on Sunday.
Shrestha clarified that services rendered in far-flung areas or centre, competency and seniority and service in security sensitive areas were taken into account while taking decision on transfer.
Asked why the DIG transfer was decided within shorter period than that of the Senior Superintendent of the Police (SSP) and Inspectors, the Home Minister clarified that DIG transfer had to be done through a cabinet decision while the transfer of the SSPs could be done even at the ministerial level or by the IGP.
"I am not happy about the transfer decision but we have to consider the evaluation report of the officers," Shrestha said.
He said that he had stopped the distribution of fund by the Ministry as he found that the dole out was useless and waste.
Asked if he took any step to improve the policing services, he said, "We have decided to set up help desks at police posts, women desk at CDO offices, mobile security posts in the border areas and formed special taskforce to battle the criminal gangs."
Commenting on the assaults on journalists, he said that he condemned any physical or psychological assault on journalists and assured that the Ministry would make its best efforts to bring the culprits to book.
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CARETAKER GOVT. CAN EXTEND CA TERM
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Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: Amid apprehensions of possible complications arising from the prime minister's resignation, Constituent Assembly officials and legal experts have said that there won't be any hurdles for a caretaker government to extend the CA's tenure beyond August 31, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The views come after Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal announced his resignation two weeks before the expiry of the twice-extended CA term. The government is yet to move a bill proposing amendment to the Interim Constitution for prolonging the life of the CA elected in 2008 for drafting the new constitution.
"Caretaker government is a political terminology suggesting that the outgoing government will not take any decision having long-term effect to the nation after announcing its resignation," said Tek Prasad Dhungana, legal advisor for CA Secretariat. "Since it will continue as a constitutional and legitimate government unless a new one assumes office, there will be no problem in moving a bill for term extension of the Constituent Assembly."
Dhungana said the decision to extend the CA term is a political question and there will be no legal hurdles if the majority of parties approve the proposal. "The agreement among major political forces will automatically give validity for the term extension."
During discussions with top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and the Samyukta Madhesi Morcha on Sunday morning, Khanal had expressed concern on whether there would be any complexity for legitimate extension of CA after he resigns from premiership. In response, other parties are learnt to have told the PM that it was a political question and a caretaker government could handle the issue like a full-fledged government.
At least two weeks is required for the passage of the bill proposing the amendment to CA term, if the proposal is to be passed by following all the parliamentary procedures. It means the government has to register the bill by Tuesday however the government can adopt a shortcut by suspending the parliamentary rules of procedures and complete all the process in less than a week, said Dhungana.
CPN-UML lawmaker Agni Kharel also supported Dhungana's argument saying that a caretaker government enjoys full authority for making decisions unless a next government replaces it. "The law, procedures and parliamentary practice don't obstruct extension of CA's term by a caretaker government," said Kharel, also a lawyer.
Parties are yet to start negotiations on the period they would extend the CA term beyond Aug 31. Both party and CA sources say there would be either a three-or six-month extension.
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CUSTOMS DEPT.PREPARES REFERENCE PRICE LIST
Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: Department of Customs has prepared reference price list for different customs offices, Shiromani Dhungana writes in The Himalayan Times..

“The reference price list will be effective from Monday,” director general Tanka Mani Sharma said, adding that it will reduce the trend of under invoicing the value of commodities while importing.

Generally, the customs offices fix the customs duty based on the transaction of the goods, Sharma said, adding that reference price list will serve as an alternative valuation tool. Preparing reference price list is internationally-accepted rule for customs valuation defined by an agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), according to him.

The WTO agreement recognises certain types of transactions where the buyer and seller’s price is not an appropriate basis for customs valuation.

Customs offices use reference price to see the price index of imported goods, Sharma informed, saying that the department is hopeful it will help to maintain actual valuation of goods after introducing reference price list.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is also mulling to further tighten the importers to mobilise more revenue, according to senior economic advisor Keshav Acharya.

“The ministry is committed to check the customs point strictly,” he said, adding that the ministry will make the monitoring more effective to control revenue leakages through customs points. “Post-clearance audit will be made more systematic to bring all fictitious and under-invoiced import under the scanner,” he said. The ministry will also effectively implement the provisions of filling up abbreviated customs declaration forms for the import of goods priced between Rs 100 and Rs 5,000 through customs offices across the country, he informed.

The ministry since last fiscal year had introduced abbreviated customs declaration forms mandatory to check the uncontrolled imports and expedite the government’s revenue collection.

But the government failed to mobilise the revenue as expected during the last fiscal year due to shortfall in customs points, Acharya said, adding that the government is putting its effort to meet the revenue mobilisation target from customs duty this fiscal year. The government had targeted to mobilise Rs 216.64 revenue in the last fiscal year but was able to mobilise only Rs 200.55 billion — Rs 16.09 billion shortfall in its target.

Of the total, it had set the target of Rs 41.36 billion revenue from customs alone but it could be able to mobilise Rs 35.64 billion – some Rs 4 billion shortfall – in customs during the fiscal year 2010-11.

For the current fiscal year, the government has estimated Rs 247.7 billion in revenue mobilisation, but the trend of revenue leakages is expected to hit the collection and government could not meet target.
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