DPM NARAYAN KAZI SHRESTHA RETURNS HOME AFTER PREPARING ENVIRONMENT FOR VISIT OF CHINESE PM WEN

DPM NARAYA KAZI SHRESTHA RETURNS HOME
Kathmandu, 29 Nov. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Narayan Kazi Shrestha returned home overnight after concluding a
China visit.
He visited China to create an atmosphere for the rare visit of Chinese Prime
Minister Wen Jiabao in the last week of December.
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EMBOSSED VEHCILE NUMBER PLATES, SMART LICENCES
FROM NEXT YEAR
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: The government has decided to introduce embossed number plates and smart licences from next fiscal year, Yadav Raj joshi writes in The Himalayan Times.

“All the vehicles will have uniform number plates with unique security features once the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management brings the system into force next year,” said Anil Gurung, Deputy Secretary at MoLTM. “The Department of Transport Management is working on it.”

DoTM had envisioned embossed number plates in 2009 and forwarded the idea to MoLTM but only to be rejected. Then minister for transport management Mohammed Aftab Alam had tried to implement embossed number plates and smart licences one year later, but the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had stopped the process following reports of irregularities in tender process.

“The department has already begun its work to introduce embossed number plates and smart licences,” said Gurung, hinting that both the systems will come into force from early 2012/13.

The department is exploring features to be included in embossed number plates. “There will be a unique identity of owner hidden in every number plate, which will spare owners from the hassles of carrying the bluebook (vehicle ownership certificate) while driving,” said Kapil Dangol, Director, DoTM. According to him, carrying a smart licence will be enough.

Introduction of embossed number plates will also help bring outstanding revenue into state coffers. About 70 per cent owners of motorcycles and nearly 30 per cent private light vehicle owners have not paid vehicle tax for years. According to DoTM, embossed number plates will help the state collect around Rs 4 billion.

“We are planning to add a security sticker in each number plate to stop people from evading tax,” said Dangol. DoTM has yet to finalise size, model and features of the number plate though.

The department, however, is mulling over adding owner details — name, address and profession — in the number plates to track down the vehicles in case of accident, crime and other emergency scenario. “Police can easily get all such information just by scanning the number plate,” said Dangol.

The estimated cost for introducing embossed number plates is around Rs 2.5 million, which will be borne by the government. According to DoTM, it will cost around Rs 1.99 billion to introduce smart licences for which the Asian Development Bank has pledged support.
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CIAA DIRECTIVE AGAINST DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC LAND
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today directed the government not to distribute public land to organisations or individuals, The Himalayan Times repots..

Stating that distribution of public land to individuals and organisations is improper and recipient individuals and organisations have been misusing the same, the anti-graft constitutional body told the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Land Reforms and Management to stop distributing lands.

The CIAA wrote to the chief secretary and secretary at the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management to suspend the practice of distributing land. As per the press release issued by CIAA spokesperson Ishwori Prasad Paudel, the CIAA said the government has been distributing thousands of ropani land to individuals and organisations but they do not make proper use of such lands, therefore the government should get back such land because which would be useful for the government in future.

It also noted that there was need to reform the existing procedure of distributing public land because such distribution is improper and the government should get back the land from the persons and organisations after investigation if they have been distributed improperly.
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HIGHEST EVER RESERVE OF FOREIGN CURENCY WITH NRB
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: Increased remittance and tourism income has led to a balance of payments (BoP) surplus of Rs 17 billion as of the first three months of the fiscal year, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Although Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had projected a BoP surplus of Rs 5 billion at the end of the fiscal year, the target was surpassed by Q1.
The BoP situation headed towards a positive direction in the 11th month of the last fiscal year after being in deficit for two straight years. It had become positive by Rs 2.93 billion at the end of the last fiscal year.
According to NRB officials, it is a very good development for the economy when the country had to request the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support to make up the BoP deficit.
Deputy governor Maha Prasad Adhikari said that increased remittance and tourism income resulted in better collection of foreign exchange contributing to a better BoP situation.
According to NRB, remittance as of Q1 stands at around Rs 90 billion. Receipts in the last fiscal year amounted to Rs 253.55 billion.
Meanwhile, banks have reported a massive growth in remittance flow lately due to a weakened Nepali rupee against the US dollar.
“Although tourism income looks small officially, I think it represents a huge contribution to the country’s foreign exchange reserves,” said Adhikari.
According to NRB, the expenditure of foreign travel agencies which are involved in bringing tourists to Nepal is not properly reported here.
The Finance Ministry, however, said that a rise in reimbursement by donors and increased transactions by national and international NGOs also contributed to a surplus in the BoP. A relatively sluggish growth in imports and modest growth in exports have also led to a comfortable BoP situation.
Exports grew 7 percent while imports swelled 8 percent as of Q1, according to the Finance Ministry. As a result of the increased flow of foreign exchange into the country, reserves have reached a record high of Rs 325 billion.
“This is the highest ever foreign exchange reserve in the country,” said Adhikari. Foreign exchange reserves amounted to Rs 272.10 billion at the end of the last fiscal year.
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GOVT. PAC TALKS TO FINANCE KATHMANDU/TARAI FAST TRACK
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: Amid uncertainty over the financing mechanism for the much talked-about Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road project, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works will hold discussions with the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to find a way out, Ramesh Shrestha writes in The Kathmandu Post..
“We will within a week seek time form the PAC to discuss legal problems and find way out for the implementation of the project,” said Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the ministry. He added that the government is also looking for other possible modalities apart form BOT for financing the project.
A three-member team comprising Secretary Sitaula, Law Secretary Bhesh Raj Sharma and a representative from the National Planning Commission (NPC) will hold talks with the PAC. A meeting of the Project Coordination Committee under NPC held two weeks ago had formed the team and directed the ministry to find out solution for project implementation. The ministry is facing difficulties in implementing the project after the PAC in March directed it to include Nepali investors in the project. The PAC had directed the ministry to involve Nepali investors with 10 percent local investment. However, the PAC’s directive to include Nepali investors having no experience in the build-operate-transfer (BOT) modality contradicts with the Private Financing in Build and Operation of Infrastructures Act 2006 and its regulations 2007.
Four years ago, the government through a Cabinet meeting had decided to implement the fast track project under BOT modality to avoid possible resource burden to the government. However, with the PAC ordering to include Nepali investors on March 1, 2011, the project has remained indecisive over implementation modality. The private sector, including Non Resident Nepalis (NRNs), is showing interest in investing in the project—estimated to cost around Rs 80 billion—in consortium with international firms. A ministry source said Physical Planning Minister Hridayesh Tripathi, who is also a member of the PAC, is against BOT as the modality does not allow Nepalis to invest in the project. “The government can amend the private financing act to allow Nepali investors in BOT modality,” said the source. “Or the government itself can invest in the project seeking soft loans from India, China or other countries.”
Meanhwhile, Minister Tripathi has appointed a new project manager. The minister has brought in Bishnu Om Bade Shreatha, joint-secretary of the Department of Roads replacing Saroj Man Shrestha who played a significant role in solving land acquisition problem in Makawanpur District, according to the source.
Land acquisition is one of the major problems faced by the project. So far, the project has acquired around 75 percent of total registered land to be acquired for the project. Last week, Kathmandu District Administration Office had fixed the compensation rate within the range of Rs 32,000 to Rs 100,000 per aana of land to be acquired in Chhaimaley, Kathmandu.
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