Kathmandu, Mar. 13: The 12th Insurance Congress of Developing Countries (ICDC) kicked off here today amid a gathering of over 300 participants, about 200 of them international insurance personalities from around the globe.

Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat inaugurated the Congress, being held for the first time in Nepal. The theme of the Congress this year is Facing the Challenges in the Emerging Insurance Markets in the 21st Century.

“The insurance industry has contributed substantially to the development endeavour through its useful role in mobilising smaller and widely scattered savings for investment and deployment in the socially and economically optimal areas and pursuits,” Mahat said in his inaugural speech. “The insurance industry would undoubtedly be a major player in the process of realising the economic growth prospects and opportunities of the nation.”

The Finance Minister added that the growth of insurance business symbolised the increase in the volume of economic activities, trade and transit transactions along with the concerns of people for protecting their valuable goods and properties. “Though the present volume of Nepal’s trade and transactions might not be at levels as expected and the Nepalese industry’s premium collection on all the headings might look unimpressive, this industry is bound to grow at a sound and sustained pace in a very short period of time, given the favourable atmosphere and the conducive framework being established and promoted for its competitive growth.”

The Finance Minister said the insurance industry is also immensely benefited by the emphasis on reform and restructuring of the economic regime, both in the macroeconomy and its important sectoral dimensions. “The growth in the non-agricultural sector of the national accounts at 5 per cent for the past five years (1994/95-1998/99) has also contributed to the growth of this sector, which in itself has assumed immense role for contributing to the accelerated growth process.”

He said the financial and insurance sector in Nepal was greatly benefited by the increased openness and competitive structure of the Nepalese economy, mainly in the non-agricultural sector. “Nepal’s economy is largely open with the total merchandise trade as a percentage of GDP being at 37% during FY 1998/99 and 39.3% during FY 1997/98.

He said the government had also played a positive role by the fostering of this industry by welcoming the foreign investment in insurance and re-insurance sector for the foreign and local entrepreneurs.

“The opening of such an important sector would certainly bring a significant change in the insurance industry, in terms of the volume of business, growth of employment, support to other business, and the promotion of the economic interest of the people. The government, with the reform and restructuring objective in mind, is also working toward formulation of various rules and regulations encompassing the different segments and processes of the financial sector of the economy, and many relevant acts are also along the stages of being revisited and amended,” Dr. Mahat said. “All these coupled with Nepal’s preparations for joining the World Trade Organisation should prove as a boon for the growth of the insurance in the days to come.” Mahat hoped the growth of the insurance industry in Nepal would also help in the process of developing Nepal as an international financial centre for which the necessary legislative arrangemtns are being put in to effect.

In his remarks, V.R. Ayllon, President of the Association of Insurers and Reinsurers of Developing Countries said that the local companies and countries of the emerging markets must leverage their own strengths, benchmark on and assimilate global best practices, and constantly shore up its technical capabilities in order to succeed in the global economy.

“We must also pay attention to the shifts in customer lifestyles brought about by technology as these will have a profound effect on how insurance is bought and sold. Along this line we must also pay attention to the products that other financial service companies are introducing as an alternative to insurance.”

Earlier, Chairman of the Insurance Board of Nepal and the 12th ICDC Organising Committee Lava Prasad Sharma gave a brief introduction of Dr. Mahat.

Kathmandu, Mar.13:Without striking a deal on their positions on the four categories of Bhutanese refugees, if Nepal and Bhutan hammer out the refugee-verification process, the move will be no better than placing the cart before the horse.

Assuming optimistically that the ongoing secretary level talks between Nepal and Bhutan on the protracted refugee issue charts out a modality for the verification process, will the refugee crisis see the beginning of its end? Not so easily. If the ministerial level talk between the two Himalayan Kingdoms, scheduled to follow the still in progress bureaucratic level talks, does not face a hitch, the practical verification of the refugees may well begin.

In the camps, refugees may be verified under any of the four categories – Bonafide Bhutanese who have been forcibly evicted, Bhutanese who have migrated, Non Bhutanese people, and Bhutanese who have committed crimes – agreed way back in 1993. Even if the process goes uninterrupted, thorny questions will arise for Nepal that has been at the receiving ends in the refugee issue. What to do with the identified refugees? Which categories will Bhutan take back? What will Nepal do with the remaining ones? And so on.

To avert the eleventh hour crisis, these are the questions that need to be answered now – before the actual verification of the refugees begins. Or else, the Pandora’s box may be open for Nepal if Bhutan chooses to stick to its gun citing its Citizenship Act 1985 that prohibits the entry of any refugees except for the Bonafide Bhutanese citizens category. Going by Bhutan’s adamant stand on the three other categories for the last six years, it’s high time Nepal realised why the Dragon Kingdom was all out to propel the idea of categorisation during the first ministerial meeting in Kathmandu.

No doubt, then Nepal was caught napping as it fell into the Bhutanese “ambush” and endorsed the categorisation idea.

After the eighth round of ministerial talks held here last year, officials shared some “good news” that the Bhutanese side had become flexible on taking back the second category refugees – Bhutanese who have migrated – in case they were found to have left Bhutan under critical circumstances. Visiting Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Ugyen Tshering, however, did not confirm to that. All that he told reporters yesterday was that “the harmonisation of the two countries’ position on the four categories of refugees was still an ongoing discussion between the two governments.”

The genesis of the two countries’ disharmony on the four categories marked in 1994 – one year after they agreed to categorise the refugees. It was the same harmonisation fiasco that stonewalled the talks for good three years after the seventh ministerial meet in 1996.

And now, even as both the sides are so much engrossed to work out the modality of the verification process, the harmonisation chapter is nowhere in the scene. If it is, to borrow Tshering’s words, still an ongoing discussion between Nepal and Bhutan, why has it not surfaced strongly in the bureaucratic level meet? Neither a word of it was heard during the secretary level talk in Thimpu last month nor it is in the bureaucratic agenda this time.

If the issue deserves ministerial level treatment, so be it. But, simple logic has it that it should be addressed before the verification of the refugees. For, without that done, Nepal will stand to lose while Bhutan will play the game its rule to keep the majority of its citizens in exile. Much like its calculative move in the early 90’s when it forcefully evicted most of the Lhotsampas making them sign the voluntary migration forms.

Kathmandu, March 13: Sugar millers today said that sugar industry could be instrumental in transforming Nepalese economy and called for Sugar Policy to fully exploit the potential of this industry.

“The nation is in need of Sugar Policy to fully exploit the potential of sugar industry and develop it into a sustainable enterprise against the competitive international sugar market,” Nepal Sugar Mills Association (NSMA)’s President S. K. Agrawal said.

Agrawal however said that the government was not responsive to the private sector’s counsels to exploit these potentials.

Sugar industry witnessed a substantial growth during the last ten years. There was a steady increase in area and productivity of sugarcane during that period. One of the leading cash and industrial crops, currently cane has been farmed in about 54,000 hectares of land by over 100 thousand farmers. The annual production of sugarcane was around 1.8 million metric tonnes during the fiscal year 1998/99. The production per hectare is 36 metric tonnes at present.

The farmers received around 1.14 billion rupees by selling sugarcane during the fiscal year 1998/99. Farm gate price was Rs. 1,200 per metric tonne.

The industry however experienced a threat as sugar price dropped sharply last year in the international market. Duty on sugar being low, various firms opened L/C for the import of more than 90,000 metric tonnes of sugar by the end of November 1999 out of which about 50,000 metric tonnes has already been shipped and is on the way to Nepal.

The government increased the import tax of sugar to 40 per cent early this year to discourage the import of sugar from the third countries. The millers said that it was only a temporary measure and stressed on a comprehensive policy to permanently solve the problem and make Nepal a sugar exporting country.

Agreed the executive members of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). “The government should co-operate with the private sector to bring out a policy for the development of sugar industry which can play an important role in national development,” FNCCI President Pradeep Kumar Shrestha told a consultative meeting on Sugarcane Development and Need for Sugar Policy here this afternoon. The meeting was organised jointly by NSMA and Agro Enterprise Centre (AEC), a subsidiary of FNCCI.

Deewakar Golchha, FNCCI’s first vice-president, emphasised the need of a sugar institute that would solely be concerned with raising productivity of cane and sugar.

Presenting a paper on the status of sugar industry, AEC Managing Director Dr. D. B. Shakya shed light on the necessity of Sugar Policy.

Agriculture ministry’s Joint Secretary Dr. S. K. Shrestha agreed on the need of Sugar Policy for the development of sugar industry and said that the Ministry would work with the private sector to bring out such a policy.

At present, there are 11 sugar mills in the country. The total crushing capacity of these mills is 2.27 million metric tonnes per year. However, they crushed only about 700 thousand metric tonnes during the fiscal year 1998/99 that amounts to only 30 per cent of the total capacity.

Sugar recovery percentage from cane is around 8.5 per cent in Nepalese sugar mills against the international average of 11 per cent. The average cost of production stands at Rs. 25.33 per kilogram.

The annual national consumption of sugar amounts to 130-140,000 metric tonnes while the total production of sugar was 73,698 metric tonnes in the fiscal year 1998/99.

Shortage of raw materials, high cost of production and management problems have been identified as the main causes behind the low production of sugar.

Kathmandu, Mar. 13: Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has said that political appointment, in hmg’s view, should aim at the development of the institutions, not at that of any individual.

Responding to a question posed by Bijaya Subba of the cpn-uml during question hour at the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Bhattarai said that qualification and professional experience had been made the main criteria for making political appointments and political prejudice was not allowed to play any part in it. Hmg was alert lest unrelated and inexperienced might get appointed.

Replying to a query by Om Prasad Ojha of the cpn-uml, he made it clear that it had been the policy of the present government to mobilise the administrative apparatus in keeping with well-established principles of good governance to retain political stability, maintain law and order, and provide prompt and efficient services to the people.

Expecting cooperation from other political parties for the effective implementation of these activities, the Prime Minister disclosed that the government had sought consensus on national issues and a three-member committee had been constituted with the Deputy Prime Minister as the chairman.

In reply to the query of Yam Bahadur Rayamajhi of the cpn-uml, Prime Minister Bhattarai said that at present, 626 Royal Army personnel including 69 of officers rank were on peace-keeping duty in eight countries.

According to him, there were 47 officers and 557 other army personnel of the Royal Nepal Army assigned in Lebanon, 9 officers in East Timor, 1 officer in former Yugoslavia, 6 officers in Sierre Leone, 2 officers in Congo, 2 officers in Kazakasthan, 1 officer (commando force) in Cyprus, and 1 officer in Croatia.

Fulfil commitments: Meanwhile, Bharat Mohan Adhikari of the cpn-uml, during special hour at the House of Representatives today, alleged that the government had not paid attention to implementing the declaration of the International Buddhist Conference held at Lumbini last year and the conference of Dharmodaya Sabha held recently at Chitwan.

Calling for commitments to making Lumbini an international pilgrimage centre of world peace, he stressed that the Mayadevi temple be constructed and Lumbini Development Trust be activated.

Netra Lal Shrestha of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said that the people of the Maoist-infested areas where police-posts were being removed had become unsafe and alleged that the government had not been able to make provision of education, healthcare, electricity and potable in such areas.

MP Navaraj Subedi said that the local self-governance act had been introduced to implement the principle of decentralisation but the rights delegated to the DDC chairman were now invested water in the cdos.

Resenting the removal of the district irrigation office at keeping only unit office in Pyuthan, he demanded that the rights of the people should not be curtailed.

Hari Bhakta Adhikari of the Nepali Congress emphasised the need for the government to pay attention towards some of the ex-Gurkha soldiers making preparation to file petition at the international courts seeking pension at par with the British soldiers, which he said would affect the ties between Nepal and Britain.

Bijaya Subba of the cpn-uml said that the government had paid no heed to the decisions of the parliamentary committee which formulates law for the country.

Narayan Prakash Saud of the Nepali Congress said that the Indian side had set ablaze the settlement of the landless squatters at Tribhuvannagar of Mahendranagar and alleged that India had been encroaching by not recognising the border pillar at a place called Parasan.

Kathmandu, Mar 12:Friends Club of Kupondole (FC)  sealed their spot in the semis with 5-1 win over Ranipokari  Corner Team (RCT), while Tribhuvan Club (TC) made amends for their narrow loss earlier, when they beat Sunsari 4-0 in the ongoing Khukari Gold Cup soccer championship at the National Dasharath Stadium, Sunday.

Armymen win: TC, beaten 2-1 by Friends’ Club few days back, surged into the attack from the start against  lowly fancied Sunsari and took a 8th minute lead through Saila Maharjan from rebounded ball of keeper Ritesh Thapa.

Today’s win have given a big break for the TC outfit to remain in  for a title hunt in the Championship. Despite of making raids in the first-half, TC boys could only mange to  take  a slim lead in the first-half. Exhibiting more rejuvenated play and thanks to Saila Maharjan outstanding performance TC added three more goals   after the lemon break to  throw away Sunasri boys out from the title aspiration.

Sunsari boys inept shooting and ill directed passes stood on their way of scoring goal. Sachin Rai and Surendra Tamang  came close to the striking zone but failed to capitalize in given opportunities.

From the beginning of the game, TC dominated   Sunsari with slick technique throughout the game. Beaten in the first game on last Thursday, Sunasri boys did throw a better game today. But due  to the lack of cohesion among the strikers and poor supports from the midfielders, they failed to venture deep in the rival’s post.

However, TC Club   looking for a desperate win to remain for the title hunt from the onset of the game made series of attacks into the rival’s post , pushing the Sunasri boys defence to stand on their toes with Saila creating a havoc  in the front.

Though the Sunsari boys also went all out to level the score but  quality of the shooting did not match the slick technique   applied by the  TC outfit. However, the Sunsari defence also had the good day in the first half . The Sunsari defence line stood on firm by thwarting away  the pressure made by TC strikers.

After the lemon break, TC consolidated the lead in the 20th minute though  Lal Bahdur Lama and again added the third goal in the 36th Minute through Suk Bahadur Gurung with the help Saila. With the game going out of their control, Sunsari desperately tried hard to curtail the lead but their efforts went all out in vain. In the dying minutes, Adarsha Mall sealed the faith of the Sunsari boys in the dying minutes.

Friends win: In the day’s second game, Friends’ Club boys proved to be too good for RCT. In the initial stays both the teams applied pressure in both of the goalpost. The ball moved  one  corner to  another. RCT boys were the first to make close look  in the goalpost. Madhu Karki, the captain nearly pulled a surprise lead in the 4th minute but his free-kick shot fired from just outside the area was timely punched by keeper, Lalit Chand denying them the much needed lead.

After getting early scare by the RCT boys, FC went all out for opening the score. Taking the game well under their control, Bill Tamang took the team ahead in the 13th minute though a pass from a diminutive Shushil KC. Shushil KC   himself put his team on the safe side in the 18th minute through a cross from Tamang.

With two goals  lead, FC club once again   carried out aggressive moves by launching  moves from all side of the ground. Rabin, Bill and Sukara Tamang combined well in the front while diminutive Shushil marshelled the moves from the middle. Even the defence stood firm on keeping the RCT boys attacks on bay.

After the second half, RCT boys were under the pressure as they  made more threatening moves, pushing the defence on the wall. In the 3rd minute, Bill Tamang  snatched the  from the defender on top of the box and unleashed the ball from a little over twenty-yards giving no chance for the keeper Mirgendra Mishra.

Riding high on the solid start, FC continued to dominate the proceedings. Though RCT boys did tried  hard to curtail the lead but all efforts went in vain due poor game plan. Again the in  the  14th minute Sushil KC cross from the left was well taped by Sujeet KC in the middle to hammer home.

Caught  by poor defence and lack of game plan, the RCT boys were seen trying to run for the ball rather than giving the Friends’ boys a lesson.  Despite of having good numbers of strikers in the front like Nirajan, Dilli Shrestha and  Aitea the RCT boys couldn’t keep up in the same rhythm as they shown earlier in the game. Poor  buildups and lack of confidence among the players ruled the day for them.

Though in the  in  26th minute   Nirajan gave RCT a consolation  while in the  dying minutes, substitute Fathe Thapa  wrapped the task for Friends’ club.

Kathmandu, Mar. 12 :Minister of State for Information and Communications Govinda Bahadur Shaha has said Lord Gautam Buddha’s message of peace, non-violence and global fraternity should be followed by the entire human community.

Inaugurating here today the first national convention of national Dorje Sugden Society, Mr. Shaha expressed the view that the preaching of Lord Buddha are equally relevant in today’s world also.

Society president Namable Lama presided.

The society established with the objective of publicizing the teachings of Lord Buddha also aims to open a school for poor children, hospital for the helpless and an old age home for elders neglected by their families.

Kathmandu, Mar. 12: At a discussion programme organised by Transparency International here today, member of the organisation Dr Harka Gurung stressed the need for strict provisions for bringing the corrupts to book.

In a bid to control corruption, it is imperative on the part of government to reduce the number of employees and increase their pay, he said, stressing the need for a provision for employees and politicians to make public their property statements while joining and quitting their posts.

Dr Gurung was also of the view that anti-corruption bodies should be strengthened and at the same time pressure groups representing various sectors and professions should be formed to combat corruption.

Transparency International president Dr Devendra Raj Panday shed light on the ongoing and future activities of the organisation.

Kathmandu, Mar. 12 :The Yoga and Naturopathy Committee constituted by the Ministry of Health held  a national naturopathy seminar 2000 here yesterday.

The seminar called for early establishment of naturopathy Teaching Hospital, recognising Naturopathy be as a kind of treatment of diseases at the national level, and constituting Naturopathy Council.

Ayurvedacharya and literatteur Modnath Prashrit was the chief guest at the seminar presided over by committee chairman Dr. Hari Prasad Pokharel.

Head of the Yoga and Naturopathy Department of  Mahendra Sanskrit University Prof Dr. Lokendra Mansingh and chairman of Himalayan College for Nature Cure and Yogic Sciences Prof Dr. Ratna Kamal Baidya also spoke on the occasion.

Doctors working in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy in various districts attended the seminar.

Participants at the seminar expressed the view that Nepal could be self-reliant in the field of health sector if naturopathy based on indigenous resources and technology could be adopted.

Kathmandu, Mar. 12:Dr. Narayan Bahadur Thapa has been elected the president of Nepal Paediatric Society for the the period 2000-2002.

In the recently held elections of the society,Dr. Dhana Raj Aryal has been elected vice-president, Dr. Laxman Shrestha general secretary, Dr. Rita Singh Hamal treasurer, Dr. Hari Krishna Baskota joint-secretary, Dr. Kailash Prasad Saha joint-treasurer and Dr. Jyoti Ratna Dhakhwa chief editor.

Likewise, Dr. Manindra Ranjan Baral, Dr. Dharma Sharan Manandhar, Dr. Prakash Sundar Shrestha, Dr. Chandra Shakya, and Dr. Neelam Adhikari have been elected the members of the board of trustees.

Meanwhile, the fourteenth national convention of All-Nepal Homeopathic Association here on Saaturday elected a new working committee with Dr. Shabbir Khan as the president.

Dr. Dwarika Man Pradhan is the vice-president, Dr. Ambika Gyawali the general secretary, Dr. Kamal Bahadur Chitrakar the joint secretary, Heera Gupta the treasurer, Dr. Radheshyam Mishra the publicity secretary and Ram Lakhan Mahato the public relations secretary of the committee while its members are Dr. Punya Prasad Shivakoti, Dr. K. M. Bhandari,  Dr. Motilal Dangi, Dr. Gulam Rasul Khan, Dr. Bishwa Nath Bhagat, Dr. Dharma Nath Mandal and Khagendra Man Shrestha.

Earlier, Minister of State for Women and Social Welfare Mrs Kamala Devi Panta, inaugurating the convention, said, “as homeopathic therapy is cheaper than other forms of treatment, it is suitable for  countries like ours.”

He noted that if homeopathic medicines could be produced within the country itself, it can do without importing importing medicine from abroad.

Ex-mp Ram Lakhan Mahato said that despite the great strides made by homeopathy, its was not being adopted to the required extent.

Ex-mp Ganga Chaudhari said that the government should not show indifference towards this system considered to be cheaper but effective.

Acting president of the  association Dr. Dwarika Pradhan presided over the function.

Tribhuvannagar, Mar. 12: Nepal Tarun Dal Central chairman Balkrishna Khand says the government should guarantee peace and security to the people for effective maintenance of law and order situation in the country.

Taking part in a press interaction programme organised here by Nepal Press Union, he stressed that corruption, irregularities and administrative delay should be ended as early as possible and new laws on corruption control brought in.

Dang district chairman of the Press Union Ram Prasad Poudel presided over the programme.