TANKER OWNER SHOT AND INJURED IN CAPITAL Kathmandu, 13 Nov.: Riyajul Ansari, 30, of Jitpur, Bara, was shot and injured in the shoulder Monday at Teenkune, Baneshwor. He owned a tanker. Two others in the tanker weren’t injured. nnnn STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE SUGGESTED TO LIMIT FRAUD, CORRUPTION Kathmandu, 13 Nov.: Claiming that the uncoordinated and arbitrary scrutiny of stakeholders was causing hindrances to their work, the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) has urged the government to endorse the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as soon as possible. Despite groundwork being initiated a long time back, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) has not been able to introduce the ambitious procedure, Roshan Sedhai writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Citing an increase in fraud cases and corruption, various government bodies have independently began endeavors to tackle anomalies in the foreign employment sector. Besides the MoLE, other stakeholders like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFE), the Home Ministry and the Department of Immigration (DoI) have started their own initiatives. While praising its other initiatives, representatives of employment agencies accused the government of placing unwanted scrutiny on emigration. They claimed the government is intentionally discouraging even genuine manpower companies. “We also want change but the authorities concerned should not place every manpower companies in the same basket,” said Bal Bahadur Tamang, chairman of the NAFEA. The DoI had returned around 45 workers who were going abroad through Tamang's employment agencies. Manpower company owners claimed that many workers are ritually returned by the DoI despite possessing all legal documents. NAFEA records show that a total of 1,000 workers had been returned from the immigration desk at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Although mandated to look after only visas, the DoI demands many additional documents with clear intention of taking bribes, the owners said. “It must be clear which stakeholders are assigned to what duty. We are confused over documents we are supposed to submit to various offices,” said Tamang. The NAFEA expects that many of the current problems will be resolved after the SOP is introduced. Meanwhile, MoLE officials said they have completed most of the work on the SOP and that it will be implemented after the Cabinet endorses the draft. “The procedure will be endorsed once the concerned minister tables the draft in the Cabinet meeting,” said a ministry source. MoLE Spokesperson Buddhi Bahadur Khadka said the SOP aims to set up a standard work operation. The new procedure will cover the purview of all stakeholders, including the DoFE, MoFA, DoI, Nepali missions in the destination countries, labour desk at the TIA and recruiting agencies. “It is true that workers are facing problems as they are required to submit unnecessary documents and visit many offices to complete a single requirement,” said Khadka. “The new procedure will systematise and organise the current procedure,” said Khadka, adding that they hope to enhance the speed, quality and volume of services. Sources at the ministry said that a recently formed Rapid Response Team and a High Level Committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha and a bribery scandal involving former minister Kumar Belbase had delayed the overall work to introduce the SOP. nnnn DAHAL STILL BACKS PM BHATTARAI Kathmandu, 13 Nov : UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML did not want to join Baburam Bhattarai-led government even as he pledged NC the Home Ministry and UML the Finance Ministry, Republica reports. Addressing an interaction organized by Joint Trade Union Coordination Committee on Resolution of Political Impasse and Trade Union Rights, Dahal revealed that his party had offered NC Home Ministry, the UML Finance Ministry and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) Defense ministry in portfolio sharing. Dahal argued that the Maoists had to look for other alternative as the NC and UML did not want to join the Bhattarai-led government. "Since there has already been a verbal agreement among parties to go for a fresh election, I have asked to transform the current government into a national consensus government. I proposed to go for other alternative only if there was no consensus on this option even during our negotiation on Monday," he said. Dahal said that his party was still in favor of giving shape of national consensus government to Bhattarai-led government to resolve the deadlock. He however, said that Maoists have not presented Bhattarai as only candidate for the prime ministerial berth. Dahal complained that NC had not taken their proposal seriously to resolve the deadlock. While reiterating that he would not contest for prime ministerial race until there is a fresh election, Dahal added, "Though I, in the capacity as the head of the largest party, am concerned, the opposition parties have failed to understand that there was also a need to get consensus of Prime Minister Bhattarai, who is also UCPN (Maoist) leader," he said. Dahal also said that the Maoists strength of arms and armies had played a great role to make the democratic movement of April 2006 a success. "There had been agreement not to relinquish arms even after the 12-point agreement," he said. Addressing the function, NC President Sushil Koirala asked Dahal to take greater responsibility to resolve the deadlock in his capacity as the head of the largest political party. He also suggested the Maoists to relinquish the politics of violence and focus on peaceful politics to bring about development and change. Koirala, who was visibly aggressive at the Prime Minister, said Bhattarai and the UCPN (Maoist) were solely to be blamed for the current deadlock. The dissolution of the CA spearheaded by the Maoists with an intention of political coup, he further said. UML Chairman Khanal argued there cannot be fresh election unless there was change of guard of the government. "The issue of reviving the dissolved CA is now limited only to an academic discussion. Since the current government is a failure on all fronts, its departure is a must," he added. Nnnn ________________________________________ TREKKING, RAFTING OPERATORS DO BRISK BUSINESS IN OCT. Kathmandu, 13 Nov : Despite drop in tourist arrivals in October -- the peak tourist month, trekking and rafting operators saw their business grow by around 12 percent compared to the same month a year ago, RSS reports. According to the statistics of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), total tourist arrivals in October 2012 declined by 7.3 percent - the first decline in more than three years -- due to drop in tourist arrivals from the South Asia region which plummeted by more than 30 percent. Though the drop in arrivals led to decline in the sale of tour packages, entrepreneurs say it did not affect trekking and rafting business as only a few South Asian tourists go on adventure trips like trekking and rafting. “We observed a small but significant growth in trekking business this season," said Mohan Lamsal, general secretary of Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN). Trekking operators enjoyed better business mainly as Chinese tourists have started going on short treks of late. China has remained the fastest growing tourism market for Nepal over the past few years. Even though the months of October and November are considered peak season for trekking business, Lamsal said bookings for trekking was good till December. Likewise, Nani Kaji Thapa, president of Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA), said most of the rafting operators have observed growth in their business by up to 12 percent. “It is good to note that our business grew despite drop in the number of foreign tourists,” said Thapa. However, he termed the growth as natural as the period between September till mid-December is considered a good time for rafting in Nepali rivers. According to trekking operators, there is growing interest among trekkers on newly unveiled routes. “The number of adventure camping treks has also gone up this year," Lamsal, whose agency operated treks to Upper Dolpo, Kanchanjunga and Langtang this season, said. Meawhile, TAAN issued more than 27,000 TIMS cards in October - a rise of 10 percent compared to October 2011. Foreigners must obtain a TIMS card before embarking on trekking trips. “We are happy to retain the business in traditional routes and there has been a significant rise in the movement of trekkers on newly developed routes in Taplejung and Ganesh Himal," said Gangasagar Pant, CEO of TAAN. “It is important to open new routes in order to attract more tourists rather than promoting the same destinations time and again.” Nnnn ________________________________________ MOTHER SAYS YCL NOT EX-MAOIST CA MEMBER KIDNAPPED HER DAUGHTER Kathmandu, 13 Nov.: Kin of the disappeared on Monday dismissed the media reports that former Constituent Assembly member Safik Miyan made a minor girl disappear after raping her, The Himalayan Times.. Speaking at a press meet organised by Reporters Club, Nepal in the Capital today, Januka Chhetri, mother of Sharmila Chhetri, who has gone missing for the last few days, said her daughter has been kidnapped by the local Youth Communist League cadres trio Santosh Chhetri, Jubidha and Rashid Miyan, not by former CA member Safik Miyan. My daughter told me over phone that she was abducted by three YCL cadres including Santosh, Chhetri revealed in the Reporters Club today. She further said she filed an FIR without mentioning the name of the three YCL cadres as per the order of Superintendent of Police of Kaski district. Son of ex- CA member Miyan accused the YCL cadres of abducting house-maid Sharmila after his father revealed that the UCPN-Maoist henchmen embezzled the fund amounting to Rs 50 lakh in connection with Pokhara airport. Nnnn FRAUD CASES IN FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SECTOR INCREASES Kathmandu, 13 Nov.: The number of fraud cases in the foreign employment sector witnessed a growth in the first three months of the current fiscal year due to the active involvement of outsourcing agencies, The Himalayan Times reports. According to the Department of Foreign Employment, the number of fraud cases jumped to 104 in Asoj (mid-September to mid-October) from 77 cases in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August). Outsourcing agencies were involved in 269 fraud cases worth about Rs 8.01 million as recorded at the department. However, only three cases associated with outsourcing agencies reached the Foreign Employment Tribunal — a semi judicial body formed three years back to settle disputes in the sector. Claims that reached the tribunal were worth Rs 2.49 million. However, the number of fraud cases committed by agents or individuals reduced in the last three months. Individual fraud cases decreased from 148 to 132 between Shrawan and Asoj. Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) witnessed 135 cases of fraud by agents or individuals. Fraud committed by individuals decreased as the department tightened individual migration, said an officer at the department. The department has adopted a strategy that discourages individual migration, except of skilled workers since last November. “Now individual migration comprises of just six per cent of total migration,” he said, adding that last year, individual migration was half of the total migration. The department has been discouraging individual migration to promote safe migration. The committee, led by Dr Ganesh Gurung, had also suggested discouraging individual migration of unskilled and semi-skilled workers because they were found to be more prone to exploitation and abuse in major job markets — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Malaysia. Claims of individual cases is worth about Rs 34.41 million, and 43 individual fraud cases reached the tribunal which was worth Rs 31.14 million. A total of 415 individual fraud cases were registered at the department in the first three months of the current fiscal year. The department solved more than 90 per cent cases on mutual understanding between the cheaters and victims. Nnnn FOIR INDIAN COMPANIES APPLY TO CONSRUCT KATHMANDU-TERAI ROAD PROJEST Kathmandu, 13 Nov.: Four Indian companies have applied for construction of the high-priority Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road. Although nine hopefuls including one Nepali, two Korean and six Indian companies had shown interest in building the 76-km speedway, only four Indian companies showed up when the deadline expired on Monday, Raa,esh Shrestha writes in The Kathmandu Post . Reliance Infrastructure, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), Larsen and Turbo (L&T) Infrastructure Development Projects and Gammon India have submitted expressions of interest (EoI), said Rajendra Sharma, project manager of the Fast Track Project. “We will start evaluating the EoIs right after the Tihar holidays,” said Sharma. He added that they would shortlist the eligible firms by mid-December to issue requests for proposal (RFP). The other five firms that obtained EoI documents but did not return them are Landmark Worldwide and Samsung Engineering of Korea, Coastal Projects and Srei Infrastructure Finance of India and Sonakshi Infrastructure Development of Nepal. The government had invited fresh EoIs last July in an effort to encourage international firms to involve local contractors in the fast track project as per the directives of the dissolved Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The new EoI allows local contractors to have a share of up to 10 percent in the total cost of the project. Sharma said that the names of the local firms joining hands with international firms would be known soon once they study the details of the EoI documents that have been submitted. The planned expressway linking Kathmandu with the Tarai is estimated to cost over Rs 80 billion. The government has aimed to construct the route through the public private partnership (PPP) model on a build operate transfer (BOT) basis. According to project officials, when the government had invited EoIs for the first time in 2009, a total of 13 firms had acquired the documents and three firms—Reliance, Landmark Worldwide and Gammon India—had submitted them. The second time EoIs were called last year, five international firms had acquired the documents; but the application process was cancelled at PAC’s recommendation. Project officials said that four firms submitting EoIs was encouraging. “Despite the tough criteria, the application of four companies can be taken as a good sign,” said Saroj Man Shrestha, former project manager of the Fast Track Project. As per the criteria set by the government, only firms having experience in infrastructure projects costing over US$ 1,500 million or BOT projects involving highways and bridges costing over US$ 500 million in the last 10 years are eligible to apply. Similarly, it was a must for a prospective company to have a net worth of US$ 150 million or more. One firm applying in a joint venture with local contractors or a single international company will be awarded the contract based on the selection criteria. The government has planned to complete construction in five years from the date of signing the agreement. nnnn