Shrinkhala Khatiwada summits Mont Blanc

Shrinkhala Khatiwada – the Goodwill Ambassador for the 70th anniversary of Nepal-France diplomatic relations – reached the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe today.
Accompanied by two Nepali filmmakers, Sisan Baniya and Prajwal Thapa Magar, and was guided by the legendary skier and alpinist, Anselme Baud, she also raised the two national flags, of Nepal and France, on the occasion.
The climbing of Mont Blanc was organised by the French Embassy in Nepal and is part of a year long celebrations of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to a press note released by the French Embassy in Kathmandu.
This was also the occasion to recognise the role played by the French city of Chamonix – located at the bottom of Mont Blanc – French National School of Ski and Alpinism (ENSA) and the ‘mountain community’ of Chamonix towards strengthening the people to people relation between the two countries in the domain of mountaineering, the press note reads, adding that it also expresses the potential cooperation in the field of mountain tourism and hospitality. “Many Nepali high mountain guides and paragliders have benifitted from the internships and training offered by the ENSA and various French associations active in Nepal.”
The cooperation in the domain of mountaineering and people to people exchanges are one of the pillars of the bilateral relations between Nepal and France, it adds.
After summitting successfully Mont Blanc, Khatiwada would join the second last stage of the world renowned cycle race, Tour de France, where she would be a guest of honour and interact with the cyclists and organisers. She will also take part in the closing ceremony of Tour de France in Paris on July 28. “The goodwill visit to France, by the Goodwill Ambassador, was put in place with an objective of spreading a positive message of friendship between Nepal and France and promote Nepal in France,” the embassy release adds.

Government plans counselling sessions for migrants

The government is planning to start special counselling sessions for Nepali migrant workers going to foreign employment.
Though, South Korea is considered a ‘safe’ and most lucrative destination, the number of Nepalis committing suicide or suffering from depression in the host country has been on the rise, said Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista, addressing a second ‘Workshop on the Role of the Private Sector in the Economic Development of Korea,’ organised by South Korean Embassy, here today. “The government is planning to start special counselling sessions, in collaboration with Korean government, for Nepalis going to work in South Korea,” he added.
South Korean envoy Park Young-Sik, addressing the event organised to support the successful settlement of workers who returned from Korea, suggested the returnee migrants to implement the skill and technology they have learned in Korea, back home. “The embassy is happy to help returnee migrants by supporting them in seting up of their businesses in Nepal,” he said, explaining how the South Korea has developed itself over the period of time.
"Even in Korea, under EPS Programme, about 35,000 Nepalis are working now in South Korea and more than 20,000 Nepali workers have already returned to Nepal," he said, highlighting the immense contribution that migrant workers, including from Korea, have made to the Nepali economic development. "Nepal’s foreign exchange reserve is healthy because of remittance as migrant workers sent remittance of $7.26 billion in the fiscal year 2017-18."
"That is about 25.1 per cent of the nation’s GDP," he added. "The healthy foreign exchange reserves obtained mainly from remittance allows Nepali people to buy foreign goods and services."
That's why Nepali economy is called as remittance-dependent and import-based one but the migrants’ money is mostly being spent on consumption which is the main reason for huge trade deficit, the envoy said, "Nepal government data shows that saving was only 15 per cent of the country’s total earnings in fiscal year 2017-18, while 85 per cent was spent on consumption for food, education, luxury goods, rent and so on."
If we include remittance, Nepal’s national savings would increase to 45 per cent. "Therefore, Nepal must make the best use of remittance," the envoy added.
However, the social cost of labour migration is troubling, particularly in terms of breakdown in the family, divorces and parenting void for the children who are left behind, according to dean of Asian Culture Centre in South Korea Kim Yong Kuk.
In a number of cases, Nepali migrants have taken their lives in South Korea due to mismatch in their expectations and the ground reality in the foreign land, work pressure, among other issues, director of EPS Korea Section under Department of Foreign Employment Krishna Prasad Khanal.
Likewise, economist Bishwo Poudel, on the occasion, emphasised on the need for the government to come up with policies for proper utilisation of remittance and capitalisation of skills of returnee migrants.
The returnees tend to blow their money on luxury goods and unproductive sector, which will land them in a difficult position when they get old, though the government is planning to ‘manage’ the remittance to secure the future of migrant workers, according to the participants.
However, the returnee migrants from South Korea are not only disciplined but also doing fairly better compared to the returnees from other destination countries, said Editor of Karobar National Economic Daily Kuber Chalise, presenting a paper on ‘Policy suggestion in creating employment for returnee migrants.’ “Out of the five returnee migrants, who were awarded by the government last week, three of them were from South Korea.”
Tracing back the history of Nepali migrant workers, Chalise said that the formal labour migration from Nepal started in 1814-1816, after the Nepal-British India war. “A total of 4,650 Nepali youngsters were recruited to the British Armed Forces as a British-Gurkha regiment after the conclusion of the war and signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.”
However, migration picked the pace during the course of time and so has the inflow of remittance, the outflow has seen whopping increase after the Maoist insurgency in Nepal.
According to the World Bank record, Nepal had received $55 million in 1993, which increased by 15 times to $771 million in a decade in 2003. “In 2013, Nepal received $5589 million, and in 2019 Nepal is going to receive more than $8000 million.”
But the remittance inflow is fueling consumption, and killing entrepreneurship and productivity in the country, Chalise, said, adding that the government realising the mistake – it has been committing due to various reasons including conflict, uncertainty and political transition – is trying to correct it by launching a soft loan scheme for returnee migrants.
However, some 18,767 – some 893 women and 17,874 men – have applied for up to Rs 1 million soft loan at subsidised interest rate for 5 years, the government data revealed, adding that the highest applicants are from Province 3 – some 13,566 – and lowest are from Province 6 – some 294 – and the government is soon going to finalise those who will get the soft loan.
Emphasising on the technologies, skills and management methods learned in Korea were important factors for their success, the members of Korean Association of Returned Workers (ANKUR) – on the occasion – also made presentations about their enterprises.

Nepal fails to check illegal North Korean activities

Though, the United Nations (UN) has imposed strict sanctions on North Korea for its involvement in haphazard productions and tests of nuclear weapon, they are not only working illegally in Nepal but also without the labour permit since long under the political pressure. Nepal is also a party to the UN and it has to follow the UN resolution but the North Koreans working in Nepal have also been suspected to be involved in the illicit activities.
However, Nepal Medical Council (NMC) has recently taken action against a hospital ‘Ne-Koryo’ operating in Damauli, as the North Korean doctors have been found operating the hospital without labour permits, though they have landed in Nepal on a tourist visa. The Ne-Koryo Hospital has been closed down but the North Korean diplomats are lobbying with the incumbent government to reopen the hospital.
Likewise, another restaurant named ‘Himalayan SoJe Restaurant’ operating at Sanepa in Lalitpur has employed some six North Korean illegally. “Out of them, three North Koreans are staying in Nepal on tourist visas, while the other three do not have labour permits to work in Nepal.”
Though, the restaurant has been registered with the Department of Industry on September 5, 2018, in the name of two North Korean citizens – Ju Ok Hwang and Il Hyang Kang – with an address of Lazimpat, Kathmandu, they are operating in Sanepa without informing the department.
In April 2018, a special team from the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) arrested some 11 North Korean nationals – illegally working in Nepal – from the Durbar Marga-based Pyongyang Okryugwan Restaurant operated by North Korean nationals.
They were handed over to Department of Immigration but the department released them due to political pressure, and they continued their work at the restaurant.
According to the Department of Industry, five restaurants have been registered with 100 per cent ownership of the North Koreans, over the period of one decade. But the Embassy of the United States in Kathmandu has recently reminded the Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and his ministers about the UN sanctions against North Korea and the international obligation of Nepal to follow the UN resolutions. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the government has also stopped entertaining the North Korean diplomats.
The secretary of the US Michael Richard Pompeo had expressed his displeasure about the illegal activities of North Koreans in Nepal with foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali in the meeting in Washington DC last year. Gyawali assured Pompeo that Nepal government will not allow the Nepali land for any illegal activities by any country against any other country.
Pompeo also wrote an official letter to Prime Minister K P Oli reminding him once again his failure to take any actions against the illegal activities being carried out in Nepal despite the assurance given by foreign minister.
The North Korean Ambassador to Nepal Jo Yong Man has been trying to fix time to meet either the Prime Minister Oli or party Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal to lobby, but he has not been able to get their time as both of them cautiously rejected his plea.

Chinese UnionPay International gets license of payment system operator in Nepal

UnionPay International can now provide electronic card network and card clearing services in Nepal as the central bank has provided a license for the payment system operator to the Chinese company to facilitate transactions with business sectors located in China.
Chinese envoy to Nepal Hou Yanqi twitted – making public the information of licencing of UnionPay International – congratulating the Chinese company for obtaining the first payment system operator license for an international company. “We expect and encourage more Chinese companies to come to Nepal to conduct business under the premise of compliance," she twitted.
According to the central bank, the license has been provided to the UnionPay International Company Limited – registered at Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce, Shanghai China – in line with the Licensing Policy for Institution, Mechanism Operating Payment Related Activities, to carry out ‘Electronic Card Network and Payment Switch’ related activities under the direction, terms, and conditions issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
Unlike earlier, the transaction done by UnionPay International – that claims to offer the payment service in 174 countries – will now be recorded in Nepal’s banking system, now on wards. Earlier, some 2 months ago, the central bank had banned the use of Chinese digital wallets WeChat Pay and Alipay in Nepal saying that Nepal was losing foreign income due to illegal use of those payment applications by Chinese tourists.
Payment system providers are systems established with the objective of processing, routing, switching, operation, control and clearing of payment related activities. They can also help settle cross border transactions via an electronic system.
The central bank has already provided similar license to four domestic payment sevice providers including Prabhu Technology, Nepal Clearing House, SmartChoice Technologies and Nepal Electronic Payment Systems.

Nepali team departs to China for revision of ASA

Nepal and China is scheduled to hold discussions – on Thursday and Friday – on revising the air services agreement (ASA).
A Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) team – led by joint secretary Suresh Acharya – left for China today to hold discussions on revising the ASA, according to the ministry that has prepared to ask the northern neighbour to allow Nepali airliners to fly to Chinese cities.
Currently, Chinese airlines have direct flights to Nepal, whereas not a single Nepali airline flies to China directly, though the number of Chinese flights coming to Nepal has reached 70 per week. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has started the process to operate flights to China, whereas Himalaya Airlines also unveiled its plan to fly to China. Howvere, they have not got any slots to fly to China against the ASA between the two neighbours.
Earlier, the two countries had signed bilateral ASA in 2014, under which both countries were allowed to operate 56 flights a week in any airport of the respective countries. Due to the agreement, Chinese airline companies including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines are operating direct flights to Nepal from China, but Nepali Airlines have been ‘barred’ technically to fly to China.
The national flag carrier – a month ago – had submitted all the required documents to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate direct flights to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. But the Chinese authorities had mentioned that they will first need to conduct a safety audit before permitting NAC to operate flights to the northern neighbour.
The NAC is ready for safety audit as a Chinese team is coming to Kathmandu in October for the safety audit.
Though, China is a very significant market for the Nepali tourism industry, failure of the Nepali Airlines to fly to China has hit the number of Chinese tourists – who are the second largest travellers to Nepal – also in the wake of Visit Nepal 2020.

Nepal, Georgia agree on free visa

Nepal and Georgia today – during the first-ever bilateral consultations between two countries – agreed on free visa.
The delegation – led by the host foreign secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and visiting guest team led by deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili held at the Foreign Ministry in Kathmandu – also reviewed diverse aspects of bilateral relations and exchanged views on further promoting cooperation between the two countries at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
According to a press statement released by the ministry today, both countries agreed to waive visa fees for diplomatic and government passport holders of both countries. “An agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, official or service passports was also signed on the occasion,” the Foreign Ministry press note revealed.
Following the consultations, the visiting deputy minister Khvtisiashvili called on foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, and discussed matters of mutual interest between the two countries.
The Georgian delegation consisted of ambassador of Georgia to Nepal Archil Dzuliashvili, director of the Department of Asia and Pacific of the Georgian Foreign Ministry David Kereselidze, senior counsellor at the Georgian Embassy in New Delhi Nana Gaprindashvili as well as the Honorary Consul of Georgia in Kathmandu Shiv Ratan Sharda. 

Paddy plantation completed on 64 per cent of arable land

Though, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) has been claiming the production will not be affected, paddy plantation has been carried out on 63.79 per cent of 1.37 million hectares of arable land across the country as of today.
According to the ministry, the plantation data is over eight percentage point less than that in the same period of last year. “Paddy plantation has been completed on 71.96 per cent of arable land during same period of last year,” the ministry informed, adding that this year, late monsoon and heavy rainfall hit the paddy plantation hard. “The paddy plantation has been carried out across 56.13 per cent of arable land in Province 1, some 50.48 per cent in Province 2, some 69.18 per cent in Province 3, some 79.28 per cent in Gandaki Province, some 63.48 per cent in Province 5, some 90.13 per cent in Karnali Province and some 86.62 per cent of arable land in Sudurpaschim Province.”
Paddy plantation has been completed across 75 per cent of arable land in the high-hills, some 72.86 per cent in mid-hills and some 60 per cent of arable land in the Tarai, the ministry claimed; adding that this year the government is more focused on increasing productivity rather than the quantity of production.
Paddy productivity stands at 3.76 tonnes per hectare currently, though the government has targeted to increase it to four tonnes per hectare this year. “The ministry had signed a five-year work plan (2018-2023) with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of the Philippines to work jointly in seven sectors and 16 major projects for development of agricultural sector.”
Paddy contributes to over 20 per cent to the total agricultural production, whereas agriculture sector contributes to around 27 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP).