The 20th National Industrial Expo is going to be held from April 22 to 26 at Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu.

The event, which will be organised by the Cottage and Small Industries Development Board (CSIDB), aims to promote micro, cottage and small industries in the country.

Micro entrepreneurs from all 75 districts are scheduled to take part in the five-day show with their locally produced goods.

The expo will feature 186 stalls with more than a hundred thousand people expected to visit.

The organiser will also give away 15 Excellent Entrepreneurship Awards to the best exhibitors.

The fair will display products such as traditional handicraft products, wooden, metal and stone artworks, handmade paper, pashmina, agro and forest-based products, herbal products and goods. nepalnews.com Apr 20 09

The ongoing financial meltdown has begun to take its toll on the exports of Nepali readymade garments (RMG).

According to the Garment Association of Nepal (GAN), the exports of Nepali RMG to the US during March have tumbled by 32 percent to US$ 678,694 compared to US$ 991,820 during the same period last year.

The country exported a total of 1,322 kilograms of readymade garments to the US during March.

The export of Nepali RMG, which recorded a 44 percent growth in October 2008, has been witnessing a downward spiral in the US market for the fifth consecutive month.

In December 2008, the export saw a fall of 21 percent, 73 percent in January 2009 and 55 percent in February.

However, the reports published by the Nepal Rastra Bank said that the export of RMG to the USA swelled by 5.4 percent compared to a decline of 12 percent during the same period last year. nepalnews.com Apr 20 09

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami said has Nepal needs an enhanced level of assistance and cooperation from Australia to rebuild economic and social infrastructure in the post conflict situation.

Speaking at a function in Melbourne organised jointly by Embassy of Nepal and Consulate of Nepal in Victoria, Australia on April 19th, Yami expressed hope that the forthcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries would open up more opportunities in bringing bilateral relations to a new height and called for meaningful cooperation in such vital areas as trade, tourism, investment, employment and education.

She underlined the need for having direct air connections between Australia and Nepal to promote cooperation in the field of tourism, adding that the Australian investment in tourism sector and resumption of visa services in Australian Embassy in Kathmandu would give a qualitative boost to promoting greater mobility and interaction between the two countries and peoples.

She also gave an update on the latest political and economic situation in Nepal and stated that integration of the Maoist combatants with Nepal Army must remain a priority as its success is critical in bringing the ongoing peace process to its logical conclusion.

The Australian Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson renewed Australian government’s commitment to supporting Nepal’s peace process and economic development. Highlighting the expanding Nepal – Australia relations Minister Ferguson opined that the recent formation in the Australian Parliament of a Nepal Friendship Group was an important initiative that would help strengthen bilateral relations.

He underscored that peace and stability in Nepal was vital not only for ending massive poverty in Nepal but also in ensuring peace and stability in South Asia and wished that Nepal Visit Year 2011 will help boost Nepal’s slack economy.

Parliament Secretary Elizabeth Beattie said she was happy to see increasing Nepalese community in Victoria. She underlined the need for preserving the mother tongue of the children in order to preserve culture and maintain linkages with their ancestral places.

Nepalese ambassador to Australia Yogendra Dhakal said year 2066 would be a year of constitutional writing and the year of logical conclusion of the peace process. He stated the 50th anniversary of Nepal-Australia diplomatic relations should provide an opportunity to reflect on the past achievements and build a new framework for enhanced level of cooperation in keeping with people’s aspirations and the opportunities available. nepalnews.com Apr 20 09

A steering committee responsible for fixing and monitoring fees in private and boarding schools has instructed the schools not to implement the decision to increase fees for now.

A meeting of the School Fee Fixing and Monitoring Central Committee on Sunday decided to instruct PABSON and N-PABSON- umbrella organizations of private schools in the country-to hold their decision of fee hike, until a scientific fee structure is worked out in consultation with stakeholders.

The committee also decided to instruct education offices in the districts to ensure the fees had not been hiked without proper procedure.

Private and Boarding Schools Organisation (PABSON) and National Private and Boarding Schools Association of Nepal (N-PABSON0 have agreed to issue circulars to their affiliate schools not to implement their earlier decision to hike fees by up to 25 percent.

Instead, they will direct the affiliate schools to submit a proposal justifying fee hike to respective district monitoring committees.

Earlier, private schools had hiked their fees by up to 25 percent without completing the procedure.

According to an education by-law, private schools can increase fees only after an approval from respective District Education Offices (DEO). Schools should file a proposal of fee hike, two months before the beginning of an academic year. An assembly of parents should pass such proposal, before the school management files the proposal at the DEO. nepalnews.com Apr 20 09

Transportation in Arniko Highway has resumed from Monday morning after protestors, transport entrepreneurs and the administration reached an agreement, Sunday evening.

Locals of Panchkhal had been obstructing traffic along the highway since Tuesday last week, protesting against an accident that claimed two lives.

They agreed to allow transportation after the administration assured to give a compensation of Rs 3 lakhs each to the family of the deceased and bear the cost of treatment of the injured.

Badri Subedi and Murari Adhikari, both residents of Panchkhal, had died and another person injured when a bus knocked off the motorcycle they were riding at Chehere of Sindhupalchok district last week.

Thousands of passengers from Kavre, Dolakha, Ramechhap, and Sindhupalchowk, among other places had been affected due to the obstruction. nepalnews.com Apr 20 09

Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala on Sunday said his party has serious reservations against the State Restructuring Commission recently formed by the Unified CPN (Maoist) and thus will not accept it as it was formed without seeking his party’s consent.

Koirala accused Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal of going back on the commitment he expressed over politics of consensus before the House just a day before his government formed the powerful commission under noted sociologist Dr Ganesh Man Gurung.

In a meeting with senior NC leaders at his residence in Maharajgunj, Koirala stressed that the commission should have been formed after seeking the consent of all political parties including his.

The NC leaders also concluded that PM Dahal broke politics of consensus by forming the commission, according to NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat.

During the meeting, the NC leaders also accused the Maoists of using the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants as “political weapons” instead of integrating them as per the peace agreement.

NC leaders said that they have valid proof that the Maoists used PLA combatants kept in UN-monitored cantonments during the recent by-election in Kanchanpur.

Mahat said that the NC leaders also reached the conclusion that the cantoned PLA combatants should be integrated and rehabilitated at the earliest.

Similarly, there was also discussion on the preparations that needs to be done to hold the party’s 8th national convention in the coming months including the party’s draft for the new constitution.

There was participation of influential NC leaders including acting President Sushil Koirala and General Secretaries K.B Gurung and Bimalendra Nidhi. nepalnews.com ag Apr 19 09

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held separate meetings with his deputy, Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam, and Nepal Army chief Rookmangud Katawal at Baluwatar, discussing ways to improve the security situation, on Sunday.

During the meeting with Home Minister Gautam, the Prime Minister inquired about the growing cases of killings, robberies and highway obstructions. He is known to have directed the Home Minister to take strong steps to address the security lapses.

It should be noted that Home Minister Gautam in his recent public speeches blamed the Maoists for creating hurdles in maintaining law and order.

Likewise, Prime Minister Dahal called CoAS Katawal at Baluwatar to discuss the row between the Defence Ministry and the NA over the retirement of NA generals. It’s learnt that army integration and the security issues also figured during the meeting. nepalnews.com Apr 19 09

A day after each of them criticised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s way of running the government, Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and influential CPN-UML leader K.P Oli met and discussed the current political situation of the country.

Oli reached Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj Sunday morning to also discuss “future cooperation” between NC and UML, it has been learnt.

There was also discussion on the decision the government has taken till now including the implementation of the past agreements done with their respective parties, sources having access to the meeting said.

On Saturday, NC president Koirala again accused PM Dahal of leading the country to a critical state by sheltering his increasingly violent and wayward cadres and hence giving rise to impunity. He also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the country since the PM Dahal’s Unified CPN (Maoist) took over the reins of the government.

The same day, Oli, who has always been upfront in criticising the Maoists and the government it leads despite his party being a key coalition partner, accused PM Dahal of “shielding criminals”, since the government led by his party has not been taking action against the Maoist cadres involved in intimidation, thrashing civilians and creating anarchy in the country.

He further charged the Maoists of exploiting the peace process for petty gains and trying to rule the country trampling the laws. The meeting between the two leaders also comes a day after CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, who is said to be more lenient towards the Maoists, left for an official visit to China on the invitation of the Communist Party of China.

Talking to journalists at Tribhuvan International Airport before flying by China Air, Khanal said the current coalition government will not be pulled down on any pretext, adding that it has no alternative to complete the constitution writing process within the stipulated time.

Khanal had to face a fierce competition from Oli during last year’s party election for the top leadership position.

Political observers had predicted UML’s withdrawal of support for the Maoist led government and the party joining the NC coalition to form a new one if Oli trounced Khanal in the race for the party’s top leadership.

Former prime minister Koirala, on the other hand, has from the past some time been talking about a “democratic alliance” to create a momentum against, what he calls, Maoist totalitarianism, and cozying up with UML leaders to bring them into it. nepalnews.com ag Apr 19 09

Two priests have been hacked to death by an unidentified group in Pokhara, Kaski Saturday night.

Tara Nath Giri of Harihar Ashram and Mukti Prasad Pokhrel of Shivalaya Mandir were found dead at respective residences Sunday morning, according to Avenues TV.

No further details are available. nepalnews.com Apr 19 09

Children from six months to five years of age across the country are being administered vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets on Sunday.

Some 3.7 million children of this age group are given Vitamin A tablets every six months under the ‘National Vitamin A Programme’ launched by the health ministry.

The ministry has said those who miss the programme can take the capsules on Monday.

Experts say, about 15,000 untimely deaths have been averted in the recent years due to the health supplement. nepalnews.com Apr 19 07