security

UPENDRA VADAV DEMANDS DECURITY FOR ELECTION

Kathmandu, 28 July: MJFN Chairman Upendra Yadav Saturday demanded security

 for its workers in a eight-point memorandum submitted to

Chairman Khil Raj Regmi.

Yadav told the government chief his party worker Prakash Sah was lkilled

Thiursday.

The party is aligned with CPN Maoist in opposing the 19 November

elections but has applied with election co9mmission to contest the election.

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NEPAL TO PLAY INDIA OR AFGHANISTAN IN SOUTH ASIAN

YOITH SOCCER

Kathmandu, 28 July: Nepal will play the winner of the second semifinal

in Tuesday’s final of the second SAFF U-16 Championship in the Nepali capital.

Nepal qualified for the final Saturday trouncing Bangladesh 5-1.

India and Afghanistan met in the second semifinal Sunday.

Seven South Asian nations, except  are participating.

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SUNDAY MORNING CAPITAL TEMPERATURE 21 DEGREES CELSIUS

Kathmandu, 28 July: Capital’s temperature on a rainy Sunday morning

was 21 degrees Celsius.

Temperature is expected to rise to 26 degrees Celsius.

Altogether 0.5mm rai was recorded Saturday.

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CHINESE PLA CHIEF VISITING NEPAL SOON Kathmandu, 28 July: Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People´s Liberation Army Fang Fenghui is visiting Nepal ´soon´, Purna Bassnet writes in Republica from Hong Kong.. General Fang is to visit Kathmandu, giving due importance to an invitation extended by Nepal´s Chief of Army Staff Gaurab SJB Rana, who completed a week-long visit to the northern neighbor Saturday. During his stay in Beijing, CoAS Rana held a meeting with PLA chief Fang at PLA Headquarters. According to Nepalese Ambassador to China Dr Mahesh Maskey, who was present during the meeting, the Chinese side has given due to importance to the invitation extended by the Nepal Army chief to visit Kathmandu. Dr Maskey said China has placed the NA on high priority in terms of extending military support. “The visit is likely to take place soon, given the eagerness shown by the PLA chief and the priority China has given to Nepal,” he said. Then chief of the PLA General Staff Chen Bingde had given a new dimension to the Chinese army´s support to the Nepal Army during his visit to Nepal in 2011. Besides announcing military aid to NA worth a total of US $ 7.7 million, General Chen had tried to deepen military relations between the two countries. After General Chen´s visit, then CoAS Chhatra Man Singh Gurung had visited China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart. Chen´s successor Fang has tried to convey the importance China attaches to Nepal by inviting CoAS Rana to China. Besides providing NA two mobile hospitals costing 59 million RMB as part of a previous commitment, Fang announced the extension of an additional 50 million RMB in military support to NA during CoAS Rana´s visit this week. According to Ambassador Maskey, agreements on the 50 million RMB support as well as other Chinese support for the NA are likely to take place during Fang´s visit to Kathmandu. During his stay in Beijing, CoAS Rana also held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission Air Chief Marshal Xu Quliang. Rana assured the Chinese side that Nepal would not allow any ´anti-China´ activities to take place on Nepali soil. According to the PLA Daily, CoAS Rana, while describing the PLA as a trusted friend, expressed a desire to expand military ties between NA and the PLA. PLA chief Fang lauded Nepal´s ´one-China policy´ and the important support Nepal has been extending to China on Tibet-related issues. Fang said that China was eager to further strengthen military ties, provide trainings to NA personnel and exchange high level military visits between the two countries under the changed context. CoAS Rana, who visited Beijing following the changes in the political and military leadership in China, was accorded special honors by the Chinese side. Rana was taken on visits to four of the seven military regions of China including Beijing, Shanxi, Yunan and Nanjing, via special military aircraft

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INDIAN CAR IMPORTS AGAINST PAYMENT IN CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY

Kathmandu, 28 July: The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has decided to increase the number of goods in the list that are imported from India by paying convertible

Currency, Bhok Raj Pokhrel writes in Republica. .

The central bank, through the Monetary Policy 2013/14, aims to reduce the cost of goods that are imported from the Southern neighbor. "Additional goods will be included in the list of goods that are imported from India by paying convertible currency," reads the full text of Monetary Policy that the NRB unveiled last week.

As of now, there are 161 different goods that are imported from India against convertible currency.
"The Nepali traders shouldn´t pay additional taxes when they import goods from Indian market against convertible currency," Bhaskar Gayawali, spokesperson of the NRB, told Republica.

The NRB had added only one good in the list, namely, Mango Pulp, in last fiscal year 2012/13.
Businessmen have welcomed the NRB´s move. "We want the NRB to include goods pertaining to the automobile and service sectors," Pashupati Murarka, the vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), said.

According to Muraraka, Nepali businessmen have to pay 12.36 percent as a service charge to the Indian government while importing different consulting services. “We even pay a trading charge to the Indian government when we carry out transactions in dollar,” Murarka said.

Similarly, the central bank has also stated that it would simplify the procedure of exchanging amount of currency that is required for transport.
The NRB will include the goods in the list only on the basis of the recommendation made by the Department of Industry (DoI). "We will request the DoI to add goods from the automobile industry and service sectors," Murarka informed.

Additionally, the NRB has increased the amount of one-time payment money from USD 25,000 to 30,000 while importing goods from third countries.
However, trade experts aren´t that upbeat about the NRB´s move. "This move is not going make any significant difference to the bilateral trade between Nepal and India," trade expert Dr Ratnakar Adhikari at the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), said. "Nonetheless, this is a good move."

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