UML INTERVENES AND DEBARS LEADERS FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY AMID POLITICAL CRISIS

UMLINTERVENES TO STOP FOREIGN VISIT OF PARTY LEADERS

Kathmandu, 15 March: UML parliamentary party Thursday morning intervened to stop the visit to Switzerland of top leaders, including General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, to participate in a foreign-funded seminar to discuss a stalled peace and constitution drafting process.
The opposition party with top leaders of governing parties, including Maoists, were to attend the seminar even as Speaker Subash Nemwang asked them not to leave the capital and work ’day and night’ to complete the stalled processes.
Maoist Finance Minister Barshaman Singh Pun, disregarded the request and flew first for Denmark overnight and then Finland
More than a dozen leaders of ruling parties in government and two opposition are scheduled to fly to Europe this week.
Nemwang himself cancelled a visit to Uganda to attend a conference of Inter-Parliamentary Union with party leaders.
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GOVT. DEPUTY LEADER STICKS WITH MAOISTS

Kathmandu, 15 March:
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar has said the government leadership would not change before concluding the peace and constitution drafting process, RSS reports from Bhadrapir..
Talking to media persons at Chandragadi Airport on Wednesday, DPM Gachchhadar said the present coalition was made to write the constitution with federalism.
All from their respective sectors need to contribute to accomplish the national duty of promulgating the constitution within May 27, he said.
Mr Gachchhadar, who is also holding the portfolio of the Defense Ministry, claimed that army integration process would begin very soon as the army integration special committee has expedited the discussion on this.
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GENDER FRIENDLY CITIZENSHIP PROMISED





Kathmandu, 15 March:
Leaders of three major political parties and the Madeshi Front Wednesday expressed their commitment to amend the discriminatory laws and ensure gender equality while distributing the citizenship certificates.
They made the commitment amidst a mass meeting organised to celebrate the International Women’s Day in the capital by four leading women’s networks, The Rising Nepal reports.
Chairperson of UCPN-Maoists and coordinator of Dispute Resolution Sub-committee Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda accepted that there were flaws in the present provisions of granting citizenship certificates.
"We have been holding discussions in the dispute resolution sub-committee and constitutional committee to amend the discriminatory laws," Prachanda said.
Dahal assured that the issues raised by women rights activists for ensuring gender equality in distributing citizenship would be taken seriously.
"A conclusion will be made at the earliest," he added. "Women have played a significant role in making big changes in the country, hence ensuring their rights is our key responsibility."
CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal said that the distribution of citizenship and amendment of the discriminatory laws would be carried out on the basis of national sovereignty and welfare.
"Distributing citizenship is a sensitive issue. We are committed to end the discriminatory laws in granting citizenship," said Khanal.
Present provisions for

citizenship were in the draft phase, Khanal assured that a decision would be made to finalise them as soon as possible.
He added that there was no alternative to peace and constitution.
Chairman of Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala said, "At the time when the country is drafting the constitution, there is a need to carry an in-depth discussion about the citizenship issues."
"Women of our country have played a significant role in many movements and their rights should be ensured."
Laxman Lal Karna, a leader of Madeshi Morcha, said that provisions where a person obtaining citizenship should have a Nepali mother and father must be corrected.
Dr Renuraj Bhandari, a women rights activist, said there should be no discrimination on the basis of gender while granting citizenship to the spouses of all Nepali citizenship holders.
Member of the directives committee on fundamental rights Dina Upadhyay, Women Network for Legal Advocacy member Bina Bista, Shantimalika member Haripriya Pandey, president of Sankalpa Durga Sob, and Women Pressure Group member Sharada Pokhrel pointed out the need to correct the discriminatory laws.
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EXPORTS INCREASE 13%


Kathmandu, 15 March :
The country saw an increase in export and import for the year, according to the high level financial sector coordination committee, which reviewed the current economic situation of the country based on available statistics, The Rising Nepal reports..
The meeting chaired by Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun analyzed the economic activity based on the statistics available till the Nepali month of Magh.
Statistics revealed that revenue worth Rs.1.28 trillion were collected by the end of the month.
This is 53 per cent of the annual target and 97.9 per cent of the target expected to be met by the end of the month.
Out of the total revenue collected, tax accounted for Rs. 1.09 trillion while the non-tax sector accounted for Rs. 184.8 million.
Similarly, the government expenditure by the end of Magh was about Rs. 1.24 trillion in which the current expenditure accounted for Rs. 1.05 trillion (37.7 per cent) while the capital expenditure was Rs 10.74 billion and liquidity remained at Rs. 29 billion (28.2 per cent).
The country experienced inflation of 6.8 per cent by the end Nepali month of Poush.
The data also revealed that the country had Rs. 368 billion in foreign exchange reserve by the end of Magh while Indian currency reserve remained at Rs. 90.19 billion.
Meanwhile, the deposit in commercial banks increased by Rs. 85. 68 billion while loan had increased by Rs. 55.25 billion.
The transaction of Stock Exchange market was Rs.664.9 million while bond capitalization was Rs. 3.43 trillion and that Nepse index remained at 312.48 by 12th of Nepali month of Falgun.
The country also saw 13 percent increase in export and 17 percent increase in import in overseas trade. Imports of carpet and
pashmina had increased in the time.
The meeting also held discussions about

rehabilitating government banks displaced during the insurgency and directed Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to carry out homework for rehabilitation soon.
The meeting directed the NRB to hold discussions with Indian counterparts to solve problems regarding the exchange of Indian currency.
A decision was made to place hoarding boards at Nepal-India border saying that Indian rupee notes of Rs. 500 and 1,000 denominations were illegal.
Governor of NRB Yubaraj Khatiwada said that the real estate business was experiencing improvement in recent months in the meeting.
Meanwhile in Kathmandu, Minister of State for Finance Hariraj Khewa Limbu has said that the government would take initiative to make investment-friendly environment in the days ahead.
At a programme organized by Media International here today, State Minister Khewa Limbu said the government would take initiatives to make investment-friendly environment onwards as we fought for political changes so far and now we need to be involved in economic revolution.
He further said lack of peace and security, among others, are the main causes of problems seen in the industry and business sector, but not the interest rates of banks. The State Minister stressed on moving forward changes of economic sector in a balanced way.
Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of Mega Bank, Anil Shah mentioned that deposit of the public is raw materials of the banks, and added that banks only determine the interest rates for the welfare of the depositors.
Shah further said that all the sectors in the country would not move ahead in a right manner until there was political stability in the country and urged all for making necessary environment to move economic sector ahead.
Chairman of the Nepal Trade Association, Industrialist Dinesh Shrestha said that a legal environment should be created to decrease interest rates, and mentioned that though there was liquidity in banks, there was no stability in interest rates.
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