चीनको अघोषित नाकाबन्दीले व्यवसायी मर्कामा

चिनियाँ नाकामा अड्किएका अर्बौंका सामान छुटाउन राज्यका तर्फबाट पहल नभएको भन्दै नेपाल राष्ट्रिय व्यवसायी महासंघले आपत्ति जनाएको छ । उद्योगी–व्यवसायीहरुका समस्या समाधान गर्न चासो नदेखाएको भन्दै महासंघले शनिबार विज्ञप्ति जारी गर्दै सरकारको ध्यानाकर्षण गराएको हो ।  

नेपालीहरुको ठूलो चाड दसैं नजिएको तर दसैंमा बेच्नुपर्ने सामान नाकामै रोकिँदा अर्बौंका सामान सडेर बिग्रने अवस्थामा पुगेको महासंघका अध्यक्ष कुमार कार्कीले बताएका छन् । “उत्तरी नाकामा भइरहेको अघोषित नाकाबन्दीको प्रत्यक्ष मार भने व्यवसायीले भोग्नु परेको छ,” अध्यक्ष कार्कीले जारी गरेको विज्ञप्तिमा भनिएको छ, “सयांै मालवाहक कन्टेनरहरु नाकामा थन्किएर बस्दा चाडपर्व केन्द्रित अर्बौंका सामान सडिने, कुहिने र बिग्रने भई नोक्सान भएको छ भने बजारमा सामानको हाहाकार देखिन्छ ।” 

महासंघले यी समस्याहरु तत्काल समाधान गर्न पहल गरिदिन पनि अनुरोध गरेको छ । धेरै उद्योगी–व्यवसायीहरु बैंकको ब्याजदर तिर्न समेत नसक्ने अवस्थामा पुगेको महासंघले बताएको छ । बैंकले दिएको मानसिक तनावका कारण कतिपय उद्योगी–व्यवसायीहरुले आत्महत्याको बाटो रोज्न बाध्य भएको भन्दै महासंघले यसतर्फ गम्भीर बन्न समेत सरकारलाई अनुरोध गरेको छ । “व्यापार व्यवसाय गर्न सामान नाकामा थन्किएको, बैंकले ऋण चुक्ता गर्न बारम्बार ताकेता गर्दै सम्पत्ति लिलाम तथा जफत गर्ने धम्की दिन्दै मानसिक तनाव दिइरहेको अवस्था छ,” विज्ञप्तिमा भनिएको छ, “यावत् समस्याले गर्दा व्यवसायीहरु मानसिक सन्तुलन गुमाएर आत्महत्या गर्नुपरेको उदाहरणहरु छन् ।”

बैंकको ब्याजदर अत्यधिक बढेको भन्दै बैंकको ब्याजदर नियन्त्रण गर्न समेत महासंघले नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक समक्ष अनुरोध गरेको छ । देशको अर्थतन्त्रमा सबैभन्दा महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र उद्योग व्यवसाय भए पनि राज्यको राजस्व असुलीको मूल क्षेत्र दिनानुदिन धरायसी बन्दै गएको छ । देशमा उद्योगी तथा व्यवसायीमैत्री वातावरण नहुनुका कारण अर्बौं लगानी गरी उद्योग–व्यवसाय सञ्चालन गर्दै आइरहेका उद्योगी–व्यवसायीहरु पलायनतर्फ उन्मुख भइरहेको प्रष्ट देखिएको नेपाल राष्ट्रिय व्यवसायी महासंघले जनाएको छ ।  कागजमा मात्रै व्यवसायमैत्री नीतिनियम हुने र कार्यान्वयन भने अति नै फितलो हुनु नै अहिलेको मुख्य समस्या देखिएको उसको भनाइ छ । 

महासंघका अनुसार व्यवसायीहरुले आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण जायजेथा बैंकलाई बुझाएर ऋण गरी उद्योग व्यापार सञ्चालन गरेका छन् । तर, विभिन्न प्राकृतिक प्रकोप र कोरोना महामारीका कारण व्यापार–व्यवसायले गति लिन नसक्दा बैंक ब्याज तथा घरभाडा समेत तिर्न नसकेको अवस्था रहेका भन्दै महासंघले फितलो राज्य संयन्त्रका कारण उत्तरी नाकामा भइरहेको अघोषित नाकाबन्दीको प्रत्यक्ष मार भने व्यवसायीले भोग्नुपरेको जनाएको छ ।

Government relaxes prohibitory orders

The Kathmandu Valley district administrations decided to extend the prohibitory orders in the Valley by a week but with some relaxation.

Though, the prohibitory orders will remain in force until  June 28, the private vehicles will be allowed to operate on an odd-even basis, confirmed chief district officer of Kathmandu district, Kali Prasad Parajuli. 

Likewise, taxi services will also operate based on the odd-even system, he said adding that other public transportation services, however, are yet to resume. 

A meeting of the Valley’s three chief district officers today announced the decision to relax the orders starting Tuesday citing the declining cases of Covid-19 infections in the Valley.

The prohibitory orders, first introduced for a week starting April 29, have been extended several times and are due to expire on Monday midnight.

The businesses are also allowed to operate on alternate days, chief district officer of Lalitpur district Dhundi Prasad Niraula, said, adding that the grocery and department stores will be allowed to open till 11 am every day, various other shops will remain open from 11 am to 4 pm and 11 am to 6 pm.

According to chief district officer of Bhaktapur district Prem Prasad Bhattrai, the shops are allowed to open on particular day and particular time. 

"Jewellery shops, electronics stores and automobile shops will be allowed to open on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, whereas shopping malls, clothing stores, gift shops, sports apparel stores and cosmetic shops will be allowed to operate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays," according to the notice published by the District Administration Office, Kathmandu.

Likewise, restaurants are allowed to run takeaway services till 7 pm, and shops selling construction materials, bathroom fixtures and accessories and furniture stores are allowed to open from 11 am till 6 pm. "Vehicles carrying construction materials are also allowed to operate at night," the notice reads.

The daily Covid-19 cases have been coming down after peaking on May 11 when the country confirmed a record 9,317 new infections. The daily new infection numbers has come down to 1,421 with 51 fatalities, today.

Government lifts quantitative restriction on sugar import

The government has lifted quantitative restriction on sugar import as it has decided not to extend the restriction on sugar import after the beginning of the new fiscal year 2019-20.
The government had extended quantitative restriction on sugar import – under pressure from sugar mill operators – by three months till the end of fiscal year 2018-19, claiming to limit excessive supply of cheaper foreign sugar in the domestic market. The mill owners had convinced the government – especially the Prime Minister KP Oli – that the cheap import of foreign sugar had lowered the demand of comparatively costly Nepali sugar. Convinced by the mill owners, Prime Minister Oli himself took action in fixing a quota on sugar import in September. The restriction initially in place only till mid-April has been extended till the end of the current fiscal year. After quantitative restriction, the price of the sugar did not go down rather increased hurting the consumers. The lifting of the restriction on sugar import will bring the price down as the imported sugar – especially from Pakistan and India – is cheaper compared to domestic sugar.
After lifting the restriction, the traders can now import any quantity of sugar that was barred to be imported not more than 100,000 tonnes during the last fiscal year.
However, the sugar mill operators have criticised the government for not extending the quantitative restriction. Urging the government to extend such restriction on sugar import for at least three months so that they can clear the stock of Nepali sugar, they said they still have almost 100,000 tonnes of sugar in stock, which will be enough to meet domestic demand for four months.
According to Nepal Sugar Producers Association, the crushing of sugarcane is going to begin within a few months. “The government must calculate the domestic demand before lifting the restriction,” the association said.
But the sugarcane farmers have been blaming the mill owners for not paying them the price of the sugarcane. The mill owners have promised the government that they will pay the farmers their dues, if they are allowed to clear their stock – restricting the foreign sugar import – but neither the farmers been able to get their dues nor the consumers get the cheaper sugar.
The imported sugar is cheaper as the Indian sugar is available at almost Rs 55 per kg in the Indian retail market and factory price is even cheaper. Currently, the domestic sugar costs at Rs 78 per kg.