SATURDAY MORNING CAPITAL TEMPERATURE 21 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 15 June: Saturday morning’s temperature in the capital was 21 degrees Celsius at eight. Mercury on a rainy day is expected to rise to 31 degrees Celsius as a break in the monsoon is expected. nnnn IED, LANDMINE RISKS STILL PREVAIL Kathmandu, 15 June: Two years after Nepal was declared free from landmines, the nation still faced the risk of losing lives to the explosives, people talking about landmine and improvised Explosive Devices (IED) said at a programme Friday, The Rising Nepal reports.. They mentioned that explosive devices took human lives even in the post-conflict period and urged the civilians to remain aware of these devices and inform the authorities about these. Speaking at the 2nd Anniversary of Landmine – Field Free Nepal, organized by Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL), they said that even today the public could not rest assured as being free from the risk of sudden blasts and related incidents. The Informal Services Center, Nepal, has reported eight casualties, including three deaths, from four incidents occurring between January 1, 2013 to June 12, 2013. Likewise, 544 incidents of use of small arms occurred between January and December 2012, leaving 232 people dead and 492 injured. The government announced Nepal landmine field free on June 14, 2011, after the disposal of 53 landmines as per the Comprehensive Peace Accord (PCA). Purna Shova Chitrakar, chief of NCBL, welcomed the government’s successful task of announcing the country as a landmine free field. She also urged the authorities to control the IED. “Infrastructure development, including in the area of transportation, picked a pace after the country became landmine free,” she added. The government launched five actions including clearance of mines and explosive remnants of war, mine risk education (MRE), stockpile destruction, advocacy and victim assistance with support from various organizations. Dani Lohar, child rights officer of the UNICEF, informed that landmine is not the major problem of the country. “There was only 10 per cent risk of landmines even during the conflict and ninety per cent problem was of IED,” Lohar said. He also stated that a one-time compensation was not sufficient for the victims of landmine and IED. “They need lifelong support from authorities,” Lohar added. Nepal signed Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) in 1997. Gyanod Raj Baidhya, Senior Superintendent of Police, said there was no internal law in Nepal specific to landmine. “Therefore, the police is compelled to take action against culprits under the explosive device act.” Tek Nath Neupane, chairperson of the National Disabled Federation, said many people disabled during the conflict were still deprived from compensation from the state. nnnn FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE UP Kathmandu, 15 June: Despite persistent efforts to increase development budget, the government’s development spending has been quite sluggish over the period, The Rising Nepal reports.. According to Current Macroeconomic Situation (CMES) published by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), government spending on development increased by only 2.5 per cent to Rs. 216.68 billion. The spending is significantly poor compared the government spending a year ago. Total government spending increased by 16.8 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year. The NRB has termed delay in announcing full budget responsible for the decline rate in total spending during the review period. Forex surges, enough for 10 months The gross foreign exchange reserves increased by 10.0 per cent to Rs. 483.36 billion in mid-May 2013 from a level of Rs. 439.46 billion as at mid-July 2012. Out of total reserves, NRB's reserves increased by 7.0 per cent to Rs. 401.74 billion in the review period from a level of Rs. 375.52 billion as at mid-July 2012. Such reserves had increased by 23.8 per cent in the same period of the previous year. Likewise, during ten months of 2012/13, the reserves in terms of inconvertible foreign exchange increased by 4.5 per cent to Indian Rupees 63.14 billion. Such reserves had increased by 84.9 per cent during the same period of the previous year. On the basis of trend of import during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, the current level of reserves is sufficient for financing merchandise imports for 10.7 months and merchandise and service imports for 9.3 months. Trade deficit close to Rs. 400 billion The total trade deficit during ten months of 2012/13 surged by 22.7 per cent to Rs. 395.22 billion compared to an increase of 19.7 per cent during the same period of the previous year. Trade deficit with India increased by 26.2 per cent during the review period compared to a growth of 14.4 per cent in the same period last year. Similarly, trade deficit with other countries increased by 16.5 per cent compared to an increase of 30.7 per cent during the same period last year. Due to high growth of imports compared to exports, the ratio of export to import declined to 13.8 per cent in the review period from 15.9 per cent a year ago. However, the merchandise exports went up by 4 per cent to Rs. 63.33 billion during ten months of 2012/13. Such exports had increased by 16.4 per cent to Rs. 60.90 billion during the same period last year. The growth of total export remained low in the review period due to slowdown in exports to both India and other countries. On a monthly basis, merchandise exports increased marginally by 0.4 per cent in April/May of the current fiscal year compared to that of the previous month. Exports to India increased by 1.9 per cent during the review period compared to an increase of 17.6 per cent in the corresponding period last year. Exports to other countries went up by 8.5 per cent compared to an increase by 13.8 per cent in the same period last year. The export of G.I. pipe, sackings, zinc sheet, wire and polyester yarn to India saw an incrase. Likewise, exports to other countries went up primarily due to increase in export of pulses, tanned skin and readymade leather goods, among others. During the review period, merchandise imports surged by 19.7 per cent to Rs. 458.56 billion. Such imports had risen by 19.2 per cent to Rs. 383.01 billion during the corresponding period last year, according to NRB. Total imports surged in the review period due mainly to the rapid increase in imports from India. On a monthly basis, merchandise imports increased by 3.0 per cent during April/May of the current fiscal year compared to that of the previous month. Imports from India went up by 22.1 per cent during the review period compared to an increase of 14.9 per cent in the same period of the previous year. Likewise, imports from other countries rose by 15.3 per cent compared to an increase of 27.9 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year, the central bank said. Imports from India increased primarily owing to an increase in the imports of petroleum products, vehicles and spare parts, cement, rice and other machinery and parts, among others. According to NRB, imports from other countries increased mainly on account of an increase in imports of silver, readymade garments, pipe and pipe fittings, telecommunication equipment parts and shoes and sandals, among others. nnnn