NC MEET STARTS

Kathmandu, 18 Jan.: A joint meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) central working committee and parliamentary party has begun at the party central office at Sanepa on Wednesday morning in a bid to chart out its officials views on various issues of the peace and constitution-making processes.

The meeting will discuss on the contemporary political issues including forms of governance and state restructuring, informed NC central member Nabindra Raj Joshi.
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NGO STAFF POCKET 90 PERCENT OF BUDGET FOR DEVELOPMENT
Kathmandu, 18 Jan.: It has come to light that only 10 per cent of the total amount executed by Nepali Non-government Organizations (NGOs) for social development reaches out to the target beneficiaries, RSS reports from Nepalgunj.

Based on the study of investment in Mid and Far-western regions, it is found that around 90 per cent of the expenditure of the NGOs is apparently expended in staffing, allowances for office-bearers and administrative works, said Bharat Jungam, an anti-corruption activist.

Jungam, who has arrived Nepalgunj in course of the campaign, said the amount stated to be channelized for poverty alleviation, HIV/AIDS, women empowerment and other programme in the name of people has not reached to the target beneficiaries.

'It seems that there is misappropriation of amount in most of the programmes \implemented by the NGOs', Jungam further said.
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UML CAMPAIGN LIFTOFF
Kathmandu, 18 Jan.:The CPN-UML's party strengthening and people's mobilisation campaign and zonal-level workers' gathering organised by the party Bagmati zonal coordination committee concluded here on Tuesday, RSS reports.

Addressing the gathering, party chairman Jhalanath Khanal claimed that there was no more factionalism in the UML and underscored the need of uniting the party for the establishment welfare state by eliminating all forms of social discriminations.

"I am hopeful of the consensus among the parties on disputed issues in the constitution drafting process including the electoral system, form of governance and state restructuring issues", added Mr Khanal.

Also speaking on the occasion, party senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said that all forms of disputes within the party could be settled through talks and negotiations. He expressed his hope that party would move ahead in the unison in the days ahead.

Party Vice Chairman Bamdev Gautam, General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel and Secretary Yubraj Gyawali said the reluctance on the behalf of the party leaders and cadres to follow democratization of the party has jeopardized the partisan unity in the UML.

The party would be able to bring changes in the country only if could correct its past mistakes, they added.

Party standing committee member KP Sharma Oli said the UML has become the third party in the national politics since its past contributions could not be protected.

Calling for the immediate resignation of the incumbent prime minister to pave the way for the formation of the consensus government and taking an initiative by the party leadership for holding the elections of the local bodies as earliest as the possible, the gathering urged the party leadership to make their financial condition transparent.
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NOC ASKED TO FURNISH DETAILS
Kathmandu, 18 Jan.: Freedom Forum has moved to National Information Commission demanding detailed list of names of persons receiving fuel from Nepal Oil Corporation for free since 2003, The Himalayan Times reports..

“The corporation did not provide detailed information even after the Forum approached its acting managing director Suresh Kumar Agrawal,” chairperson of

the Freedom Forum Taranath Dahal said, adding that it is people’s right to know the names of those, who are getting fuel from

the state oil monopoly for free, at their cost.

Minister for Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhatta himself has last October publicly disclosed that the corporation distributes around Rs 60,000 worth petroleum products per month to the ministers and higher officials for free.

“The NOC distributes 200 litre worth fuel coupons daily to the minister for Commerce and Supplies apart from government officials and their relatives, for free,” he has revealed. The Nepal Oil Corporation officials

also repeated said that they have been distributing hundreds of litres fuel for free due to pressure from the politicians.

Meanwhile, talks between minister for commerce and supplies and Prime Minister for the consecutive second day could not yield any outcome on current fuel crisis.

The ministry has prepared a work plan to manage current fuel crisis and want it to be endorsed by Prime Minister, a source at ministry said.
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NOOSE TIGHTENING ON RENTAL TAX
Kathmandu, 18 Jan..: Inland Revenue Department is going tighten rental tax of properties rent out for commercial purposes by landowners to expand the tax net from mi-March by introducing a floor-price, Shiromani Dhungana writes in The Himalayan Times..

“We are all set to tighten rental tax in a month by fixing a standard price for the commercial buildings’ rent,” director general at the department Tanka Mani Sharma said, adding that the department has discovered that the landowners have submitted papers reducing the real rent down to 90 per cent to escape tax compliance.

“The department is preparing floor-price to reduce the current trend of under reporting in the tax liabilities,” he informed, saying the landowner cannot prepare papers stating ‘surprisingly lower’ rent to escape tax liability after the introduction of floor-price.

“Landowners from downtown have submitted paper stating only Rs 5,000 to 10,000 as rents but the department has discovered the real rental price to be as high as Rs 0.1 million or more,” he added. “They are paying the government peanuts compared to the real rent.”

The department is planning to check rental tax of all the department stores, malls, shopping complex and other buildings used for commercial purpose.

“Landowners who rent, lease or license immovable property for commercial purpose will have to pay the 10 per cent tax on the rental charge,” according to the department that is also making the landowners of residential purposes also responsible in paying tax.

“It is introducing the system of paying rent tax on monthly basis like telephone bill, drinking water bill or electricity bill, Sharma said. “The existing legal provision has made tenants responsible for tax compliance but the department is bringing the provision of making house-owner more responsible.”

Meanwhile, the department is also preparing to padlock finance and administrative section of educational institutions that have not paid education service tax. “The government has projected Rs 250 million revenue from education tax,” he said. “But only Rs 80 million has been mobilised until last month. The department will bring all the educational institutions into tax net from February.”
AVCO International — the then dealer for Hyundai automobilies — that cheated clients by not delivering vehicles even after it received payments, is found to be a non filer, according to the Inland Revenue Department. The owners of AVCO are absconding despite frequent attempts being made by police to nab them, according to the department that has prepared a preliminary report showing that the company had cheated some 167 people. AVCO had borrowed money from Machhapuchchre Bank and it is trying to import vehicles to recover its loan, department said.
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INDIA REMOVES A HURDLE TO THIRD COUNTRY IMPORT
Kathmandu, 18 Jan.: In a major development, India has agreed to allow Nepal to make direct transshipment of goods from its custom stations and dry ports, Mahesh Acharya reports in The Kathmandu Post from, New Delhi.
This will remove the additional layers of checking and processing of shipments at Kolkata's Haldia Port.
In the bilateral talks between Nepal and India held on Monday in Kolkata, officials agreed to bring in the new provision into effect through diplomatic channels 'very soon'.
The provision will shorten the time-consuming procedures and reduce the costs for Nepali businesspersons. It will also help boost competitiveness of Nepali goods and optimisation of Nepali ports, which have literally transformed into warehouses as they cannot make direct international transshipments via India-notified points.
Once the agreement is implemented, Nepal will be able to make direct international transshipment from its own Land Custom Stations/Inland Clearance Depots like dry ports in Birgunj and Bhairahawa.
Currently, Nepali traders have to make custom clearance in Nepal before shipping it to India, where the process is repeated for the conveyance of export materials to the third countries or imports from third countries.
"Both sides have agreed to recommend the Inter-governmental Committee for the new provision to open Nepali dry ports to make international transshipments," said Chandra Kumar Ghimire, Nepal's Consulate General in Kolkata, who attended the meeting.
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Ngaindra Upadhyay and India's Commissioner of Central Board of Excise and Customs Sandeep Kumar led their teams in the talks.
Another significant development in the talks was an agreement to enforce an automated process in Kolkata port, Jeevraj Ghimire, the Deputy Chief at Nepal's Consulate General office in Kolkata, said. It will reduce paperwork, human interference offering ample opportunities for Nepali traders of hassle- free trading, he said. A bilateral technical committee will meet in February to finalise the automation process.
Both sides also agreed to form a Periodic Trade Facilitation Committee to address problems faced by Nepali traders during export/import.
The delay in the movement of Nepal-bound cargo, which results into a heavy demurrage charge, was another issue taken up in the meeting. Nepali traders have been complaining of heavy losses as they are quite often charged a big amount when their goods are not moved within two weeks. Demurrage is a charge taken for the delay of a ship or freight car or other cargo beyond its scheduled time of departure. Indian officials agreed to discuss the matter with Kolkata Port Trust.
The talks however, did not take up the issue of additional one-time lock system, which has been imposed by the Indian side on Nepal-bound cargo since August 1, 2011. While stating that the talks focused only on issues related to customs, Nepali officials told the Post from Kolkata that deliberations on other issues like shipping lines, ports and carriers will be held in the second fortnight of February.
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NEPAL TOTRAIN INDIAN POLICE
Kathmandu, 18 Jan.: Nepal, for the first time, agreed to provide policing training to the Indian police. The two-day Nepal-India home secretary-level talks that concluded in New
Delhi on Tuesday took a decision in this regard, Anil Giri writes in The Kathmandu Post..
The 26th point of the 10-page minutes of the meeting, obtained by the Post, read, “The Nepalese side offered training opportunities to the Indian police personnel of tourism and community policing.” Nepal has excellent track record in community and tourism policing so Indian side was happy with the offer, said a source.
The meeting agreed to hold regular meetings of the chiefs of Armed Police Force and Director General, SSB, India. “For effective co-ordination at the ground level, the field commanders of the APF and their Indian counterparts should be provided with appropriate communication facilities for real time exchange of information. It was decided that they would meet on a bi-monthly basis. It was agreed that IF, APF and DG, SSB shall meet annually,” minute No 17 read.
The meeting discussed about strengthening measures to check the movement of terrorists and other miscreants using international airports as transit points, growth of religious fundamentalism on Nepal-India border, proliferation of Madrasas, anti-India propaganda by some Nepal’s FM radio stations in the border areas and misuse of SIM cards. “The Indian side expressed concern over the programmes directed against India broadcast by some FM stations in the border regions and requested the Nepal government to help control such broadcasts,” minute No 14 read.
India agreed to prevent harassment of Nepali nationals by the Indian police personnel and agreed for a joint inspection and maintenance of missing or damaged boundary pillars at least once every two years.
Indian side also agreed to provide training and capacity building support for combating cyber crimes, economic offences, and on forensic sciences, training for customs officials, prison officials, immigration officials, police officials and chief district officers.
Nepali side raised the issue of using fake Nepali documents by some unscrupulous elements. Both sides reviewed the Nepalganj- Raupaidiya Pilot Project to regulate cross-border movements, regular meeting of border coordination committees and issue of security of Indian joint ventures in Nepal.
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OPPOSITION PARTIES BOYCOTT PARLIAMENT AMID OPPOSITION TO SECRET AGREEMENT SEAL SEIZURE OF ASSETS DURING INSURGENCY

Kathmandu, Jan. 17, Opposition parties on Tuesday warned that they would not sit again for any dialogue until the cabinet annulled its most recent decision regarding personal property deals, Ram Prasad Dahal writes in The .Rising Nepal.
A recent cabinet meeting had decided to legalise the selling, purchasing, division and letter of will of land during the parallel government (jana satta) of the Maoists during the time of insurgency.
Opposition parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML walked out of a meeting of key political parties held at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction and also obstructed the meeting of the Legislature Parliament to press for this demand.
During the meeting of UCPN-Maoist, NC, UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front, NC president Sushil Koirala raised this issue and demanded clarification from the Prime Minister.
"Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the government legalized

such land deals that had remained illegal so far," Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, quoting the Prime Minister, said.
Prachanda said that the opposition parties should have welcomed the decision wholeheartedly. But they walked out of today’s meeting and warned of boycotting future meetings.
"The objections of opposition parties have come as spontaneous outrage but will turn normal gradually," Prachanda said.
NC vice president Ramchandra Poudel said that the cabinet decision was against the interim constitution and comprehensive peace accord. Therefore, we have demanded the cancellation of the decision.
CPN-UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said that the Maoists are trying to give legitimacy to objectionable activities of the insurgency which will not be acceptable to us.
"This is only the beginning. I have heard that they are going to legalise their ‘People’s Court’ other decisions taken during the insurgency," Nepal said.
Leader of the Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party Mahantha Thakur said that the United Democratic Madheshi Front will come up with its reaction after studying the details of the concerned cabinet decision.
Meanwhile, the opposition party leaders raised similar objections at the meeting of the Legislature Parliament. They demanded the government to annul the decision and created obstructions to the House meeting.
The opposition demanded immediate clarifications from the government on the issue. However, Speaker Subas Nembang put off the meeting saying immediate clarification was not possible.
The Parliament meeting ended without entering into the regular business. The Parliament is scheduled to meet Friday.
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