May 18, 2006
Nepal Mountain News
Donor community at an exclusive meet called by the finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat disclosed that it is ready to support Nepal financially to rescue its flagging economy and ensure peace. However, donors continue to be unsure about what will happen regarding the negotiations with the Maoists and to the prospects of sustained peace. Security expenditure over the past four years, Dr Mahat pointed out to the donors, has exceeded 3.4 per cent of the total GDP. It is very high for a country like Ne-pal where annual revenues make up only about 13 per cent of GDP. He said that in the current fiscal year, there will be an additional deficit of about Rs 5.1 billion.
Most donor representatives expressed underlined the need to include the development agenda in the talks with the Maoists. This is required to ensure both development and a lasting peace, they felt. Donor representatives also emphasized the need for security at the local level to keep development projects going. Ken Ohashi, country director of the World Bank expressed serious concerns regarding the imminent expiry of Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF). He also asked for detailed programs and policies from the government, formed on the basis of a consensus. Ohashi, however, did not promise any non-budgetary support. Following the views expressed by the donors, Dr Mahat ensured the community of PRGF’s continuation. Sukhwinder Singh, chief of the Nepal-based International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressed the views that the international donor community would support Nepal in this critical juncture. He informed that the PRGF is expiring in about four months which might have serious implications on the reform process. PRGF is supported by the WB and IMF. Mark Mallalieu, representative of DFID on behalf of UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands, Finland and German Development Agency GTZ said that Nepal’s central challenge is delivering a lasting peace. Donors must not place demands on the government that deflects it from its objective, he added. He emphasized the need to ‘widen the development space’. If we could deliver now, people’s confidence in peace process will increase. Ambassador of Denmark Finn Thilsted announced that the Danish government would restart the rural energy program amounting to Rs 1.5 billion which was suspended earlier. Thilsted also said that Denmark was ready to provide Rs 500 million more to Nepal for peace process and demobilization of army and the Maoists. Jamesh F Moriarty, US ambassador to Nepal, said that successful peace talks are needed. He said US was keen to see a successful transition of democracy in Nepal. Japan also asked for prioritization of projects and programs. Matthew Kahane, resident chief of UNDP Kathmandu, said that the UN is ready to support the government during the conflict and political instability. He hoped that negotiations between the governments and the Maoists would be effectively concluded.
Other News
Donors Ready to Aid Nepal
Donor community at an exclusive meet called by the finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat disclosed that it is ready to support Nepal financially to rescue its flagging economy and ensure peace. However, donors continue to be unsure about what will happen regarding the negotiations with the Maoists and to the prospects of sustained peace. Security expenditure over the past four years, Dr Mahat pointed out to the donors, has exceeded 3.4 per cent of the total GDP. It is very high for a country like Ne-pal where annual revenues make up only about 13 per cent of GDP. He said that in the current fiscal year, there will be an additional deficit of about Rs 5.1 billion.
Most donor representatives expressed underlined the need to include the development agenda in the talks with the Maoists. This is required to ensure both development and a lasting peace, they felt. Donor representatives also emphasized the need for security at the local level to keep development projects going. Ken Ohashi, country director of the World Bank expressed serious concerns regarding the imminent expiry of Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF). He also asked for detailed programs and policies from the government, formed on the basis of a consensus. Ohashi, however, did not promise any non-budgetary support. Following the views expressed by the donors, Dr Mahat ensured the community of PRGF’s continuation. Sukhwinder Singh, chief of the Nepal-based International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressed the views that the international donor community would support Nepal in this critical juncture. He informed that the PRGF is expiring in about four months which might have serious implications on the reform process. PRGF is supported by the WB and IMF. Mark Mallalieu, representative of DFID on behalf of UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands, Finland and German Development Agency GTZ said that Nepal’s central challenge is delivering a lasting peace. Donors must not place demands on the government that deflects it from its objective, he added. He emphasized the need to ‘widen the development space’. If we could deliver now, people’s confidence in peace process will increase. Ambassador of Denmark Finn Thilsted announced that the Danish government would restart the rural energy program amounting to Rs 1.5 billion which was suspended earlier. Thilsted also said that Denmark was ready to provide Rs 500 million more to Nepal for peace process and demobilization of army and the Maoists. Jamesh F Moriarty, US ambassador to Nepal, said that successful peace talks are needed. He said US was keen to see a successful transition of democracy in Nepal. Japan also asked for prioritization of projects and programs. Matthew Kahane, resident chief of UNDP Kathmandu, said that the UN is ready to support the government during the conflict and political instability. He hoped that negotiations between the governments and the Maoists would be effectively concluded.
Other News
- Teen climbers take Everest record: Two teenagers have become the youngest Britons to climb Mount Everest. Rob Gauntlett, of Petworth, Sussex, and James Hooper, of Wellington, Somerset, both 19, reached the summit via the north route at 0315 BST on Wednesday. On reaching the 29,035ft (8,850m) peak after a 10-hour trek from the last base, Rob phoned his parents. Speaking via a satellite phone, he said: "It's incredible up here looking out knowing nowhere in the world is higher than you are at the moment." The gap-year students have taken the title from Jake Meyer, from Tetbury in Gloucestershire, who was 21 when he reached the top of Everest last June. The youngest person to reach the summit was 15-year-old Ming Kipa Sherpa, who completed the ascent in 2003. The two best friends came up with the idea three years ago and have since climbed in the Alps, Pakistan and Nepal, as well as all over the UK. Both celebrated their 19th birthdays while at Everest Base Camp, but Rob, who only celebrated his birthday last Wednesday, is actually the youngest Briton to have climbed the mountain. Their climb from the north side of the mountain in Tibet has been in aid of Cancer Research UK.
- First Rai on Top of Mt Everest: Indra Bahadur Rai, 32, has become the first person to scale the world’s tallest peak, Mt Everest, from the Rai community in Nepal. Rai, a resident of Triveni-4, Udaypur, reached the summit of 8,848m high peak at 6.40 am on May 15 along with a Turkish Everest Expedition Team, Dawa Lama, manager of Arun Treks and Expedition told THT Online.A two-member team of an independent Adventure Awareness for Youth Everest Expedition had attempted to scale the peak from the north ridge in Tibet side of Mt Everest. However, another member Khil Bahadur Thapa had to come back after reaching 8,500 metres due to health reason, informed Lama. According to Lama, Rai is safely back to the advance base camp, where he is taking rest and plans to come back to the base camp soon. Meanwhile, Kirat Rai Yayokkha confirmed that Indra Bahadur Rai is the first person from the Rai community to scale Mt Everest.
- Food Shortage Hits Karnali Zone Hard: Famine has hit the remote hill districts of Karnali zone — Kalikot, Mugu and Dolpa — especially after the government-subsidized food grain quota has petered out. Suide by side, there is no arrangement for timely delivery to these districts. The allotted quota of food grains in the fiscal year 2062/63 fell short and the government, as a relief measure, totted up an extra quota of 3,500 quintals for five districts of the zone during just one month — from April 14 to May 14. But even the additional quota was not adequate. Despite a supply of 1,500 quintals of food grains to Kalikot, the Food Corporation depot is empty. Leave aside remote villages, even the district headquarters are bereft of grain supply. This year, a total of 6,800 quintals of food grains including additional supplies were sent to Kalikot. Yet, the crunch prevails, said the Food Corporation branch office, Surkhet. Manager of the Surkhet Food Corporation branch office, Lava Kumar Shrestha said unless more supplies are rushed in on a war footing, the famine can't be mitigated.
- New technique to replace gravel roads: To reduce cost in maintenance and ensure reliable road access to a larger population, the Department of Roads has been planning to introduce ottaseal surfacing as an alternative for gravel roads. The department, with assistance from the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, organized a workshop-cum-training program course on ottaseal surface that concluded today to familiarize road engineers with the technology. A relatively new technology, ottaseal is claimed to be a cost-cutting technology which is far better than conventional chip seal (gravel) in terms of life cycle, cost and comfort. “We can cut down life cycle costs by 30 to 40 per cent in ottaseal surfacing,� deputy director general of Department of Road, Kamal Raj Pandey, said. According to him, of the total 17,000 km road length, only 42 per cent road is concrete asphalt. The department annually spends a billion rupees for the maintenance of the roads. Originally developed in Norway in 1960, it was first used in Otta valley Norway, from where the name was derived. It was extensively used in Africa and Scandinavian countries.