UN GOVT. EFFORT TO CURB SMALL ARMS TRADE

UN. GOVT. EFFORT TO COMBAT ILLICIT SMALL ARMS TRADE

Kathmandu, 11 Sept.: United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific and government are conducting a programme to strengthen capacity and expertise of national law enforcement agencies and personnel to prevent and combat illicit trade in fire arms.
The five-day programme starts in the capital Monday.
The joint effort is timed with increasing illegal trade in firearms.
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BIHAR TEAM INSPECTS KOSI AREA

Kathmandu, 11 Sept.: A team headed by Principal Secretary of Bihar Water Resources Department Afzal Amanyllah arrived Saturday in Sunsari to inspect Kosi area.
He held discussions Saturday with technicians of Kosi project and directed them to monitor and maintain vulnerable sections of the eastern embankment of Kosi rover
Maintenance of the river project is India’s treaty responsibility.
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BHATTARAI GOVT. TO ATTRACT CHINESE INVESTMENT





Kathmandu, 11 Sept: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Saturday said that the government would remain effortful in attracting big investors from China to Nepal, The Rising Nepal reports.
Responding to a business delegation of Nepal China Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NCCCI), Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai assured that the government would take the suggestions positively.
The delegation led by president of NCCCI Rajesh Kazi Shrestha presented suggestions to the Premier about prospects of expanding bilateral economic, trade and investment between Nepal and China.
Stressing the need for attracting Chinese investments to the areas of banking, education, hydropower development, information technologies and tourism, Shrestha said that such investments would be instrumental in the country’s development.
Shrestha also said that Nepal needed to export products to China by fully utilising the duty free facilities offered by the Government of China. "In order to facilitate the Nepalese exporters exporting goods to China, the government now needs to have quarantine check system," he suggested.
Talking about Nepal’s widening trade gap with China, he asked the government to initiate some urgent measures to reduce the trade deficit.
The delegation emphasised the need for the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Nepal for trade facilitation and investment promotion through attracting investors’ especially from China and India.
He suggested that the Government of Nepal should bring in mega projects from China.
Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Saturday said that the government would make the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) more powerful.
In a meeting with the representatives of the Youth Campaign and Nepal United at his Baluwatar residence, Prime Minister Bhattarai said that vacant posts of the CIAA would be filled soon.
He also assured the youths that the appointment process of the CIAA official would be healthy, and transparent.
He appreciated the youths for their anti-corruption move.
The representatives handed the PM T-shirts reading ‘let the corrupt be damned!" for him and his ministers.
The team included comedian duo Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya, CIAA secretary Bhagawati Prasad Kafle, journalist Rabindra Mishra and students.
The representatives urged the Prime Minister to stand firm on his campaign to control corruption and said they would extend their support to him.
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INTEGRATION, STATE RESTRUCTURING MAJOR ISSUES





Kathmandu, 11 Sept.: CPN-UML chairman and former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal Saturday said that Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai had both challenges and opportunities before him to conclude the peace and constitution processes, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Inaugurating the 2nd National Conference of Nepal Democratic Newa Sangh in Thimi, Khanal said that the period of three months was highly important for peace and constitution.
He said that army integration, state restructuring, and form of governance were the major issues at present.
The army integration could not be possible without deciding the number, standard and modality of combatants to be integrated, he said.
Prithvi Subba, Rajendra Shrestha, Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, Malla K. Sundar and others stressed the need of unity among the parties to conclude the tasks before the nation.
Meanwhile, Khanal said that the peace process could be concluded only if the Maoists wanted to do so.
Opening a three-day national gathering and training programme of landless dalit farmers’ association, Khanal said that peace process could not be concluded if NC, UML or other parties claimed to do so.
He said that the tasks related to constitution drafting could move ahead only after concluding the peace process.
On the occasion, vice-chairman of the association Lal Bahadur Biswokarma informed that the dalits, some 20 per cent of the population, were landless and propertyless and had no access to education and health.
The association was established last year.
Meanwhile, in Banke, UML secretary Shankar Pokharel said that his party would play a role of a constructive opposition in the legislature parliament.
Speaking at a press meet organised by Press Chautari, Banke, in Nepalganj, Pokharel said that UML would support and oppose the government on the basis of merit.
He said that the government would not be able to accomplish the tasks of peace and constitution and added that only a consensus government could meet the people’s aspirations for peace.
He also termed the coalition between the Maoists and Madhesis as inappropriate.
Their four point agreement was against the earlier accords and international conventions, he said.
He asked the prime minister not to go for populist activities.
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