SUBDUED HOLI CELEBRATION URGED

SUBDUED HOLI CELEBRATION URGED
Kathmandu, 7 March: Local administration asked residents to celebrate Holi
in a subdued manner Wednesday.
The spring festival is being celebrated in the Himalayan and hill regions
Wednesday.
More than 2,200 policemen have been deployed in the Valley to oversee a subdued and joyous celebration.
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PM BHATTARAI ASKS ANGRY TERAI COALITION PARTNER TO NAME COMMUNICATON MINISTER
Kathmandu, 7 March: An angry team of MJFN-Ganatantrik, was subdued Tuesday when when Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai asked the party leaders to nominate a
candidate to take charge of communications ministry.
The premier is looking after the affairs of the communications ministry after party Chairman Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta was convicted and sent to jail by the supreme court on corruption charge.
MJFN Ganatantrik charged Bhattarai for taking charge of the communication against the principle of coalition government culture.
Amid threat to quit the government MJFN Ganatantrik submitted a
memorandum to Bhattarai demanding implementation of the four-point
agreement with Maoists pushing terai demands.
The party has threatened a pullout from government saying regional demands havent’ss been implemented by Maoists leading the government.
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NEPAL NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM, ACCOMPANIED BY BRITISH
COACH, SEEKS DHAKSHINKALI BLESSINGS FOR AFC CHALLENGE CUP WIN
Kathmandu, 7 March: Nepal’s national football Monday offered players and
sought blessings of Dhakshinkali, accompanied by the team’s British coach for a win at the AFC Challenge Cup beginning in the capital Thursday.
National sports governing body ANFA Boss Ganesh Thapa described the tournament as the country’s most expensive football tournament saying all preparations were complete for the event from 8 to 19 March.
Steve Blatter, who is Chairman of world soccer governing body on tour of South
Asian countries, will launch the event; matches are being played at Dashrath
Ranshashala and APF ground at Halchowk near Syambhunath.
Blatter is being received almost like a visiting head of state.
He’ll be received by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and President DR. Ram Baran Yadav.
Blatter will inaugurate the Football Project being financed by FIFA to promote soccer.
Nepal is in Group ‘A’ with Palestine, Maldives and Turkmenistan, Group ‘B’
comprises of North Korea, India, Turkmenistan and Philippines.
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NOC, COMMERCE MINISTRY BALMED FOR GS SHORTAGE
Kathmandu, 7 March: Consumer rights activists today [Tuesday] blamed Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies for being influenced by gas entrepreneurs in its drive to list cooking gas dealers, The Himalayan Times reports.

NOC has said that the dealership certificate will be provided in coordination with Nepal LP Gas Industries Association and it has directed dealers to obtain the certificate from the association, said consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan. “It is a tangible example of NOC accepting the trend of syndicate and cartel of gas bottling plants.”

NOC has urged all concerned dealers to register within 21 days. It is necessary to regulate and manage cooking gas business more effectively, according to NOC. “Proper registration is a must to end the current trend of hoarding and to ensure smooth supply.”

But, Maharjan blamed NOC for introducing the registration system to protect black marketers. “Bottling plants themselves have been hoarding cooking gas,” he said, questioning how they could issue registration certificates to dealers in such a scenario. However, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has said that it will register dealers at either NOC or the Department of Commerce.

Industrial use of LPG high

Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has predicted that the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by industries is on the rise. Using cooking gas costs significantly lower than diesel and kerosene, said secretary Lal Mani Joshi. “LPG is Rs 25-30 cheaper as compared to diesel and kerosene.” Even printing presses are using cooking gas as their source of energy, he said. NOC is collecting data to identify the actual ratio of household use and industrial use of cooking gas, he informed. He, however, denied that increasing industrial use was the only reason for the current crisis.
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FORMER MAOIST PLA FIGHTRS VACATE 13 CANTONMENTS, CAMPS FROM THURSDAY
Kathmandu, 7 March: The PLA is likely to begin vacating 13 cantonments from March 8 as per the decision of the Special Committee to bring down the number of cantonments by half,
Kiran Pun writes in Republica..

"We will leave the cantonments beginning March 8 or 9," said Kamala Naharki, commander of Krishna Sen Memorial Brigade, Sainamaina, adding that her brigade is being merged with the PLA fourth division headquarters in Jhyaltungdanda, Nawalparasi.

The Special Committee had decided to reduce the number of cantonments following the release of 7,000-plus combatants who opted for voluntary retirement.

According to PLA commanders, the 13 cantonments will be merged into the rest 15 cantonments. Over 16,000 combatants had been living in the cantonments since 2007 following verification by UNMIN.

The staffers of the Special Committee secretariat will visit the cantonments for the purpose Tuesday. The Special Committee had decided to close the cantonments by March 10.

The vacated cantonments will be guarded by security forces (Nepal Army or Armed Police Force) posted in camps nearest to the cantonments concerned.

PLA First Division Commander Yam Bahadur Adhikari said the merger of cantonments will complete by March 10.

Special Committee secretariat member Kul Prasad KC said they will leave the capital Tuesday for the merger.

The weapons containers will be transferred to the cantonments that will be operated until the integration process is over.

"The emptied cantonments will be guarded by the security forces until the government formally decided about their fate," said KC.

The Second Divison Commander Suk Bahadur Roka Magar complained that the secretariat members have not cooperated with them for the merger process.

"They have not yet talked to us in detail. We are not sure what types of goods we can take away. There are many things we need. We have not yet quit the cantonment life; we are just being transferred," added Roka Magar.

According to him, Khayarmara cantonment will be guarded by the APF and Ranibas cantonment by the NA.

Danabri and Yangshila cantonments of the First Division will be merged with the divisional headquarters in Chulachuli and satellite camp of Tandi.

Ranibari and Khayarmara cantonments of the Second Division will be merged with the division headquarters in Dudhauli and its satellite camp at Belsot.

Chainpur Bhutiyaha and Rasuli cantonments of the Third Division will be merged with the division headquarters in Shaktikhor and satellite camp in Gairabari.

Sainamaina and Jargha cantonments of the Fourth Division will be merged with the divisional headquarters at Jhyaltungdanda and its satellite camp in Hattikhor.

Tila and Sakram cantonments of the Fifth Division will be merged with the divisional headquarters at Dahaban and its satellite camp in Ungha.

Kalyan and Lekpharsha cantonments of the Sixth Division will be merged with the divisional headquarters at Dasharathpur and and its satellite camp in Gumi.

Sahajpur cantonment of the Seventh Division will be merged with its headquarters at Talband.
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NEPAL SEEKS CLARITYIN CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY PAYMENT
Kathmandu, 7 March: Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) has approached the Indian government to clarify new terms of payment laid down by Indian exporters, under which they are seeking Nepali importers to pay in US dollar if they are to get duty exemption - a move which has brought imports of excisable goods from India to a halt since last six days, Republica reports.

“We have formally approached the Indian counterpart for explanation through diplomatic channel,” said Lal Mani Joshi, secretary of MoCS.

The ministry took such a step after local importers officially lodged a complaint over the confusion they faced after Indian exporters asked them to make payment in US dollars.

The confusion over terms of payment had surfaced particularly after the scrapping of duty-refund procedure (DRP) system on March 1. Under the system, India used to collect duty on excisable items exported to Nepal and the government of Nepal that used to allow entry of those goods without charging excise duty used to get the due excise collection in the form of duty refund.

After the system is scrapped, the normal understanding between the two governments was that India will allow its exporters to supply goods to Nepal at ex-factory price (without excise duty) and the Nepali customs would charge the due excise duty.

However, traders said the Indian exporters are presently demanding Nepali traders to make payment in US dollars.

“They (exporters) say they have been notified by the Indian authority to supply goods at ex-factory price only if the payment is made on US dollars,” said Pashupati Murarka, vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

Murarka said Indian exporters are refusing to deal on ex-factory price when approached for payment in Indian currency.

As the DRP has been scrapped, traders won´t get payment of excise made to Indian supplier refunded.

“How can we pay excise in India and again in Nepali customs?” questioned Murarka. “We can´t pay in US dollars also because Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has opened US dollar payment facility for about 250 items.”

Interestingly, officials at the Indian Embassy said the term laid by the Indian exporters is not fair.

“Reserve Bank of India´s (RBI´s) guidelines has not been changed for Bhutan and Nepal. This means Indian traders cannot impose payment terms in USD to Nepali traders,” an Indian Embassy official in Kathmandu said, preferring anonymity. “If what the Nepali importers are saying is true, they should cite specific examples.”

Irrespective of what the officials said, Murarka said the stance of Indian exporters has created confusion among Nepali traders. “This has badly affected imports of cement, clinkers, textiles and vehicles, among others,” he stated.
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