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UML OPPOSES ELECTION POSTPONEMENT

Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: The meeting of the CPN (UML) Standing Committee on Tuesday concluded that the date for the election to the Second Constituent Assembly should not be postponed under any pretext. The election is slated for November 19 this year, RSS reports.. It also decided to hold more talks with the parties that are opposed to the election including the CPN-Maoist to address their demands so as to bring them on board the election. The meeting also concluded that the talks with the dissenting parties should be held only on the condition of holding the election on the slated date, party secretary Shankar Pokhrel told media persons after the meeting. Pokhrel said that the meeting agreed that the poll-opposing parties could be represented on the High Level Political Committee only if the November 19 election was guaranteed. "Our party is serious regarding addressing the demands of the parties that are dissatisfied with the polls," he said. Vice Chairperson Bidyadevi Bhandari said the meeting discussed the agenda of the party´s forthcoming Central Committee meeting. The central committee meeting that convened for some days in the third week of July was postponed. It is said the central committee meeting will resume once party chairman Jhalanath Khanal returns from the United States of America.
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CHINA POSITIVE

Kathmandu, 6 Aug.:Chinese authorities are positive for the construction of an international level regional airport in Pokhara and providing aircraft in the concessional loan, RSS wwrites. . The Chinese side expressed its positive response on providing loan to purchase four Chinese aircraft and to construct the regional airport in Pokhara during the talks held with the Chinese delegation led by Deputy General Director Lee Dan of the Chinese Export-Import Bank at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation here on Tuesday morning. "The talks held with the authorities of the Chinese Export-Import Bank are positive, we are hopeful that we will soon reach to conclusion," said Ratishchandra Lal Suman, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The meeting was also held to carry out the managerial, administrative, and other tasks with the Government of China already agreeing in principle to provide four aircraft in concessional loan and two others in grant, he said. The Chinese delegation has urged the Nepali side to give final shape to the report submitted on Thursday by the CMC Engineering, he added. The Chinese side has demanded that report be finalized by August 31 while the Nepali side stressed on extending some more time, said Director General Suman. "We have proposed to wait for two more weeks as the technical team of CAAN was studying the report," said Director General Suman clarifying that the technical and other aspects of the report was to be studied and analyzed. Joint secretary at the Ministry, Ranjan Krishna Aryal, led the Nepali talks team.The nine-member Nepali talks team comprised of Madan Kharel, General Manager of the Corporation, Director General Suman, among others. The Chinese delegation had six members. The Ministry of Finance would be responsible for carrying out all tasks regarding the purchase of aircraft and construction of the regional airport. The Chinese delegation is holding a meeting at the Ministry of Finance to hold discussion for the loan acceptance and framework regarding the both tourism projects.
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GOLD SLIPS

Kathmandu, 6 Aug.:  The Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers´ Association (NEGOSIDA) has fixed the price of gold at Rs. 52,800 per tola on Tuesday. It is Rs. 500 less than the price on Monday, RSS reports. . NEGOSIDA president Mani Ratna Shakya said that the gold price has decreased in the domestic market due to the impact of the decrease in the price of the yellow metal in the international market. Gold has become cheaper in the international market on Tuesday. Similarly, worked gold is being traded at Rs. 52,550 per tola on Tuesday. It was Rs. 53,050 per tola on Monday. Likewise, NEGOSIDA has determined the price of silver at Rs. 835 per tola. It decreased by Rs. 10 per tola as compared to previous day.
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NPC TARGET FOR 2022

Kathmandu, 6 Aug  The Government has assigned the National Planning Commission (NPC) with the responsibility of formulating graduation strategy for Nepal to become a developing country by 2022, RSS reports..

The first meeting of the Istanbul Programme of Action National Implementation Oversight Committee of Nepal (IPOA-NIOC) held at Ministry of Foreign Affairs today under the chairmanship of Minister for Foreign Affairs Madhav P. Ghimire decided to ask the Finance Ministry to formulate a new national development finance policy to replace the old one so as to bring it closer to the spirit of IPOA, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting also directed the relevant government agencies and processes that pertain to the implementation of the IPOA by mainstreaming its eight priority areas.

It decided to formulate a national plan of action in regard to IPOA implementation by mainstreaming factors such as setting goals, targets and indicators, prioritization and sequencing of the programmes and integrating a financing plan including local resource mobilization, foreign aid as well as FDI.

It also relates to identification of key partners for implementation of the IPOA. The National Planning Commission (NPC) has been assigned to carry out this responsibility and report back the progress in another meeting.

A decision to review the status of the past two years in IPOA implementation in Nepal following the adoption of the IPOA document in Istanbul in May 2011 was made to learn lessons and build them into the implementation process of IPOA in the future.

The meeting asks all line Ministries to hold at least one consultation meeting involving all key stakeholders to review the process and identify sectoral programmes that fit into the implementation of IPOA.

Likewise, the decision of the meeting states to form a team, involving an expert, if necessary, which will look into the post-2015 development agenda and prepare a report to incorporate the issues and concerns of LDCs into the post-2015 development process.

For the preparation of this, which is to include the programme as well as financing part for lobbying in the relevant international forums, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will play the role of a lead agency.

The decision, related to the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Bali, Indonesia in the first week of December this year, has assigned the responsibility of preparing the position of LDCs in general and Nepal in particular in relation to the current core agenda of the LDCs purported to be included in the declaration of the Ministerial meeting.

LDCs have been putting forward issues like full implementation of duty free, quota free (DFQF) access to the products of the LDCs into the markets of developed and developing countries, simplification and predictability of the rules of origin in favour of LDCs, implementation of service waiver of the LDCs, enhance the impact of Aid for Trade and Enhanced Integrated Framework as well as implementation of trade facilitation with a view to boosting the LDCs export trade.

Intensive discussions were held and views were expressed on various aspects of mainstreaming and implementation of the IPOA in the Nepali context, adds the Ministry.

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1,000 HERITAGE SITES AT QUAKE RISK

Kathmandu, 6 Aug : Director General of the Department of Archaeology, Bhesh Narayan Dahal, has said that most of the Kathmandu-based heritage sites with archaeological importance are at higher risk of earthquake, RSS reports. . Addressing a programme organised by the Department on Tuesday, Dahal said that the haphazard development of settlements in the Kathmandu valley has put around 1,000 local and national-level heritage sites at risk. He said it was necessary to create public awareness to minimize possible damages resulting from earthquake through the co-work of different stakeholders as Kathmandu valley is now at high-risk of possible earthquake. Dahal also added that it was necessary to make the regulations related to construction of buildings around the heritage areas stricter. Stating that different shrines, temples and heritage structures carrying religious and cultural importance have increased the country´s glory and prestige in the international arena, the Director General urged the locals to be active in the protection of the heritage sites and monuments linked to the civilization of Nepal and the Nepalis. Presenting a working paper, seismologist Surya Bhakta Sangchhe stressed on adopting measures to protect the heritages. He said that houses and buildings constructed against the standard maintained by the Department around the heritage sites should be demolished systematically.
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