SUGGESTION TO PUT ON DISPLAY CROWN IN NARAYANHITI NATIONAL MUSEUM SEING SENT TO CULTURE MINISTRY THURSDAY

AIBA RECOGNIZES RAJIB SHRESTHA-LED NBA
Kathmandu, 29 March; Rajiv Shrestha-led Nepal Boxing
Association (NBA) has been recognized by International
Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA).
Shrestha was elected president by a disputed general assembly 18 February.
and he’s challenged by Rabraj Thapa, a former NBA chief.
A letter sent 26 March said the recently concluded election was
legal and officials elected were, therefore, representative.
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CROWN TO BE PUT ON DISPLAY
Kathmandu, 29 March: A report is being sent to the culture
ministry Thursday to put on display the crown found at former Narayanhii Royal Palace, Nagarik reports.
Lok Bahadur Karki, chief of the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, now
a national museum, said a report suggesting putting the crown
on display this fiscal year
Suggestions have been prepared.
The crown, which was found in an iron safe, will be put on display in a three-tiered bulletproof casing.
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TOURISM TO GUARANTEE MILLION JOBS
Kathmandu, 29 March: The travel and tourism industry of the country, in the next decade, is expected to generate more than one million jobs which will account for 8.3 per cent of the total number of jobs available in 2022, The Himalayan Times reports.

“The tourism sector has a great opportunity in contributing to economic development through employment generation and with a significant

contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP),” said chief executive officer at Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents Hari Sharmah.

In 2011, the total contribution of the travel and tourism sector to employment including indirect jobs supported

by the sector, stood at 7.7 per cent of the total employment

of 952,500 jobs, according to

a draft report which also emphasises on the need to include

the tourism sector as a priority industry.

According to a report of the World Travel and Tourism Council, it has expected a rise of 3.8 per cent of the total employment of 988,000 jobs and an increase by 3.1 per cent per annum to 1,341,000 jobs in 2022 which translates to 8.3 per cent of the total jobs.

In 2011, the travel and tourism sector directly supported 412,500 jobs, which is 3.3 per cent of the total employment. It is expected to rise by 3.7 per cent in 2012 and by 2.8 per cent per annum to 562,000 jobs which is 3.5 per cent of the total employment in 2022, the report said, adding that the total contribution of the sector to the

national GDP was Rs 119.1 billion which was 8.8 per cent in 2011 and is expected to rise by 4.8 per cent in 2012. “It will see

a rise by 4.1 per cent per annum to Rs 185.5 billion in 2022,” states the report.

“Though the industry holds huge prospects, the government has failed to facilitate

the industry with proper infrastructure that is required to promote tourism,” said Sharmah, adding that as compared to other sectors, the tourism industry has more comparative and competitive outcomes.

“To help the sector achieve

its potential, it needs to be identified as a national priority

industry,” he said.

The World Tourism Competitive Index 2011 stated that among 139 countries Nepal ranked 122 but tourism experts have claimed that with proper planning from the government, the sector can get a better global ranking.

“The tourism industry is the only sector which can be revived promptly and that fact can be verified through the visitor arrival figures after the 2006 agreement between the different political parties,” he said. During 2007, the country observed an increment of 37 per cent in total tourist arrivals.

Meanwhile, tourist arrivals broke the record with an arrival of 735,932 tourists in 2011, which was celebrated as Nepal Tourism Year. During 2010, total tourist arrivals was 602,867.
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BRING WEST SETI UNDER INVESTMENT BOARD
Kathmandu, 29 March: The Parliament’s Natural Resources and Means Committee (NRMC) has given its vetting to the government-China Three Gorges deal on West Seti, with recommendation to bring it under the purview of Nepal Investment
Board, Mukul Humagain and Ashot Thapa write in The Kathmandu Post..
The committee, which completed its report on the 750 MW project on Wednesday, directed the government to make amendments in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI) on February 29.
The NRMC has come up with a list of areas where it wants the government to make changes before finalising the project agreement with the Chinese company.
The West Seti project should move ahead as a top priority, through talks with the investor by the authorised government agencies and keeping in mind the aspirations of the people in the Far West, Nepal’s need, friendly relations with China and credibility of the government, the report says.
“We have prepared the report with suggestions of making the project a multipurpose one and with conditions to extract maximum benefits for the country,” said Gagan Thapa, a Nepali Congress lawmaker and a member of the parliamentary committee.
The report has called on the Ministry of Energy (MoE) to prepare a financial plan before the deal gets final endorsement from the government.
It has also suggested the government hold talks with the CTGI on equity sharing, with the Nepali side holding 49 percent of it.If possible, 10 percent stake should go to the people of the Far-West
and 14 percent to those from outside the region, according to the report. As per the MoU signed last month, the CTGI will have 75 percent
stake, while the Nepal Electricity Authority will own the rest. The MoU says that the CTGI will be providing 2 to 5 percent of its share to locals living around the project site.
However, a senior MoE official said that the change in equity structure as recommended by the committee might create a problem. “The CTGI has agreed to manage soft loan for the NEA to fund for its 25 percent stake,” said the official. “But, who will manage the funds for the additional 24 percent of the stake?”
The report has called for timely completion of the project as mentioned in the MoU.
“The government must guarantee the development of the project and ensure that it would be completed by 2019 as mentioned in the MoU,” states the report.
As per the Investment Board Act, hydropower plants of 500 MW and above come under the board’s purview.
MoE Joint Secretary Arjun Kumar Karki said that no matter who takes the responsibility of concluding the deal, the development of the project counts the most.
“After all, the project is of national interest and there is nothing wrong if the Investment Board has the capacity to take ahead the development process of the project,” added Karki, who had signed the MoU on behalf of the government.
The report has also recommended that the power purchase agreement (PPA) of the West Seti be done
in Nepali currency as far as possible. “If a certain part of the PPA has to be done in foreign currency then the risk of fluctuation of foreign currency should be shared by all parties,” the report says.
It has also slammed the MoE technical team for directly signing the MoU with the Chinese company when they were just assigned to prepare a financial and technical concept for the West Seti.
The committee concluded that authority has been abused by the MoE while signing the deal with the CTGI. It has drawn the government’s attention on this and directed it ensure that such acts should not be repeated.
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MAOIST PRIORITY PEACE AND CONSTITUTION





Kathmandu, 29 March:
The informal Central Committee (CC) meeting of the establishment faction of the largest ruling party, UCPN-Maoist, Wednesday unilaterally decided to initiate various campaigns for the timely conclusion of tasks on peace and constitution., The Rising Nepal reports
After the disgruntled faction boycotted the CC meet scheduled for Wednesday, the meeting of the establishment faction decided to mark the People’s Movement Day, party’s anniversary and people’s mobilization process unilaterally.
In the meting held at party headquarters at Paris Danda, party chairman Puspha Kamal Dahal Prachanda presented a review report on the progress made so far in peace and constitution writing processes and the intra-party conflict of the recent form.
Party chairman Prachanda briefed the leaders about his meeting with party vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya Kiran and his faction.
Talking to the reporters, party spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said that Prachanda, in the meeting, said that he found the disgruntled faction was in favour of party unity.
Saying that the meeting was held to complete a formality after the disgruntled faction’s boycott, Sharma said that it decided to mobilize party cadres nationwide for the next two months to guarantee peace and constitution within the stipulated time.
According to Sharma, who is also a minister, the meeting decided to mark the People’s Movement Day on April 6, Party Anniversary Day on April 21 and Workers’ Day on April 29 and to launch the people’s mobilization campaign as well.
Central Committee member and Finance Minister Barshaman Pun said that the meeting decided to organize the disqualified combatants and Maoist former combatants who opted for the voluntary retirement calling a meeting on April 13.
The establishment faction, countering the dissenting faction, decided to form an organization of the disqualified combatants and of those who were released from the cantonments under the voluntary retirement package.
The disgruntling faction led by senior voice-chairman Kiran is boycotting the CC meet demanding to execute the decisions made so far by the earlier CC meeting whereas the establishment faction is saying that fresh review and decision in peace and constitution is essential from party CC meeting.
The disgruntled faction had also announced its nationwide protest programme unilaterally earlier.
The meeting was participated in by Maoist chairman Prachanda, vice-chairmen Dr.Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha along with other top establishment faction leaders.
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FURTHER DETAILS OF MAOIST CC MEET

Kathmandu, 29 March::
The informal Central Committee (CC) meeting of the establishment faction of the largest ruling party, UCPN-Maoist, Wednesday unilaterally decided to initiate various campaigns for the timely conclusion of tasks on peace and constitution, The Rising Nepal reports..
After the disgruntled faction boycotted the CC meet scheduled for Wednesday, the meeting of the establishment faction decided to mark the People’s Movement Day, party’s anniversary and people’s mobilization process unilaterally.
In the meting held at party headquarters at Paris Danda, party chairman Puspha Kamal Dahal Prachanda presented a review report on the progress made so far in peace and constitution writing processes and the intra-party conflict of the recent form.
Party chairman Prachanda briefed the leaders about his meeting with party vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya Kiran and his faction.
Talking to the reporters, party spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said that Prachanda, in the meeting, said that he found the disgruntled faction was in favour of party unity.
Saying that the meeting was held to complete a formality after the disgruntled faction’s boycott, Sharma said that it decided to mobilize party cadres nationwide for the next two months to guarantee peace and constitution within the stipulated time.
According to Sharma, who is also a minister, the meeting decided to mark the People’s Movement Day on April 6, Party Anniversary Day on April 21 and Workers’ Day on April 29 and to launch the people’s mobilization campaign as well.
Central Committee member and Finance Minister Barshaman Pun said that the meeting decided to organize the disqualified combatants and Maoist former combatants who opted for the voluntary retirement calling a meeting on April 13.
The establishment faction, countering the dissenting faction, decided to form an organization of the disqualified combatants and of those who were released from the cantonments under the voluntary retirement package.
The disgruntling faction led by senior voice-chairman Kiran is boycotting the CC meet demanding to execute the decisions made so far by the earlier CC meeting whereas the establishment faction is saying that fresh review and decision in peace and constitution is essential from party CC meeting.
The disgruntled faction had also announced its nationwide protest programme unilaterally earlier.
The meeting was participated in by Maoist chairman Prachanda, vice-chairmen Dr.Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha along with other top establishment faction leaders.
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FAULTY DEVELOPMENT CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE SAYS PM
By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, 29 March:
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai Wednesday said that the world had to face various environmental problems owing to the faulty development policies, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at the Climate Change Council meeting in Kathmandu, Premier Bhattarai said that the time had come for mulling over the alternative technology for development.
He said that all should pay their attention to the use of environment-friendly technologies.
The PM said that the developed nations were behind the environmental degradation globally.
The PM stated that climate change had been a major concern across the nations with the beginning of the 21st century and unplanned and haphazard development policies were responsible for the rising climatic disorders.
At the meeting, Dr Bhattarai gave directives to the concerned authorities to present a leadership proposal representing the mountainous countries on behalf of the country during the International Conference of Mountain Countries on Climate Change to be held in Kathmandu on 5-6 April.
He noted that the proposal presented by Nepal would be important as it was an important mountainous country.
The PM stressed that the upcoming conference should be able to float a new concept in the domain of the climate change.
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