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VOL. 28, NO. 14, Dec 12, 2008 (Mangsir 27 2065 B.S.)
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PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal shaking hand with Ma Xiaotian, Lieutenant General Chinese People Liberation Army |
THE VISITING CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER Yang Jiechi signed an agreement to provide Rs 1.2 billion aid to Nepal this year. Jiechi signed an understanding with Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav at Shital Niwas, Wednesday (Dec 3), agreeing to help Nepal in economic development efforts. "The Chinese side has shown willingness to help in road development, bringing railway line up to Nepal border, increasing scholarship quota for Nepali students for education, encouraging Chinese tourists to visit Nepal and to provide necessary training and equipment to strengthen Nepal's security," Foreign Minister Yadav told reporters. He said that Chinese government has agreed to provide Rs 1.2 billion aid to Nepal this year. Yadav added that Chinese side also showed interest in the peace, prosperity and nation-building process in Nepal.
THE NEPAL OIL CORPORATION (NOC) slashed the prices of petroleum products on Wednesday (Dec 3). The decision comes in the wake of constant decline in the price of crude oil in the international market. A meeting of the NOC board decided to lower the price of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel each by Rs 5 per litre. Petrol will now cost Rs 85 per litre, aviation fuel Rs 90 and diesel and kerosene Rs 60 per litre respectively. However, the price of cooking gas remains same. Likewise, the NOC has levied 50 paise 'pollution tax' on per litre of petrol, kerosene and diesel for Kathmandu Valley. Earlier, the NOC had reduced petroleum prices twice within a couple of months.
THE NEPAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY (NEA) has decided to increase the weekly load shedding hours with effect from Wednesday (Dec 3). The increase would be upto 45 hours from the present 35 hours in parts of the country. As per the new calendar, there will be seven hours of power cut every day (morning and evening) for six days a week. And on one day every week there will be three hours of power cut during daytime. The NEA Systems Operation Department chief Sher Singh Bhat has said that the receding water level in rivers due to onset of dry season has brought down the power generating capacity of projects resulting in short supply. While the peak load demand exceeds 700 MW, the actual output has been less than 400 MW, it is said.
THE UNITED NATIONS CENTRAL EMERGENCY Response Fund (CERF) has allocated about $3 million to aid nearly 1.5 million people in rural Nepal suffering from rapidly increasing food and fuel prices, the destruction of food stocks and crops by recent floods, and the effects of long-term conflict. The funding will ensure that vulnerable families continue to receive critical aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and partners as well as creating quick-impact opportunities to help restore family livelihoods through community construction and infrastructure projects. The CERF was established in 2006 with a goal of reaching $500 million annually to provide rapid relief for sudden-onset emergencies such as floods and earthquake disasters and for longer-running under-funded crises.
THE CABINET HAS ENDORSED THE PROPOSAL forwarded by the Finance Ministry for the upward revision of allowance of government employees working in customs and taxes. These staff members, as per the new policy, will be entitled to an extra payment of up to 200 percent of basic salary depending on their performance in collecting revenue. The cabinet meet decided to implement the increment from November 16. The new policy will be implemented at all 22 custom offices under the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). Nevertheless, it is learnt that employees working at the central level of the IRD and the Department of Customs (DoC) will not be enjoying this performance-based incentive as they are nor directly engaged in collecting revenue.
THE CABINET MEETING, Wednesday (Dec 3), has formed a 15-member taskforce to study the prospects of generating 10,000 MW power in ten years. The panel will be headed by Somnath Pokharel. According to government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the government will proceed with its target of harnessing 10,000 MW hydropower in ten years after receiving recommendations from the taskforce. The cabinet has also formed a committee to probe the killing of journalist Jagat Joshi in far western Nepal. The three-member probe panel is headed by advocated Umesh Prasad Gautam. The meeting also decided to carry out program to eradicate illiteracy within two years. The program will take off on December 16.
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Nepalese Muslims praying on the occasion fo Eiduzzah |
