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			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
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			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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			'id' => '2699',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Investment In Agriculture,  Tourism And Energy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Shanta Raj Subedi</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal, through its national plan, has declared the development strategy to achieve inclusive, broad-based, high and sustainable economic growth by enhancing the contribution of the private sector, government and co-operatives. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Economic Summit has picked up important priority sectors - Energy, Tourism and Agriculture for economic development of Nepal. These three sectors are among the top priorities of the government as articulated in the current development plan, and are crucial to help Nepal graduate from LDC by 2022. &nbsp;Let me briefly highlight on these sectors. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The energy sector, especially hydropower, is one of the areas with immense potential for secured and profitable investment in Nepal. With huge availability of water resources, Nepal could be one of the best places to invest in hydropower. I believe that market is not a problem for us to export hydropower. Investment in the hydropower sector will not only get a domestic market but also an export market. There is enormous opportunity for investing in generation and transmission of hydro electricity. The cross-border transmission lines with India will benefit both Nepal and India.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s energy potentiality is not limited to hydropower. We have high prospects for other forms of energy like bio-mass, solar and wind energy. The Government of Nepal has announced a number of policies and incentive mechanisms for the development of this sector. Different tax incentives are already in place and we are also open to continue discussion on further incentive packages. Further, we are ready to join hands with the private sector to develop the energy sector through the Public-Private-Partnership modality. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, agriculture has remained a prime sector of our economy since long. This sector alone contributes around 35 per cent to the total GDP and provides employment to more than 70 per cent population. Realizing this fact, the Government of Nepal has been increasing investment in this sector. In order to develop the agriculture sector in a holistic way, we have recently drafted the Agricultural Development Strategy. Further, we have been drafting new agriculture policy to improve the investment climate in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is suitable for cultivation of organic seeds, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Our topography is such that it has scope for eco-tourism and agro-tourism also. In order to increase the production and productivity of crops and livestock products, the Government of Nepal has introduced insurance schemes and different packages of production incentives. We are committed to further increase the investment in this sector and welcome the private investors as well.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is an ideal tourism destination. We do have the mixture of myriad tourism activities, like soft walking, mountaineering, sightseeing, trekking, community based tourism, village home stay tourism, eco-tourism, adventure-sports tourism and religious tourism. The huge socio-cultural diversity is another mysterious attraction of Nepal. New tourist sites are constantly being discovered and public investment has been increased to develop such sites.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal has been investing in basic infrastructures of the tourism sector. More private investment is needed in the tourism sector to build quality hotels, lodges and restaurants. Further, the private sector is encouraged to attract more tourists from all around the globe with sophisticated investment in this sector. The Government of Nepal is building a regional international airport near Lumbini. The private sector should be able to reap the benefits of such infrastructure and develop sufficient measures to attract religious tourists. In many aspects, the tourism sector is almost virgin for new investment. It&rsquo;s not only the natural tourism that is an attractive area for investment, but also the cultural and pilgrimage tourism are equally attractive for the investors.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal adopted the liberalized economic policy after the restoration of democracy in 1990 through the eighth periodic plan. Since then, the private sector has been encouraged to invest in the socio-economic development of the country. In order to facilitate the private sector, Nepal government has formulated a liberal and open Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992, Industrial Enterprises Act 1992, Electricity Act 1992, BOOT Act 2006 and Nepal Investment Board Act 2011. In addition to this, we have also signed Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with France, Germany, UK, Mauritius, Finland and India. Similarly, Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty has been signed with ten countries and five are under considerations. These all are positive steps towards encouraging foreign investors in the country. However, we feel, there is a need for further reform in order to materialize private investment in the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We are aware from global studies and observations that Nepal still lacks an investment friendly environment. However, the recent political development shows good gestures in this respect. The domestic market is growing. The international market is already there. There is greater enthusiasm in the domestic private sector. The government is trying to remove non-tariff barriers for investment, such as issues related to trade union, land acquisition, compensation and so on.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am confident that this summit would come up with specific recommendations for the Government of Nepal regarding adopting policy measures and creating conducive environment for investment. I would like to assure that the recommendations made here would be taken positively and incorporated in our upcoming policies and programmes.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the Finance Secretary of Nepal. The article is adapted from the Opening Remarks he delivered at the inauguration of Nepal Economic Summit 2014 on February 24.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-03',
			'modified' => '2014-03-03',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.',
			'sortorder' => '2545',
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	(int) 2 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2655',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Leadership And Regional Integration',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<p>
	The 5th SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: &ldquo;We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans&rdquo;.<br />
	<br />
	The vital issue here is will the youth leaders of South Asia await government action to come up with the desired plans? Or should it not be their responsibility, as business leaders, to do so proactively? The assertive and dynamic role played by South Asia&rsquo;s NGOs led to the adoption of, by the SAARC Heads of State/Government, the SAARC Social Charter, which is a veritable landmark achievement of civil society. Let us hope that the SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, and the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs Forum (SAYEF), can together, sooner than later, endow South Asia with the much needed SAARC Economic Charter.<br />
	<br />
	Is it not high time that the private sector gifted us its economic vision of South Asia for the Asian Century? The Forbes 2013 Billionaires list identifies 1426 such &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; individuals worldwide. I describe them &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; because many among them have wealth that far exceeds that of nation states. The US leads with 446 billionaires; followed closely by the Asia Pacific with 386 billionaires. From South Asia there are 51 in all&mdash;50 from India; and 1 from Nepal. Sadly, there are none listed from the other SAARC nations.<br />
	<br />
	Can, or should, the SAYEF mobilize these 51 South Asian business leaders to come forth with the South Asian Economic Vision? Who knows, many among young entrepreneurs here might be relatives of them?<br />
	<br />
	I often ask myself: why aren&rsquo;t these South Asian billionaires, collectively, looking inwards to transform South Asia regionally with its vast resource endowment? Why do they choose to venture abroad even to the extent of engaging in contract farming, for example, in Africa and Latin America? Are we not blessed with abundant land, water and farm hands? Do not our villages cry out for more productive jobs and a better life style?<br />
	<br />
	The &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; portends well for South Asia. It is anticipated this will last from 2040-50 with the share of the working age population to total population growing or remaining constant. It can be the new manufacturing hub of the globe.<br />
	<br />
	China will begin to, sooner than later, face its &lsquo;demographic deficit&rsquo; with rising wages and labour shortages. Its labourintensive manufacturing will surely move into South Asia in similar fashion to the Japanese &lsquo;flying geese&rsquo; that led to the rapid industrialization of East Asia beginning in the mid-1970s.<br />
	<br />
	Founded in 2009, SYEF is a strategic innovation seeking to expunge from young minds the dark and bitter legacy of the partition of the subcontinent. It is also an innovation where youth leaders nurture a regional mindset by developing the capacity to &lsquo;think regional and act local.&rsquo; It is only then can we hope and aspire to make South Asia a global economic and financial power house of the unfolding Asian Century. For this to happen, we need to create South Asian MNCs &ndash; be they led by any of our Forbes listed billionaires or by our youth leaders.<br />
	<br />
	By and large, we have witnessed unemployment growth in South Asia. To add insult to the injury, we have witnessed unimagined inequality in the distribution of income. Who are the beneficiaries of globalization under the WTO regime? Alas, it&rsquo;s the very rich economic elites and the political elites, who are delivering a highly non-inclusive form of capitalism that may be best described as &lsquo;crony capitalism&rsquo;. I trust the youth business leaders can sense that this form of capitalism is like digging one&rsquo;s own grave yard eventually.<br />
	<br />
	If this continues, the &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; will be transformed into a &lsquo;youth unemployment bomb&rsquo; through social implosion and political anarchy. There is no dividend when youth, especially the middle class youth, are engulfed by despair, desperation and disillusionment from the stigma of joblessness and its indignities. Not just for the sheer lack of jobs; but also the lack of requisite skills for the available jobs.<br />
	<br />
	Youth symbolizes idealism, hope and belief in the power of ideas and innovation. This is what the common men and women expect from youth business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	The common men or women expect from youth business leaders a value driven and ethical business organization serving the people as well as the planet-- not just seeking short term maximization of profits. They expect business leaders to be an integral part of society, safeguarding the planet for future generations from the predicted holocaust of global warming. The common man or woman will bestow faith in business leaders when the latter collectively demonstrate the ability to transform society. For this, they need to optimize the triple P (public-privatepartnership) and not maximize the one P&mdash;profits.<br />
	<br />
	They can and should do so by strategizing their businesses as per the vision of the late management guru, Prof. C.K.Prahalad, who foresaw a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Or even pursue the vision of Prof. Mohammed Yunus where he calls forth social businesses to flower the entrepreneurial spirit so abundantly embodied even in the poorest of the poor of South Asia.<br />
	<br />
	I urge the youth business leaders to opt for &lsquo;conscientious capitalism&rsquo; where all stakeholders are brought into the ambit of our business decisions; where businesses move beyond their CSR statements &ndash; often only being used as forms of charity for PR purposes.<br />
	<br />
	Move beyond what and how, the youth business leaders might ask me here? I submit by making your CSR statements as morally binding commitments which could form the new basis for Consumer and Labour Courts to adjudicate with -- thus going beyond the &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; to &lsquo;rule of morality&rsquo; -- for sound ethical behaviour by our business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	Finally, I appeal to all &ndash; politicians and business leaders&mdash;that to strengthen our democracy we need &lsquo;good governance&rsquo; that should be manifested in maximising competition, transparency and accountability. While the World Bank, IMF and the Asian Development Bank may think good governance is enough, I submit to our Youth Leaders here that it is necessary but not sufficient. Concurrently, we need independent, powerful anticorruption authorities in place with total overhaul of our criminal justice system. (Rana is a former finance minister of Nepal. The article is adapted from the valedictory address he made at the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs&rsquo; Summit 2014, Lahore, Pakistan.)<br />
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-23',
			'modified' => '2014-02-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The 5th SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: “We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans”.',
			'sortorder' => '2501',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2604',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Firming Up An Educational Institution’s Brand: Challenges And Choices',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Roshee Lamichhane</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	About a decade ago, there was never a need for educational institutions to aggressively market themselves, as the demand for quality education generally outgrew supply. Today, however, with increasing competition, there is a growing awareness within this community on the importance of marketing a school or college. They are also making conscious efforts to establish the institutional brand, attract quality students, and stay ahead of competition at all times.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Research points to the fact that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are increasingly evaluating marketing outsourcing and the growing maturity of marketing services that can be outsourced. This research evidence emphasizes that marketing outsourcing will soon become a key outsourced function globally, much in the lines of Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Logistics, Security, and Legal services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Emergence of MPO Companies</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm. The services they render to marketing are something analogous to what Finance and Accounts Officers (FAOs) do to the F &amp; A function of an organization. They resort to componentizing all key marketing functions and sub-functions. Later, they build processes for each of these in such a way that they can be delivered by leveraging the best functional and domain knowledge banks. They also use best global practices in the most efficient and cost effective manner either onsite or remotely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Role of PMPs&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The role of Professional Marketing Partners (PMPs) becomes at once important as the education space is, slowly but surely, realizing the need to have a professional and cost-effective marketing set-up in place that proactively and continuously communicates with the target segment, rather than engaging only in seasonal marketing efforts.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Engaging the services of a PMP has become the first step towards firming up an educational institution&rsquo;s brand through a pro-active marketing program to reach your target segment. The logic and rationale are simple: &ldquo;they not only possess a deep marketing expertise and an in-depth understanding of the education marketing, but design and deliver compelling solutions customized to its needs&rdquo;. Educational Branding and Marketing Services and Solutions generally include but are not limited to:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Admission Marketing: Offering tried and tested program mix to help expand admission outreach and attract quality students.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Placement Connect: Providing continuous engagement with corporate houses to increase student placement opportunities, to supplement or substitute institution&rsquo;s placement office.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Online Reputation: Leveraging social and other online/digital media to enhance the brand value of the institution and engage effectively with the ecosystem.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ecosystem Engagement: Crafting marketing strategies such as alumni engagement programs, corporate branding, etc., covering all stakeholders&mdash;including corporate, faculty, parents, and alumni&mdash;to facilitate continuous interaction and support to the institution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	This continuous engagement with a Professional Marketing Partner helps:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Attract and increase quality of students every year</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Retain top faculty&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase student placement opportunities through continuous interaction with businesses&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Optimize cost of acquisition per candidate&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase support from alumni and benefactors</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are several pioneering MPO agencies that have been helping the education community on how to market a school/college and formulate winning marketing strategies to effectively engage with the ecosystem, build a sustainable brand, and address the challenges faced by them. Their distilled experiences enable them to identify the key challenges faced by their client organizations in the marketing function. They align their services to help Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) address some of these challenges and bridge the gaps while improving the efficiency/effectiveness of their marketing function.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Some of the typical challenges in the context of branding and marketing an educational institution include:</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>People and hiring challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is difficult and expensive to build in-house expertise for all the key programmes that firms need to run</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A significant part of &nbsp;a company&rsquo;s bandwidth is consumed by low-impact tactical work, leaving very little time for strategic marketing work</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Training people is a big challenge and businesses will seldom be able to hire experienced practitioners and best practices are difficult to come by</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Lack of outsourced expertise</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is tough to find the right outsourced resources. Advertising, design and web agencies offer little strategic insights and are seldom aligned with the firm&rsquo;s strategic business objectives</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>External agencies seldom bring the practitioners&rsquo; view to the table and would like to work with someone who has done this before</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Monitoring metrics and ROI on marketing programmes is a big challenge</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Cost challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies are always under pressure to do more with their marketing budgets and resources, but their costs don&rsquo;t seem to be going down</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies&rsquo; marketing requirements are globally distributed, but their costs and people are not</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Businesses would like to leverage shared services to benefit from economies of scale and process efficiencies but there are no marketing shared services offerings easily available</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies don&rsquo;t want to invest in building expensive in-house resources or teams for certain tactical marketing competencies or for cyclical or part-time marketing requirements</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Marketing Outsourcing Partnership Model for SMBs</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The services of MPO companies extend from managing specific functions or processes for large marketing organizations to running the complete marketing function for SMBs. Generally, the Marketing Outsourcing Partnership (MOP) Model is backed by an expert team of marketing professionals with significant expertise in global marketing. They offer their clients a range of &lsquo;marketing in a box&rsquo; and &lsquo;marketing on demand&rsquo; outsourcing options that include full function outsourcing, outsourcing of specific projects and programmes as well as their execution.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(Lamichhane is Manager, Business Development, at Chaudhary Group)</em></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-02-18',
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			'description' => 'Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2558',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Employee Commitment  & Organizational Performance',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Amit Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Imagine that you are the line manager of a very young guy in your IT department who has been repeatedly complaining of having to work even on holidays. You thought that the introduction of overtime allowance that the company introduced for the last three months will address the issues raised by the IT staff. He, however, has been very hard working. He is always interested to learn the new systems and comes forward to volunteer whenever a new technology is being tested. You consider him a very committed employee until one fine morning he submits his resignation only to tell you that he has joined a competitor who has just brought the same &lsquo;technology&rsquo; your company had been using for the last six months. And, this guy was quite interested to learn this technology and has fairly mastered the new system. After he leaves, you don&rsquo;t have an immediate replacement which will hamper your support service that you are providing to your customer. You had thought this employee was committed!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Then you have a branch manager at Biratnagar who is considered to be a very good sales staff. He manages a team of 10 people and most of these people are quite productive. However, one thing that really worries the management is the turnover in the branch. When you analyse the exit interview reports, you can clearly see that the branch manager is not a very good team player. His subordinates are quite dissatisfied with his behaviour. When you talk to these employees informally, they point out his weaknesses like he often scolds them in front of the customer even for small mistakes. Strangely, the branch manager used to report positive things about these employees and would come strong when recommending rewards and recognition to his subordinates. You thought his subordinates were very lucky to have a supervisor like him. You try to counsel the branch manager but things wouldn&rsquo;t improve and you cannot let go the branch manager because of his high sales achievement. You had earlier assumed that the loyal staff wouldn&rsquo;t leave your reputed company even if they had some &lsquo;petty&rsquo; issues with their supervisor.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	And, the third employee who has worked with you for last five years at your customer service department has been very vocal about how good she feels about your company. She is very good at handling customers and has been receiving very good ratings in her performance appraisals. However, one thing you don&rsquo;t understand is that her co-workers have been struggling with their performance. Your rational thinking is that the other people would learn from her or even she should be aware of the lower quality of work her team members perform. You once talk to her informally on the issue and seek her advice on what can be done to improve their performance. She, however, doesn&rsquo;t want to be involved in &lsquo;improving&rsquo; their performance. She says that&rsquo;s not her job. You used to think that she was quite committed to the company and would go &lsquo;that extra mile&rsquo; to improve her co-workers. You were wrong.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So, what is missing in the employees you thought were committed? You realise that some visible aspects of commitment do not bind them with your company. These people were not engaged with your company!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>From Commitment to Engagement</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing). When we have all three dimensions of the employee commitment, we can say that the employees are engaged with the organisation. Thus, by using the term employee engagement, we will be covering the employee commitment in its holistic form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As illustrated in the three staff issues in the beginning, presence of only one dimension doesn&rsquo;t work. As in the first case, employees can be engaged with their job (Job Engagement) but may not be engaged with their organisation (Organisational Engagement). Similarly, some employees may be emotionally committed because of the reputation of the organisation but only emotional commitment does not work.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The third case was that of behavioural commitment. Engaged employees not only give their best productivity, but also &lsquo;go the extra mile&rsquo; to improve the quality of work of their co-workers even if their role doesn&rsquo;t demand such kind of responsibilities. Such employees not only feel and think for the organisation; their action (doing) is towards the betterment of the organisation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Link between employee engagement and organisational performance</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The general philosophy of employee engagement is that engaged employees contribute more, help in crating positive work environment, stay with the organisation longer and have higher commitment to quality. These &lsquo;traits&rsquo; of engaged employees lead to increased customer satisfaction that ultimately helps in achieving business outcomes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Several researches show a relationship between employee engagement and financial performance of the organisations. Internationally known consulting frims like Gallup and Aon Hewitt have a long history of measuring employee engagement and its effects in business organisations. Aon Hewitt uses a term called &ldquo;Engage-O-Meter&rdquo; for showing the engagement level and the organisational performance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	A research carried out by Aon Hewitt covering data from 2008-2010 found that organisations with high levels of engagement (65% or greater) continue to outperform the total stock market index and posted total shareholder returns 22% higher than average in 2010. On the other hand, companies with low engagement (45% or less) had a total shareholder return that was 28% lower than the average. As there was a global recession during that period, the correlation was still valid in times of financial crisis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Engagement Level in Nepali Organisations</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though we haven&rsquo;t heard much of such scientific research on employee engagement done in Nepali organisations, some of the organisations conduct annual engagement survey of their employees and the organisational climate surveys. The results of these surveys are only for internal consumption.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Officially, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) group annually conducts an engagement survey in association with Gallup. Thus, the SCB Nepal, as a part of the group, has been conducting the annual survey. However, one more bank uses the same survey questionnaire but uses its own resources to conduct the survey and analyse the results. Some multinational companies like Coca Cola (Bottlers Nepal) use employee surveys prescribed by their parent company.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Sharma is the Head of the Human Resource Department of Janata Bank Nepal Ltd. The article is adapted from a paper he presented at the HR Conclave organized by the School of Management, Tribhuvan University on January 10, 2014.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing).',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2547',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepali Entrepreneurship Needs The Next Big Push',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Years since 2000 have seen the gradual decline in armed struggles and resultant exodus to urban centres of Nepal, especially Kathmandu Valley, but democracy did also bring in political instability and an uncertain rule by a coterie of a few powerful leaders across four to five major parties, by turns. Instability in governance bred uncertain or ever-changing policies in business and many were consistent in their non-existence. There have been alongside regressive policies with regards to capping marketing expenses for some sectors of the economy, banning of FDI in a few others, and unclear labour policies in yet others.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In spite of all this, entrepreneurship in home-grown brands and businesses, including that of many first generation entrepreneurs, has grown, and remarkably so.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, four upon five people having voted in the last elections, parties with liberal and centrist manifestos getting the lion share of popular support, we now come to a scenario where entrepreneurship can rightfully receive the big push, institutionally, in governance, in education and through media.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For long the heroes in families and in marriage negotiations have been the bank employees, the government servants, the dream-struck remittance seeking migrant professionals leaving their beautiful nation, and the like.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The entrepreneurs have often been discouraged, sometimes warned, at times even threatened from within and beyond families, by the political cadre seeking easy cash, by banking and finance organizations which are supposed to boost up business initiatives, by media which looked askance at business adventurers, and by education which stressed on rote knowledge and safe managerial or clerical employment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With the possibilities of the slogan of &lsquo;Nepal for Peace and Prosperity&rsquo; becoming a reality first time in this decade given the public mood today, entrepreneurship as a function of a progressive economy needs the big push.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To start with, let there be a First Generation Entrepreneurship Promotion Policy of the new incoming popular government. Every government around the world in a developing economy does give tax holidays, funding concessions, training and skilling opportunities, global exposure, infra-structure facilities in government created Industrial Zones and the like especially for the first time entrepreneurs and business innovators.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Second, to make business incubation an interesting and &lsquo;sexy proposition&rsquo; as against the so-called safe havens abroad or in banking and government jobs, let there be a policy of &lsquo;business acculturation&rsquo; at Plus Two level (HS) across the nation where a workshop, a study material and a short examination leading to a Certificate in Introduction to Entrepreneurship be made a compulsory component of education, irrespective of the specialization in education.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Third, media&rsquo;s role in promotion of business acumen and risk-taking has been abysmally low, except the occasional entrepreneur&rsquo;s interview, done more with media PR in mind than a true commitment to it. There must be Entrepreneurship Gyan columns in relevant media. People must see or read Entrepreneur of the Week interview on the journey and challenges-joys of an entrepreneur, specially a first generation one, in print, television, radio and online media. There must be Business Plan contests on the lines of Business Baazigar in Zee Business and Pitch on CNBC in India, leading to winning proposals getting seed funded by banks and venture capital with full media glare. Doing business is the right thing: this message must be driven home hard making heroes out of entrepreneurs of substance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fourth, as done by National Entrepreneurship Network (NIN) in India, there should be contests with specific business problems and winning entries awarded, recognized, funded and highlighted in the media. Alongside, an advanced tool to evaluate entrepreneurship traits in youths at an early stage after they turn 18 years can be developed and practiced, called Entrepreneurship Attributes Assessment with tests, real life situations, problem-solving and a score given (like GMAT or GRE scores).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fifth, as done by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global body of entrepreneurs of Indian origin, there can be The Nepali Entrepreneurial Network (NEN) to bring home success stories of Nepali entrepreneurs within and outside Nepal, specially the first generation ones, and also fund new deserving projects with angel investment of NRNs (Non Resident Nepalis).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sixth, entrepreneurship management education must take a definitive leap in Nepal. On the one hand, it must become a component of regular management courses at BBA and MBA levels in all institutes. On the other, specialized Entrepreneurship MBA must also have specific papers on social entrepreneurship, green and sustainable entrepreneurship, managing family business in subsequent generations, and the like. Every leading business school of the country needs to develop Business Incubation or Enterprise Development Centres to further advance the cause.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Seventh, people who have come into the cottage, small and medium enterprises already and are at different stages of performance can be assisted with new techniques and skills through short-term Entrepreneurship Certificate courses in specific domains: like Retail or ICT Entrepreneurship, Health or Educational Entrepreneurship, etc.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let a thousand flowers bloom. There is no cause of worry if a large number of business talent turns more entrepreneurial than plain managerial. Even in large organizations, gone are the days of command hierarchical structures. People are now moving to flat organizations, outsourcing several support functions to outside entrepreneurial outfits, and hence they need less of on-command managers and more of bottomline-focused entrepreneurial managers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	(This article is prepared based on the author&rsquo;s talk in and learning from the Entrepreneurship Enhancement Consultation meet organized by King&rsquo;s College of Management, Kathmandu, on January 31.)&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-08',
			'modified' => '2014-02-08',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2515',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Creating A Strong South Asia',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhav Prasad Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs. Furthermore, in this era of interdependence and interconnectedness, we find our interests intersecting in many areas that should help foster the sense of partnership to achieve larger regional objectives.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is true that the activities of SAARC have been directed towards tapping the regional potentials. Various programmes and projects have been launched for common benefit. Trade liberalization, including elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers, is in progress. Work is underway for concluding an agreement on investment promotion and protection in the region. SAARC has given emphasis on enhancing regional connectivity. A number of activities have been carried out in the field of promotion of tourism and people-to-people contacts. However, the pace is slow and progress is limited. Much remains to be done to change the socio-economic landscapes of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Despite our regional efforts to make South Asia a region of peace, prosperity and happiness, this region still faces varying challenges such as poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, trafficking of women and children, energy crisis, environmental degradation and so on. In fact, these challenges are not unique to South Asia alone; other regions also face them but they are more pronounced in our region.It is only through the concerted and collaborative efforts of all countries of South Asia that these challenges can best be addressed for the greater interest of the region. We need to mobilize requisite political will and redouble our efforts in this regard.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The global economy has witnessed a tectonic shift with emergence of new growth poles in regions that were largely underdeveloped a few years ago. Consistent with this global trend, we must seriously think of making South Asia a vibrant region with emphasis laid on trade and investment. This will call for a number of enabling measures including elimination of intra-regional barriers, development of physical infrastructure to enhance regional connectivity and reduction of gap of energy shortage, among others. Some policy reforms may also be required to create South Asia as a whole an investment friendly region. While we aspire for deeper regional integration, opportunities for equitable sharing of benefits from such integration will have to be guaranteed with a view to providing a level-playing field to all members. This is because of different levels of resources endowment, productive capacity, industrialization and socio-economic development among SAARC member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our efforts to fight poverty require implementation of projects benefitting the common peoples through income generation and skill enhancement. Targeted, focused and dedicated economic and social measures are essential to lift people out of grinding poverty and hunger. Poverty eradication must remain at the core of all development policies, programmes and activities, as the broader goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved without eradicating poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our focus should be to adopt such policy and programmes that could provide better education opportunities and health care services, widen job market and other opportunities, empower peoples, and strengthen national capacities in order to create a strong South Asia. Effective ways and means are required to address the adverse and disproportionate impact of climate change, which has emerged as one of the largest development challenges of our time. We also need concerted measures to fight against terrorism, trafficking in women, children and drugs and other transnational crimes that pose serious threat to the peace and stability of the region.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To find a secure place in a rapidly globalizing world characterized by the proliferation of regional groupings of varied speed and scale, we should gear our efforts towards developing collective competitiveness in the region, especially in the areas of economy, trade and investment. It can be achieved through greater regional economic integration and collective capacity building endeavours. For this, matters relating to trade, transport and infrastructure should be addressed on an urgent basis. Special emphasis should be accorded to the needs and concerns of the least-developed and land-locked members of the Association. Likewise, through the expansion of intra- and inter-regional trade backed by smooth, timely and effective implementation of SAFTA, the Association can work towards realizing the goal of establishing the South Asian Economic Union in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic growth and social progress should go hand in hand, as the one reinforces the other. Economic growth serves as the foundation of progress in other areas. It is essential to promote and sustain gains in social and human development. Likewise, social progress and human development help achieve faster economic growth on a sustainable basis. Delivering concrete results to the peoples in the region is essential to ensuring their ownership of the SAARC process. Clearly, this entails moving from the phase of making promises to actions. For this, we need first to think seriously what is doable and what is not, and then chart a pragmatic course of action that is in the interest of, and supported by, all members. We have spent considerable time and energy in establishing elaborate institutions and work programmes. As a result, both institutions and activities have proliferated over the years. Now the time has come to consolidate the gains and make a visible and qualitative difference in the operation&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	of SAARC.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC is lagging behind other regional groupings both in terms of visibility and progress. We need to work hard to catch up to grasp the emerging opportunities at the global level. SAARC offers a vital tissue, connecting peoples in the region. Widely disseminating SAARC ideals and spirit across South Asian region is equally important to constantly nurture the SAARC process through people&rsquo;s positive response and commitment.Likewise, educational institutions in the region can inculcate young minds with a sense of togetherness under SAARC umbrella. In addition, greater mobility and exchange between South Asian peoples will help foster and nurture South Asian fraternity.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Ghimire is the Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal. The article is adapted from the keynote address he delivered at the inaugural session of the seminar on &ldquo;Bringing SAARC Closer to the People: A Nepalese Perspective,&rdquo; jointly organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on 20 January 2014.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-27',
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			'description' => 'South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs.',
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			'id' => '2462',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Challenges Of LDCs',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Arjun Karki</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks. But instead of decreasing, the number of LDCs has reached 49 today. What this means is the economic and development policies adopted by the international community to address the poor and the poor countries has failed. So far, the Maldives from Asia and Botswana and Cape Verde from Africa are the only three countries that have progressed from the LDC group to developing countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Most of the LDCs are facing political instability, internal conflicts and wars. Therefore, poverty is not the only issue for these countries. For example, Nepal, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Central African Republic and lately, Southern Sudan are facing such problems. These countries cannot resolve their political instabilities and other risks unless they iron out their economic problems. At present, the LDCs particularly lack the capabilities to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change. The latest climate change related problems are the melting of snow in the mountainous regions of Asia, rising of water level in the Pacific region and expansion of deserts and food insecurity in Africa. In this situation, LDCs cannot progress to the group of developing countries. The rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are not in favour of the LDCs and the developing countries. As the WTO rules are in favour of only the developed and rich countries, the share of LDCs in global trade is less than one percent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are two types of barriers in international trade. They are non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and tariff barriers. The LDCs are particularly affected by the NTBs. We have been demanding that the goods produced in the LDCs get a duty-free and quota-free access to the markets in Europe and the US. However, the LDCs haven&rsquo;t been able to get this right despite international commitment. NTBs like sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures put in place by the European Union and rule of origin (Nepali carpet which uses wool imported from New Zealand and Tibet is not recognized as an LDC product) pose as major challenges for the LDCs to participate in international trade.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The burden of foreign debt is another major challenge in the economic development of LDCs. The LDCs have to use more than 50 per cent of their gross domestic income to pay the interest of foreign debt alone. Therefore, in order to allow the LDCs to enter the world market, their foreign debts must be cancelled unconditionally at the earliest possible. If this happens, the LDCs can spend their national income to face the challenges related to their development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The UN has already organized four global conferences on the LDCs. The first and second UN conference on LDCs were organized in Paris of France in 1981 and 1990, respectively. Similarly the third conferences was organized in Brussels in 2001 and the fourth conference was organized in Istanbul in May 2011. Thus, the latest UN programme to address the issues of LDCs is called the Istanbul Programme of Action. The overarching goal of the Istanbul Programme of Action is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the LDCs, to eradicate poverty, achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable half of the 49 LDCs to graduate out of this category by 2020.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Initially, Nepal had planned to graduate out of the LDC category by 2030. Truthfully speaking, that plan was not good because under the very leadership of Nepal, the commitment was expressed to graduate half of the existing LDCs out of the LDC group to the developing group. Therefore, Nepal faces a moral obligation to make a progress to the group of developing countries from the LDC group by 2020. And Nepal has made a national commitment to graduate out of the LDC group by 2022 which is a praiseworthy announcement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, Nepal faces a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is the creation of democratic deficit. A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed. The political parties and their leaders got to enjoy the fruits of democracy and peace in Nepal. However, the Nepali people at large are still deprived of the fruits of democracy and peace. This is the biggest challenge that Nepal faces in graduating out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there is hope in the air. A new Constituent Assembly has been elected and soon we will have a new parliament. If the parliament and the elected government to be formed can tactfully address the challenges being faced by the Nepali people, then we will not have to wait till 2022 to graduate out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Karki is the international coordinator of LDC Watch. This is a TC translation of Dr Karki&rsquo;s article published in Aarthik Abhiyan on January 10.)</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2014-01-20',
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			'description' => 'The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2447',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Hydropower Development For Self-reliant Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Subarna Das Shrestha</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal&rsquo;s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal&rsquo;s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Braving different difficulties, both the private and public sectors have been trying to increase investment in the hydroelectricity sector even in today&rsquo;s transitional period. Projects worth 1,200 MW are under construction; out of this 28 projects of total capacity of 360 MW are being built by the private sector. Power purchase agreement (PPA) for projects worth nearly 500 MW being developed by the private sector has been done. These projects will enter the construction phase over the next two years and will start producing electricity over another five years.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are various problems in the hydropower sector. If we don&rsquo;t tackle these problems in time, the current energy crisis will only deepen. The country is already reeling under long hours of load shedding. Several industries are faced with the risk of closure because of long load-shedding hours. If that happens, the unemployment figure will rise further. To improve the situation, we need to increase investment in hydropower. However, there will be no significant investment from either domestic or international investors in hydropower as long as an environment for investment security is not created.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In order to encourage everyone to create a favourable investment environment for the hydropower sector, the Independent Power producers&rsquo; Association, Nepal (IPPAN) had organized the Power Summit 2013 on August 26-27. The summit was focused on four themes: internal investment for projects of internal consumption; external investment for projects of internal consumption; projects focused on external markets; and transmission lines, electricity trade mechanism and marketization. The discussion on these themes helped bring to surface the legal, social, financial and political problems marring hydropower development in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To increase investment in the hydropower sector, the first requirement is guarantee of good returns while signing the PPA itself. Second, there should be no obstacles after the project enters the construction phase. The process of issuing license must be eased. For this there should be a one-window policy; the Ministry of Energy should handle everything related to hydroelectricity. At present the situation is such that to seek license for one hydropower project, power producers have to visit 10 ministries and as many government departments. This is a big hassle for independent power producers and increases the cost of the project.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepali private sector is ever ready to assist the government in addressing these problems to create the environment of investment in the hydropower sector. If that happens, domestic investment will definitely increase while the country can attract foreign investment as well. However, foreign investors want to sign PPA in the currency of investment. The government should open the doors for an arrangement to sign the PPA in US dollar and make the payment accordingly. If this happens, we can produce the amount of energy we need within the country. Power transmission is another important aspect for which the government has already allocated a budget of Rs 13.5 billion. This step taken by the government is praiseworthy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The annual per capita consumption rate of electricity in Nepal at present is only around 100 units. Fifty percent of the population has no access to electricity at all. Let&rsquo;s increase the per capita consumption of electricity by five times over the next one decade. We had raised this issue in the Power Summit as well. If we can produce more electricity than we need, the surplus electricity can be marketed in other countries of the region. It is for this reason that the concept of &lsquo;SAARC Grid&rsquo; has been forwarded. Nepal will get the maximum benefit from such a regional grid. That&rsquo;s why we should take the leadership for the construction of SAARC Grid.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rather than focusing on the cost of production of one unit of hydroelectricity, we should think about the loss to the total GDP caused by the non-production of one unit of electricity. A decision regarding 20 per cent post-PPA rate has already been taken by the Cabinet. But this decision is pending at Nepal Electricity Authority. The decisions taken by the government should be implemented. This will send out a good message to all domestic and foreign investors. Taking good decisions is important but implementing such decisions in time is even more important.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	NEA has a monopoly over hydroelectricity in Nepal. It&rsquo;s high time we created separate companies for building transmission lines and electricity trade. Similarly, we should have wheeling system in place. In this system one has to pay rent for transmitting electricity through another transmission line. If these concepts are implemented, the private sector can share some of the burden of the NEA. The government has already committed to make these changes in the hydropower sector. What remains is their implementation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At last, the country&rsquo;s economy cannot achieve a momentum without the development of the hydropower sector. The government and the private sector should join hands for the development of the hydropower sector. If we can do that, we will not only be self-reliant in hydropower but also will be able to export electricity to other SAARC nations.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the immediate past president of IPPAN.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal’s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal’s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2356',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Relations Funding Hopes',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Madan Lamsal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In Nepal-India relations, clich&eacute;s like &lsquo;Multidimensional and multifarious&rsquo;, &lsquo;age old&rsquo;, &lsquo;special&rsquo;, &lsquo;historical&rsquo;, &lsquo;unique&rsquo; &nbsp; as well as &lsquo;complex&rsquo; may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With changing time and technology, however, more focus of these relations is being gradually condensed into two prime areas -- economic issues and security concerns. Nepal has economic concerns and security interests, and India has economic interests and security concerns, of course, with some degree of variance in interpretations. At least, it appeared so during the interactions of high officials and think tanks in India with over a dozen visiting Nepali editors of mainstream print media from Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Trade and investment</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepal is net importer, which constituted 1.03 percent of India&rsquo;s US$300 billion global export in the last FY (2012/13). More than 60 per cent of Nepal&rsquo;s international trade&ndash; both exports and imports &ndash; takes place with India. The concern is: &nbsp;Nepal&rsquo;s trade deficit with India reached close to US$ 3.49 billion (2012/13) in the last fiscal year. And worse, the trade gap has been widening over the years as Nepal&rsquo;s export items are fast losing both comparative and competitive advantages in the Indian market. In addition to being Nepal&rsquo;s largest trade partner, India is also among the countries that have the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourists coming to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, interestingly, India didn&rsquo;t seem to recognize the importance of such a big instant export market next door. Some of its policy makers like to view remittances to Nepal by the Nepalis working in India as the compensation to such whopping gap in trade balance. As Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India had said during the interaction with the editors, &lsquo;Remittance that Nepal is receiving from India is helping balance the trade deficit between India&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	and Nepal.&rsquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But remittance, by its very nature, is a different issue altogether. Several thousand Nepalis work in Indian security forces and far larger number of Nepalis work for low-paying informal sundry jobs in private homes, offices and roadside tea shops. The low paid people are in fact helping to retain the low output cost in Indian economy, thereby helping to contain inflation and maintain the country&rsquo;s competitive edge. If the compensation argument is extended to the non-merchandise goods, the outflow of money from Nepal to India for education and health services could easily be comparable to the amounts of remittance inflows. It appeared during the discussions with the visiting journalists that these differences in perceptions, both on trade and remittance warrant an immediate streamlining to make them relate to reality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On investment, Indian investment to Nepal, particularly in recent years, has not been to the level of its potentials. The &lsquo;level&rsquo; may be a relative term but not a subjective assumption here. In view of the recent and rather exponential increase of Indian FDI to other foreign countries, Nepal&rsquo;s highly untapped areas for investment like clean energy and its proximity to Indian markets could have attracted much more FDI projects than it is the case now.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, as rightly pointed out by the Indian business community, problems lie on this side of the border as well. We have our own demand-side constraints -- prolonged political instability, pseudo-nationalism, lack of political will to decide. Indecision has become a culture. The worst of all, our political leadership doesn&rsquo;t realize the fact that the country is lagging behind due to all these malaises. &ldquo;Indian investment in Bhutan and Sri Lanka is increasing because these countries have political stability. On the other hand, Afghanistan and Nepal lack it,&rdquo; said Sushanta Sen, Principle Advisor for the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;To attract foreign investment, Nepalis first need to invest in their own country. &nbsp;Rigidities in labour laws and outsourcing problems are also some of the issues that are hindering Indian investors to invest in Nepal,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Very slow, punctuated progress through the bureaucratic channels in projects like Upper Karnali to be developed by the Indian energy major GMR, is often repeated example in power corridors of New Delhi as the reasons to Nepal&rsquo;s inability to attract Indian investment. Though a little different story, the problems faced by United Telecom Limited (UTL) has also irked the potential Indian investors. Also, even the Indian business community feels that Nepal has not been able to convey the message that the majority of Indian companies now operating in Nepal are doing very well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In every respect, each South Asian nation has some expectations from India. One of such expectations from India&rsquo;s neighbours is the revival of the Gujaral Doctrine, initiated by the Late Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral in the mid 1990s. The doctrine proposed that India wouldn&rsquo;t seek reciprocity with neighbours like Nepal but would help them through all means it could in good faith and trust.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		But for India, the country projected to be the third largest economy of the world over the next 15 years or so, it is certainly not easy to meet all the expectations of its neighbours. Naturally, India has its commitments beyond the region. &ldquo;India has to fulfill its commitments already made for Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives,&rdquo; said Khurshid. These commitments range from cultural and educational scholarships to financial and technical support for development. &ldquo;There is equally huge commitment elsewhere as well for FDI,&rdquo; Sen of CII echoed Minister Khurshid, in a different meeting. &ldquo;Once the new government is formed [in Nepal], more investment is likely to flow from India to Nepal,&rdquo; hoped Sen.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Isn&rsquo;t BIPPA with Nepal a milestone? In theory, Indian business community agrees that it is a great achievement, but in practice, everybody is keen to first test the ground realities.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The China Factor&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		In viewing China, the Indian perspective is apparently dichotomous between the so called new and old schools of thought. The new school of thought believes that there is no alternative to having the best possible relations with China. Today, China is one of India&rsquo;s largest trade partners. In the last fiscal year, 11 percent of India&rsquo;s imports and six percent exports were with China. The Indian concern at present is the growing trade deficit with China which stood at nearly $ 47 billion in 2012/13. As both countries are members of the BRIC group of emerging economies, their trade volume is bound to grow. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s visit to China last October has proposed a new trade corridor of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM). &ldquo;The corridor will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth,&rdquo; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted on this issue some time ago. Nepal here missed the boat to be in this group, for whatever reason. The new reality is: India and China are becoming closer than ever before, where Nepal has very little influence on the process.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		But the old school in India is still apprehensive about the &ldquo;increasing activities of China in Nepal&rdquo;. &nbsp;They have problems with Nepal willing to maintain the policy of equi-distance with India and China. TP Sreenivasan, Director General of Kerala International Centre (a think tank) clearly said that Nepal cannot have the same relation with China as with India. &ldquo;How can somebody marry with one and try to maintain similar kind of relation with another?&rdquo; he questions. But in diplomacy, relations between two countries are not like a marriage.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		For reasons of geographical, cultural and historical proximities, Nepal may appear more tilted to India, but at the policy level it is rather naive to expect sort of surrendered tilt at the cost of what is called balanced diplomacy.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		India&rsquo;s major concern is, understandably, security and it doesn&rsquo;t want any threat to security to come from across the border. Ashok K Behuria, Coordinator of the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, claimed that there is an anti-social element in Nepal especially in the Madhesh region which has been fuelling anti-India feelings in the Himalayan nation. Indian authorities and policy analysts are also concerned over the growing number of Madarsa schools along the bordering areas such as Nepalgunj. They think that such Madarsas might be used by extremist religious elements for activities that are hostile to India and things can go wrong. Madarsas could also create problems for Nepal in the future, they add. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal&rsquo;s Political Roadmap</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Like in Nepal, in India too, there is general happiness over the successful completion of the second CA election in November and hope that Nepal&rsquo;s new constitution will now be written. The Indian politicians as well as top bureaucrats have hailed the high voters&rsquo; turnout in the election. They were not mincing words to praise the Nepali people, the Election Commission, security agencies and all other stakeholders for holding the election successfully. Foreign Minister Khurshid and Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh remarked that the election was &lsquo;historic&rsquo; and expressed hope that Nepal would now get the new constitution on time. They also urged all political parties in Nepal, including the UCPN (Maoist) to respect the people&rsquo;s verdict and work together to draft the new Constitution. However, they also cautioned that the issue of making the new constitution should not overshadow the issue of peace and development which is no less important.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		On the issue of federalism, the Indian establishment has clearly said that Nepal can have its own model of federal structure as decided by the people of Nepal. This sentiment was echoed at the luncheon meeting with the Indian media where former ambassadors to Nepal Jayanta Prasad, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, and Deb Mukherjee, among others, were present. Their collective view was that India doesn&rsquo;t want to impose any federal model on Nepal. In fact, the advice was not to follow the flawed Indian model of carving out newer States incessantly. They also remarked that Nepal is moving forward in the right political direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
	<em>(Lamsal is the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of New Business Age Pvt Ltd.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'In Nepal-India relations, clichés like ‘Multidimensional and multifarious’, ‘age old’, ‘special’, ‘historical’, ‘unique’   as well as ‘complex’ may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2326',
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			'title' => 'Expanding Our Service Industry',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Roop Jyoti</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal&rsquo;s service industry.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Health is one such sector. Nepal has many qualified doctors who have studied at reputed national and foreign medical colleges and universities. Many of them have the experience of working abroad as well. Comparatively, hospitals and other medical institutions can be run at a much lower cost in Nepal than in other countries. The treatment cost at such hospitals, too, would be low. Also, Nepal&rsquo;s geography and climate are very suitable for such projects. Beautiful sceneries of mountains, lakes or green pastures of land will greet the eyes of those who will look outside the windows of the hospitals. This will give a lot of psychological and mental relief to the patients and encourage their families to spend some time here. Thus, it goes without saying that good hospitals which provide quality health services have a great scope in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, so far the state has not even thought about developing the health sector as an industry. Health centres and health posts have been established even in the far-flung villages but they lack skilled and well-trained human resource. Government hospitals are in a mess. However, there are a few well-equipped hospitals, thanks to the entry of the private sector in the health and medical care service. It is because of the presence of such private hospitals that the expats living in Nepal now don&rsquo;t have to rush to Bangkok or Singapore even for delivery cases!&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We can take Grande International Hospital as an example. Established recently, this hospital today serves not only Nepalis and the expat community living in Nepal but also foreigners who come here for treatment. This is because of the hospital&rsquo;s reasonable charges and quality service. This shows that a lot of foreigners will come to the Nepal for treatment if we can provide health services of international standard. On the other hand, Nepalis too won&rsquo;t have to go abroad for treatment. This will also boost our in-bound tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	If we can establish medical colleges and universities of international standard, Nepalis won&rsquo;t have to go abroad to study medical science; instead foreign students will come here to study medical science. A number of foreign students are already coming to Nepal to study engineering and medical sciences. The reasons for this are Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and excellent climate, availability of enough patients for practical study and low cost of studies. Thus we can see that Nepal has great prospects as an international educational hub. For this to happen, if world-famous universities such as Cambridge and Harvard want to open their campuses in Nepal, they should be allowed to do so. This will provide opportunities to the Nepali students as well. The government has already taken a step towards this direction by allowing the Thailand-based Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to open a satellite campus in Nepal. It&rsquo;s time for the government to devise a policy to address such issues in order to make Nepal an international educational hub. This will help strengthen the country&rsquo;s economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government&rsquo;s focus must shift to employment creation. Supermarkets could be another sector for employment creation. As we are a small economy, our domestic production is low and we have to depend on import for the supply of most of the essential commodities we need. This is a bitter truth. So, we should relax our import policy and lower the customs duty on import to a minimum five percent. Such a relaxation in the import policy would help the country develop into a supermarket hub. The cost of labour and rent of shopping malls has been on a constant rise in global shopping hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. We should be able to benefit from this situation because of cheap labour, low import tariff and lower rents of shopping malls. We must build and develop supermarkets where goods from around the world are available at reasonable prices. The implementation of this concept would help strengthen our economy by attracting shopping tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Old age homes could be another pillar of our service industry. In the developed countries, parents and children start living separately once the latter start earning. As children do not have enough time for their old parents, the latter have to spend the rest of their lives in old age homes in the developed countries. The cost of personal care to such old people and rent of old age homes are higher in the developed world. Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and good weather conditions and the world famous Nepali hospitality are some of the major plus points in establishing old age homes here. Many foreign nationals, who have reached the fag end of their lives, are already living in Nepal. Thus, well-equipped old age homes could be a very good source of income for Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are some policy hurdles to move ahead in the above-mentioned service sectors. Foreign universities still face some accreditation related problems in Nepal. There are problems in issuing long-term residential visas to foreigners. These problems should be addressed without compromising our national interests. The process of issuing license to health institutions should be eased; hospitals and doctors should be allowed to use foreign medicines if needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is a former Minister of State for Finance. This is a TC translation of an article by the author published on Nov 29 issue of Aarthik Abhiyan daily.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-23',
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			'description' => 'Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal’s service industry.',
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			'id' => '2280',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Celebrating International Mountain Day 2013 Forging Partnerships For Practical Solutions',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr David Molden</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership. The occasion was preceded by a four-day international conference on &lsquo;Addressing Poverty and Vulnerability in the Hindu Kush Himalayas&rsquo; attended by over 200 participants from 19 countries. The Conference, jointly organized with the Planning Commission of Nepal, primarily aimed at forging broader partnerships to enable transformative change, and to define the contours of a sustainable mountain development agenda. On this Mountain Day, let us seek new partnerships for sustainable mountain development, for mountain people, and the billions dependent on mountain services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the spirit of partnership, I am happy to mention that coinciding with our 30th Anniversary, and in collaboration with GlacierWorks, together with the American Embassy, Thinc Design, photo.circle, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Art Council, and other partners, we have put up an exhibition titled &lsquo;Climate+Change&rsquo; in the heart of Kathmandu.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am also happy to mention that ICIMOD joins our regional member countries of Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in observing this very important Day. This year, the theme for the Day is &lsquo;Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future&rsquo;. The focus is on celebrating how mountains are crucial in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth in the context of poverty eradication, and on drawing attention to their generally sustainable and low-emission production models.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Mountains cover about 24 per cent of the global land surface and are home to 12 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population. They are a direct source of livelihood to 10 per cent of the world&rsquo;s people, and another 40 per cent derive indirect benefits from the wide varieties of goods and services afforded by the mountain socio-ecosystems. Mountains provide most of world&rsquo;s freshwater and are repositories of cultural and biological diversity. Today, it is acknowledged worldwide that mountain socio-ecosystems are crucial for sustainable development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/ep(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;
width: 300px; height: 369px;" /> In the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region, sometimes referred to as the Third Pole or the Water Towers of Asia, mountains are a direct source of livelihood for 210 million people. Further, mountain goods and services support another 1.3 billion people downstream. Glaciers of the HKH feed 10 major rivers that support extensive irrigation systems in the region. Yet, despite this vast natural wealth, mountain people are the ones who have often lived and continue to live in the margins of societies. In a succinct metaphor, they are like the poor and hungry servants who live in a palace made of gold and diamonds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let me recall what the chief scientific adviser to the UK government, Sir John Beddington, cautioned in March 2009: that food, energy, and water shortages will unleash unrest and international conflicts. This food-energy-water security is intrinsically linked to mountains and mountain communities, and mountains therefore will play a very important political role in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, mountains and their fragile socio-ecosystems today face a host of challenges: out-migration, mostly male; impacts of climate change including retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, disaster frequency, and extreme events; depleting resources and ecosystem services; government neglect and insufficient private investment; and slow development progress compared to lowland areas.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let us recognize that change also brings significant opportunities. For these opportunities to bring about meaningful benefits to mountains communities, a sea change in the attitude of both policymakers and policy implementers is urgently required. Among others, mountains should not be seen as inaccessible or conflict zones, instead communities must rally around the common mountain agenda through collaborations and partnerships. Social development must focus on sustaining functional ecosystems, and broader partnerships must be forged to share mountain knowledge and data. The bond between democracy and sustainable development must be deepened by empowering local people, particularly women.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At ICIMOD, in the last few years, we have been issuing forth a rallying call for a broader partnership for all actors to collaborate in finding practical solutions to the challenges facing the mountain communities. We have to seek ways to improve community resilience and explore sustainable livelihood options. We must work across disciplinary boundaries and focus on inclusive growth so that no one is left behind. We must devise innovative financing mechanisms and bring private sector on board the Mountain Agenda. And we must foster and enhance trans-boundary cooperation to share data and knowledge. In this connection, ICIMOD will continue to find ways to address the cross-border issues in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and partner for talks on processes and the agenda being developed for UNFCCC to help share the voice of vulnerable mountain communities at the global level.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a mountain resource center, ICIMOD will continue to generate information, package it, and disseminate it to all the stakeholders. We will facilitate partnership building among various actors and stakeholders to enhance the capability of the mountain people to transform their own future. We will continue to raise awareness about the importance of mountains and highlight opportunities and constraints in mountain development. We will continue to promote development approach that incorporates mountain people&rsquo;s traditional knowledge in the context of a green economy. Above all, we will continue to seek new windows of opportunities in the area of sustainable mountain development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Molden is the Director General of ICIMOD. The article is adapted from a speech he delivered on this year&rsquo;s International Mountain Day.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership.',
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			'id' => '2239',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Market As An Institution For Inclusive Growth And Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhukar SJB Rana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly. Being able to do so will deepen liberal democracy and heighten the chances for the long desired economic revolution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The market assures Good Governance through Transparency, Accountability and Competition with, hopefully, a lean and efficient State where Consumer Sovereignty Is deemed to be &nbsp;just as vital as People&rsquo;s Sovereignty and Parliamentary Sovereignty for a dynamic liberal society.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Strong and sound Regulation of Business by State guarantees moral and ethical Markets to safeguard the supremacy of Consumer Rights and Welfare, as well as Labour&rsquo;s Rights and Welfare. Regulated Markets helps eradicate graft and corruption from the body politic by advancing the rule of law, order and justice including laying the ground work for a stronger criminal justice system. Absence of competitive Markets adversely affects all these vitals for a vibrant political democracy. Graft and corruption is endemic when the State enters the domain of business and when these enterprises are outside the purview of regulation by independent authorities providing for a level playing field for all enterprises.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In short, the Market mechanism allows the fostering of a new Social Contract between the People and the State in the manner of 4 Ps -- people-private-public- partnerships if all decisions, henceforth, seek to maximise social profit and not simply private profit as happens now. Business enterprises will then begin to take their Corporate Social Responsibility statements more seriously and not use their CSR statements as new managerial fads for PR purposes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indeed, a moral market calls for the enforcement of these statements as cases to be decided by Consumer and Labour courts on grounds of morality that may thus go far beyond the rule of law. This is the essence of moral Markets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Policy for marketisation: No licence be needed to enter any business. All citizens be able to a start business with due registration with Company Affairs Dept or CDO offices for proprietorships and partnerships as the case may be. All businesses must have PAN cards from Ministry of Finance or, where unable, from the Ward Office as a registered local business entity. Transaction cost for such business permits be at the minimum possible. And to convert informal businesses to formal ones, the State should encourage register at ease by providing subsidies to meet their registration costs.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets create cities and an ever expanding middle class both of which are forces and factors for inclusive social development and modernization. No institutional innovation known to mankind can crate more wealth and prosperity than does the market mechanism. Liberal democracies are best served by an expanding middle class with maximum social mobility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets must be managed by managers whose social duty is to create a win-win situation by balancing the interests of all stakeholders -- owners, shareholders, employees, consumers, suppliers, community and ecology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Governments must regulate Markets to guarantee fair and free competition and to oversee that the larger public good, including those of the next generation and the additional need to conserve and protect the natural environment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Faith in the Market as an institution does not mean that it will guarantee economic or social justice. We must not subscribe to laissez faire where the property class is given free reign. Rather than seeking to curtail the excesses of wealth through all manner of wealth and estate taxes as well as capital gains taxes, the state must encourage Private Philanthropy and for this the new CA is alerted to the need to promulgate a Private Trust Act that is available for all sectors of the economy. It has been lying pending since 2005. The state must regulate the Market to ensure be actualised. For all this to be actualised, there is the supreme need for strong independent regulatory bodies to protect and promote the rule of law just as much &nbsp;as there is need for a strong Executive to be kept in check and balance with the final say left to an independent &nbsp;Supreme Court as the arbiter and dispense of justice and the Constitutional Court to decide on the powers and authority of the federal and local governments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It should be the Constitutional Court that has the final say on when People&rsquo;s Sovereignty should hold sway over Parliamentary Sovereignty so that matters for local, federal and national referenda could be decided in an apolitical manner by an organ of State other than the Parliament.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must be one that enshrines liberal democracy where the State guarantees equal opportunity to all based on merit and grounded by a Social Contract where there is quality education and health services from the State for all: to ensure social meritocracy for all irrespective of race, religion, caste, class and region. All public institutions must be bound by minimum standards for infrastructure, health and hygiene, safety and security.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must also enshrine values of Transparency, Accountability and Competition as the troika of Liberal Multi Party Democracy. A strong State is needed that is fully alert to the probability of collusion by and between vested interest of Political Parties acting in tandem with the wealthy and rich classes to capture Political and Market power against the larger Public Good. Only politically neutral, strong, independent and autonomous Institutions can guarantee this. Public servants holding party membership must be summarily dismissed from service and asked to become politicians rather than be ones in disguise.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It must punish patronage politics and political executive&rsquo;s incursion into bureaucratic executive&rsquo;s prerogative, which is to support the formulation of policies rationally and to execute policies efficiently and effectively. To assure this delicate balance of executive powers is in effect new forms of Accountability to Parliament must be innovated. One method is to have Ministers account for Policies and Bureaucrats account, to Parliamentary Select Committees for Policy Execution -- for its speed and also its propriety vis Acts, bye laws and regulations. Bureaucrats must be guaranteed a minimum tenure on posts they are assigned to; and for which they must be academically qualified as determined by the job specifications that befit job descriptions.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Gurcharan Das says beautifully, in his &ldquo;India Grows At Night&rdquo; (2012), that the mantra of France is &lsquo;equality&rsquo;; that of U S A it is &lsquo;liberty&rsquo; and that of India it is &lsquo;dharma&rsquo;. Let it be so in Nepal too where our National Dharma should be democracy, duty, discipline, determination, discrimination (between good and bad and right and wrong) and devotion to God and family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We need to found, in the 21st century, a moral State with a moral society and moral markets. That subscribes to pluralism and pragmatism; that practices unity in diversity through its diverse communities while, at the same time, empowering each person to not only take pride in his or her individual identity but the modern State providing full &nbsp;societal scope for each individual to have and behold multiple identities, which should be the hallmark of the 21st century.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Writer is Professor at South Asian Institute of Management and Former Finance Minister)</em></div>',
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			'modified' => '2013-12-09',
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			'description' => 'Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly.',
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			'id' => '2197',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A South Asian Song',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">--By Abhay K</span></strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	F<span style="font-size: 12px;">ostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. As part of my training at the Indian Foreign Service Institute, before being confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service, I had visited the Foreign Ministries and the Foreign Service Institutes of the neighboring South Asian countries between 2004-2005. Those days the idea of deeper interaction among the South Asians always brought back memories of my days spent in Jawaharlal Nehru and Delhi Universities. I cherished the company of students from the South Asian countries who enriched my academic life in many ways.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The visit gave me the opportunity to meet the young Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan officer-trainees. During our meetings we felt that it would be a great learning experience for the young officer-trainees of the SAARC member countries if we could spend a week or so together and share our ideas and aspirations with each other.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After my visit to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, I wrote a paper titled &lsquo;South Asian Affairs&rsquo; proposing establishment of a South Asian University in May 2005, I was glad to see that the idea of establishing the new South Asian University was announced in November 2005 in Dhaka at the 13th SAARC Summit. The South Asian University is functioning since 2010 at Akbar Bhawan, New Delhi paving the path for a new South Asia.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After the milestone achievement in the history of SAARC with the establishment of the South Asian University, I believe a South Asian Song, a song that all South Asians could sing together, can act as a catalyst in fostering deeper South Asian consciousness and fraternity. I am now ready with a South Asian Song after a very warm and enthusiastic reception of the Earth Anthem internationally which I wrote and produced recently.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Earth Anthem was released in June this year by Mr. Kapil Sibal and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Union Ministers of India at ICCR, New Delhi and later in Kathmandu by Mr. Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister of Nepal in presence of Mr. Axel Plathe, UNESCO&rsquo;s Representative to Nepal. Since then it has been translated into major world languages. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India has put this on its website for the use of the students studying in schools affiliated with CBSE. I have been informed that UNESCO is going to turn the idea of an official Earth Anthem into a global initiative. I hope a Global Earth Anthem Challenge will be launched soon and the best judged entry will be declared as the official anthem of our planet earth.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Regional and International Anthems have been in use since quite some time now. Some of the other prominent regional organizations have their own international anthems. For example the European Union uses &lsquo;Beethoven&rsquo;s Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy part)&rsquo; as its anthem while the African Union has adopted its own anthem titled &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s All Unite and Celebrate Together&rsquo;. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted an official anthem titled &lsquo;ASEAN Way&rsquo; in 2008 which is in English. As per ASEAN, its anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity and strengthens the sense of ASEAN identity and belonging among the peoples of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being aware of the huge popularity of Bollywood films in South Asia, I have written a South Asian Song in Hindustani which has been translated in all the eight South Asian languages. The English version is as follows-</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Himalaya to Hind, Naga Hills to Hindukush/ Mahaweli to Ganga, Sindhu to Brahmputra/Lakshadweep to Andaman, Everest to Adam&rsquo;s Peak/ Kabul to Thimphu, Male to Kathmandu / &nbsp;Delhi to Dhaka, Colombo, Islamabad/ Every step in unison, every step in unison/Dzongkha, Sinhala, Nepali, Hindi, Pashto, Bengali/ Urdu, English, Dhivehi, every step in unison, every step in unison/ one&rsquo;s own identity,one&rsquo;s own dreams / talks of love n&rsquo;peace, every step in unison/ every step with SAARC / every step in unison/every step with SAARC, &nbsp;every step in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Naga and Chin hills mark the eastern frontiers of SAARC member states. Mahaweli is the longest river of Sri Lanka while Adam&rsquo;s Peak is its most venerated peak. Sri Lanka has two official languages-Sinhala and Tamil like Afghanistan which also has two official languages-Pashto and Dari. I have chosen the language of their national anthems. Dhivehi is the official language of Maldives. The South Asian Song also highlights the life-sustaining perennial rivers of South Asia such as Sindhu, Ganga, Brahmputra as well as the official languages of the SAARC member countries. The Song celebrates vibrant cultural diversity of South Asia as well as aspirations of the South Asians walking in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Once adopted, the SAARC Secretariat could be the main body to oversee the proper use of the South Asian Song which could be encouraged at the formal meetings of SAARC as well as SAARC Apex and Recognized Bodies. The South Asian Song could also be played to commemorate special occasions of SAARC such as the SAARC Charter Day (8 December).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC member countries could be encouraged to translate the South Asian Song into local languages as a way to promote the song and foster South Asian consciousness and fraternity among their citizens.</div>
<div>
	<em>(The writer is a poet-diplomat. Views expressed are personal.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Fostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985.',
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			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A Fresh Opportunity In Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size: 12px;">Th</span><span style="font-size: 12px;">e results of the elections to Nepal&rsquo;s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist). The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which won a majority of the seats in the 2008 election, has been routed and is expected to win fewer than a hundred places in the 601-seat House. The first Constituent Assembly had to be dissolved after it failed in its task of framing a Constitution even after its tenure was extended four times. Last week&rsquo;s election was originally scheduled for November 2012 but was postponed repeatedly. The instability in Nepal belied the promise of the peace process that ended the Maoist insurgency and brought the rebels into the political mainstream.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The challenge for Nepal&rsquo;s fractious political forces now is to make the fresh start provided by the election work. It is encouraging that after an initial threat to boycott the new Assembly, the Maoists have been more conciliatory; the victorious NC and the CPN (UML) have enough seats between them for government formation but they have expressed the readiness to consider the Maoist demand for a &ldquo;government of consensus&rdquo;. If Nepal is to go down this route again, the power sharing negotiations will hopefully avoid last time&rsquo;s pitfalls. A national unity government will certainly help the Assembly&rsquo;s main task of Constitution making, which Nepal&rsquo;s political forces have agreed must be based on consensus. &nbsp;<em>(The Hindu)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'The results of the elections to Nepal’s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist).',
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			'id' => '2742',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2699',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Investment In Agriculture,  Tourism And Energy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Shanta Raj Subedi</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal, through its national plan, has declared the development strategy to achieve inclusive, broad-based, high and sustainable economic growth by enhancing the contribution of the private sector, government and co-operatives. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Economic Summit has picked up important priority sectors - Energy, Tourism and Agriculture for economic development of Nepal. These three sectors are among the top priorities of the government as articulated in the current development plan, and are crucial to help Nepal graduate from LDC by 2022. &nbsp;Let me briefly highlight on these sectors. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The energy sector, especially hydropower, is one of the areas with immense potential for secured and profitable investment in Nepal. With huge availability of water resources, Nepal could be one of the best places to invest in hydropower. I believe that market is not a problem for us to export hydropower. Investment in the hydropower sector will not only get a domestic market but also an export market. There is enormous opportunity for investing in generation and transmission of hydro electricity. The cross-border transmission lines with India will benefit both Nepal and India.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s energy potentiality is not limited to hydropower. We have high prospects for other forms of energy like bio-mass, solar and wind energy. The Government of Nepal has announced a number of policies and incentive mechanisms for the development of this sector. Different tax incentives are already in place and we are also open to continue discussion on further incentive packages. Further, we are ready to join hands with the private sector to develop the energy sector through the Public-Private-Partnership modality. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, agriculture has remained a prime sector of our economy since long. This sector alone contributes around 35 per cent to the total GDP and provides employment to more than 70 per cent population. Realizing this fact, the Government of Nepal has been increasing investment in this sector. In order to develop the agriculture sector in a holistic way, we have recently drafted the Agricultural Development Strategy. Further, we have been drafting new agriculture policy to improve the investment climate in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is suitable for cultivation of organic seeds, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Our topography is such that it has scope for eco-tourism and agro-tourism also. In order to increase the production and productivity of crops and livestock products, the Government of Nepal has introduced insurance schemes and different packages of production incentives. We are committed to further increase the investment in this sector and welcome the private investors as well.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is an ideal tourism destination. We do have the mixture of myriad tourism activities, like soft walking, mountaineering, sightseeing, trekking, community based tourism, village home stay tourism, eco-tourism, adventure-sports tourism and religious tourism. The huge socio-cultural diversity is another mysterious attraction of Nepal. New tourist sites are constantly being discovered and public investment has been increased to develop such sites.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal has been investing in basic infrastructures of the tourism sector. More private investment is needed in the tourism sector to build quality hotels, lodges and restaurants. Further, the private sector is encouraged to attract more tourists from all around the globe with sophisticated investment in this sector. The Government of Nepal is building a regional international airport near Lumbini. The private sector should be able to reap the benefits of such infrastructure and develop sufficient measures to attract religious tourists. In many aspects, the tourism sector is almost virgin for new investment. It&rsquo;s not only the natural tourism that is an attractive area for investment, but also the cultural and pilgrimage tourism are equally attractive for the investors.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal adopted the liberalized economic policy after the restoration of democracy in 1990 through the eighth periodic plan. Since then, the private sector has been encouraged to invest in the socio-economic development of the country. In order to facilitate the private sector, Nepal government has formulated a liberal and open Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992, Industrial Enterprises Act 1992, Electricity Act 1992, BOOT Act 2006 and Nepal Investment Board Act 2011. In addition to this, we have also signed Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with France, Germany, UK, Mauritius, Finland and India. Similarly, Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty has been signed with ten countries and five are under considerations. These all are positive steps towards encouraging foreign investors in the country. However, we feel, there is a need for further reform in order to materialize private investment in the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We are aware from global studies and observations that Nepal still lacks an investment friendly environment. However, the recent political development shows good gestures in this respect. The domestic market is growing. The international market is already there. There is greater enthusiasm in the domestic private sector. The government is trying to remove non-tariff barriers for investment, such as issues related to trade union, land acquisition, compensation and so on.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am confident that this summit would come up with specific recommendations for the Government of Nepal regarding adopting policy measures and creating conducive environment for investment. I would like to assure that the recommendations made here would be taken positively and incorporated in our upcoming policies and programmes.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the Finance Secretary of Nepal. The article is adapted from the Opening Remarks he delivered at the inauguration of Nepal Economic Summit 2014 on February 24.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-03',
			'modified' => '2014-03-03',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2655',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Leadership And Regional Integration',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<p>
	The 5th SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: &ldquo;We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans&rdquo;.<br />
	<br />
	The vital issue here is will the youth leaders of South Asia await government action to come up with the desired plans? Or should it not be their responsibility, as business leaders, to do so proactively? The assertive and dynamic role played by South Asia&rsquo;s NGOs led to the adoption of, by the SAARC Heads of State/Government, the SAARC Social Charter, which is a veritable landmark achievement of civil society. Let us hope that the SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, and the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs Forum (SAYEF), can together, sooner than later, endow South Asia with the much needed SAARC Economic Charter.<br />
	<br />
	Is it not high time that the private sector gifted us its economic vision of South Asia for the Asian Century? The Forbes 2013 Billionaires list identifies 1426 such &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; individuals worldwide. I describe them &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; because many among them have wealth that far exceeds that of nation states. The US leads with 446 billionaires; followed closely by the Asia Pacific with 386 billionaires. From South Asia there are 51 in all&mdash;50 from India; and 1 from Nepal. Sadly, there are none listed from the other SAARC nations.<br />
	<br />
	Can, or should, the SAYEF mobilize these 51 South Asian business leaders to come forth with the South Asian Economic Vision? Who knows, many among young entrepreneurs here might be relatives of them?<br />
	<br />
	I often ask myself: why aren&rsquo;t these South Asian billionaires, collectively, looking inwards to transform South Asia regionally with its vast resource endowment? Why do they choose to venture abroad even to the extent of engaging in contract farming, for example, in Africa and Latin America? Are we not blessed with abundant land, water and farm hands? Do not our villages cry out for more productive jobs and a better life style?<br />
	<br />
	The &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; portends well for South Asia. It is anticipated this will last from 2040-50 with the share of the working age population to total population growing or remaining constant. It can be the new manufacturing hub of the globe.<br />
	<br />
	China will begin to, sooner than later, face its &lsquo;demographic deficit&rsquo; with rising wages and labour shortages. Its labourintensive manufacturing will surely move into South Asia in similar fashion to the Japanese &lsquo;flying geese&rsquo; that led to the rapid industrialization of East Asia beginning in the mid-1970s.<br />
	<br />
	Founded in 2009, SYEF is a strategic innovation seeking to expunge from young minds the dark and bitter legacy of the partition of the subcontinent. It is also an innovation where youth leaders nurture a regional mindset by developing the capacity to &lsquo;think regional and act local.&rsquo; It is only then can we hope and aspire to make South Asia a global economic and financial power house of the unfolding Asian Century. For this to happen, we need to create South Asian MNCs &ndash; be they led by any of our Forbes listed billionaires or by our youth leaders.<br />
	<br />
	By and large, we have witnessed unemployment growth in South Asia. To add insult to the injury, we have witnessed unimagined inequality in the distribution of income. Who are the beneficiaries of globalization under the WTO regime? Alas, it&rsquo;s the very rich economic elites and the political elites, who are delivering a highly non-inclusive form of capitalism that may be best described as &lsquo;crony capitalism&rsquo;. I trust the youth business leaders can sense that this form of capitalism is like digging one&rsquo;s own grave yard eventually.<br />
	<br />
	If this continues, the &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; will be transformed into a &lsquo;youth unemployment bomb&rsquo; through social implosion and political anarchy. There is no dividend when youth, especially the middle class youth, are engulfed by despair, desperation and disillusionment from the stigma of joblessness and its indignities. Not just for the sheer lack of jobs; but also the lack of requisite skills for the available jobs.<br />
	<br />
	Youth symbolizes idealism, hope and belief in the power of ideas and innovation. This is what the common men and women expect from youth business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	The common men or women expect from youth business leaders a value driven and ethical business organization serving the people as well as the planet-- not just seeking short term maximization of profits. They expect business leaders to be an integral part of society, safeguarding the planet for future generations from the predicted holocaust of global warming. The common man or woman will bestow faith in business leaders when the latter collectively demonstrate the ability to transform society. For this, they need to optimize the triple P (public-privatepartnership) and not maximize the one P&mdash;profits.<br />
	<br />
	They can and should do so by strategizing their businesses as per the vision of the late management guru, Prof. C.K.Prahalad, who foresaw a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Or even pursue the vision of Prof. Mohammed Yunus where he calls forth social businesses to flower the entrepreneurial spirit so abundantly embodied even in the poorest of the poor of South Asia.<br />
	<br />
	I urge the youth business leaders to opt for &lsquo;conscientious capitalism&rsquo; where all stakeholders are brought into the ambit of our business decisions; where businesses move beyond their CSR statements &ndash; often only being used as forms of charity for PR purposes.<br />
	<br />
	Move beyond what and how, the youth business leaders might ask me here? I submit by making your CSR statements as morally binding commitments which could form the new basis for Consumer and Labour Courts to adjudicate with -- thus going beyond the &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; to &lsquo;rule of morality&rsquo; -- for sound ethical behaviour by our business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	Finally, I appeal to all &ndash; politicians and business leaders&mdash;that to strengthen our democracy we need &lsquo;good governance&rsquo; that should be manifested in maximising competition, transparency and accountability. While the World Bank, IMF and the Asian Development Bank may think good governance is enough, I submit to our Youth Leaders here that it is necessary but not sufficient. Concurrently, we need independent, powerful anticorruption authorities in place with total overhaul of our criminal justice system. (Rana is a former finance minister of Nepal. The article is adapted from the valedictory address he made at the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs&rsquo; Summit 2014, Lahore, Pakistan.)<br />
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-23',
			'modified' => '2014-02-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The 5th SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: “We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans”.',
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			'id' => '2604',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Firming Up An Educational Institution’s Brand: Challenges And Choices',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Roshee Lamichhane</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	About a decade ago, there was never a need for educational institutions to aggressively market themselves, as the demand for quality education generally outgrew supply. Today, however, with increasing competition, there is a growing awareness within this community on the importance of marketing a school or college. They are also making conscious efforts to establish the institutional brand, attract quality students, and stay ahead of competition at all times.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Research points to the fact that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are increasingly evaluating marketing outsourcing and the growing maturity of marketing services that can be outsourced. This research evidence emphasizes that marketing outsourcing will soon become a key outsourced function globally, much in the lines of Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Logistics, Security, and Legal services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Emergence of MPO Companies</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm. The services they render to marketing are something analogous to what Finance and Accounts Officers (FAOs) do to the F &amp; A function of an organization. They resort to componentizing all key marketing functions and sub-functions. Later, they build processes for each of these in such a way that they can be delivered by leveraging the best functional and domain knowledge banks. They also use best global practices in the most efficient and cost effective manner either onsite or remotely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Role of PMPs&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The role of Professional Marketing Partners (PMPs) becomes at once important as the education space is, slowly but surely, realizing the need to have a professional and cost-effective marketing set-up in place that proactively and continuously communicates with the target segment, rather than engaging only in seasonal marketing efforts.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Engaging the services of a PMP has become the first step towards firming up an educational institution&rsquo;s brand through a pro-active marketing program to reach your target segment. The logic and rationale are simple: &ldquo;they not only possess a deep marketing expertise and an in-depth understanding of the education marketing, but design and deliver compelling solutions customized to its needs&rdquo;. Educational Branding and Marketing Services and Solutions generally include but are not limited to:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Admission Marketing: Offering tried and tested program mix to help expand admission outreach and attract quality students.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Placement Connect: Providing continuous engagement with corporate houses to increase student placement opportunities, to supplement or substitute institution&rsquo;s placement office.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Online Reputation: Leveraging social and other online/digital media to enhance the brand value of the institution and engage effectively with the ecosystem.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ecosystem Engagement: Crafting marketing strategies such as alumni engagement programs, corporate branding, etc., covering all stakeholders&mdash;including corporate, faculty, parents, and alumni&mdash;to facilitate continuous interaction and support to the institution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	This continuous engagement with a Professional Marketing Partner helps:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Attract and increase quality of students every year</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Retain top faculty&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase student placement opportunities through continuous interaction with businesses&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Optimize cost of acquisition per candidate&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase support from alumni and benefactors</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are several pioneering MPO agencies that have been helping the education community on how to market a school/college and formulate winning marketing strategies to effectively engage with the ecosystem, build a sustainable brand, and address the challenges faced by them. Their distilled experiences enable them to identify the key challenges faced by their client organizations in the marketing function. They align their services to help Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) address some of these challenges and bridge the gaps while improving the efficiency/effectiveness of their marketing function.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Some of the typical challenges in the context of branding and marketing an educational institution include:</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>People and hiring challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is difficult and expensive to build in-house expertise for all the key programmes that firms need to run</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A significant part of &nbsp;a company&rsquo;s bandwidth is consumed by low-impact tactical work, leaving very little time for strategic marketing work</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Training people is a big challenge and businesses will seldom be able to hire experienced practitioners and best practices are difficult to come by</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Lack of outsourced expertise</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is tough to find the right outsourced resources. Advertising, design and web agencies offer little strategic insights and are seldom aligned with the firm&rsquo;s strategic business objectives</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>External agencies seldom bring the practitioners&rsquo; view to the table and would like to work with someone who has done this before</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Monitoring metrics and ROI on marketing programmes is a big challenge</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Cost challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies are always under pressure to do more with their marketing budgets and resources, but their costs don&rsquo;t seem to be going down</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies&rsquo; marketing requirements are globally distributed, but their costs and people are not</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Businesses would like to leverage shared services to benefit from economies of scale and process efficiencies but there are no marketing shared services offerings easily available</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies don&rsquo;t want to invest in building expensive in-house resources or teams for certain tactical marketing competencies or for cyclical or part-time marketing requirements</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Marketing Outsourcing Partnership Model for SMBs</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The services of MPO companies extend from managing specific functions or processes for large marketing organizations to running the complete marketing function for SMBs. Generally, the Marketing Outsourcing Partnership (MOP) Model is backed by an expert team of marketing professionals with significant expertise in global marketing. They offer their clients a range of &lsquo;marketing in a box&rsquo; and &lsquo;marketing on demand&rsquo; outsourcing options that include full function outsourcing, outsourcing of specific projects and programmes as well as their execution.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(Lamichhane is Manager, Business Development, at Chaudhary Group)</em></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-18',
			'modified' => '2014-02-20',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm.',
			'sortorder' => '2480',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2558',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Employee Commitment  & Organizational Performance',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Amit Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Imagine that you are the line manager of a very young guy in your IT department who has been repeatedly complaining of having to work even on holidays. You thought that the introduction of overtime allowance that the company introduced for the last three months will address the issues raised by the IT staff. He, however, has been very hard working. He is always interested to learn the new systems and comes forward to volunteer whenever a new technology is being tested. You consider him a very committed employee until one fine morning he submits his resignation only to tell you that he has joined a competitor who has just brought the same &lsquo;technology&rsquo; your company had been using for the last six months. And, this guy was quite interested to learn this technology and has fairly mastered the new system. After he leaves, you don&rsquo;t have an immediate replacement which will hamper your support service that you are providing to your customer. You had thought this employee was committed!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Then you have a branch manager at Biratnagar who is considered to be a very good sales staff. He manages a team of 10 people and most of these people are quite productive. However, one thing that really worries the management is the turnover in the branch. When you analyse the exit interview reports, you can clearly see that the branch manager is not a very good team player. His subordinates are quite dissatisfied with his behaviour. When you talk to these employees informally, they point out his weaknesses like he often scolds them in front of the customer even for small mistakes. Strangely, the branch manager used to report positive things about these employees and would come strong when recommending rewards and recognition to his subordinates. You thought his subordinates were very lucky to have a supervisor like him. You try to counsel the branch manager but things wouldn&rsquo;t improve and you cannot let go the branch manager because of his high sales achievement. You had earlier assumed that the loyal staff wouldn&rsquo;t leave your reputed company even if they had some &lsquo;petty&rsquo; issues with their supervisor.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	And, the third employee who has worked with you for last five years at your customer service department has been very vocal about how good she feels about your company. She is very good at handling customers and has been receiving very good ratings in her performance appraisals. However, one thing you don&rsquo;t understand is that her co-workers have been struggling with their performance. Your rational thinking is that the other people would learn from her or even she should be aware of the lower quality of work her team members perform. You once talk to her informally on the issue and seek her advice on what can be done to improve their performance. She, however, doesn&rsquo;t want to be involved in &lsquo;improving&rsquo; their performance. She says that&rsquo;s not her job. You used to think that she was quite committed to the company and would go &lsquo;that extra mile&rsquo; to improve her co-workers. You were wrong.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So, what is missing in the employees you thought were committed? You realise that some visible aspects of commitment do not bind them with your company. These people were not engaged with your company!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>From Commitment to Engagement</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing). When we have all three dimensions of the employee commitment, we can say that the employees are engaged with the organisation. Thus, by using the term employee engagement, we will be covering the employee commitment in its holistic form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As illustrated in the three staff issues in the beginning, presence of only one dimension doesn&rsquo;t work. As in the first case, employees can be engaged with their job (Job Engagement) but may not be engaged with their organisation (Organisational Engagement). Similarly, some employees may be emotionally committed because of the reputation of the organisation but only emotional commitment does not work.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The third case was that of behavioural commitment. Engaged employees not only give their best productivity, but also &lsquo;go the extra mile&rsquo; to improve the quality of work of their co-workers even if their role doesn&rsquo;t demand such kind of responsibilities. Such employees not only feel and think for the organisation; their action (doing) is towards the betterment of the organisation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Link between employee engagement and organisational performance</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The general philosophy of employee engagement is that engaged employees contribute more, help in crating positive work environment, stay with the organisation longer and have higher commitment to quality. These &lsquo;traits&rsquo; of engaged employees lead to increased customer satisfaction that ultimately helps in achieving business outcomes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Several researches show a relationship between employee engagement and financial performance of the organisations. Internationally known consulting frims like Gallup and Aon Hewitt have a long history of measuring employee engagement and its effects in business organisations. Aon Hewitt uses a term called &ldquo;Engage-O-Meter&rdquo; for showing the engagement level and the organisational performance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	A research carried out by Aon Hewitt covering data from 2008-2010 found that organisations with high levels of engagement (65% or greater) continue to outperform the total stock market index and posted total shareholder returns 22% higher than average in 2010. On the other hand, companies with low engagement (45% or less) had a total shareholder return that was 28% lower than the average. As there was a global recession during that period, the correlation was still valid in times of financial crisis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Engagement Level in Nepali Organisations</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though we haven&rsquo;t heard much of such scientific research on employee engagement done in Nepali organisations, some of the organisations conduct annual engagement survey of their employees and the organisational climate surveys. The results of these surveys are only for internal consumption.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Officially, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) group annually conducts an engagement survey in association with Gallup. Thus, the SCB Nepal, as a part of the group, has been conducting the annual survey. However, one more bank uses the same survey questionnaire but uses its own resources to conduct the survey and analyse the results. Some multinational companies like Coca Cola (Bottlers Nepal) use employee surveys prescribed by their parent company.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Sharma is the Head of the Human Resource Department of Janata Bank Nepal Ltd. The article is adapted from a paper he presented at the HR Conclave organized by the School of Management, Tribhuvan University on January 10, 2014.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing).',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2547',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepali Entrepreneurship Needs The Next Big Push',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Years since 2000 have seen the gradual decline in armed struggles and resultant exodus to urban centres of Nepal, especially Kathmandu Valley, but democracy did also bring in political instability and an uncertain rule by a coterie of a few powerful leaders across four to five major parties, by turns. Instability in governance bred uncertain or ever-changing policies in business and many were consistent in their non-existence. There have been alongside regressive policies with regards to capping marketing expenses for some sectors of the economy, banning of FDI in a few others, and unclear labour policies in yet others.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In spite of all this, entrepreneurship in home-grown brands and businesses, including that of many first generation entrepreneurs, has grown, and remarkably so.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, four upon five people having voted in the last elections, parties with liberal and centrist manifestos getting the lion share of popular support, we now come to a scenario where entrepreneurship can rightfully receive the big push, institutionally, in governance, in education and through media.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For long the heroes in families and in marriage negotiations have been the bank employees, the government servants, the dream-struck remittance seeking migrant professionals leaving their beautiful nation, and the like.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The entrepreneurs have often been discouraged, sometimes warned, at times even threatened from within and beyond families, by the political cadre seeking easy cash, by banking and finance organizations which are supposed to boost up business initiatives, by media which looked askance at business adventurers, and by education which stressed on rote knowledge and safe managerial or clerical employment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With the possibilities of the slogan of &lsquo;Nepal for Peace and Prosperity&rsquo; becoming a reality first time in this decade given the public mood today, entrepreneurship as a function of a progressive economy needs the big push.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To start with, let there be a First Generation Entrepreneurship Promotion Policy of the new incoming popular government. Every government around the world in a developing economy does give tax holidays, funding concessions, training and skilling opportunities, global exposure, infra-structure facilities in government created Industrial Zones and the like especially for the first time entrepreneurs and business innovators.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Second, to make business incubation an interesting and &lsquo;sexy proposition&rsquo; as against the so-called safe havens abroad or in banking and government jobs, let there be a policy of &lsquo;business acculturation&rsquo; at Plus Two level (HS) across the nation where a workshop, a study material and a short examination leading to a Certificate in Introduction to Entrepreneurship be made a compulsory component of education, irrespective of the specialization in education.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Third, media&rsquo;s role in promotion of business acumen and risk-taking has been abysmally low, except the occasional entrepreneur&rsquo;s interview, done more with media PR in mind than a true commitment to it. There must be Entrepreneurship Gyan columns in relevant media. People must see or read Entrepreneur of the Week interview on the journey and challenges-joys of an entrepreneur, specially a first generation one, in print, television, radio and online media. There must be Business Plan contests on the lines of Business Baazigar in Zee Business and Pitch on CNBC in India, leading to winning proposals getting seed funded by banks and venture capital with full media glare. Doing business is the right thing: this message must be driven home hard making heroes out of entrepreneurs of substance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fourth, as done by National Entrepreneurship Network (NIN) in India, there should be contests with specific business problems and winning entries awarded, recognized, funded and highlighted in the media. Alongside, an advanced tool to evaluate entrepreneurship traits in youths at an early stage after they turn 18 years can be developed and practiced, called Entrepreneurship Attributes Assessment with tests, real life situations, problem-solving and a score given (like GMAT or GRE scores).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fifth, as done by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global body of entrepreneurs of Indian origin, there can be The Nepali Entrepreneurial Network (NEN) to bring home success stories of Nepali entrepreneurs within and outside Nepal, specially the first generation ones, and also fund new deserving projects with angel investment of NRNs (Non Resident Nepalis).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sixth, entrepreneurship management education must take a definitive leap in Nepal. On the one hand, it must become a component of regular management courses at BBA and MBA levels in all institutes. On the other, specialized Entrepreneurship MBA must also have specific papers on social entrepreneurship, green and sustainable entrepreneurship, managing family business in subsequent generations, and the like. Every leading business school of the country needs to develop Business Incubation or Enterprise Development Centres to further advance the cause.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Seventh, people who have come into the cottage, small and medium enterprises already and are at different stages of performance can be assisted with new techniques and skills through short-term Entrepreneurship Certificate courses in specific domains: like Retail or ICT Entrepreneurship, Health or Educational Entrepreneurship, etc.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let a thousand flowers bloom. There is no cause of worry if a large number of business talent turns more entrepreneurial than plain managerial. Even in large organizations, gone are the days of command hierarchical structures. People are now moving to flat organizations, outsourcing several support functions to outside entrepreneurial outfits, and hence they need less of on-command managers and more of bottomline-focused entrepreneurial managers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	(This article is prepared based on the author&rsquo;s talk in and learning from the Entrepreneurship Enhancement Consultation meet organized by King&rsquo;s College of Management, Kathmandu, on January 31.)&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-08',
			'modified' => '2014-02-08',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2515',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Creating A Strong South Asia',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhav Prasad Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs. Furthermore, in this era of interdependence and interconnectedness, we find our interests intersecting in many areas that should help foster the sense of partnership to achieve larger regional objectives.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is true that the activities of SAARC have been directed towards tapping the regional potentials. Various programmes and projects have been launched for common benefit. Trade liberalization, including elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers, is in progress. Work is underway for concluding an agreement on investment promotion and protection in the region. SAARC has given emphasis on enhancing regional connectivity. A number of activities have been carried out in the field of promotion of tourism and people-to-people contacts. However, the pace is slow and progress is limited. Much remains to be done to change the socio-economic landscapes of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Despite our regional efforts to make South Asia a region of peace, prosperity and happiness, this region still faces varying challenges such as poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, trafficking of women and children, energy crisis, environmental degradation and so on. In fact, these challenges are not unique to South Asia alone; other regions also face them but they are more pronounced in our region.It is only through the concerted and collaborative efforts of all countries of South Asia that these challenges can best be addressed for the greater interest of the region. We need to mobilize requisite political will and redouble our efforts in this regard.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The global economy has witnessed a tectonic shift with emergence of new growth poles in regions that were largely underdeveloped a few years ago. Consistent with this global trend, we must seriously think of making South Asia a vibrant region with emphasis laid on trade and investment. This will call for a number of enabling measures including elimination of intra-regional barriers, development of physical infrastructure to enhance regional connectivity and reduction of gap of energy shortage, among others. Some policy reforms may also be required to create South Asia as a whole an investment friendly region. While we aspire for deeper regional integration, opportunities for equitable sharing of benefits from such integration will have to be guaranteed with a view to providing a level-playing field to all members. This is because of different levels of resources endowment, productive capacity, industrialization and socio-economic development among SAARC member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our efforts to fight poverty require implementation of projects benefitting the common peoples through income generation and skill enhancement. Targeted, focused and dedicated economic and social measures are essential to lift people out of grinding poverty and hunger. Poverty eradication must remain at the core of all development policies, programmes and activities, as the broader goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved without eradicating poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our focus should be to adopt such policy and programmes that could provide better education opportunities and health care services, widen job market and other opportunities, empower peoples, and strengthen national capacities in order to create a strong South Asia. Effective ways and means are required to address the adverse and disproportionate impact of climate change, which has emerged as one of the largest development challenges of our time. We also need concerted measures to fight against terrorism, trafficking in women, children and drugs and other transnational crimes that pose serious threat to the peace and stability of the region.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To find a secure place in a rapidly globalizing world characterized by the proliferation of regional groupings of varied speed and scale, we should gear our efforts towards developing collective competitiveness in the region, especially in the areas of economy, trade and investment. It can be achieved through greater regional economic integration and collective capacity building endeavours. For this, matters relating to trade, transport and infrastructure should be addressed on an urgent basis. Special emphasis should be accorded to the needs and concerns of the least-developed and land-locked members of the Association. Likewise, through the expansion of intra- and inter-regional trade backed by smooth, timely and effective implementation of SAFTA, the Association can work towards realizing the goal of establishing the South Asian Economic Union in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic growth and social progress should go hand in hand, as the one reinforces the other. Economic growth serves as the foundation of progress in other areas. It is essential to promote and sustain gains in social and human development. Likewise, social progress and human development help achieve faster economic growth on a sustainable basis. Delivering concrete results to the peoples in the region is essential to ensuring their ownership of the SAARC process. Clearly, this entails moving from the phase of making promises to actions. For this, we need first to think seriously what is doable and what is not, and then chart a pragmatic course of action that is in the interest of, and supported by, all members. We have spent considerable time and energy in establishing elaborate institutions and work programmes. As a result, both institutions and activities have proliferated over the years. Now the time has come to consolidate the gains and make a visible and qualitative difference in the operation&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	of SAARC.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC is lagging behind other regional groupings both in terms of visibility and progress. We need to work hard to catch up to grasp the emerging opportunities at the global level. SAARC offers a vital tissue, connecting peoples in the region. Widely disseminating SAARC ideals and spirit across South Asian region is equally important to constantly nurture the SAARC process through people&rsquo;s positive response and commitment.Likewise, educational institutions in the region can inculcate young minds with a sense of togetherness under SAARC umbrella. In addition, greater mobility and exchange between South Asian peoples will help foster and nurture South Asian fraternity.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Ghimire is the Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal. The article is adapted from the keynote address he delivered at the inaugural session of the seminar on &ldquo;Bringing SAARC Closer to the People: A Nepalese Perspective,&rdquo; jointly organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on 20 January 2014.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-27',
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			'description' => 'South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2462',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Challenges Of LDCs',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Arjun Karki</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks. But instead of decreasing, the number of LDCs has reached 49 today. What this means is the economic and development policies adopted by the international community to address the poor and the poor countries has failed. So far, the Maldives from Asia and Botswana and Cape Verde from Africa are the only three countries that have progressed from the LDC group to developing countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Most of the LDCs are facing political instability, internal conflicts and wars. Therefore, poverty is not the only issue for these countries. For example, Nepal, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Central African Republic and lately, Southern Sudan are facing such problems. These countries cannot resolve their political instabilities and other risks unless they iron out their economic problems. At present, the LDCs particularly lack the capabilities to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change. The latest climate change related problems are the melting of snow in the mountainous regions of Asia, rising of water level in the Pacific region and expansion of deserts and food insecurity in Africa. In this situation, LDCs cannot progress to the group of developing countries. The rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are not in favour of the LDCs and the developing countries. As the WTO rules are in favour of only the developed and rich countries, the share of LDCs in global trade is less than one percent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are two types of barriers in international trade. They are non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and tariff barriers. The LDCs are particularly affected by the NTBs. We have been demanding that the goods produced in the LDCs get a duty-free and quota-free access to the markets in Europe and the US. However, the LDCs haven&rsquo;t been able to get this right despite international commitment. NTBs like sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures put in place by the European Union and rule of origin (Nepali carpet which uses wool imported from New Zealand and Tibet is not recognized as an LDC product) pose as major challenges for the LDCs to participate in international trade.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The burden of foreign debt is another major challenge in the economic development of LDCs. The LDCs have to use more than 50 per cent of their gross domestic income to pay the interest of foreign debt alone. Therefore, in order to allow the LDCs to enter the world market, their foreign debts must be cancelled unconditionally at the earliest possible. If this happens, the LDCs can spend their national income to face the challenges related to their development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The UN has already organized four global conferences on the LDCs. The first and second UN conference on LDCs were organized in Paris of France in 1981 and 1990, respectively. Similarly the third conferences was organized in Brussels in 2001 and the fourth conference was organized in Istanbul in May 2011. Thus, the latest UN programme to address the issues of LDCs is called the Istanbul Programme of Action. The overarching goal of the Istanbul Programme of Action is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the LDCs, to eradicate poverty, achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable half of the 49 LDCs to graduate out of this category by 2020.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Initially, Nepal had planned to graduate out of the LDC category by 2030. Truthfully speaking, that plan was not good because under the very leadership of Nepal, the commitment was expressed to graduate half of the existing LDCs out of the LDC group to the developing group. Therefore, Nepal faces a moral obligation to make a progress to the group of developing countries from the LDC group by 2020. And Nepal has made a national commitment to graduate out of the LDC group by 2022 which is a praiseworthy announcement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, Nepal faces a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is the creation of democratic deficit. A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed. The political parties and their leaders got to enjoy the fruits of democracy and peace in Nepal. However, the Nepali people at large are still deprived of the fruits of democracy and peace. This is the biggest challenge that Nepal faces in graduating out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there is hope in the air. A new Constituent Assembly has been elected and soon we will have a new parliament. If the parliament and the elected government to be formed can tactfully address the challenges being faced by the Nepali people, then we will not have to wait till 2022 to graduate out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Karki is the international coordinator of LDC Watch. This is a TC translation of Dr Karki&rsquo;s article published in Aarthik Abhiyan on January 10.)</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2014-01-20',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2447',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Hydropower Development For Self-reliant Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Subarna Das Shrestha</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal&rsquo;s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal&rsquo;s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Braving different difficulties, both the private and public sectors have been trying to increase investment in the hydroelectricity sector even in today&rsquo;s transitional period. Projects worth 1,200 MW are under construction; out of this 28 projects of total capacity of 360 MW are being built by the private sector. Power purchase agreement (PPA) for projects worth nearly 500 MW being developed by the private sector has been done. These projects will enter the construction phase over the next two years and will start producing electricity over another five years.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are various problems in the hydropower sector. If we don&rsquo;t tackle these problems in time, the current energy crisis will only deepen. The country is already reeling under long hours of load shedding. Several industries are faced with the risk of closure because of long load-shedding hours. If that happens, the unemployment figure will rise further. To improve the situation, we need to increase investment in hydropower. However, there will be no significant investment from either domestic or international investors in hydropower as long as an environment for investment security is not created.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In order to encourage everyone to create a favourable investment environment for the hydropower sector, the Independent Power producers&rsquo; Association, Nepal (IPPAN) had organized the Power Summit 2013 on August 26-27. The summit was focused on four themes: internal investment for projects of internal consumption; external investment for projects of internal consumption; projects focused on external markets; and transmission lines, electricity trade mechanism and marketization. The discussion on these themes helped bring to surface the legal, social, financial and political problems marring hydropower development in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To increase investment in the hydropower sector, the first requirement is guarantee of good returns while signing the PPA itself. Second, there should be no obstacles after the project enters the construction phase. The process of issuing license must be eased. For this there should be a one-window policy; the Ministry of Energy should handle everything related to hydroelectricity. At present the situation is such that to seek license for one hydropower project, power producers have to visit 10 ministries and as many government departments. This is a big hassle for independent power producers and increases the cost of the project.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepali private sector is ever ready to assist the government in addressing these problems to create the environment of investment in the hydropower sector. If that happens, domestic investment will definitely increase while the country can attract foreign investment as well. However, foreign investors want to sign PPA in the currency of investment. The government should open the doors for an arrangement to sign the PPA in US dollar and make the payment accordingly. If this happens, we can produce the amount of energy we need within the country. Power transmission is another important aspect for which the government has already allocated a budget of Rs 13.5 billion. This step taken by the government is praiseworthy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The annual per capita consumption rate of electricity in Nepal at present is only around 100 units. Fifty percent of the population has no access to electricity at all. Let&rsquo;s increase the per capita consumption of electricity by five times over the next one decade. We had raised this issue in the Power Summit as well. If we can produce more electricity than we need, the surplus electricity can be marketed in other countries of the region. It is for this reason that the concept of &lsquo;SAARC Grid&rsquo; has been forwarded. Nepal will get the maximum benefit from such a regional grid. That&rsquo;s why we should take the leadership for the construction of SAARC Grid.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rather than focusing on the cost of production of one unit of hydroelectricity, we should think about the loss to the total GDP caused by the non-production of one unit of electricity. A decision regarding 20 per cent post-PPA rate has already been taken by the Cabinet. But this decision is pending at Nepal Electricity Authority. The decisions taken by the government should be implemented. This will send out a good message to all domestic and foreign investors. Taking good decisions is important but implementing such decisions in time is even more important.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	NEA has a monopoly over hydroelectricity in Nepal. It&rsquo;s high time we created separate companies for building transmission lines and electricity trade. Similarly, we should have wheeling system in place. In this system one has to pay rent for transmitting electricity through another transmission line. If these concepts are implemented, the private sector can share some of the burden of the NEA. The government has already committed to make these changes in the hydropower sector. What remains is their implementation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At last, the country&rsquo;s economy cannot achieve a momentum without the development of the hydropower sector. The government and the private sector should join hands for the development of the hydropower sector. If we can do that, we will not only be self-reliant in hydropower but also will be able to export electricity to other SAARC nations.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the immediate past president of IPPAN.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal’s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal’s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.',
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			'id' => '2356',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Relations Funding Hopes',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Madan Lamsal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In Nepal-India relations, clich&eacute;s like &lsquo;Multidimensional and multifarious&rsquo;, &lsquo;age old&rsquo;, &lsquo;special&rsquo;, &lsquo;historical&rsquo;, &lsquo;unique&rsquo; &nbsp; as well as &lsquo;complex&rsquo; may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With changing time and technology, however, more focus of these relations is being gradually condensed into two prime areas -- economic issues and security concerns. Nepal has economic concerns and security interests, and India has economic interests and security concerns, of course, with some degree of variance in interpretations. At least, it appeared so during the interactions of high officials and think tanks in India with over a dozen visiting Nepali editors of mainstream print media from Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Trade and investment</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepal is net importer, which constituted 1.03 percent of India&rsquo;s US$300 billion global export in the last FY (2012/13). More than 60 per cent of Nepal&rsquo;s international trade&ndash; both exports and imports &ndash; takes place with India. The concern is: &nbsp;Nepal&rsquo;s trade deficit with India reached close to US$ 3.49 billion (2012/13) in the last fiscal year. And worse, the trade gap has been widening over the years as Nepal&rsquo;s export items are fast losing both comparative and competitive advantages in the Indian market. In addition to being Nepal&rsquo;s largest trade partner, India is also among the countries that have the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourists coming to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, interestingly, India didn&rsquo;t seem to recognize the importance of such a big instant export market next door. Some of its policy makers like to view remittances to Nepal by the Nepalis working in India as the compensation to such whopping gap in trade balance. As Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India had said during the interaction with the editors, &lsquo;Remittance that Nepal is receiving from India is helping balance the trade deficit between India&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	and Nepal.&rsquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But remittance, by its very nature, is a different issue altogether. Several thousand Nepalis work in Indian security forces and far larger number of Nepalis work for low-paying informal sundry jobs in private homes, offices and roadside tea shops. The low paid people are in fact helping to retain the low output cost in Indian economy, thereby helping to contain inflation and maintain the country&rsquo;s competitive edge. If the compensation argument is extended to the non-merchandise goods, the outflow of money from Nepal to India for education and health services could easily be comparable to the amounts of remittance inflows. It appeared during the discussions with the visiting journalists that these differences in perceptions, both on trade and remittance warrant an immediate streamlining to make them relate to reality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On investment, Indian investment to Nepal, particularly in recent years, has not been to the level of its potentials. The &lsquo;level&rsquo; may be a relative term but not a subjective assumption here. In view of the recent and rather exponential increase of Indian FDI to other foreign countries, Nepal&rsquo;s highly untapped areas for investment like clean energy and its proximity to Indian markets could have attracted much more FDI projects than it is the case now.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, as rightly pointed out by the Indian business community, problems lie on this side of the border as well. We have our own demand-side constraints -- prolonged political instability, pseudo-nationalism, lack of political will to decide. Indecision has become a culture. The worst of all, our political leadership doesn&rsquo;t realize the fact that the country is lagging behind due to all these malaises. &ldquo;Indian investment in Bhutan and Sri Lanka is increasing because these countries have political stability. On the other hand, Afghanistan and Nepal lack it,&rdquo; said Sushanta Sen, Principle Advisor for the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;To attract foreign investment, Nepalis first need to invest in their own country. &nbsp;Rigidities in labour laws and outsourcing problems are also some of the issues that are hindering Indian investors to invest in Nepal,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Very slow, punctuated progress through the bureaucratic channels in projects like Upper Karnali to be developed by the Indian energy major GMR, is often repeated example in power corridors of New Delhi as the reasons to Nepal&rsquo;s inability to attract Indian investment. Though a little different story, the problems faced by United Telecom Limited (UTL) has also irked the potential Indian investors. Also, even the Indian business community feels that Nepal has not been able to convey the message that the majority of Indian companies now operating in Nepal are doing very well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In every respect, each South Asian nation has some expectations from India. One of such expectations from India&rsquo;s neighbours is the revival of the Gujaral Doctrine, initiated by the Late Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral in the mid 1990s. The doctrine proposed that India wouldn&rsquo;t seek reciprocity with neighbours like Nepal but would help them through all means it could in good faith and trust.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		But for India, the country projected to be the third largest economy of the world over the next 15 years or so, it is certainly not easy to meet all the expectations of its neighbours. Naturally, India has its commitments beyond the region. &ldquo;India has to fulfill its commitments already made for Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives,&rdquo; said Khurshid. These commitments range from cultural and educational scholarships to financial and technical support for development. &ldquo;There is equally huge commitment elsewhere as well for FDI,&rdquo; Sen of CII echoed Minister Khurshid, in a different meeting. &ldquo;Once the new government is formed [in Nepal], more investment is likely to flow from India to Nepal,&rdquo; hoped Sen.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Isn&rsquo;t BIPPA with Nepal a milestone? In theory, Indian business community agrees that it is a great achievement, but in practice, everybody is keen to first test the ground realities.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The China Factor&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		In viewing China, the Indian perspective is apparently dichotomous between the so called new and old schools of thought. The new school of thought believes that there is no alternative to having the best possible relations with China. Today, China is one of India&rsquo;s largest trade partners. In the last fiscal year, 11 percent of India&rsquo;s imports and six percent exports were with China. The Indian concern at present is the growing trade deficit with China which stood at nearly $ 47 billion in 2012/13. As both countries are members of the BRIC group of emerging economies, their trade volume is bound to grow. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s visit to China last October has proposed a new trade corridor of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM). &ldquo;The corridor will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth,&rdquo; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted on this issue some time ago. Nepal here missed the boat to be in this group, for whatever reason. The new reality is: India and China are becoming closer than ever before, where Nepal has very little influence on the process.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		But the old school in India is still apprehensive about the &ldquo;increasing activities of China in Nepal&rdquo;. &nbsp;They have problems with Nepal willing to maintain the policy of equi-distance with India and China. TP Sreenivasan, Director General of Kerala International Centre (a think tank) clearly said that Nepal cannot have the same relation with China as with India. &ldquo;How can somebody marry with one and try to maintain similar kind of relation with another?&rdquo; he questions. But in diplomacy, relations between two countries are not like a marriage.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		For reasons of geographical, cultural and historical proximities, Nepal may appear more tilted to India, but at the policy level it is rather naive to expect sort of surrendered tilt at the cost of what is called balanced diplomacy.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		India&rsquo;s major concern is, understandably, security and it doesn&rsquo;t want any threat to security to come from across the border. Ashok K Behuria, Coordinator of the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, claimed that there is an anti-social element in Nepal especially in the Madhesh region which has been fuelling anti-India feelings in the Himalayan nation. Indian authorities and policy analysts are also concerned over the growing number of Madarsa schools along the bordering areas such as Nepalgunj. They think that such Madarsas might be used by extremist religious elements for activities that are hostile to India and things can go wrong. Madarsas could also create problems for Nepal in the future, they add. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal&rsquo;s Political Roadmap</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Like in Nepal, in India too, there is general happiness over the successful completion of the second CA election in November and hope that Nepal&rsquo;s new constitution will now be written. The Indian politicians as well as top bureaucrats have hailed the high voters&rsquo; turnout in the election. They were not mincing words to praise the Nepali people, the Election Commission, security agencies and all other stakeholders for holding the election successfully. Foreign Minister Khurshid and Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh remarked that the election was &lsquo;historic&rsquo; and expressed hope that Nepal would now get the new constitution on time. They also urged all political parties in Nepal, including the UCPN (Maoist) to respect the people&rsquo;s verdict and work together to draft the new Constitution. However, they also cautioned that the issue of making the new constitution should not overshadow the issue of peace and development which is no less important.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		On the issue of federalism, the Indian establishment has clearly said that Nepal can have its own model of federal structure as decided by the people of Nepal. This sentiment was echoed at the luncheon meeting with the Indian media where former ambassadors to Nepal Jayanta Prasad, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, and Deb Mukherjee, among others, were present. Their collective view was that India doesn&rsquo;t want to impose any federal model on Nepal. In fact, the advice was not to follow the flawed Indian model of carving out newer States incessantly. They also remarked that Nepal is moving forward in the right political direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
	<em>(Lamsal is the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of New Business Age Pvt Ltd.)</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-30',
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			'description' => 'In Nepal-India relations, clichés like ‘Multidimensional and multifarious’, ‘age old’, ‘special’, ‘historical’, ‘unique’   as well as ‘complex’ may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2326',
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			'title' => 'Expanding Our Service Industry',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Roop Jyoti</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal&rsquo;s service industry.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Health is one such sector. Nepal has many qualified doctors who have studied at reputed national and foreign medical colleges and universities. Many of them have the experience of working abroad as well. Comparatively, hospitals and other medical institutions can be run at a much lower cost in Nepal than in other countries. The treatment cost at such hospitals, too, would be low. Also, Nepal&rsquo;s geography and climate are very suitable for such projects. Beautiful sceneries of mountains, lakes or green pastures of land will greet the eyes of those who will look outside the windows of the hospitals. This will give a lot of psychological and mental relief to the patients and encourage their families to spend some time here. Thus, it goes without saying that good hospitals which provide quality health services have a great scope in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, so far the state has not even thought about developing the health sector as an industry. Health centres and health posts have been established even in the far-flung villages but they lack skilled and well-trained human resource. Government hospitals are in a mess. However, there are a few well-equipped hospitals, thanks to the entry of the private sector in the health and medical care service. It is because of the presence of such private hospitals that the expats living in Nepal now don&rsquo;t have to rush to Bangkok or Singapore even for delivery cases!&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We can take Grande International Hospital as an example. Established recently, this hospital today serves not only Nepalis and the expat community living in Nepal but also foreigners who come here for treatment. This is because of the hospital&rsquo;s reasonable charges and quality service. This shows that a lot of foreigners will come to the Nepal for treatment if we can provide health services of international standard. On the other hand, Nepalis too won&rsquo;t have to go abroad for treatment. This will also boost our in-bound tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	If we can establish medical colleges and universities of international standard, Nepalis won&rsquo;t have to go abroad to study medical science; instead foreign students will come here to study medical science. A number of foreign students are already coming to Nepal to study engineering and medical sciences. The reasons for this are Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and excellent climate, availability of enough patients for practical study and low cost of studies. Thus we can see that Nepal has great prospects as an international educational hub. For this to happen, if world-famous universities such as Cambridge and Harvard want to open their campuses in Nepal, they should be allowed to do so. This will provide opportunities to the Nepali students as well. The government has already taken a step towards this direction by allowing the Thailand-based Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to open a satellite campus in Nepal. It&rsquo;s time for the government to devise a policy to address such issues in order to make Nepal an international educational hub. This will help strengthen the country&rsquo;s economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government&rsquo;s focus must shift to employment creation. Supermarkets could be another sector for employment creation. As we are a small economy, our domestic production is low and we have to depend on import for the supply of most of the essential commodities we need. This is a bitter truth. So, we should relax our import policy and lower the customs duty on import to a minimum five percent. Such a relaxation in the import policy would help the country develop into a supermarket hub. The cost of labour and rent of shopping malls has been on a constant rise in global shopping hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. We should be able to benefit from this situation because of cheap labour, low import tariff and lower rents of shopping malls. We must build and develop supermarkets where goods from around the world are available at reasonable prices. The implementation of this concept would help strengthen our economy by attracting shopping tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Old age homes could be another pillar of our service industry. In the developed countries, parents and children start living separately once the latter start earning. As children do not have enough time for their old parents, the latter have to spend the rest of their lives in old age homes in the developed countries. The cost of personal care to such old people and rent of old age homes are higher in the developed world. Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and good weather conditions and the world famous Nepali hospitality are some of the major plus points in establishing old age homes here. Many foreign nationals, who have reached the fag end of their lives, are already living in Nepal. Thus, well-equipped old age homes could be a very good source of income for Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are some policy hurdles to move ahead in the above-mentioned service sectors. Foreign universities still face some accreditation related problems in Nepal. There are problems in issuing long-term residential visas to foreigners. These problems should be addressed without compromising our national interests. The process of issuing license to health institutions should be eased; hospitals and doctors should be allowed to use foreign medicines if needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is a former Minister of State for Finance. This is a TC translation of an article by the author published on Nov 29 issue of Aarthik Abhiyan daily.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-23',
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			'description' => 'Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal’s service industry.',
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			'title' => 'Celebrating International Mountain Day 2013 Forging Partnerships For Practical Solutions',
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr David Molden</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership. The occasion was preceded by a four-day international conference on &lsquo;Addressing Poverty and Vulnerability in the Hindu Kush Himalayas&rsquo; attended by over 200 participants from 19 countries. The Conference, jointly organized with the Planning Commission of Nepal, primarily aimed at forging broader partnerships to enable transformative change, and to define the contours of a sustainable mountain development agenda. On this Mountain Day, let us seek new partnerships for sustainable mountain development, for mountain people, and the billions dependent on mountain services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the spirit of partnership, I am happy to mention that coinciding with our 30th Anniversary, and in collaboration with GlacierWorks, together with the American Embassy, Thinc Design, photo.circle, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Art Council, and other partners, we have put up an exhibition titled &lsquo;Climate+Change&rsquo; in the heart of Kathmandu.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am also happy to mention that ICIMOD joins our regional member countries of Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in observing this very important Day. This year, the theme for the Day is &lsquo;Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future&rsquo;. The focus is on celebrating how mountains are crucial in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth in the context of poverty eradication, and on drawing attention to their generally sustainable and low-emission production models.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Mountains cover about 24 per cent of the global land surface and are home to 12 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population. They are a direct source of livelihood to 10 per cent of the world&rsquo;s people, and another 40 per cent derive indirect benefits from the wide varieties of goods and services afforded by the mountain socio-ecosystems. Mountains provide most of world&rsquo;s freshwater and are repositories of cultural and biological diversity. Today, it is acknowledged worldwide that mountain socio-ecosystems are crucial for sustainable development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/ep(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;
width: 300px; height: 369px;" /> In the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region, sometimes referred to as the Third Pole or the Water Towers of Asia, mountains are a direct source of livelihood for 210 million people. Further, mountain goods and services support another 1.3 billion people downstream. Glaciers of the HKH feed 10 major rivers that support extensive irrigation systems in the region. Yet, despite this vast natural wealth, mountain people are the ones who have often lived and continue to live in the margins of societies. In a succinct metaphor, they are like the poor and hungry servants who live in a palace made of gold and diamonds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let me recall what the chief scientific adviser to the UK government, Sir John Beddington, cautioned in March 2009: that food, energy, and water shortages will unleash unrest and international conflicts. This food-energy-water security is intrinsically linked to mountains and mountain communities, and mountains therefore will play a very important political role in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, mountains and their fragile socio-ecosystems today face a host of challenges: out-migration, mostly male; impacts of climate change including retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, disaster frequency, and extreme events; depleting resources and ecosystem services; government neglect and insufficient private investment; and slow development progress compared to lowland areas.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let us recognize that change also brings significant opportunities. For these opportunities to bring about meaningful benefits to mountains communities, a sea change in the attitude of both policymakers and policy implementers is urgently required. Among others, mountains should not be seen as inaccessible or conflict zones, instead communities must rally around the common mountain agenda through collaborations and partnerships. Social development must focus on sustaining functional ecosystems, and broader partnerships must be forged to share mountain knowledge and data. The bond between democracy and sustainable development must be deepened by empowering local people, particularly women.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At ICIMOD, in the last few years, we have been issuing forth a rallying call for a broader partnership for all actors to collaborate in finding practical solutions to the challenges facing the mountain communities. We have to seek ways to improve community resilience and explore sustainable livelihood options. We must work across disciplinary boundaries and focus on inclusive growth so that no one is left behind. We must devise innovative financing mechanisms and bring private sector on board the Mountain Agenda. And we must foster and enhance trans-boundary cooperation to share data and knowledge. In this connection, ICIMOD will continue to find ways to address the cross-border issues in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and partner for talks on processes and the agenda being developed for UNFCCC to help share the voice of vulnerable mountain communities at the global level.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a mountain resource center, ICIMOD will continue to generate information, package it, and disseminate it to all the stakeholders. We will facilitate partnership building among various actors and stakeholders to enhance the capability of the mountain people to transform their own future. We will continue to raise awareness about the importance of mountains and highlight opportunities and constraints in mountain development. We will continue to promote development approach that incorporates mountain people&rsquo;s traditional knowledge in the context of a green economy. Above all, we will continue to seek new windows of opportunities in the area of sustainable mountain development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Molden is the Director General of ICIMOD. The article is adapted from a speech he delivered on this year&rsquo;s International Mountain Day.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership.',
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			'id' => '2239',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Market As An Institution For Inclusive Growth And Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhukar SJB Rana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly. Being able to do so will deepen liberal democracy and heighten the chances for the long desired economic revolution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The market assures Good Governance through Transparency, Accountability and Competition with, hopefully, a lean and efficient State where Consumer Sovereignty Is deemed to be &nbsp;just as vital as People&rsquo;s Sovereignty and Parliamentary Sovereignty for a dynamic liberal society.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Strong and sound Regulation of Business by State guarantees moral and ethical Markets to safeguard the supremacy of Consumer Rights and Welfare, as well as Labour&rsquo;s Rights and Welfare. Regulated Markets helps eradicate graft and corruption from the body politic by advancing the rule of law, order and justice including laying the ground work for a stronger criminal justice system. Absence of competitive Markets adversely affects all these vitals for a vibrant political democracy. Graft and corruption is endemic when the State enters the domain of business and when these enterprises are outside the purview of regulation by independent authorities providing for a level playing field for all enterprises.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In short, the Market mechanism allows the fostering of a new Social Contract between the People and the State in the manner of 4 Ps -- people-private-public- partnerships if all decisions, henceforth, seek to maximise social profit and not simply private profit as happens now. Business enterprises will then begin to take their Corporate Social Responsibility statements more seriously and not use their CSR statements as new managerial fads for PR purposes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indeed, a moral market calls for the enforcement of these statements as cases to be decided by Consumer and Labour courts on grounds of morality that may thus go far beyond the rule of law. This is the essence of moral Markets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Policy for marketisation: No licence be needed to enter any business. All citizens be able to a start business with due registration with Company Affairs Dept or CDO offices for proprietorships and partnerships as the case may be. All businesses must have PAN cards from Ministry of Finance or, where unable, from the Ward Office as a registered local business entity. Transaction cost for such business permits be at the minimum possible. And to convert informal businesses to formal ones, the State should encourage register at ease by providing subsidies to meet their registration costs.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets create cities and an ever expanding middle class both of which are forces and factors for inclusive social development and modernization. No institutional innovation known to mankind can crate more wealth and prosperity than does the market mechanism. Liberal democracies are best served by an expanding middle class with maximum social mobility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets must be managed by managers whose social duty is to create a win-win situation by balancing the interests of all stakeholders -- owners, shareholders, employees, consumers, suppliers, community and ecology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Governments must regulate Markets to guarantee fair and free competition and to oversee that the larger public good, including those of the next generation and the additional need to conserve and protect the natural environment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Faith in the Market as an institution does not mean that it will guarantee economic or social justice. We must not subscribe to laissez faire where the property class is given free reign. Rather than seeking to curtail the excesses of wealth through all manner of wealth and estate taxes as well as capital gains taxes, the state must encourage Private Philanthropy and for this the new CA is alerted to the need to promulgate a Private Trust Act that is available for all sectors of the economy. It has been lying pending since 2005. The state must regulate the Market to ensure be actualised. For all this to be actualised, there is the supreme need for strong independent regulatory bodies to protect and promote the rule of law just as much &nbsp;as there is need for a strong Executive to be kept in check and balance with the final say left to an independent &nbsp;Supreme Court as the arbiter and dispense of justice and the Constitutional Court to decide on the powers and authority of the federal and local governments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It should be the Constitutional Court that has the final say on when People&rsquo;s Sovereignty should hold sway over Parliamentary Sovereignty so that matters for local, federal and national referenda could be decided in an apolitical manner by an organ of State other than the Parliament.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must be one that enshrines liberal democracy where the State guarantees equal opportunity to all based on merit and grounded by a Social Contract where there is quality education and health services from the State for all: to ensure social meritocracy for all irrespective of race, religion, caste, class and region. All public institutions must be bound by minimum standards for infrastructure, health and hygiene, safety and security.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must also enshrine values of Transparency, Accountability and Competition as the troika of Liberal Multi Party Democracy. A strong State is needed that is fully alert to the probability of collusion by and between vested interest of Political Parties acting in tandem with the wealthy and rich classes to capture Political and Market power against the larger Public Good. Only politically neutral, strong, independent and autonomous Institutions can guarantee this. Public servants holding party membership must be summarily dismissed from service and asked to become politicians rather than be ones in disguise.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It must punish patronage politics and political executive&rsquo;s incursion into bureaucratic executive&rsquo;s prerogative, which is to support the formulation of policies rationally and to execute policies efficiently and effectively. To assure this delicate balance of executive powers is in effect new forms of Accountability to Parliament must be innovated. One method is to have Ministers account for Policies and Bureaucrats account, to Parliamentary Select Committees for Policy Execution -- for its speed and also its propriety vis Acts, bye laws and regulations. Bureaucrats must be guaranteed a minimum tenure on posts they are assigned to; and for which they must be academically qualified as determined by the job specifications that befit job descriptions.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Gurcharan Das says beautifully, in his &ldquo;India Grows At Night&rdquo; (2012), that the mantra of France is &lsquo;equality&rsquo;; that of U S A it is &lsquo;liberty&rsquo; and that of India it is &lsquo;dharma&rsquo;. Let it be so in Nepal too where our National Dharma should be democracy, duty, discipline, determination, discrimination (between good and bad and right and wrong) and devotion to God and family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We need to found, in the 21st century, a moral State with a moral society and moral markets. That subscribes to pluralism and pragmatism; that practices unity in diversity through its diverse communities while, at the same time, empowering each person to not only take pride in his or her individual identity but the modern State providing full &nbsp;societal scope for each individual to have and behold multiple identities, which should be the hallmark of the 21st century.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Writer is Professor at South Asian Institute of Management and Former Finance Minister)</em></div>',
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			'id' => '2197',
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			'title' => 'A South Asian Song',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">--By Abhay K</span></strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	F<span style="font-size: 12px;">ostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. As part of my training at the Indian Foreign Service Institute, before being confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service, I had visited the Foreign Ministries and the Foreign Service Institutes of the neighboring South Asian countries between 2004-2005. Those days the idea of deeper interaction among the South Asians always brought back memories of my days spent in Jawaharlal Nehru and Delhi Universities. I cherished the company of students from the South Asian countries who enriched my academic life in many ways.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The visit gave me the opportunity to meet the young Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan officer-trainees. During our meetings we felt that it would be a great learning experience for the young officer-trainees of the SAARC member countries if we could spend a week or so together and share our ideas and aspirations with each other.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After my visit to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, I wrote a paper titled &lsquo;South Asian Affairs&rsquo; proposing establishment of a South Asian University in May 2005, I was glad to see that the idea of establishing the new South Asian University was announced in November 2005 in Dhaka at the 13th SAARC Summit. The South Asian University is functioning since 2010 at Akbar Bhawan, New Delhi paving the path for a new South Asia.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After the milestone achievement in the history of SAARC with the establishment of the South Asian University, I believe a South Asian Song, a song that all South Asians could sing together, can act as a catalyst in fostering deeper South Asian consciousness and fraternity. I am now ready with a South Asian Song after a very warm and enthusiastic reception of the Earth Anthem internationally which I wrote and produced recently.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Earth Anthem was released in June this year by Mr. Kapil Sibal and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Union Ministers of India at ICCR, New Delhi and later in Kathmandu by Mr. Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister of Nepal in presence of Mr. Axel Plathe, UNESCO&rsquo;s Representative to Nepal. Since then it has been translated into major world languages. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India has put this on its website for the use of the students studying in schools affiliated with CBSE. I have been informed that UNESCO is going to turn the idea of an official Earth Anthem into a global initiative. I hope a Global Earth Anthem Challenge will be launched soon and the best judged entry will be declared as the official anthem of our planet earth.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Regional and International Anthems have been in use since quite some time now. Some of the other prominent regional organizations have their own international anthems. For example the European Union uses &lsquo;Beethoven&rsquo;s Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy part)&rsquo; as its anthem while the African Union has adopted its own anthem titled &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s All Unite and Celebrate Together&rsquo;. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted an official anthem titled &lsquo;ASEAN Way&rsquo; in 2008 which is in English. As per ASEAN, its anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity and strengthens the sense of ASEAN identity and belonging among the peoples of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being aware of the huge popularity of Bollywood films in South Asia, I have written a South Asian Song in Hindustani which has been translated in all the eight South Asian languages. The English version is as follows-</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Himalaya to Hind, Naga Hills to Hindukush/ Mahaweli to Ganga, Sindhu to Brahmputra/Lakshadweep to Andaman, Everest to Adam&rsquo;s Peak/ Kabul to Thimphu, Male to Kathmandu / &nbsp;Delhi to Dhaka, Colombo, Islamabad/ Every step in unison, every step in unison/Dzongkha, Sinhala, Nepali, Hindi, Pashto, Bengali/ Urdu, English, Dhivehi, every step in unison, every step in unison/ one&rsquo;s own identity,one&rsquo;s own dreams / talks of love n&rsquo;peace, every step in unison/ every step with SAARC / every step in unison/every step with SAARC, &nbsp;every step in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Naga and Chin hills mark the eastern frontiers of SAARC member states. Mahaweli is the longest river of Sri Lanka while Adam&rsquo;s Peak is its most venerated peak. Sri Lanka has two official languages-Sinhala and Tamil like Afghanistan which also has two official languages-Pashto and Dari. I have chosen the language of their national anthems. Dhivehi is the official language of Maldives. The South Asian Song also highlights the life-sustaining perennial rivers of South Asia such as Sindhu, Ganga, Brahmputra as well as the official languages of the SAARC member countries. The Song celebrates vibrant cultural diversity of South Asia as well as aspirations of the South Asians walking in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Once adopted, the SAARC Secretariat could be the main body to oversee the proper use of the South Asian Song which could be encouraged at the formal meetings of SAARC as well as SAARC Apex and Recognized Bodies. The South Asian Song could also be played to commemorate special occasions of SAARC such as the SAARC Charter Day (8 December).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC member countries could be encouraged to translate the South Asian Song into local languages as a way to promote the song and foster South Asian consciousness and fraternity among their citizens.</div>
<div>
	<em>(The writer is a poet-diplomat. Views expressed are personal.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Fostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985.',
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			'title' => 'A Fresh Opportunity In Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
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	<span style="font-size: 12px;">Th</span><span style="font-size: 12px;">e results of the elections to Nepal&rsquo;s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist). The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which won a majority of the seats in the 2008 election, has been routed and is expected to win fewer than a hundred places in the 601-seat House. The first Constituent Assembly had to be dissolved after it failed in its task of framing a Constitution even after its tenure was extended four times. Last week&rsquo;s election was originally scheduled for November 2012 but was postponed repeatedly. The instability in Nepal belied the promise of the peace process that ended the Maoist insurgency and brought the rebels into the political mainstream.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The challenge for Nepal&rsquo;s fractious political forces now is to make the fresh start provided by the election work. It is encouraging that after an initial threat to boycott the new Assembly, the Maoists have been more conciliatory; the victorious NC and the CPN (UML) have enough seats between them for government formation but they have expressed the readiness to consider the Maoist demand for a &ldquo;government of consensus&rdquo;. If Nepal is to go down this route again, the power sharing negotiations will hopefully avoid last time&rsquo;s pitfalls. A national unity government will certainly help the Assembly&rsquo;s main task of Constitution making, which Nepal&rsquo;s political forces have agreed must be based on consensus. &nbsp;<em>(The Hindu)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'The results of the elections to Nepal’s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist).',
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	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2699',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Investment In Agriculture,  Tourism And Energy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Shanta Raj Subedi</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal, through its national plan, has declared the development strategy to achieve inclusive, broad-based, high and sustainable economic growth by enhancing the contribution of the private sector, government and co-operatives. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Economic Summit has picked up important priority sectors - Energy, Tourism and Agriculture for economic development of Nepal. These three sectors are among the top priorities of the government as articulated in the current development plan, and are crucial to help Nepal graduate from LDC by 2022. &nbsp;Let me briefly highlight on these sectors. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The energy sector, especially hydropower, is one of the areas with immense potential for secured and profitable investment in Nepal. With huge availability of water resources, Nepal could be one of the best places to invest in hydropower. I believe that market is not a problem for us to export hydropower. Investment in the hydropower sector will not only get a domestic market but also an export market. There is enormous opportunity for investing in generation and transmission of hydro electricity. The cross-border transmission lines with India will benefit both Nepal and India.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s energy potentiality is not limited to hydropower. We have high prospects for other forms of energy like bio-mass, solar and wind energy. The Government of Nepal has announced a number of policies and incentive mechanisms for the development of this sector. Different tax incentives are already in place and we are also open to continue discussion on further incentive packages. Further, we are ready to join hands with the private sector to develop the energy sector through the Public-Private-Partnership modality. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, agriculture has remained a prime sector of our economy since long. This sector alone contributes around 35 per cent to the total GDP and provides employment to more than 70 per cent population. Realizing this fact, the Government of Nepal has been increasing investment in this sector. In order to develop the agriculture sector in a holistic way, we have recently drafted the Agricultural Development Strategy. Further, we have been drafting new agriculture policy to improve the investment climate in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is suitable for cultivation of organic seeds, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Our topography is such that it has scope for eco-tourism and agro-tourism also. In order to increase the production and productivity of crops and livestock products, the Government of Nepal has introduced insurance schemes and different packages of production incentives. We are committed to further increase the investment in this sector and welcome the private investors as well.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is an ideal tourism destination. We do have the mixture of myriad tourism activities, like soft walking, mountaineering, sightseeing, trekking, community based tourism, village home stay tourism, eco-tourism, adventure-sports tourism and religious tourism. The huge socio-cultural diversity is another mysterious attraction of Nepal. New tourist sites are constantly being discovered and public investment has been increased to develop such sites.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal has been investing in basic infrastructures of the tourism sector. More private investment is needed in the tourism sector to build quality hotels, lodges and restaurants. Further, the private sector is encouraged to attract more tourists from all around the globe with sophisticated investment in this sector. The Government of Nepal is building a regional international airport near Lumbini. The private sector should be able to reap the benefits of such infrastructure and develop sufficient measures to attract religious tourists. In many aspects, the tourism sector is almost virgin for new investment. It&rsquo;s not only the natural tourism that is an attractive area for investment, but also the cultural and pilgrimage tourism are equally attractive for the investors.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal adopted the liberalized economic policy after the restoration of democracy in 1990 through the eighth periodic plan. Since then, the private sector has been encouraged to invest in the socio-economic development of the country. In order to facilitate the private sector, Nepal government has formulated a liberal and open Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992, Industrial Enterprises Act 1992, Electricity Act 1992, BOOT Act 2006 and Nepal Investment Board Act 2011. In addition to this, we have also signed Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with France, Germany, UK, Mauritius, Finland and India. Similarly, Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty has been signed with ten countries and five are under considerations. These all are positive steps towards encouraging foreign investors in the country. However, we feel, there is a need for further reform in order to materialize private investment in the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We are aware from global studies and observations that Nepal still lacks an investment friendly environment. However, the recent political development shows good gestures in this respect. The domestic market is growing. The international market is already there. There is greater enthusiasm in the domestic private sector. The government is trying to remove non-tariff barriers for investment, such as issues related to trade union, land acquisition, compensation and so on.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am confident that this summit would come up with specific recommendations for the Government of Nepal regarding adopting policy measures and creating conducive environment for investment. I would like to assure that the recommendations made here would be taken positively and incorporated in our upcoming policies and programmes.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the Finance Secretary of Nepal. The article is adapted from the Opening Remarks he delivered at the inauguration of Nepal Economic Summit 2014 on February 24.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-03',
			'modified' => '2014-03-03',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2655',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Leadership And Regional Integration',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<p>
	The 5th SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: &ldquo;We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans&rdquo;.<br />
	<br />
	The vital issue here is will the youth leaders of South Asia await government action to come up with the desired plans? Or should it not be their responsibility, as business leaders, to do so proactively? The assertive and dynamic role played by South Asia&rsquo;s NGOs led to the adoption of, by the SAARC Heads of State/Government, the SAARC Social Charter, which is a veritable landmark achievement of civil society. Let us hope that the SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, and the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs Forum (SAYEF), can together, sooner than later, endow South Asia with the much needed SAARC Economic Charter.<br />
	<br />
	Is it not high time that the private sector gifted us its economic vision of South Asia for the Asian Century? The Forbes 2013 Billionaires list identifies 1426 such &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; individuals worldwide. I describe them &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; because many among them have wealth that far exceeds that of nation states. The US leads with 446 billionaires; followed closely by the Asia Pacific with 386 billionaires. From South Asia there are 51 in all&mdash;50 from India; and 1 from Nepal. Sadly, there are none listed from the other SAARC nations.<br />
	<br />
	Can, or should, the SAYEF mobilize these 51 South Asian business leaders to come forth with the South Asian Economic Vision? Who knows, many among young entrepreneurs here might be relatives of them?<br />
	<br />
	I often ask myself: why aren&rsquo;t these South Asian billionaires, collectively, looking inwards to transform South Asia regionally with its vast resource endowment? Why do they choose to venture abroad even to the extent of engaging in contract farming, for example, in Africa and Latin America? Are we not blessed with abundant land, water and farm hands? Do not our villages cry out for more productive jobs and a better life style?<br />
	<br />
	The &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; portends well for South Asia. It is anticipated this will last from 2040-50 with the share of the working age population to total population growing or remaining constant. It can be the new manufacturing hub of the globe.<br />
	<br />
	China will begin to, sooner than later, face its &lsquo;demographic deficit&rsquo; with rising wages and labour shortages. Its labourintensive manufacturing will surely move into South Asia in similar fashion to the Japanese &lsquo;flying geese&rsquo; that led to the rapid industrialization of East Asia beginning in the mid-1970s.<br />
	<br />
	Founded in 2009, SYEF is a strategic innovation seeking to expunge from young minds the dark and bitter legacy of the partition of the subcontinent. It is also an innovation where youth leaders nurture a regional mindset by developing the capacity to &lsquo;think regional and act local.&rsquo; It is only then can we hope and aspire to make South Asia a global economic and financial power house of the unfolding Asian Century. For this to happen, we need to create South Asian MNCs &ndash; be they led by any of our Forbes listed billionaires or by our youth leaders.<br />
	<br />
	By and large, we have witnessed unemployment growth in South Asia. To add insult to the injury, we have witnessed unimagined inequality in the distribution of income. Who are the beneficiaries of globalization under the WTO regime? Alas, it&rsquo;s the very rich economic elites and the political elites, who are delivering a highly non-inclusive form of capitalism that may be best described as &lsquo;crony capitalism&rsquo;. I trust the youth business leaders can sense that this form of capitalism is like digging one&rsquo;s own grave yard eventually.<br />
	<br />
	If this continues, the &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; will be transformed into a &lsquo;youth unemployment bomb&rsquo; through social implosion and political anarchy. There is no dividend when youth, especially the middle class youth, are engulfed by despair, desperation and disillusionment from the stigma of joblessness and its indignities. Not just for the sheer lack of jobs; but also the lack of requisite skills for the available jobs.<br />
	<br />
	Youth symbolizes idealism, hope and belief in the power of ideas and innovation. This is what the common men and women expect from youth business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	The common men or women expect from youth business leaders a value driven and ethical business organization serving the people as well as the planet-- not just seeking short term maximization of profits. They expect business leaders to be an integral part of society, safeguarding the planet for future generations from the predicted holocaust of global warming. The common man or woman will bestow faith in business leaders when the latter collectively demonstrate the ability to transform society. For this, they need to optimize the triple P (public-privatepartnership) and not maximize the one P&mdash;profits.<br />
	<br />
	They can and should do so by strategizing their businesses as per the vision of the late management guru, Prof. C.K.Prahalad, who foresaw a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Or even pursue the vision of Prof. Mohammed Yunus where he calls forth social businesses to flower the entrepreneurial spirit so abundantly embodied even in the poorest of the poor of South Asia.<br />
	<br />
	I urge the youth business leaders to opt for &lsquo;conscientious capitalism&rsquo; where all stakeholders are brought into the ambit of our business decisions; where businesses move beyond their CSR statements &ndash; often only being used as forms of charity for PR purposes.<br />
	<br />
	Move beyond what and how, the youth business leaders might ask me here? I submit by making your CSR statements as morally binding commitments which could form the new basis for Consumer and Labour Courts to adjudicate with -- thus going beyond the &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; to &lsquo;rule of morality&rsquo; -- for sound ethical behaviour by our business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	Finally, I appeal to all &ndash; politicians and business leaders&mdash;that to strengthen our democracy we need &lsquo;good governance&rsquo; that should be manifested in maximising competition, transparency and accountability. While the World Bank, IMF and the Asian Development Bank may think good governance is enough, I submit to our Youth Leaders here that it is necessary but not sufficient. Concurrently, we need independent, powerful anticorruption authorities in place with total overhaul of our criminal justice system. (Rana is a former finance minister of Nepal. The article is adapted from the valedictory address he made at the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs&rsquo; Summit 2014, Lahore, Pakistan.)<br />
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-23',
			'modified' => '2014-02-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The 5th SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: “We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans”.',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2604',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Firming Up An Educational Institution’s Brand: Challenges And Choices',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Roshee Lamichhane</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	About a decade ago, there was never a need for educational institutions to aggressively market themselves, as the demand for quality education generally outgrew supply. Today, however, with increasing competition, there is a growing awareness within this community on the importance of marketing a school or college. They are also making conscious efforts to establish the institutional brand, attract quality students, and stay ahead of competition at all times.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Research points to the fact that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are increasingly evaluating marketing outsourcing and the growing maturity of marketing services that can be outsourced. This research evidence emphasizes that marketing outsourcing will soon become a key outsourced function globally, much in the lines of Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Logistics, Security, and Legal services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Emergence of MPO Companies</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm. The services they render to marketing are something analogous to what Finance and Accounts Officers (FAOs) do to the F &amp; A function of an organization. They resort to componentizing all key marketing functions and sub-functions. Later, they build processes for each of these in such a way that they can be delivered by leveraging the best functional and domain knowledge banks. They also use best global practices in the most efficient and cost effective manner either onsite or remotely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Role of PMPs&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The role of Professional Marketing Partners (PMPs) becomes at once important as the education space is, slowly but surely, realizing the need to have a professional and cost-effective marketing set-up in place that proactively and continuously communicates with the target segment, rather than engaging only in seasonal marketing efforts.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Engaging the services of a PMP has become the first step towards firming up an educational institution&rsquo;s brand through a pro-active marketing program to reach your target segment. The logic and rationale are simple: &ldquo;they not only possess a deep marketing expertise and an in-depth understanding of the education marketing, but design and deliver compelling solutions customized to its needs&rdquo;. Educational Branding and Marketing Services and Solutions generally include but are not limited to:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Admission Marketing: Offering tried and tested program mix to help expand admission outreach and attract quality students.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Placement Connect: Providing continuous engagement with corporate houses to increase student placement opportunities, to supplement or substitute institution&rsquo;s placement office.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Online Reputation: Leveraging social and other online/digital media to enhance the brand value of the institution and engage effectively with the ecosystem.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ecosystem Engagement: Crafting marketing strategies such as alumni engagement programs, corporate branding, etc., covering all stakeholders&mdash;including corporate, faculty, parents, and alumni&mdash;to facilitate continuous interaction and support to the institution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	This continuous engagement with a Professional Marketing Partner helps:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Attract and increase quality of students every year</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Retain top faculty&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase student placement opportunities through continuous interaction with businesses&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Optimize cost of acquisition per candidate&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase support from alumni and benefactors</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are several pioneering MPO agencies that have been helping the education community on how to market a school/college and formulate winning marketing strategies to effectively engage with the ecosystem, build a sustainable brand, and address the challenges faced by them. Their distilled experiences enable them to identify the key challenges faced by their client organizations in the marketing function. They align their services to help Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) address some of these challenges and bridge the gaps while improving the efficiency/effectiveness of their marketing function.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Some of the typical challenges in the context of branding and marketing an educational institution include:</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>People and hiring challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is difficult and expensive to build in-house expertise for all the key programmes that firms need to run</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A significant part of &nbsp;a company&rsquo;s bandwidth is consumed by low-impact tactical work, leaving very little time for strategic marketing work</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Training people is a big challenge and businesses will seldom be able to hire experienced practitioners and best practices are difficult to come by</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Lack of outsourced expertise</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is tough to find the right outsourced resources. Advertising, design and web agencies offer little strategic insights and are seldom aligned with the firm&rsquo;s strategic business objectives</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>External agencies seldom bring the practitioners&rsquo; view to the table and would like to work with someone who has done this before</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Monitoring metrics and ROI on marketing programmes is a big challenge</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Cost challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies are always under pressure to do more with their marketing budgets and resources, but their costs don&rsquo;t seem to be going down</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies&rsquo; marketing requirements are globally distributed, but their costs and people are not</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Businesses would like to leverage shared services to benefit from economies of scale and process efficiencies but there are no marketing shared services offerings easily available</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies don&rsquo;t want to invest in building expensive in-house resources or teams for certain tactical marketing competencies or for cyclical or part-time marketing requirements</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Marketing Outsourcing Partnership Model for SMBs</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The services of MPO companies extend from managing specific functions or processes for large marketing organizations to running the complete marketing function for SMBs. Generally, the Marketing Outsourcing Partnership (MOP) Model is backed by an expert team of marketing professionals with significant expertise in global marketing. They offer their clients a range of &lsquo;marketing in a box&rsquo; and &lsquo;marketing on demand&rsquo; outsourcing options that include full function outsourcing, outsourcing of specific projects and programmes as well as their execution.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(Lamichhane is Manager, Business Development, at Chaudhary Group)</em></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-02-18',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm.',
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			'id' => '2558',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Employee Commitment  & Organizational Performance',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Amit Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Imagine that you are the line manager of a very young guy in your IT department who has been repeatedly complaining of having to work even on holidays. You thought that the introduction of overtime allowance that the company introduced for the last three months will address the issues raised by the IT staff. He, however, has been very hard working. He is always interested to learn the new systems and comes forward to volunteer whenever a new technology is being tested. You consider him a very committed employee until one fine morning he submits his resignation only to tell you that he has joined a competitor who has just brought the same &lsquo;technology&rsquo; your company had been using for the last six months. And, this guy was quite interested to learn this technology and has fairly mastered the new system. After he leaves, you don&rsquo;t have an immediate replacement which will hamper your support service that you are providing to your customer. You had thought this employee was committed!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Then you have a branch manager at Biratnagar who is considered to be a very good sales staff. He manages a team of 10 people and most of these people are quite productive. However, one thing that really worries the management is the turnover in the branch. When you analyse the exit interview reports, you can clearly see that the branch manager is not a very good team player. His subordinates are quite dissatisfied with his behaviour. When you talk to these employees informally, they point out his weaknesses like he often scolds them in front of the customer even for small mistakes. Strangely, the branch manager used to report positive things about these employees and would come strong when recommending rewards and recognition to his subordinates. You thought his subordinates were very lucky to have a supervisor like him. You try to counsel the branch manager but things wouldn&rsquo;t improve and you cannot let go the branch manager because of his high sales achievement. You had earlier assumed that the loyal staff wouldn&rsquo;t leave your reputed company even if they had some &lsquo;petty&rsquo; issues with their supervisor.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	And, the third employee who has worked with you for last five years at your customer service department has been very vocal about how good she feels about your company. She is very good at handling customers and has been receiving very good ratings in her performance appraisals. However, one thing you don&rsquo;t understand is that her co-workers have been struggling with their performance. Your rational thinking is that the other people would learn from her or even she should be aware of the lower quality of work her team members perform. You once talk to her informally on the issue and seek her advice on what can be done to improve their performance. She, however, doesn&rsquo;t want to be involved in &lsquo;improving&rsquo; their performance. She says that&rsquo;s not her job. You used to think that she was quite committed to the company and would go &lsquo;that extra mile&rsquo; to improve her co-workers. You were wrong.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So, what is missing in the employees you thought were committed? You realise that some visible aspects of commitment do not bind them with your company. These people were not engaged with your company!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>From Commitment to Engagement</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing). When we have all three dimensions of the employee commitment, we can say that the employees are engaged with the organisation. Thus, by using the term employee engagement, we will be covering the employee commitment in its holistic form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As illustrated in the three staff issues in the beginning, presence of only one dimension doesn&rsquo;t work. As in the first case, employees can be engaged with their job (Job Engagement) but may not be engaged with their organisation (Organisational Engagement). Similarly, some employees may be emotionally committed because of the reputation of the organisation but only emotional commitment does not work.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The third case was that of behavioural commitment. Engaged employees not only give their best productivity, but also &lsquo;go the extra mile&rsquo; to improve the quality of work of their co-workers even if their role doesn&rsquo;t demand such kind of responsibilities. Such employees not only feel and think for the organisation; their action (doing) is towards the betterment of the organisation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Link between employee engagement and organisational performance</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The general philosophy of employee engagement is that engaged employees contribute more, help in crating positive work environment, stay with the organisation longer and have higher commitment to quality. These &lsquo;traits&rsquo; of engaged employees lead to increased customer satisfaction that ultimately helps in achieving business outcomes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Several researches show a relationship between employee engagement and financial performance of the organisations. Internationally known consulting frims like Gallup and Aon Hewitt have a long history of measuring employee engagement and its effects in business organisations. Aon Hewitt uses a term called &ldquo;Engage-O-Meter&rdquo; for showing the engagement level and the organisational performance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	A research carried out by Aon Hewitt covering data from 2008-2010 found that organisations with high levels of engagement (65% or greater) continue to outperform the total stock market index and posted total shareholder returns 22% higher than average in 2010. On the other hand, companies with low engagement (45% or less) had a total shareholder return that was 28% lower than the average. As there was a global recession during that period, the correlation was still valid in times of financial crisis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Engagement Level in Nepali Organisations</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though we haven&rsquo;t heard much of such scientific research on employee engagement done in Nepali organisations, some of the organisations conduct annual engagement survey of their employees and the organisational climate surveys. The results of these surveys are only for internal consumption.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Officially, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) group annually conducts an engagement survey in association with Gallup. Thus, the SCB Nepal, as a part of the group, has been conducting the annual survey. However, one more bank uses the same survey questionnaire but uses its own resources to conduct the survey and analyse the results. Some multinational companies like Coca Cola (Bottlers Nepal) use employee surveys prescribed by their parent company.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Sharma is the Head of the Human Resource Department of Janata Bank Nepal Ltd. The article is adapted from a paper he presented at the HR Conclave organized by the School of Management, Tribhuvan University on January 10, 2014.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing).',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2547',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepali Entrepreneurship Needs The Next Big Push',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Years since 2000 have seen the gradual decline in armed struggles and resultant exodus to urban centres of Nepal, especially Kathmandu Valley, but democracy did also bring in political instability and an uncertain rule by a coterie of a few powerful leaders across four to five major parties, by turns. Instability in governance bred uncertain or ever-changing policies in business and many were consistent in their non-existence. There have been alongside regressive policies with regards to capping marketing expenses for some sectors of the economy, banning of FDI in a few others, and unclear labour policies in yet others.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In spite of all this, entrepreneurship in home-grown brands and businesses, including that of many first generation entrepreneurs, has grown, and remarkably so.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, four upon five people having voted in the last elections, parties with liberal and centrist manifestos getting the lion share of popular support, we now come to a scenario where entrepreneurship can rightfully receive the big push, institutionally, in governance, in education and through media.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For long the heroes in families and in marriage negotiations have been the bank employees, the government servants, the dream-struck remittance seeking migrant professionals leaving their beautiful nation, and the like.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The entrepreneurs have often been discouraged, sometimes warned, at times even threatened from within and beyond families, by the political cadre seeking easy cash, by banking and finance organizations which are supposed to boost up business initiatives, by media which looked askance at business adventurers, and by education which stressed on rote knowledge and safe managerial or clerical employment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With the possibilities of the slogan of &lsquo;Nepal for Peace and Prosperity&rsquo; becoming a reality first time in this decade given the public mood today, entrepreneurship as a function of a progressive economy needs the big push.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To start with, let there be a First Generation Entrepreneurship Promotion Policy of the new incoming popular government. Every government around the world in a developing economy does give tax holidays, funding concessions, training and skilling opportunities, global exposure, infra-structure facilities in government created Industrial Zones and the like especially for the first time entrepreneurs and business innovators.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Second, to make business incubation an interesting and &lsquo;sexy proposition&rsquo; as against the so-called safe havens abroad or in banking and government jobs, let there be a policy of &lsquo;business acculturation&rsquo; at Plus Two level (HS) across the nation where a workshop, a study material and a short examination leading to a Certificate in Introduction to Entrepreneurship be made a compulsory component of education, irrespective of the specialization in education.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Third, media&rsquo;s role in promotion of business acumen and risk-taking has been abysmally low, except the occasional entrepreneur&rsquo;s interview, done more with media PR in mind than a true commitment to it. There must be Entrepreneurship Gyan columns in relevant media. People must see or read Entrepreneur of the Week interview on the journey and challenges-joys of an entrepreneur, specially a first generation one, in print, television, radio and online media. There must be Business Plan contests on the lines of Business Baazigar in Zee Business and Pitch on CNBC in India, leading to winning proposals getting seed funded by banks and venture capital with full media glare. Doing business is the right thing: this message must be driven home hard making heroes out of entrepreneurs of substance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fourth, as done by National Entrepreneurship Network (NIN) in India, there should be contests with specific business problems and winning entries awarded, recognized, funded and highlighted in the media. Alongside, an advanced tool to evaluate entrepreneurship traits in youths at an early stage after they turn 18 years can be developed and practiced, called Entrepreneurship Attributes Assessment with tests, real life situations, problem-solving and a score given (like GMAT or GRE scores).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fifth, as done by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global body of entrepreneurs of Indian origin, there can be The Nepali Entrepreneurial Network (NEN) to bring home success stories of Nepali entrepreneurs within and outside Nepal, specially the first generation ones, and also fund new deserving projects with angel investment of NRNs (Non Resident Nepalis).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sixth, entrepreneurship management education must take a definitive leap in Nepal. On the one hand, it must become a component of regular management courses at BBA and MBA levels in all institutes. On the other, specialized Entrepreneurship MBA must also have specific papers on social entrepreneurship, green and sustainable entrepreneurship, managing family business in subsequent generations, and the like. Every leading business school of the country needs to develop Business Incubation or Enterprise Development Centres to further advance the cause.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Seventh, people who have come into the cottage, small and medium enterprises already and are at different stages of performance can be assisted with new techniques and skills through short-term Entrepreneurship Certificate courses in specific domains: like Retail or ICT Entrepreneurship, Health or Educational Entrepreneurship, etc.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let a thousand flowers bloom. There is no cause of worry if a large number of business talent turns more entrepreneurial than plain managerial. Even in large organizations, gone are the days of command hierarchical structures. People are now moving to flat organizations, outsourcing several support functions to outside entrepreneurial outfits, and hence they need less of on-command managers and more of bottomline-focused entrepreneurial managers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	(This article is prepared based on the author&rsquo;s talk in and learning from the Entrepreneurship Enhancement Consultation meet organized by King&rsquo;s College of Management, Kathmandu, on January 31.)&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2515',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Creating A Strong South Asia',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhav Prasad Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs. Furthermore, in this era of interdependence and interconnectedness, we find our interests intersecting in many areas that should help foster the sense of partnership to achieve larger regional objectives.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is true that the activities of SAARC have been directed towards tapping the regional potentials. Various programmes and projects have been launched for common benefit. Trade liberalization, including elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers, is in progress. Work is underway for concluding an agreement on investment promotion and protection in the region. SAARC has given emphasis on enhancing regional connectivity. A number of activities have been carried out in the field of promotion of tourism and people-to-people contacts. However, the pace is slow and progress is limited. Much remains to be done to change the socio-economic landscapes of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Despite our regional efforts to make South Asia a region of peace, prosperity and happiness, this region still faces varying challenges such as poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, trafficking of women and children, energy crisis, environmental degradation and so on. In fact, these challenges are not unique to South Asia alone; other regions also face them but they are more pronounced in our region.It is only through the concerted and collaborative efforts of all countries of South Asia that these challenges can best be addressed for the greater interest of the region. We need to mobilize requisite political will and redouble our efforts in this regard.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The global economy has witnessed a tectonic shift with emergence of new growth poles in regions that were largely underdeveloped a few years ago. Consistent with this global trend, we must seriously think of making South Asia a vibrant region with emphasis laid on trade and investment. This will call for a number of enabling measures including elimination of intra-regional barriers, development of physical infrastructure to enhance regional connectivity and reduction of gap of energy shortage, among others. Some policy reforms may also be required to create South Asia as a whole an investment friendly region. While we aspire for deeper regional integration, opportunities for equitable sharing of benefits from such integration will have to be guaranteed with a view to providing a level-playing field to all members. This is because of different levels of resources endowment, productive capacity, industrialization and socio-economic development among SAARC member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our efforts to fight poverty require implementation of projects benefitting the common peoples through income generation and skill enhancement. Targeted, focused and dedicated economic and social measures are essential to lift people out of grinding poverty and hunger. Poverty eradication must remain at the core of all development policies, programmes and activities, as the broader goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved without eradicating poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our focus should be to adopt such policy and programmes that could provide better education opportunities and health care services, widen job market and other opportunities, empower peoples, and strengthen national capacities in order to create a strong South Asia. Effective ways and means are required to address the adverse and disproportionate impact of climate change, which has emerged as one of the largest development challenges of our time. We also need concerted measures to fight against terrorism, trafficking in women, children and drugs and other transnational crimes that pose serious threat to the peace and stability of the region.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To find a secure place in a rapidly globalizing world characterized by the proliferation of regional groupings of varied speed and scale, we should gear our efforts towards developing collective competitiveness in the region, especially in the areas of economy, trade and investment. It can be achieved through greater regional economic integration and collective capacity building endeavours. For this, matters relating to trade, transport and infrastructure should be addressed on an urgent basis. Special emphasis should be accorded to the needs and concerns of the least-developed and land-locked members of the Association. Likewise, through the expansion of intra- and inter-regional trade backed by smooth, timely and effective implementation of SAFTA, the Association can work towards realizing the goal of establishing the South Asian Economic Union in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic growth and social progress should go hand in hand, as the one reinforces the other. Economic growth serves as the foundation of progress in other areas. It is essential to promote and sustain gains in social and human development. Likewise, social progress and human development help achieve faster economic growth on a sustainable basis. Delivering concrete results to the peoples in the region is essential to ensuring their ownership of the SAARC process. Clearly, this entails moving from the phase of making promises to actions. For this, we need first to think seriously what is doable and what is not, and then chart a pragmatic course of action that is in the interest of, and supported by, all members. We have spent considerable time and energy in establishing elaborate institutions and work programmes. As a result, both institutions and activities have proliferated over the years. Now the time has come to consolidate the gains and make a visible and qualitative difference in the operation&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	of SAARC.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC is lagging behind other regional groupings both in terms of visibility and progress. We need to work hard to catch up to grasp the emerging opportunities at the global level. SAARC offers a vital tissue, connecting peoples in the region. Widely disseminating SAARC ideals and spirit across South Asian region is equally important to constantly nurture the SAARC process through people&rsquo;s positive response and commitment.Likewise, educational institutions in the region can inculcate young minds with a sense of togetherness under SAARC umbrella. In addition, greater mobility and exchange between South Asian peoples will help foster and nurture South Asian fraternity.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Ghimire is the Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal. The article is adapted from the keynote address he delivered at the inaugural session of the seminar on &ldquo;Bringing SAARC Closer to the People: A Nepalese Perspective,&rdquo; jointly organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on 20 January 2014.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2462',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Challenges Of LDCs',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Arjun Karki</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks. But instead of decreasing, the number of LDCs has reached 49 today. What this means is the economic and development policies adopted by the international community to address the poor and the poor countries has failed. So far, the Maldives from Asia and Botswana and Cape Verde from Africa are the only three countries that have progressed from the LDC group to developing countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Most of the LDCs are facing political instability, internal conflicts and wars. Therefore, poverty is not the only issue for these countries. For example, Nepal, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Central African Republic and lately, Southern Sudan are facing such problems. These countries cannot resolve their political instabilities and other risks unless they iron out their economic problems. At present, the LDCs particularly lack the capabilities to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change. The latest climate change related problems are the melting of snow in the mountainous regions of Asia, rising of water level in the Pacific region and expansion of deserts and food insecurity in Africa. In this situation, LDCs cannot progress to the group of developing countries. The rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are not in favour of the LDCs and the developing countries. As the WTO rules are in favour of only the developed and rich countries, the share of LDCs in global trade is less than one percent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are two types of barriers in international trade. They are non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and tariff barriers. The LDCs are particularly affected by the NTBs. We have been demanding that the goods produced in the LDCs get a duty-free and quota-free access to the markets in Europe and the US. However, the LDCs haven&rsquo;t been able to get this right despite international commitment. NTBs like sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures put in place by the European Union and rule of origin (Nepali carpet which uses wool imported from New Zealand and Tibet is not recognized as an LDC product) pose as major challenges for the LDCs to participate in international trade.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The burden of foreign debt is another major challenge in the economic development of LDCs. The LDCs have to use more than 50 per cent of their gross domestic income to pay the interest of foreign debt alone. Therefore, in order to allow the LDCs to enter the world market, their foreign debts must be cancelled unconditionally at the earliest possible. If this happens, the LDCs can spend their national income to face the challenges related to their development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The UN has already organized four global conferences on the LDCs. The first and second UN conference on LDCs were organized in Paris of France in 1981 and 1990, respectively. Similarly the third conferences was organized in Brussels in 2001 and the fourth conference was organized in Istanbul in May 2011. Thus, the latest UN programme to address the issues of LDCs is called the Istanbul Programme of Action. The overarching goal of the Istanbul Programme of Action is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the LDCs, to eradicate poverty, achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable half of the 49 LDCs to graduate out of this category by 2020.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Initially, Nepal had planned to graduate out of the LDC category by 2030. Truthfully speaking, that plan was not good because under the very leadership of Nepal, the commitment was expressed to graduate half of the existing LDCs out of the LDC group to the developing group. Therefore, Nepal faces a moral obligation to make a progress to the group of developing countries from the LDC group by 2020. And Nepal has made a national commitment to graduate out of the LDC group by 2022 which is a praiseworthy announcement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, Nepal faces a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is the creation of democratic deficit. A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed. The political parties and their leaders got to enjoy the fruits of democracy and peace in Nepal. However, the Nepali people at large are still deprived of the fruits of democracy and peace. This is the biggest challenge that Nepal faces in graduating out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there is hope in the air. A new Constituent Assembly has been elected and soon we will have a new parliament. If the parliament and the elected government to be formed can tactfully address the challenges being faced by the Nepali people, then we will not have to wait till 2022 to graduate out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Karki is the international coordinator of LDC Watch. This is a TC translation of Dr Karki&rsquo;s article published in Aarthik Abhiyan on January 10.)</em></div>',
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			'modified' => '2014-01-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2447',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Hydropower Development For Self-reliant Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Subarna Das Shrestha</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal&rsquo;s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal&rsquo;s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Braving different difficulties, both the private and public sectors have been trying to increase investment in the hydroelectricity sector even in today&rsquo;s transitional period. Projects worth 1,200 MW are under construction; out of this 28 projects of total capacity of 360 MW are being built by the private sector. Power purchase agreement (PPA) for projects worth nearly 500 MW being developed by the private sector has been done. These projects will enter the construction phase over the next two years and will start producing electricity over another five years.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are various problems in the hydropower sector. If we don&rsquo;t tackle these problems in time, the current energy crisis will only deepen. The country is already reeling under long hours of load shedding. Several industries are faced with the risk of closure because of long load-shedding hours. If that happens, the unemployment figure will rise further. To improve the situation, we need to increase investment in hydropower. However, there will be no significant investment from either domestic or international investors in hydropower as long as an environment for investment security is not created.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In order to encourage everyone to create a favourable investment environment for the hydropower sector, the Independent Power producers&rsquo; Association, Nepal (IPPAN) had organized the Power Summit 2013 on August 26-27. The summit was focused on four themes: internal investment for projects of internal consumption; external investment for projects of internal consumption; projects focused on external markets; and transmission lines, electricity trade mechanism and marketization. The discussion on these themes helped bring to surface the legal, social, financial and political problems marring hydropower development in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To increase investment in the hydropower sector, the first requirement is guarantee of good returns while signing the PPA itself. Second, there should be no obstacles after the project enters the construction phase. The process of issuing license must be eased. For this there should be a one-window policy; the Ministry of Energy should handle everything related to hydroelectricity. At present the situation is such that to seek license for one hydropower project, power producers have to visit 10 ministries and as many government departments. This is a big hassle for independent power producers and increases the cost of the project.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepali private sector is ever ready to assist the government in addressing these problems to create the environment of investment in the hydropower sector. If that happens, domestic investment will definitely increase while the country can attract foreign investment as well. However, foreign investors want to sign PPA in the currency of investment. The government should open the doors for an arrangement to sign the PPA in US dollar and make the payment accordingly. If this happens, we can produce the amount of energy we need within the country. Power transmission is another important aspect for which the government has already allocated a budget of Rs 13.5 billion. This step taken by the government is praiseworthy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The annual per capita consumption rate of electricity in Nepal at present is only around 100 units. Fifty percent of the population has no access to electricity at all. Let&rsquo;s increase the per capita consumption of electricity by five times over the next one decade. We had raised this issue in the Power Summit as well. If we can produce more electricity than we need, the surplus electricity can be marketed in other countries of the region. It is for this reason that the concept of &lsquo;SAARC Grid&rsquo; has been forwarded. Nepal will get the maximum benefit from such a regional grid. That&rsquo;s why we should take the leadership for the construction of SAARC Grid.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rather than focusing on the cost of production of one unit of hydroelectricity, we should think about the loss to the total GDP caused by the non-production of one unit of electricity. A decision regarding 20 per cent post-PPA rate has already been taken by the Cabinet. But this decision is pending at Nepal Electricity Authority. The decisions taken by the government should be implemented. This will send out a good message to all domestic and foreign investors. Taking good decisions is important but implementing such decisions in time is even more important.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	NEA has a monopoly over hydroelectricity in Nepal. It&rsquo;s high time we created separate companies for building transmission lines and electricity trade. Similarly, we should have wheeling system in place. In this system one has to pay rent for transmitting electricity through another transmission line. If these concepts are implemented, the private sector can share some of the burden of the NEA. The government has already committed to make these changes in the hydropower sector. What remains is their implementation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At last, the country&rsquo;s economy cannot achieve a momentum without the development of the hydropower sector. The government and the private sector should join hands for the development of the hydropower sector. If we can do that, we will not only be self-reliant in hydropower but also will be able to export electricity to other SAARC nations.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the immediate past president of IPPAN.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-19',
			'modified' => '2014-01-19',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal’s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal’s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2356',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Relations Funding Hopes',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Madan Lamsal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In Nepal-India relations, clich&eacute;s like &lsquo;Multidimensional and multifarious&rsquo;, &lsquo;age old&rsquo;, &lsquo;special&rsquo;, &lsquo;historical&rsquo;, &lsquo;unique&rsquo; &nbsp; as well as &lsquo;complex&rsquo; may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With changing time and technology, however, more focus of these relations is being gradually condensed into two prime areas -- economic issues and security concerns. Nepal has economic concerns and security interests, and India has economic interests and security concerns, of course, with some degree of variance in interpretations. At least, it appeared so during the interactions of high officials and think tanks in India with over a dozen visiting Nepali editors of mainstream print media from Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Trade and investment</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepal is net importer, which constituted 1.03 percent of India&rsquo;s US$300 billion global export in the last FY (2012/13). More than 60 per cent of Nepal&rsquo;s international trade&ndash; both exports and imports &ndash; takes place with India. The concern is: &nbsp;Nepal&rsquo;s trade deficit with India reached close to US$ 3.49 billion (2012/13) in the last fiscal year. And worse, the trade gap has been widening over the years as Nepal&rsquo;s export items are fast losing both comparative and competitive advantages in the Indian market. In addition to being Nepal&rsquo;s largest trade partner, India is also among the countries that have the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourists coming to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, interestingly, India didn&rsquo;t seem to recognize the importance of such a big instant export market next door. Some of its policy makers like to view remittances to Nepal by the Nepalis working in India as the compensation to such whopping gap in trade balance. As Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India had said during the interaction with the editors, &lsquo;Remittance that Nepal is receiving from India is helping balance the trade deficit between India&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	and Nepal.&rsquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But remittance, by its very nature, is a different issue altogether. Several thousand Nepalis work in Indian security forces and far larger number of Nepalis work for low-paying informal sundry jobs in private homes, offices and roadside tea shops. The low paid people are in fact helping to retain the low output cost in Indian economy, thereby helping to contain inflation and maintain the country&rsquo;s competitive edge. If the compensation argument is extended to the non-merchandise goods, the outflow of money from Nepal to India for education and health services could easily be comparable to the amounts of remittance inflows. It appeared during the discussions with the visiting journalists that these differences in perceptions, both on trade and remittance warrant an immediate streamlining to make them relate to reality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On investment, Indian investment to Nepal, particularly in recent years, has not been to the level of its potentials. The &lsquo;level&rsquo; may be a relative term but not a subjective assumption here. In view of the recent and rather exponential increase of Indian FDI to other foreign countries, Nepal&rsquo;s highly untapped areas for investment like clean energy and its proximity to Indian markets could have attracted much more FDI projects than it is the case now.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, as rightly pointed out by the Indian business community, problems lie on this side of the border as well. We have our own demand-side constraints -- prolonged political instability, pseudo-nationalism, lack of political will to decide. Indecision has become a culture. The worst of all, our political leadership doesn&rsquo;t realize the fact that the country is lagging behind due to all these malaises. &ldquo;Indian investment in Bhutan and Sri Lanka is increasing because these countries have political stability. On the other hand, Afghanistan and Nepal lack it,&rdquo; said Sushanta Sen, Principle Advisor for the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;To attract foreign investment, Nepalis first need to invest in their own country. &nbsp;Rigidities in labour laws and outsourcing problems are also some of the issues that are hindering Indian investors to invest in Nepal,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Very slow, punctuated progress through the bureaucratic channels in projects like Upper Karnali to be developed by the Indian energy major GMR, is often repeated example in power corridors of New Delhi as the reasons to Nepal&rsquo;s inability to attract Indian investment. Though a little different story, the problems faced by United Telecom Limited (UTL) has also irked the potential Indian investors. Also, even the Indian business community feels that Nepal has not been able to convey the message that the majority of Indian companies now operating in Nepal are doing very well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In every respect, each South Asian nation has some expectations from India. One of such expectations from India&rsquo;s neighbours is the revival of the Gujaral Doctrine, initiated by the Late Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral in the mid 1990s. The doctrine proposed that India wouldn&rsquo;t seek reciprocity with neighbours like Nepal but would help them through all means it could in good faith and trust.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		But for India, the country projected to be the third largest economy of the world over the next 15 years or so, it is certainly not easy to meet all the expectations of its neighbours. Naturally, India has its commitments beyond the region. &ldquo;India has to fulfill its commitments already made for Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives,&rdquo; said Khurshid. These commitments range from cultural and educational scholarships to financial and technical support for development. &ldquo;There is equally huge commitment elsewhere as well for FDI,&rdquo; Sen of CII echoed Minister Khurshid, in a different meeting. &ldquo;Once the new government is formed [in Nepal], more investment is likely to flow from India to Nepal,&rdquo; hoped Sen.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Isn&rsquo;t BIPPA with Nepal a milestone? In theory, Indian business community agrees that it is a great achievement, but in practice, everybody is keen to first test the ground realities.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The China Factor&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		In viewing China, the Indian perspective is apparently dichotomous between the so called new and old schools of thought. The new school of thought believes that there is no alternative to having the best possible relations with China. Today, China is one of India&rsquo;s largest trade partners. In the last fiscal year, 11 percent of India&rsquo;s imports and six percent exports were with China. The Indian concern at present is the growing trade deficit with China which stood at nearly $ 47 billion in 2012/13. As both countries are members of the BRIC group of emerging economies, their trade volume is bound to grow. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s visit to China last October has proposed a new trade corridor of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM). &ldquo;The corridor will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth,&rdquo; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted on this issue some time ago. Nepal here missed the boat to be in this group, for whatever reason. The new reality is: India and China are becoming closer than ever before, where Nepal has very little influence on the process.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		But the old school in India is still apprehensive about the &ldquo;increasing activities of China in Nepal&rdquo;. &nbsp;They have problems with Nepal willing to maintain the policy of equi-distance with India and China. TP Sreenivasan, Director General of Kerala International Centre (a think tank) clearly said that Nepal cannot have the same relation with China as with India. &ldquo;How can somebody marry with one and try to maintain similar kind of relation with another?&rdquo; he questions. But in diplomacy, relations between two countries are not like a marriage.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		For reasons of geographical, cultural and historical proximities, Nepal may appear more tilted to India, but at the policy level it is rather naive to expect sort of surrendered tilt at the cost of what is called balanced diplomacy.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		India&rsquo;s major concern is, understandably, security and it doesn&rsquo;t want any threat to security to come from across the border. Ashok K Behuria, Coordinator of the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, claimed that there is an anti-social element in Nepal especially in the Madhesh region which has been fuelling anti-India feelings in the Himalayan nation. Indian authorities and policy analysts are also concerned over the growing number of Madarsa schools along the bordering areas such as Nepalgunj. They think that such Madarsas might be used by extremist religious elements for activities that are hostile to India and things can go wrong. Madarsas could also create problems for Nepal in the future, they add. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal&rsquo;s Political Roadmap</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Like in Nepal, in India too, there is general happiness over the successful completion of the second CA election in November and hope that Nepal&rsquo;s new constitution will now be written. The Indian politicians as well as top bureaucrats have hailed the high voters&rsquo; turnout in the election. They were not mincing words to praise the Nepali people, the Election Commission, security agencies and all other stakeholders for holding the election successfully. Foreign Minister Khurshid and Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh remarked that the election was &lsquo;historic&rsquo; and expressed hope that Nepal would now get the new constitution on time. They also urged all political parties in Nepal, including the UCPN (Maoist) to respect the people&rsquo;s verdict and work together to draft the new Constitution. However, they also cautioned that the issue of making the new constitution should not overshadow the issue of peace and development which is no less important.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		On the issue of federalism, the Indian establishment has clearly said that Nepal can have its own model of federal structure as decided by the people of Nepal. This sentiment was echoed at the luncheon meeting with the Indian media where former ambassadors to Nepal Jayanta Prasad, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, and Deb Mukherjee, among others, were present. Their collective view was that India doesn&rsquo;t want to impose any federal model on Nepal. In fact, the advice was not to follow the flawed Indian model of carving out newer States incessantly. They also remarked that Nepal is moving forward in the right political direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
	<em>(Lamsal is the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of New Business Age Pvt Ltd.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-19',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'In Nepal-India relations, clichés like ‘Multidimensional and multifarious’, ‘age old’, ‘special’, ‘historical’, ‘unique’   as well as ‘complex’ may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2326',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Expanding Our Service Industry',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Roop Jyoti</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal&rsquo;s service industry.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Health is one such sector. Nepal has many qualified doctors who have studied at reputed national and foreign medical colleges and universities. Many of them have the experience of working abroad as well. Comparatively, hospitals and other medical institutions can be run at a much lower cost in Nepal than in other countries. The treatment cost at such hospitals, too, would be low. Also, Nepal&rsquo;s geography and climate are very suitable for such projects. Beautiful sceneries of mountains, lakes or green pastures of land will greet the eyes of those who will look outside the windows of the hospitals. This will give a lot of psychological and mental relief to the patients and encourage their families to spend some time here. Thus, it goes without saying that good hospitals which provide quality health services have a great scope in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, so far the state has not even thought about developing the health sector as an industry. Health centres and health posts have been established even in the far-flung villages but they lack skilled and well-trained human resource. Government hospitals are in a mess. However, there are a few well-equipped hospitals, thanks to the entry of the private sector in the health and medical care service. It is because of the presence of such private hospitals that the expats living in Nepal now don&rsquo;t have to rush to Bangkok or Singapore even for delivery cases!&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We can take Grande International Hospital as an example. Established recently, this hospital today serves not only Nepalis and the expat community living in Nepal but also foreigners who come here for treatment. This is because of the hospital&rsquo;s reasonable charges and quality service. This shows that a lot of foreigners will come to the Nepal for treatment if we can provide health services of international standard. On the other hand, Nepalis too won&rsquo;t have to go abroad for treatment. This will also boost our in-bound tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	If we can establish medical colleges and universities of international standard, Nepalis won&rsquo;t have to go abroad to study medical science; instead foreign students will come here to study medical science. A number of foreign students are already coming to Nepal to study engineering and medical sciences. The reasons for this are Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and excellent climate, availability of enough patients for practical study and low cost of studies. Thus we can see that Nepal has great prospects as an international educational hub. For this to happen, if world-famous universities such as Cambridge and Harvard want to open their campuses in Nepal, they should be allowed to do so. This will provide opportunities to the Nepali students as well. The government has already taken a step towards this direction by allowing the Thailand-based Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to open a satellite campus in Nepal. It&rsquo;s time for the government to devise a policy to address such issues in order to make Nepal an international educational hub. This will help strengthen the country&rsquo;s economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government&rsquo;s focus must shift to employment creation. Supermarkets could be another sector for employment creation. As we are a small economy, our domestic production is low and we have to depend on import for the supply of most of the essential commodities we need. This is a bitter truth. So, we should relax our import policy and lower the customs duty on import to a minimum five percent. Such a relaxation in the import policy would help the country develop into a supermarket hub. The cost of labour and rent of shopping malls has been on a constant rise in global shopping hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. We should be able to benefit from this situation because of cheap labour, low import tariff and lower rents of shopping malls. We must build and develop supermarkets where goods from around the world are available at reasonable prices. The implementation of this concept would help strengthen our economy by attracting shopping tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Old age homes could be another pillar of our service industry. In the developed countries, parents and children start living separately once the latter start earning. As children do not have enough time for their old parents, the latter have to spend the rest of their lives in old age homes in the developed countries. The cost of personal care to such old people and rent of old age homes are higher in the developed world. Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and good weather conditions and the world famous Nepali hospitality are some of the major plus points in establishing old age homes here. Many foreign nationals, who have reached the fag end of their lives, are already living in Nepal. Thus, well-equipped old age homes could be a very good source of income for Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are some policy hurdles to move ahead in the above-mentioned service sectors. Foreign universities still face some accreditation related problems in Nepal. There are problems in issuing long-term residential visas to foreigners. These problems should be addressed without compromising our national interests. The process of issuing license to health institutions should be eased; hospitals and doctors should be allowed to use foreign medicines if needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is a former Minister of State for Finance. This is a TC translation of an article by the author published on Nov 29 issue of Aarthik Abhiyan daily.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-23',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal’s service industry.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2280',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Celebrating International Mountain Day 2013 Forging Partnerships For Practical Solutions',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr David Molden</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership. The occasion was preceded by a four-day international conference on &lsquo;Addressing Poverty and Vulnerability in the Hindu Kush Himalayas&rsquo; attended by over 200 participants from 19 countries. The Conference, jointly organized with the Planning Commission of Nepal, primarily aimed at forging broader partnerships to enable transformative change, and to define the contours of a sustainable mountain development agenda. On this Mountain Day, let us seek new partnerships for sustainable mountain development, for mountain people, and the billions dependent on mountain services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the spirit of partnership, I am happy to mention that coinciding with our 30th Anniversary, and in collaboration with GlacierWorks, together with the American Embassy, Thinc Design, photo.circle, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Art Council, and other partners, we have put up an exhibition titled &lsquo;Climate+Change&rsquo; in the heart of Kathmandu.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am also happy to mention that ICIMOD joins our regional member countries of Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in observing this very important Day. This year, the theme for the Day is &lsquo;Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future&rsquo;. The focus is on celebrating how mountains are crucial in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth in the context of poverty eradication, and on drawing attention to their generally sustainable and low-emission production models.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Mountains cover about 24 per cent of the global land surface and are home to 12 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population. They are a direct source of livelihood to 10 per cent of the world&rsquo;s people, and another 40 per cent derive indirect benefits from the wide varieties of goods and services afforded by the mountain socio-ecosystems. Mountains provide most of world&rsquo;s freshwater and are repositories of cultural and biological diversity. Today, it is acknowledged worldwide that mountain socio-ecosystems are crucial for sustainable development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/ep(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;
width: 300px; height: 369px;" /> In the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region, sometimes referred to as the Third Pole or the Water Towers of Asia, mountains are a direct source of livelihood for 210 million people. Further, mountain goods and services support another 1.3 billion people downstream. Glaciers of the HKH feed 10 major rivers that support extensive irrigation systems in the region. Yet, despite this vast natural wealth, mountain people are the ones who have often lived and continue to live in the margins of societies. In a succinct metaphor, they are like the poor and hungry servants who live in a palace made of gold and diamonds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let me recall what the chief scientific adviser to the UK government, Sir John Beddington, cautioned in March 2009: that food, energy, and water shortages will unleash unrest and international conflicts. This food-energy-water security is intrinsically linked to mountains and mountain communities, and mountains therefore will play a very important political role in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, mountains and their fragile socio-ecosystems today face a host of challenges: out-migration, mostly male; impacts of climate change including retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, disaster frequency, and extreme events; depleting resources and ecosystem services; government neglect and insufficient private investment; and slow development progress compared to lowland areas.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let us recognize that change also brings significant opportunities. For these opportunities to bring about meaningful benefits to mountains communities, a sea change in the attitude of both policymakers and policy implementers is urgently required. Among others, mountains should not be seen as inaccessible or conflict zones, instead communities must rally around the common mountain agenda through collaborations and partnerships. Social development must focus on sustaining functional ecosystems, and broader partnerships must be forged to share mountain knowledge and data. The bond between democracy and sustainable development must be deepened by empowering local people, particularly women.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At ICIMOD, in the last few years, we have been issuing forth a rallying call for a broader partnership for all actors to collaborate in finding practical solutions to the challenges facing the mountain communities. We have to seek ways to improve community resilience and explore sustainable livelihood options. We must work across disciplinary boundaries and focus on inclusive growth so that no one is left behind. We must devise innovative financing mechanisms and bring private sector on board the Mountain Agenda. And we must foster and enhance trans-boundary cooperation to share data and knowledge. In this connection, ICIMOD will continue to find ways to address the cross-border issues in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and partner for talks on processes and the agenda being developed for UNFCCC to help share the voice of vulnerable mountain communities at the global level.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a mountain resource center, ICIMOD will continue to generate information, package it, and disseminate it to all the stakeholders. We will facilitate partnership building among various actors and stakeholders to enhance the capability of the mountain people to transform their own future. We will continue to raise awareness about the importance of mountains and highlight opportunities and constraints in mountain development. We will continue to promote development approach that incorporates mountain people&rsquo;s traditional knowledge in the context of a green economy. Above all, we will continue to seek new windows of opportunities in the area of sustainable mountain development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Molden is the Director General of ICIMOD. The article is adapted from a speech he delivered on this year&rsquo;s International Mountain Day.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership.',
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	(int) 12 => array(
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			'id' => '2239',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Market As An Institution For Inclusive Growth And Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhukar SJB Rana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly. Being able to do so will deepen liberal democracy and heighten the chances for the long desired economic revolution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The market assures Good Governance through Transparency, Accountability and Competition with, hopefully, a lean and efficient State where Consumer Sovereignty Is deemed to be &nbsp;just as vital as People&rsquo;s Sovereignty and Parliamentary Sovereignty for a dynamic liberal society.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Strong and sound Regulation of Business by State guarantees moral and ethical Markets to safeguard the supremacy of Consumer Rights and Welfare, as well as Labour&rsquo;s Rights and Welfare. Regulated Markets helps eradicate graft and corruption from the body politic by advancing the rule of law, order and justice including laying the ground work for a stronger criminal justice system. Absence of competitive Markets adversely affects all these vitals for a vibrant political democracy. Graft and corruption is endemic when the State enters the domain of business and when these enterprises are outside the purview of regulation by independent authorities providing for a level playing field for all enterprises.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In short, the Market mechanism allows the fostering of a new Social Contract between the People and the State in the manner of 4 Ps -- people-private-public- partnerships if all decisions, henceforth, seek to maximise social profit and not simply private profit as happens now. Business enterprises will then begin to take their Corporate Social Responsibility statements more seriously and not use their CSR statements as new managerial fads for PR purposes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indeed, a moral market calls for the enforcement of these statements as cases to be decided by Consumer and Labour courts on grounds of morality that may thus go far beyond the rule of law. This is the essence of moral Markets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Policy for marketisation: No licence be needed to enter any business. All citizens be able to a start business with due registration with Company Affairs Dept or CDO offices for proprietorships and partnerships as the case may be. All businesses must have PAN cards from Ministry of Finance or, where unable, from the Ward Office as a registered local business entity. Transaction cost for such business permits be at the minimum possible. And to convert informal businesses to formal ones, the State should encourage register at ease by providing subsidies to meet their registration costs.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets create cities and an ever expanding middle class both of which are forces and factors for inclusive social development and modernization. No institutional innovation known to mankind can crate more wealth and prosperity than does the market mechanism. Liberal democracies are best served by an expanding middle class with maximum social mobility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets must be managed by managers whose social duty is to create a win-win situation by balancing the interests of all stakeholders -- owners, shareholders, employees, consumers, suppliers, community and ecology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Governments must regulate Markets to guarantee fair and free competition and to oversee that the larger public good, including those of the next generation and the additional need to conserve and protect the natural environment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Faith in the Market as an institution does not mean that it will guarantee economic or social justice. We must not subscribe to laissez faire where the property class is given free reign. Rather than seeking to curtail the excesses of wealth through all manner of wealth and estate taxes as well as capital gains taxes, the state must encourage Private Philanthropy and for this the new CA is alerted to the need to promulgate a Private Trust Act that is available for all sectors of the economy. It has been lying pending since 2005. The state must regulate the Market to ensure be actualised. For all this to be actualised, there is the supreme need for strong independent regulatory bodies to protect and promote the rule of law just as much &nbsp;as there is need for a strong Executive to be kept in check and balance with the final say left to an independent &nbsp;Supreme Court as the arbiter and dispense of justice and the Constitutional Court to decide on the powers and authority of the federal and local governments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It should be the Constitutional Court that has the final say on when People&rsquo;s Sovereignty should hold sway over Parliamentary Sovereignty so that matters for local, federal and national referenda could be decided in an apolitical manner by an organ of State other than the Parliament.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must be one that enshrines liberal democracy where the State guarantees equal opportunity to all based on merit and grounded by a Social Contract where there is quality education and health services from the State for all: to ensure social meritocracy for all irrespective of race, religion, caste, class and region. All public institutions must be bound by minimum standards for infrastructure, health and hygiene, safety and security.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must also enshrine values of Transparency, Accountability and Competition as the troika of Liberal Multi Party Democracy. A strong State is needed that is fully alert to the probability of collusion by and between vested interest of Political Parties acting in tandem with the wealthy and rich classes to capture Political and Market power against the larger Public Good. Only politically neutral, strong, independent and autonomous Institutions can guarantee this. Public servants holding party membership must be summarily dismissed from service and asked to become politicians rather than be ones in disguise.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It must punish patronage politics and political executive&rsquo;s incursion into bureaucratic executive&rsquo;s prerogative, which is to support the formulation of policies rationally and to execute policies efficiently and effectively. To assure this delicate balance of executive powers is in effect new forms of Accountability to Parliament must be innovated. One method is to have Ministers account for Policies and Bureaucrats account, to Parliamentary Select Committees for Policy Execution -- for its speed and also its propriety vis Acts, bye laws and regulations. Bureaucrats must be guaranteed a minimum tenure on posts they are assigned to; and for which they must be academically qualified as determined by the job specifications that befit job descriptions.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Gurcharan Das says beautifully, in his &ldquo;India Grows At Night&rdquo; (2012), that the mantra of France is &lsquo;equality&rsquo;; that of U S A it is &lsquo;liberty&rsquo; and that of India it is &lsquo;dharma&rsquo;. Let it be so in Nepal too where our National Dharma should be democracy, duty, discipline, determination, discrimination (between good and bad and right and wrong) and devotion to God and family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We need to found, in the 21st century, a moral State with a moral society and moral markets. That subscribes to pluralism and pragmatism; that practices unity in diversity through its diverse communities while, at the same time, empowering each person to not only take pride in his or her individual identity but the modern State providing full &nbsp;societal scope for each individual to have and behold multiple identities, which should be the hallmark of the 21st century.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Writer is Professor at South Asian Institute of Management and Former Finance Minister)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly.',
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			'id' => '2197',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A South Asian Song',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">--By Abhay K</span></strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	F<span style="font-size: 12px;">ostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. As part of my training at the Indian Foreign Service Institute, before being confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service, I had visited the Foreign Ministries and the Foreign Service Institutes of the neighboring South Asian countries between 2004-2005. Those days the idea of deeper interaction among the South Asians always brought back memories of my days spent in Jawaharlal Nehru and Delhi Universities. I cherished the company of students from the South Asian countries who enriched my academic life in many ways.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The visit gave me the opportunity to meet the young Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan officer-trainees. During our meetings we felt that it would be a great learning experience for the young officer-trainees of the SAARC member countries if we could spend a week or so together and share our ideas and aspirations with each other.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After my visit to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, I wrote a paper titled &lsquo;South Asian Affairs&rsquo; proposing establishment of a South Asian University in May 2005, I was glad to see that the idea of establishing the new South Asian University was announced in November 2005 in Dhaka at the 13th SAARC Summit. The South Asian University is functioning since 2010 at Akbar Bhawan, New Delhi paving the path for a new South Asia.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After the milestone achievement in the history of SAARC with the establishment of the South Asian University, I believe a South Asian Song, a song that all South Asians could sing together, can act as a catalyst in fostering deeper South Asian consciousness and fraternity. I am now ready with a South Asian Song after a very warm and enthusiastic reception of the Earth Anthem internationally which I wrote and produced recently.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Earth Anthem was released in June this year by Mr. Kapil Sibal and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Union Ministers of India at ICCR, New Delhi and later in Kathmandu by Mr. Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister of Nepal in presence of Mr. Axel Plathe, UNESCO&rsquo;s Representative to Nepal. Since then it has been translated into major world languages. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India has put this on its website for the use of the students studying in schools affiliated with CBSE. I have been informed that UNESCO is going to turn the idea of an official Earth Anthem into a global initiative. I hope a Global Earth Anthem Challenge will be launched soon and the best judged entry will be declared as the official anthem of our planet earth.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Regional and International Anthems have been in use since quite some time now. Some of the other prominent regional organizations have their own international anthems. For example the European Union uses &lsquo;Beethoven&rsquo;s Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy part)&rsquo; as its anthem while the African Union has adopted its own anthem titled &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s All Unite and Celebrate Together&rsquo;. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted an official anthem titled &lsquo;ASEAN Way&rsquo; in 2008 which is in English. As per ASEAN, its anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity and strengthens the sense of ASEAN identity and belonging among the peoples of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being aware of the huge popularity of Bollywood films in South Asia, I have written a South Asian Song in Hindustani which has been translated in all the eight South Asian languages. The English version is as follows-</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Himalaya to Hind, Naga Hills to Hindukush/ Mahaweli to Ganga, Sindhu to Brahmputra/Lakshadweep to Andaman, Everest to Adam&rsquo;s Peak/ Kabul to Thimphu, Male to Kathmandu / &nbsp;Delhi to Dhaka, Colombo, Islamabad/ Every step in unison, every step in unison/Dzongkha, Sinhala, Nepali, Hindi, Pashto, Bengali/ Urdu, English, Dhivehi, every step in unison, every step in unison/ one&rsquo;s own identity,one&rsquo;s own dreams / talks of love n&rsquo;peace, every step in unison/ every step with SAARC / every step in unison/every step with SAARC, &nbsp;every step in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Naga and Chin hills mark the eastern frontiers of SAARC member states. Mahaweli is the longest river of Sri Lanka while Adam&rsquo;s Peak is its most venerated peak. Sri Lanka has two official languages-Sinhala and Tamil like Afghanistan which also has two official languages-Pashto and Dari. I have chosen the language of their national anthems. Dhivehi is the official language of Maldives. The South Asian Song also highlights the life-sustaining perennial rivers of South Asia such as Sindhu, Ganga, Brahmputra as well as the official languages of the SAARC member countries. The Song celebrates vibrant cultural diversity of South Asia as well as aspirations of the South Asians walking in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Once adopted, the SAARC Secretariat could be the main body to oversee the proper use of the South Asian Song which could be encouraged at the formal meetings of SAARC as well as SAARC Apex and Recognized Bodies. The South Asian Song could also be played to commemorate special occasions of SAARC such as the SAARC Charter Day (8 December).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC member countries could be encouraged to translate the South Asian Song into local languages as a way to promote the song and foster South Asian consciousness and fraternity among their citizens.</div>
<div>
	<em>(The writer is a poet-diplomat. Views expressed are personal.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Fostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985.',
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			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A Fresh Opportunity In Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size: 12px;">Th</span><span style="font-size: 12px;">e results of the elections to Nepal&rsquo;s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist). The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which won a majority of the seats in the 2008 election, has been routed and is expected to win fewer than a hundred places in the 601-seat House. The first Constituent Assembly had to be dissolved after it failed in its task of framing a Constitution even after its tenure was extended four times. Last week&rsquo;s election was originally scheduled for November 2012 but was postponed repeatedly. The instability in Nepal belied the promise of the peace process that ended the Maoist insurgency and brought the rebels into the political mainstream.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The challenge for Nepal&rsquo;s fractious political forces now is to make the fresh start provided by the election work. It is encouraging that after an initial threat to boycott the new Assembly, the Maoists have been more conciliatory; the victorious NC and the CPN (UML) have enough seats between them for government formation but they have expressed the readiness to consider the Maoist demand for a &ldquo;government of consensus&rdquo;. If Nepal is to go down this route again, the power sharing negotiations will hopefully avoid last time&rsquo;s pitfalls. A national unity government will certainly help the Assembly&rsquo;s main task of Constitution making, which Nepal&rsquo;s political forces have agreed must be based on consensus. &nbsp;<em>(The Hindu)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'The results of the elections to Nepal’s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist).',
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	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2699',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Investment In Agriculture,  Tourism And Energy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Shanta Raj Subedi</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal, through its national plan, has declared the development strategy to achieve inclusive, broad-based, high and sustainable economic growth by enhancing the contribution of the private sector, government and co-operatives. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Economic Summit has picked up important priority sectors - Energy, Tourism and Agriculture for economic development of Nepal. These three sectors are among the top priorities of the government as articulated in the current development plan, and are crucial to help Nepal graduate from LDC by 2022. &nbsp;Let me briefly highlight on these sectors. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The energy sector, especially hydropower, is one of the areas with immense potential for secured and profitable investment in Nepal. With huge availability of water resources, Nepal could be one of the best places to invest in hydropower. I believe that market is not a problem for us to export hydropower. Investment in the hydropower sector will not only get a domestic market but also an export market. There is enormous opportunity for investing in generation and transmission of hydro electricity. The cross-border transmission lines with India will benefit both Nepal and India.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s energy potentiality is not limited to hydropower. We have high prospects for other forms of energy like bio-mass, solar and wind energy. The Government of Nepal has announced a number of policies and incentive mechanisms for the development of this sector. Different tax incentives are already in place and we are also open to continue discussion on further incentive packages. Further, we are ready to join hands with the private sector to develop the energy sector through the Public-Private-Partnership modality. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, agriculture has remained a prime sector of our economy since long. This sector alone contributes around 35 per cent to the total GDP and provides employment to more than 70 per cent population. Realizing this fact, the Government of Nepal has been increasing investment in this sector. In order to develop the agriculture sector in a holistic way, we have recently drafted the Agricultural Development Strategy. Further, we have been drafting new agriculture policy to improve the investment climate in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is suitable for cultivation of organic seeds, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Our topography is such that it has scope for eco-tourism and agro-tourism also. In order to increase the production and productivity of crops and livestock products, the Government of Nepal has introduced insurance schemes and different packages of production incentives. We are committed to further increase the investment in this sector and welcome the private investors as well.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is an ideal tourism destination. We do have the mixture of myriad tourism activities, like soft walking, mountaineering, sightseeing, trekking, community based tourism, village home stay tourism, eco-tourism, adventure-sports tourism and religious tourism. The huge socio-cultural diversity is another mysterious attraction of Nepal. New tourist sites are constantly being discovered and public investment has been increased to develop such sites.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Government of Nepal has been investing in basic infrastructures of the tourism sector. More private investment is needed in the tourism sector to build quality hotels, lodges and restaurants. Further, the private sector is encouraged to attract more tourists from all around the globe with sophisticated investment in this sector. The Government of Nepal is building a regional international airport near Lumbini. The private sector should be able to reap the benefits of such infrastructure and develop sufficient measures to attract religious tourists. In many aspects, the tourism sector is almost virgin for new investment. It&rsquo;s not only the natural tourism that is an attractive area for investment, but also the cultural and pilgrimage tourism are equally attractive for the investors.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal adopted the liberalized economic policy after the restoration of democracy in 1990 through the eighth periodic plan. Since then, the private sector has been encouraged to invest in the socio-economic development of the country. In order to facilitate the private sector, Nepal government has formulated a liberal and open Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992, Industrial Enterprises Act 1992, Electricity Act 1992, BOOT Act 2006 and Nepal Investment Board Act 2011. In addition to this, we have also signed Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with France, Germany, UK, Mauritius, Finland and India. Similarly, Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty has been signed with ten countries and five are under considerations. These all are positive steps towards encouraging foreign investors in the country. However, we feel, there is a need for further reform in order to materialize private investment in the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We are aware from global studies and observations that Nepal still lacks an investment friendly environment. However, the recent political development shows good gestures in this respect. The domestic market is growing. The international market is already there. There is greater enthusiasm in the domestic private sector. The government is trying to remove non-tariff barriers for investment, such as issues related to trade union, land acquisition, compensation and so on.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am confident that this summit would come up with specific recommendations for the Government of Nepal regarding adopting policy measures and creating conducive environment for investment. I would like to assure that the recommendations made here would be taken positively and incorporated in our upcoming policies and programmes.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the Finance Secretary of Nepal. The article is adapted from the Opening Remarks he delivered at the inauguration of Nepal Economic Summit 2014 on February 24.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-03',
			'modified' => '2014-03-03',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Economic development is a pre-condition for the multi dimensional aspects of prosperity. This would pave the way for boosting the economic activities thereby creating employment opportunities. Employment creation, on the one hand, provides the youths an opportunity to use their knowledge and skill in the home country while, on the other, it decreases the migration of the workforce. A huge investment is needed for employment creation. The present resource base is not enough for this purpose.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2655',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Leadership And Regional Integration',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<p>
	The 5th SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: &ldquo;We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans&rdquo;.<br />
	<br />
	The vital issue here is will the youth leaders of South Asia await government action to come up with the desired plans? Or should it not be their responsibility, as business leaders, to do so proactively? The assertive and dynamic role played by South Asia&rsquo;s NGOs led to the adoption of, by the SAARC Heads of State/Government, the SAARC Social Charter, which is a veritable landmark achievement of civil society. Let us hope that the SAARC Business Leaders&rsquo; Conclave, and the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs Forum (SAYEF), can together, sooner than later, endow South Asia with the much needed SAARC Economic Charter.<br />
	<br />
	Is it not high time that the private sector gifted us its economic vision of South Asia for the Asian Century? The Forbes 2013 Billionaires list identifies 1426 such &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; individuals worldwide. I describe them &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; because many among them have wealth that far exceeds that of nation states. The US leads with 446 billionaires; followed closely by the Asia Pacific with 386 billionaires. From South Asia there are 51 in all&mdash;50 from India; and 1 from Nepal. Sadly, there are none listed from the other SAARC nations.<br />
	<br />
	Can, or should, the SAYEF mobilize these 51 South Asian business leaders to come forth with the South Asian Economic Vision? Who knows, many among young entrepreneurs here might be relatives of them?<br />
	<br />
	I often ask myself: why aren&rsquo;t these South Asian billionaires, collectively, looking inwards to transform South Asia regionally with its vast resource endowment? Why do they choose to venture abroad even to the extent of engaging in contract farming, for example, in Africa and Latin America? Are we not blessed with abundant land, water and farm hands? Do not our villages cry out for more productive jobs and a better life style?<br />
	<br />
	The &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; portends well for South Asia. It is anticipated this will last from 2040-50 with the share of the working age population to total population growing or remaining constant. It can be the new manufacturing hub of the globe.<br />
	<br />
	China will begin to, sooner than later, face its &lsquo;demographic deficit&rsquo; with rising wages and labour shortages. Its labourintensive manufacturing will surely move into South Asia in similar fashion to the Japanese &lsquo;flying geese&rsquo; that led to the rapid industrialization of East Asia beginning in the mid-1970s.<br />
	<br />
	Founded in 2009, SYEF is a strategic innovation seeking to expunge from young minds the dark and bitter legacy of the partition of the subcontinent. It is also an innovation where youth leaders nurture a regional mindset by developing the capacity to &lsquo;think regional and act local.&rsquo; It is only then can we hope and aspire to make South Asia a global economic and financial power house of the unfolding Asian Century. For this to happen, we need to create South Asian MNCs &ndash; be they led by any of our Forbes listed billionaires or by our youth leaders.<br />
	<br />
	By and large, we have witnessed unemployment growth in South Asia. To add insult to the injury, we have witnessed unimagined inequality in the distribution of income. Who are the beneficiaries of globalization under the WTO regime? Alas, it&rsquo;s the very rich economic elites and the political elites, who are delivering a highly non-inclusive form of capitalism that may be best described as &lsquo;crony capitalism&rsquo;. I trust the youth business leaders can sense that this form of capitalism is like digging one&rsquo;s own grave yard eventually.<br />
	<br />
	If this continues, the &lsquo;demographic dividend&rsquo; will be transformed into a &lsquo;youth unemployment bomb&rsquo; through social implosion and political anarchy. There is no dividend when youth, especially the middle class youth, are engulfed by despair, desperation and disillusionment from the stigma of joblessness and its indignities. Not just for the sheer lack of jobs; but also the lack of requisite skills for the available jobs.<br />
	<br />
	Youth symbolizes idealism, hope and belief in the power of ideas and innovation. This is what the common men and women expect from youth business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	The common men or women expect from youth business leaders a value driven and ethical business organization serving the people as well as the planet-- not just seeking short term maximization of profits. They expect business leaders to be an integral part of society, safeguarding the planet for future generations from the predicted holocaust of global warming. The common man or woman will bestow faith in business leaders when the latter collectively demonstrate the ability to transform society. For this, they need to optimize the triple P (public-privatepartnership) and not maximize the one P&mdash;profits.<br />
	<br />
	They can and should do so by strategizing their businesses as per the vision of the late management guru, Prof. C.K.Prahalad, who foresaw a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Or even pursue the vision of Prof. Mohammed Yunus where he calls forth social businesses to flower the entrepreneurial spirit so abundantly embodied even in the poorest of the poor of South Asia.<br />
	<br />
	I urge the youth business leaders to opt for &lsquo;conscientious capitalism&rsquo; where all stakeholders are brought into the ambit of our business decisions; where businesses move beyond their CSR statements &ndash; often only being used as forms of charity for PR purposes.<br />
	<br />
	Move beyond what and how, the youth business leaders might ask me here? I submit by making your CSR statements as morally binding commitments which could form the new basis for Consumer and Labour Courts to adjudicate with -- thus going beyond the &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; to &lsquo;rule of morality&rsquo; -- for sound ethical behaviour by our business leaders.<br />
	<br />
	Finally, I appeal to all &ndash; politicians and business leaders&mdash;that to strengthen our democracy we need &lsquo;good governance&rsquo; that should be manifested in maximising competition, transparency and accountability. While the World Bank, IMF and the Asian Development Bank may think good governance is enough, I submit to our Youth Leaders here that it is necessary but not sufficient. Concurrently, we need independent, powerful anticorruption authorities in place with total overhaul of our criminal justice system. (Rana is a former finance minister of Nepal. The article is adapted from the valedictory address he made at the South Asia Young Entrepreneurs&rsquo; Summit 2014, Lahore, Pakistan.)<br />
	&nbsp;</p>',
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			'created' => '2014-02-23',
			'modified' => '2014-02-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The 5th SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave, which concluded at New Delhi recently, affirmed: “We consider socioeconomic empowerment of the Youth in the region as [an] important element of regional integration. The energy, dynamism and value added knowledge and expertise of youth can help augment the pace of regional development. We recommend to the governments to take proactive initiatives to engage young business leaders in futuristic development plans”.',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2604',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Firming Up An Educational Institution’s Brand: Challenges And Choices',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Roshee Lamichhane</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	About a decade ago, there was never a need for educational institutions to aggressively market themselves, as the demand for quality education generally outgrew supply. Today, however, with increasing competition, there is a growing awareness within this community on the importance of marketing a school or college. They are also making conscious efforts to establish the institutional brand, attract quality students, and stay ahead of competition at all times.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Research points to the fact that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are increasingly evaluating marketing outsourcing and the growing maturity of marketing services that can be outsourced. This research evidence emphasizes that marketing outsourcing will soon become a key outsourced function globally, much in the lines of Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Logistics, Security, and Legal services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Emergence of MPO Companies</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm. The services they render to marketing are something analogous to what Finance and Accounts Officers (FAOs) do to the F &amp; A function of an organization. They resort to componentizing all key marketing functions and sub-functions. Later, they build processes for each of these in such a way that they can be delivered by leveraging the best functional and domain knowledge banks. They also use best global practices in the most efficient and cost effective manner either onsite or remotely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Role of PMPs&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The role of Professional Marketing Partners (PMPs) becomes at once important as the education space is, slowly but surely, realizing the need to have a professional and cost-effective marketing set-up in place that proactively and continuously communicates with the target segment, rather than engaging only in seasonal marketing efforts.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Engaging the services of a PMP has become the first step towards firming up an educational institution&rsquo;s brand through a pro-active marketing program to reach your target segment. The logic and rationale are simple: &ldquo;they not only possess a deep marketing expertise and an in-depth understanding of the education marketing, but design and deliver compelling solutions customized to its needs&rdquo;. Educational Branding and Marketing Services and Solutions generally include but are not limited to:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Admission Marketing: Offering tried and tested program mix to help expand admission outreach and attract quality students.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Placement Connect: Providing continuous engagement with corporate houses to increase student placement opportunities, to supplement or substitute institution&rsquo;s placement office.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Online Reputation: Leveraging social and other online/digital media to enhance the brand value of the institution and engage effectively with the ecosystem.</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ecosystem Engagement: Crafting marketing strategies such as alumni engagement programs, corporate branding, etc., covering all stakeholders&mdash;including corporate, faculty, parents, and alumni&mdash;to facilitate continuous interaction and support to the institution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	This continuous engagement with a Professional Marketing Partner helps:</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Attract and increase quality of students every year</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Retain top faculty&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase student placement opportunities through continuous interaction with businesses&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Optimize cost of acquisition per candidate&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Increase support from alumni and benefactors</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are several pioneering MPO agencies that have been helping the education community on how to market a school/college and formulate winning marketing strategies to effectively engage with the ecosystem, build a sustainable brand, and address the challenges faced by them. Their distilled experiences enable them to identify the key challenges faced by their client organizations in the marketing function. They align their services to help Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) address some of these challenges and bridge the gaps while improving the efficiency/effectiveness of their marketing function.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Some of the typical challenges in the context of branding and marketing an educational institution include:</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>People and hiring challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is difficult and expensive to build in-house expertise for all the key programmes that firms need to run</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A significant part of &nbsp;a company&rsquo;s bandwidth is consumed by low-impact tactical work, leaving very little time for strategic marketing work</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Training people is a big challenge and businesses will seldom be able to hire experienced practitioners and best practices are difficult to come by</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Lack of outsourced expertise</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It is tough to find the right outsourced resources. Advertising, design and web agencies offer little strategic insights and are seldom aligned with the firm&rsquo;s strategic business objectives</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>External agencies seldom bring the practitioners&rsquo; view to the table and would like to work with someone who has done this before</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Monitoring metrics and ROI on marketing programmes is a big challenge</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Cost challenges</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies are always under pressure to do more with their marketing budgets and resources, but their costs don&rsquo;t seem to be going down</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies&rsquo; marketing requirements are globally distributed, but their costs and people are not</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Businesses would like to leverage shared services to benefit from economies of scale and process efficiencies but there are no marketing shared services offerings easily available</div>
<div>
	&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Companies don&rsquo;t want to invest in building expensive in-house resources or teams for certain tactical marketing competencies or for cyclical or part-time marketing requirements</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Marketing Outsourcing Partnership Model for SMBs</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The services of MPO companies extend from managing specific functions or processes for large marketing organizations to running the complete marketing function for SMBs. Generally, the Marketing Outsourcing Partnership (MOP) Model is backed by an expert team of marketing professionals with significant expertise in global marketing. They offer their clients a range of &lsquo;marketing in a box&rsquo; and &lsquo;marketing on demand&rsquo; outsourcing options that include full function outsourcing, outsourcing of specific projects and programmes as well as their execution.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(Lamichhane is Manager, Business Development, at Chaudhary Group)</em></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-18',
			'modified' => '2014-02-20',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Marketing Process Outsourcing (MPO) companies provide organizations with measurable, high-impact, and cost-efficient outsourcing solutions and deliver value by partnering with them as an extended arm.',
			'sortorder' => '2480',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2558',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Employee Commitment  & Organizational Performance',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Amit Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Imagine that you are the line manager of a very young guy in your IT department who has been repeatedly complaining of having to work even on holidays. You thought that the introduction of overtime allowance that the company introduced for the last three months will address the issues raised by the IT staff. He, however, has been very hard working. He is always interested to learn the new systems and comes forward to volunteer whenever a new technology is being tested. You consider him a very committed employee until one fine morning he submits his resignation only to tell you that he has joined a competitor who has just brought the same &lsquo;technology&rsquo; your company had been using for the last six months. And, this guy was quite interested to learn this technology and has fairly mastered the new system. After he leaves, you don&rsquo;t have an immediate replacement which will hamper your support service that you are providing to your customer. You had thought this employee was committed!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Then you have a branch manager at Biratnagar who is considered to be a very good sales staff. He manages a team of 10 people and most of these people are quite productive. However, one thing that really worries the management is the turnover in the branch. When you analyse the exit interview reports, you can clearly see that the branch manager is not a very good team player. His subordinates are quite dissatisfied with his behaviour. When you talk to these employees informally, they point out his weaknesses like he often scolds them in front of the customer even for small mistakes. Strangely, the branch manager used to report positive things about these employees and would come strong when recommending rewards and recognition to his subordinates. You thought his subordinates were very lucky to have a supervisor like him. You try to counsel the branch manager but things wouldn&rsquo;t improve and you cannot let go the branch manager because of his high sales achievement. You had earlier assumed that the loyal staff wouldn&rsquo;t leave your reputed company even if they had some &lsquo;petty&rsquo; issues with their supervisor.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	And, the third employee who has worked with you for last five years at your customer service department has been very vocal about how good she feels about your company. She is very good at handling customers and has been receiving very good ratings in her performance appraisals. However, one thing you don&rsquo;t understand is that her co-workers have been struggling with their performance. Your rational thinking is that the other people would learn from her or even she should be aware of the lower quality of work her team members perform. You once talk to her informally on the issue and seek her advice on what can be done to improve their performance. She, however, doesn&rsquo;t want to be involved in &lsquo;improving&rsquo; their performance. She says that&rsquo;s not her job. You used to think that she was quite committed to the company and would go &lsquo;that extra mile&rsquo; to improve her co-workers. You were wrong.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So, what is missing in the employees you thought were committed? You realise that some visible aspects of commitment do not bind them with your company. These people were not engaged with your company!</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>From Commitment to Engagement</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing). When we have all three dimensions of the employee commitment, we can say that the employees are engaged with the organisation. Thus, by using the term employee engagement, we will be covering the employee commitment in its holistic form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As illustrated in the three staff issues in the beginning, presence of only one dimension doesn&rsquo;t work. As in the first case, employees can be engaged with their job (Job Engagement) but may not be engaged with their organisation (Organisational Engagement). Similarly, some employees may be emotionally committed because of the reputation of the organisation but only emotional commitment does not work.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The third case was that of behavioural commitment. Engaged employees not only give their best productivity, but also &lsquo;go the extra mile&rsquo; to improve the quality of work of their co-workers even if their role doesn&rsquo;t demand such kind of responsibilities. Such employees not only feel and think for the organisation; their action (doing) is towards the betterment of the organisation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Link between employee engagement and organisational performance</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The general philosophy of employee engagement is that engaged employees contribute more, help in crating positive work environment, stay with the organisation longer and have higher commitment to quality. These &lsquo;traits&rsquo; of engaged employees lead to increased customer satisfaction that ultimately helps in achieving business outcomes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Several researches show a relationship between employee engagement and financial performance of the organisations. Internationally known consulting frims like Gallup and Aon Hewitt have a long history of measuring employee engagement and its effects in business organisations. Aon Hewitt uses a term called &ldquo;Engage-O-Meter&rdquo; for showing the engagement level and the organisational performance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	A research carried out by Aon Hewitt covering data from 2008-2010 found that organisations with high levels of engagement (65% or greater) continue to outperform the total stock market index and posted total shareholder returns 22% higher than average in 2010. On the other hand, companies with low engagement (45% or less) had a total shareholder return that was 28% lower than the average. As there was a global recession during that period, the correlation was still valid in times of financial crisis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Engagement Level in Nepali Organisations</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though we haven&rsquo;t heard much of such scientific research on employee engagement done in Nepali organisations, some of the organisations conduct annual engagement survey of their employees and the organisational climate surveys. The results of these surveys are only for internal consumption.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Officially, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) group annually conducts an engagement survey in association with Gallup. Thus, the SCB Nepal, as a part of the group, has been conducting the annual survey. However, one more bank uses the same survey questionnaire but uses its own resources to conduct the survey and analyse the results. Some multinational companies like Coca Cola (Bottlers Nepal) use employee surveys prescribed by their parent company.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Sharma is the Head of the Human Resource Department of Janata Bank Nepal Ltd. The article is adapted from a paper he presented at the HR Conclave organized by the School of Management, Tribhuvan University on January 10, 2014.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Employee commitment has different dimensions. Basically, it has three aspects: Emotional Commitment (Feeling), Cognitive Commitment (Thinking) and Behavioural Commitment (Doing).',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2547',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepali Entrepreneurship Needs The Next Big Push',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Years since 2000 have seen the gradual decline in armed struggles and resultant exodus to urban centres of Nepal, especially Kathmandu Valley, but democracy did also bring in political instability and an uncertain rule by a coterie of a few powerful leaders across four to five major parties, by turns. Instability in governance bred uncertain or ever-changing policies in business and many were consistent in their non-existence. There have been alongside regressive policies with regards to capping marketing expenses for some sectors of the economy, banning of FDI in a few others, and unclear labour policies in yet others.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In spite of all this, entrepreneurship in home-grown brands and businesses, including that of many first generation entrepreneurs, has grown, and remarkably so.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, four upon five people having voted in the last elections, parties with liberal and centrist manifestos getting the lion share of popular support, we now come to a scenario where entrepreneurship can rightfully receive the big push, institutionally, in governance, in education and through media.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For long the heroes in families and in marriage negotiations have been the bank employees, the government servants, the dream-struck remittance seeking migrant professionals leaving their beautiful nation, and the like.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The entrepreneurs have often been discouraged, sometimes warned, at times even threatened from within and beyond families, by the political cadre seeking easy cash, by banking and finance organizations which are supposed to boost up business initiatives, by media which looked askance at business adventurers, and by education which stressed on rote knowledge and safe managerial or clerical employment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With the possibilities of the slogan of &lsquo;Nepal for Peace and Prosperity&rsquo; becoming a reality first time in this decade given the public mood today, entrepreneurship as a function of a progressive economy needs the big push.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To start with, let there be a First Generation Entrepreneurship Promotion Policy of the new incoming popular government. Every government around the world in a developing economy does give tax holidays, funding concessions, training and skilling opportunities, global exposure, infra-structure facilities in government created Industrial Zones and the like especially for the first time entrepreneurs and business innovators.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Second, to make business incubation an interesting and &lsquo;sexy proposition&rsquo; as against the so-called safe havens abroad or in banking and government jobs, let there be a policy of &lsquo;business acculturation&rsquo; at Plus Two level (HS) across the nation where a workshop, a study material and a short examination leading to a Certificate in Introduction to Entrepreneurship be made a compulsory component of education, irrespective of the specialization in education.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Third, media&rsquo;s role in promotion of business acumen and risk-taking has been abysmally low, except the occasional entrepreneur&rsquo;s interview, done more with media PR in mind than a true commitment to it. There must be Entrepreneurship Gyan columns in relevant media. People must see or read Entrepreneur of the Week interview on the journey and challenges-joys of an entrepreneur, specially a first generation one, in print, television, radio and online media. There must be Business Plan contests on the lines of Business Baazigar in Zee Business and Pitch on CNBC in India, leading to winning proposals getting seed funded by banks and venture capital with full media glare. Doing business is the right thing: this message must be driven home hard making heroes out of entrepreneurs of substance.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fourth, as done by National Entrepreneurship Network (NIN) in India, there should be contests with specific business problems and winning entries awarded, recognized, funded and highlighted in the media. Alongside, an advanced tool to evaluate entrepreneurship traits in youths at an early stage after they turn 18 years can be developed and practiced, called Entrepreneurship Attributes Assessment with tests, real life situations, problem-solving and a score given (like GMAT or GRE scores).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Fifth, as done by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global body of entrepreneurs of Indian origin, there can be The Nepali Entrepreneurial Network (NEN) to bring home success stories of Nepali entrepreneurs within and outside Nepal, specially the first generation ones, and also fund new deserving projects with angel investment of NRNs (Non Resident Nepalis).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sixth, entrepreneurship management education must take a definitive leap in Nepal. On the one hand, it must become a component of regular management courses at BBA and MBA levels in all institutes. On the other, specialized Entrepreneurship MBA must also have specific papers on social entrepreneurship, green and sustainable entrepreneurship, managing family business in subsequent generations, and the like. Every leading business school of the country needs to develop Business Incubation or Enterprise Development Centres to further advance the cause.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Seventh, people who have come into the cottage, small and medium enterprises already and are at different stages of performance can be assisted with new techniques and skills through short-term Entrepreneurship Certificate courses in specific domains: like Retail or ICT Entrepreneurship, Health or Educational Entrepreneurship, etc.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let a thousand flowers bloom. There is no cause of worry if a large number of business talent turns more entrepreneurial than plain managerial. Even in large organizations, gone are the days of command hierarchical structures. People are now moving to flat organizations, outsourcing several support functions to outside entrepreneurial outfits, and hence they need less of on-command managers and more of bottomline-focused entrepreneurial managers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	(This article is prepared based on the author&rsquo;s talk in and learning from the Entrepreneurship Enhancement Consultation meet organized by King&rsquo;s College of Management, Kathmandu, on January 31.)&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-02-08',
			'modified' => '2014-02-08',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'You look at Bhatbhateni, Sellways, Himalayan Java, F1Soft, Bajeko Sekuwa, Yeti Airlines and many more brands and business enterprises in Nepal and you feel that Nepali entrepreneurship is surely moving ahead. In spite of the economy having a very large component of local business owing to remittances from abroad and trading of imported goods, the homegrown companies surely are progressing. And, that refreshingly includes first generation entrepreneurs as well.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2515',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Creating A Strong South Asia',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhav Prasad Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs. Furthermore, in this era of interdependence and interconnectedness, we find our interests intersecting in many areas that should help foster the sense of partnership to achieve larger regional objectives.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is true that the activities of SAARC have been directed towards tapping the regional potentials. Various programmes and projects have been launched for common benefit. Trade liberalization, including elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers, is in progress. Work is underway for concluding an agreement on investment promotion and protection in the region. SAARC has given emphasis on enhancing regional connectivity. A number of activities have been carried out in the field of promotion of tourism and people-to-people contacts. However, the pace is slow and progress is limited. Much remains to be done to change the socio-economic landscapes of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Despite our regional efforts to make South Asia a region of peace, prosperity and happiness, this region still faces varying challenges such as poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, trafficking of women and children, energy crisis, environmental degradation and so on. In fact, these challenges are not unique to South Asia alone; other regions also face them but they are more pronounced in our region.It is only through the concerted and collaborative efforts of all countries of South Asia that these challenges can best be addressed for the greater interest of the region. We need to mobilize requisite political will and redouble our efforts in this regard.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The global economy has witnessed a tectonic shift with emergence of new growth poles in regions that were largely underdeveloped a few years ago. Consistent with this global trend, we must seriously think of making South Asia a vibrant region with emphasis laid on trade and investment. This will call for a number of enabling measures including elimination of intra-regional barriers, development of physical infrastructure to enhance regional connectivity and reduction of gap of energy shortage, among others. Some policy reforms may also be required to create South Asia as a whole an investment friendly region. While we aspire for deeper regional integration, opportunities for equitable sharing of benefits from such integration will have to be guaranteed with a view to providing a level-playing field to all members. This is because of different levels of resources endowment, productive capacity, industrialization and socio-economic development among SAARC member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our efforts to fight poverty require implementation of projects benefitting the common peoples through income generation and skill enhancement. Targeted, focused and dedicated economic and social measures are essential to lift people out of grinding poverty and hunger. Poverty eradication must remain at the core of all development policies, programmes and activities, as the broader goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved without eradicating poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Our focus should be to adopt such policy and programmes that could provide better education opportunities and health care services, widen job market and other opportunities, empower peoples, and strengthen national capacities in order to create a strong South Asia. Effective ways and means are required to address the adverse and disproportionate impact of climate change, which has emerged as one of the largest development challenges of our time. We also need concerted measures to fight against terrorism, trafficking in women, children and drugs and other transnational crimes that pose serious threat to the peace and stability of the region.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To find a secure place in a rapidly globalizing world characterized by the proliferation of regional groupings of varied speed and scale, we should gear our efforts towards developing collective competitiveness in the region, especially in the areas of economy, trade and investment. It can be achieved through greater regional economic integration and collective capacity building endeavours. For this, matters relating to trade, transport and infrastructure should be addressed on an urgent basis. Special emphasis should be accorded to the needs and concerns of the least-developed and land-locked members of the Association. Likewise, through the expansion of intra- and inter-regional trade backed by smooth, timely and effective implementation of SAFTA, the Association can work towards realizing the goal of establishing the South Asian Economic Union in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Economic growth and social progress should go hand in hand, as the one reinforces the other. Economic growth serves as the foundation of progress in other areas. It is essential to promote and sustain gains in social and human development. Likewise, social progress and human development help achieve faster economic growth on a sustainable basis. Delivering concrete results to the peoples in the region is essential to ensuring their ownership of the SAARC process. Clearly, this entails moving from the phase of making promises to actions. For this, we need first to think seriously what is doable and what is not, and then chart a pragmatic course of action that is in the interest of, and supported by, all members. We have spent considerable time and energy in establishing elaborate institutions and work programmes. As a result, both institutions and activities have proliferated over the years. Now the time has come to consolidate the gains and make a visible and qualitative difference in the operation&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	of SAARC.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC is lagging behind other regional groupings both in terms of visibility and progress. We need to work hard to catch up to grasp the emerging opportunities at the global level. SAARC offers a vital tissue, connecting peoples in the region. Widely disseminating SAARC ideals and spirit across South Asian region is equally important to constantly nurture the SAARC process through people&rsquo;s positive response and commitment.Likewise, educational institutions in the region can inculcate young minds with a sense of togetherness under SAARC umbrella. In addition, greater mobility and exchange between South Asian peoples will help foster and nurture South Asian fraternity.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Ghimire is the Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal. The article is adapted from the keynote address he delivered at the inaugural session of the seminar on &ldquo;Bringing SAARC Closer to the People: A Nepalese Perspective,&rdquo; jointly organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on 20 January 2014.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-27',
			'modified' => '2014-01-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'South Asia is sitting on enormous wealth of resources of one sort or the other. The richness of the region in terms of human and natural resources, historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity is incomparable. The region is homogenous in terms of similar cultures, traditions, values and beliefs.',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2462',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Challenges Of LDCs',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Arjun Karki</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks. But instead of decreasing, the number of LDCs has reached 49 today. What this means is the economic and development policies adopted by the international community to address the poor and the poor countries has failed. So far, the Maldives from Asia and Botswana and Cape Verde from Africa are the only three countries that have progressed from the LDC group to developing countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Most of the LDCs are facing political instability, internal conflicts and wars. Therefore, poverty is not the only issue for these countries. For example, Nepal, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Central African Republic and lately, Southern Sudan are facing such problems. These countries cannot resolve their political instabilities and other risks unless they iron out their economic problems. At present, the LDCs particularly lack the capabilities to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change. The latest climate change related problems are the melting of snow in the mountainous regions of Asia, rising of water level in the Pacific region and expansion of deserts and food insecurity in Africa. In this situation, LDCs cannot progress to the group of developing countries. The rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are not in favour of the LDCs and the developing countries. As the WTO rules are in favour of only the developed and rich countries, the share of LDCs in global trade is less than one percent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are two types of barriers in international trade. They are non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and tariff barriers. The LDCs are particularly affected by the NTBs. We have been demanding that the goods produced in the LDCs get a duty-free and quota-free access to the markets in Europe and the US. However, the LDCs haven&rsquo;t been able to get this right despite international commitment. NTBs like sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures put in place by the European Union and rule of origin (Nepali carpet which uses wool imported from New Zealand and Tibet is not recognized as an LDC product) pose as major challenges for the LDCs to participate in international trade.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The burden of foreign debt is another major challenge in the economic development of LDCs. The LDCs have to use more than 50 per cent of their gross domestic income to pay the interest of foreign debt alone. Therefore, in order to allow the LDCs to enter the world market, their foreign debts must be cancelled unconditionally at the earliest possible. If this happens, the LDCs can spend their national income to face the challenges related to their development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The UN has already organized four global conferences on the LDCs. The first and second UN conference on LDCs were organized in Paris of France in 1981 and 1990, respectively. Similarly the third conferences was organized in Brussels in 2001 and the fourth conference was organized in Istanbul in May 2011. Thus, the latest UN programme to address the issues of LDCs is called the Istanbul Programme of Action. The overarching goal of the Istanbul Programme of Action is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the LDCs, to eradicate poverty, achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable half of the 49 LDCs to graduate out of this category by 2020.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Initially, Nepal had planned to graduate out of the LDC category by 2030. Truthfully speaking, that plan was not good because under the very leadership of Nepal, the commitment was expressed to graduate half of the existing LDCs out of the LDC group to the developing group. Therefore, Nepal faces a moral obligation to make a progress to the group of developing countries from the LDC group by 2020. And Nepal has made a national commitment to graduate out of the LDC group by 2022 which is a praiseworthy announcement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, Nepal faces a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is the creation of democratic deficit. A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed. The political parties and their leaders got to enjoy the fruits of democracy and peace in Nepal. However, the Nepali people at large are still deprived of the fruits of democracy and peace. This is the biggest challenge that Nepal faces in graduating out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there is hope in the air. A new Constituent Assembly has been elected and soon we will have a new parliament. If the parliament and the elected government to be formed can tactfully address the challenges being faced by the Nepali people, then we will not have to wait till 2022 to graduate out of the LDC group.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Karki is the international coordinator of LDC Watch. This is a TC translation of Dr Karki&rsquo;s article published in Aarthik Abhiyan on January 10.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-20',
			'modified' => '2014-01-27',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The group of least developed countries (LDCs) was formed by the UN General Assembly in the 1970s. Back then, this group had 24 countries. There are three criteria to identify the countries that fall in the LDC group. The first criterion is the Human Assets Index (HAI). The second is the Gross National Income (GNI) and the third is Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI). The main objective of classifying countries as LDCs was to minimize their number by addressing their development challenges, alleviating poverty and mitigating other risks',
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			'id' => '2447',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Hydropower Development For Self-reliant Economy',
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			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Subarna Das Shrestha</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal&rsquo;s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal&rsquo;s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Braving different difficulties, both the private and public sectors have been trying to increase investment in the hydroelectricity sector even in today&rsquo;s transitional period. Projects worth 1,200 MW are under construction; out of this 28 projects of total capacity of 360 MW are being built by the private sector. Power purchase agreement (PPA) for projects worth nearly 500 MW being developed by the private sector has been done. These projects will enter the construction phase over the next two years and will start producing electricity over another five years.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are various problems in the hydropower sector. If we don&rsquo;t tackle these problems in time, the current energy crisis will only deepen. The country is already reeling under long hours of load shedding. Several industries are faced with the risk of closure because of long load-shedding hours. If that happens, the unemployment figure will rise further. To improve the situation, we need to increase investment in hydropower. However, there will be no significant investment from either domestic or international investors in hydropower as long as an environment for investment security is not created.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In order to encourage everyone to create a favourable investment environment for the hydropower sector, the Independent Power producers&rsquo; Association, Nepal (IPPAN) had organized the Power Summit 2013 on August 26-27. The summit was focused on four themes: internal investment for projects of internal consumption; external investment for projects of internal consumption; projects focused on external markets; and transmission lines, electricity trade mechanism and marketization. The discussion on these themes helped bring to surface the legal, social, financial and political problems marring hydropower development in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To increase investment in the hydropower sector, the first requirement is guarantee of good returns while signing the PPA itself. Second, there should be no obstacles after the project enters the construction phase. The process of issuing license must be eased. For this there should be a one-window policy; the Ministry of Energy should handle everything related to hydroelectricity. At present the situation is such that to seek license for one hydropower project, power producers have to visit 10 ministries and as many government departments. This is a big hassle for independent power producers and increases the cost of the project.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepali private sector is ever ready to assist the government in addressing these problems to create the environment of investment in the hydropower sector. If that happens, domestic investment will definitely increase while the country can attract foreign investment as well. However, foreign investors want to sign PPA in the currency of investment. The government should open the doors for an arrangement to sign the PPA in US dollar and make the payment accordingly. If this happens, we can produce the amount of energy we need within the country. Power transmission is another important aspect for which the government has already allocated a budget of Rs 13.5 billion. This step taken by the government is praiseworthy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The annual per capita consumption rate of electricity in Nepal at present is only around 100 units. Fifty percent of the population has no access to electricity at all. Let&rsquo;s increase the per capita consumption of electricity by five times over the next one decade. We had raised this issue in the Power Summit as well. If we can produce more electricity than we need, the surplus electricity can be marketed in other countries of the region. It is for this reason that the concept of &lsquo;SAARC Grid&rsquo; has been forwarded. Nepal will get the maximum benefit from such a regional grid. That&rsquo;s why we should take the leadership for the construction of SAARC Grid.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rather than focusing on the cost of production of one unit of hydroelectricity, we should think about the loss to the total GDP caused by the non-production of one unit of electricity. A decision regarding 20 per cent post-PPA rate has already been taken by the Cabinet. But this decision is pending at Nepal Electricity Authority. The decisions taken by the government should be implemented. This will send out a good message to all domestic and foreign investors. Taking good decisions is important but implementing such decisions in time is even more important.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	NEA has a monopoly over hydroelectricity in Nepal. It&rsquo;s high time we created separate companies for building transmission lines and electricity trade. Similarly, we should have wheeling system in place. In this system one has to pay rent for transmitting electricity through another transmission line. If these concepts are implemented, the private sector can share some of the burden of the NEA. The government has already committed to make these changes in the hydropower sector. What remains is their implementation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At last, the country&rsquo;s economy cannot achieve a momentum without the development of the hydropower sector. The government and the private sector should join hands for the development of the hydropower sector. If we can do that, we will not only be self-reliant in hydropower but also will be able to export electricity to other SAARC nations.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is the immediate past president of IPPAN.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-01-19',
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			'description' => 'Development of energy is a must if Nepal is to achieve economic prosperity. Energy development in Nepal’s context means none other than the development of hydroelectricity. Nepal’s journey of hydropower development is a century old. The country has been able to produce 718 MW of hydroelectricity over this period. Out of this, nearly 34 percent or 240 MW is being produced by the private sector. The Nepal government allowed the private sector to invest in hydropower through the enactment of the Hydroelectricity Act in 1992.',
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			'id' => '2356',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Relations Funding Hopes',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Madan Lamsal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In Nepal-India relations, clich&eacute;s like &lsquo;Multidimensional and multifarious&rsquo;, &lsquo;age old&rsquo;, &lsquo;special&rsquo;, &lsquo;historical&rsquo;, &lsquo;unique&rsquo; &nbsp; as well as &lsquo;complex&rsquo; may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With changing time and technology, however, more focus of these relations is being gradually condensed into two prime areas -- economic issues and security concerns. Nepal has economic concerns and security interests, and India has economic interests and security concerns, of course, with some degree of variance in interpretations. At least, it appeared so during the interactions of high officials and think tanks in India with over a dozen visiting Nepali editors of mainstream print media from Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Trade and investment</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepal is net importer, which constituted 1.03 percent of India&rsquo;s US$300 billion global export in the last FY (2012/13). More than 60 per cent of Nepal&rsquo;s international trade&ndash; both exports and imports &ndash; takes place with India. The concern is: &nbsp;Nepal&rsquo;s trade deficit with India reached close to US$ 3.49 billion (2012/13) in the last fiscal year. And worse, the trade gap has been widening over the years as Nepal&rsquo;s export items are fast losing both comparative and competitive advantages in the Indian market. In addition to being Nepal&rsquo;s largest trade partner, India is also among the countries that have the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourists coming to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, interestingly, India didn&rsquo;t seem to recognize the importance of such a big instant export market next door. Some of its policy makers like to view remittances to Nepal by the Nepalis working in India as the compensation to such whopping gap in trade balance. As Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India had said during the interaction with the editors, &lsquo;Remittance that Nepal is receiving from India is helping balance the trade deficit between India&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	and Nepal.&rsquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But remittance, by its very nature, is a different issue altogether. Several thousand Nepalis work in Indian security forces and far larger number of Nepalis work for low-paying informal sundry jobs in private homes, offices and roadside tea shops. The low paid people are in fact helping to retain the low output cost in Indian economy, thereby helping to contain inflation and maintain the country&rsquo;s competitive edge. If the compensation argument is extended to the non-merchandise goods, the outflow of money from Nepal to India for education and health services could easily be comparable to the amounts of remittance inflows. It appeared during the discussions with the visiting journalists that these differences in perceptions, both on trade and remittance warrant an immediate streamlining to make them relate to reality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On investment, Indian investment to Nepal, particularly in recent years, has not been to the level of its potentials. The &lsquo;level&rsquo; may be a relative term but not a subjective assumption here. In view of the recent and rather exponential increase of Indian FDI to other foreign countries, Nepal&rsquo;s highly untapped areas for investment like clean energy and its proximity to Indian markets could have attracted much more FDI projects than it is the case now.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But, as rightly pointed out by the Indian business community, problems lie on this side of the border as well. We have our own demand-side constraints -- prolonged political instability, pseudo-nationalism, lack of political will to decide. Indecision has become a culture. The worst of all, our political leadership doesn&rsquo;t realize the fact that the country is lagging behind due to all these malaises. &ldquo;Indian investment in Bhutan and Sri Lanka is increasing because these countries have political stability. On the other hand, Afghanistan and Nepal lack it,&rdquo; said Sushanta Sen, Principle Advisor for the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;To attract foreign investment, Nepalis first need to invest in their own country. &nbsp;Rigidities in labour laws and outsourcing problems are also some of the issues that are hindering Indian investors to invest in Nepal,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Very slow, punctuated progress through the bureaucratic channels in projects like Upper Karnali to be developed by the Indian energy major GMR, is often repeated example in power corridors of New Delhi as the reasons to Nepal&rsquo;s inability to attract Indian investment. Though a little different story, the problems faced by United Telecom Limited (UTL) has also irked the potential Indian investors. Also, even the Indian business community feels that Nepal has not been able to convey the message that the majority of Indian companies now operating in Nepal are doing very well.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In every respect, each South Asian nation has some expectations from India. One of such expectations from India&rsquo;s neighbours is the revival of the Gujaral Doctrine, initiated by the Late Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral in the mid 1990s. The doctrine proposed that India wouldn&rsquo;t seek reciprocity with neighbours like Nepal but would help them through all means it could in good faith and trust.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		But for India, the country projected to be the third largest economy of the world over the next 15 years or so, it is certainly not easy to meet all the expectations of its neighbours. Naturally, India has its commitments beyond the region. &ldquo;India has to fulfill its commitments already made for Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives,&rdquo; said Khurshid. These commitments range from cultural and educational scholarships to financial and technical support for development. &ldquo;There is equally huge commitment elsewhere as well for FDI,&rdquo; Sen of CII echoed Minister Khurshid, in a different meeting. &ldquo;Once the new government is formed [in Nepal], more investment is likely to flow from India to Nepal,&rdquo; hoped Sen.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Isn&rsquo;t BIPPA with Nepal a milestone? In theory, Indian business community agrees that it is a great achievement, but in practice, everybody is keen to first test the ground realities.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The China Factor&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		In viewing China, the Indian perspective is apparently dichotomous between the so called new and old schools of thought. The new school of thought believes that there is no alternative to having the best possible relations with China. Today, China is one of India&rsquo;s largest trade partners. In the last fiscal year, 11 percent of India&rsquo;s imports and six percent exports were with China. The Indian concern at present is the growing trade deficit with China which stood at nearly $ 47 billion in 2012/13. As both countries are members of the BRIC group of emerging economies, their trade volume is bound to grow. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s visit to China last October has proposed a new trade corridor of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM). &ldquo;The corridor will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth,&rdquo; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted on this issue some time ago. Nepal here missed the boat to be in this group, for whatever reason. The new reality is: India and China are becoming closer than ever before, where Nepal has very little influence on the process.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		But the old school in India is still apprehensive about the &ldquo;increasing activities of China in Nepal&rdquo;. &nbsp;They have problems with Nepal willing to maintain the policy of equi-distance with India and China. TP Sreenivasan, Director General of Kerala International Centre (a think tank) clearly said that Nepal cannot have the same relation with China as with India. &ldquo;How can somebody marry with one and try to maintain similar kind of relation with another?&rdquo; he questions. But in diplomacy, relations between two countries are not like a marriage.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		For reasons of geographical, cultural and historical proximities, Nepal may appear more tilted to India, but at the policy level it is rather naive to expect sort of surrendered tilt at the cost of what is called balanced diplomacy.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		India&rsquo;s major concern is, understandably, security and it doesn&rsquo;t want any threat to security to come from across the border. Ashok K Behuria, Coordinator of the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, claimed that there is an anti-social element in Nepal especially in the Madhesh region which has been fuelling anti-India feelings in the Himalayan nation. Indian authorities and policy analysts are also concerned over the growing number of Madarsa schools along the bordering areas such as Nepalgunj. They think that such Madarsas might be used by extremist religious elements for activities that are hostile to India and things can go wrong. Madarsas could also create problems for Nepal in the future, they add. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal&rsquo;s Political Roadmap</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Like in Nepal, in India too, there is general happiness over the successful completion of the second CA election in November and hope that Nepal&rsquo;s new constitution will now be written. The Indian politicians as well as top bureaucrats have hailed the high voters&rsquo; turnout in the election. They were not mincing words to praise the Nepali people, the Election Commission, security agencies and all other stakeholders for holding the election successfully. Foreign Minister Khurshid and Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh remarked that the election was &lsquo;historic&rsquo; and expressed hope that Nepal would now get the new constitution on time. They also urged all political parties in Nepal, including the UCPN (Maoist) to respect the people&rsquo;s verdict and work together to draft the new Constitution. However, they also cautioned that the issue of making the new constitution should not overshadow the issue of peace and development which is no less important.</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		On the issue of federalism, the Indian establishment has clearly said that Nepal can have its own model of federal structure as decided by the people of Nepal. This sentiment was echoed at the luncheon meeting with the Indian media where former ambassadors to Nepal Jayanta Prasad, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, and Deb Mukherjee, among others, were present. Their collective view was that India doesn&rsquo;t want to impose any federal model on Nepal. In fact, the advice was not to follow the flawed Indian model of carving out newer States incessantly. They also remarked that Nepal is moving forward in the right political direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
	<em>(Lamsal is the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of New Business Age Pvt Ltd.)</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-19',
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			'description' => 'In Nepal-India relations, clichés like ‘Multidimensional and multifarious’, ‘age old’, ‘special’, ‘historical’, ‘unique’   as well as ‘complex’ may all be true, but in reality it could be all of them combined and yet far short to encompass the entirety of this relationship. No adjective perhaps can truly reflect and represent the kind of relations that these two sovereign countries enjoy, cherish, and also despise to some extent. We have mutual trust and distrust, expectations and apprehensions, and interests and concerns, all in the same basket. Therefore, it is but natural to have hiccups, highs and lows of warmth that needed calibration, more often than not.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2326',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Expanding Our Service Industry',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Dr Roop Jyoti</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal&rsquo;s service industry.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Health is one such sector. Nepal has many qualified doctors who have studied at reputed national and foreign medical colleges and universities. Many of them have the experience of working abroad as well. Comparatively, hospitals and other medical institutions can be run at a much lower cost in Nepal than in other countries. The treatment cost at such hospitals, too, would be low. Also, Nepal&rsquo;s geography and climate are very suitable for such projects. Beautiful sceneries of mountains, lakes or green pastures of land will greet the eyes of those who will look outside the windows of the hospitals. This will give a lot of psychological and mental relief to the patients and encourage their families to spend some time here. Thus, it goes without saying that good hospitals which provide quality health services have a great scope in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, so far the state has not even thought about developing the health sector as an industry. Health centres and health posts have been established even in the far-flung villages but they lack skilled and well-trained human resource. Government hospitals are in a mess. However, there are a few well-equipped hospitals, thanks to the entry of the private sector in the health and medical care service. It is because of the presence of such private hospitals that the expats living in Nepal now don&rsquo;t have to rush to Bangkok or Singapore even for delivery cases!&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We can take Grande International Hospital as an example. Established recently, this hospital today serves not only Nepalis and the expat community living in Nepal but also foreigners who come here for treatment. This is because of the hospital&rsquo;s reasonable charges and quality service. This shows that a lot of foreigners will come to the Nepal for treatment if we can provide health services of international standard. On the other hand, Nepalis too won&rsquo;t have to go abroad for treatment. This will also boost our in-bound tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	If we can establish medical colleges and universities of international standard, Nepalis won&rsquo;t have to go abroad to study medical science; instead foreign students will come here to study medical science. A number of foreign students are already coming to Nepal to study engineering and medical sciences. The reasons for this are Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and excellent climate, availability of enough patients for practical study and low cost of studies. Thus we can see that Nepal has great prospects as an international educational hub. For this to happen, if world-famous universities such as Cambridge and Harvard want to open their campuses in Nepal, they should be allowed to do so. This will provide opportunities to the Nepali students as well. The government has already taken a step towards this direction by allowing the Thailand-based Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to open a satellite campus in Nepal. It&rsquo;s time for the government to devise a policy to address such issues in order to make Nepal an international educational hub. This will help strengthen the country&rsquo;s economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government&rsquo;s focus must shift to employment creation. Supermarkets could be another sector for employment creation. As we are a small economy, our domestic production is low and we have to depend on import for the supply of most of the essential commodities we need. This is a bitter truth. So, we should relax our import policy and lower the customs duty on import to a minimum five percent. Such a relaxation in the import policy would help the country develop into a supermarket hub. The cost of labour and rent of shopping malls has been on a constant rise in global shopping hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. We should be able to benefit from this situation because of cheap labour, low import tariff and lower rents of shopping malls. We must build and develop supermarkets where goods from around the world are available at reasonable prices. The implementation of this concept would help strengthen our economy by attracting shopping tourism.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Old age homes could be another pillar of our service industry. In the developed countries, parents and children start living separately once the latter start earning. As children do not have enough time for their old parents, the latter have to spend the rest of their lives in old age homes in the developed countries. The cost of personal care to such old people and rent of old age homes are higher in the developed world. Nepal&rsquo;s natural beauty and good weather conditions and the world famous Nepali hospitality are some of the major plus points in establishing old age homes here. Many foreign nationals, who have reached the fag end of their lives, are already living in Nepal. Thus, well-equipped old age homes could be a very good source of income for Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, there are some policy hurdles to move ahead in the above-mentioned service sectors. Foreign universities still face some accreditation related problems in Nepal. There are problems in issuing long-term residential visas to foreigners. These problems should be addressed without compromising our national interests. The process of issuing license to health institutions should be eased; hospitals and doctors should be allowed to use foreign medicines if needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(The author is a former Minister of State for Finance. This is a TC translation of an article by the author published on Nov 29 issue of Aarthik Abhiyan daily.)&nbsp;</em></div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-23',
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			'description' => 'Being a landlocked country, it is quite tough for Nepal to compete with other countries in industrial development, production and export. Therefore, the country must focus on the development and expansion of its service industries which are supported by and suitable to its geography. However, the irony is only tourism has been considered to be a service industry so far. There is no doubt that tourism has great scope in Nepal. But there are few other sectors which should be developed as important segments of Nepal’s service industry.',
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			'id' => '2280',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Celebrating International Mountain Day 2013 Forging Partnerships For Practical Solutions',
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			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Dr David Molden</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership. The occasion was preceded by a four-day international conference on &lsquo;Addressing Poverty and Vulnerability in the Hindu Kush Himalayas&rsquo; attended by over 200 participants from 19 countries. The Conference, jointly organized with the Planning Commission of Nepal, primarily aimed at forging broader partnerships to enable transformative change, and to define the contours of a sustainable mountain development agenda. On this Mountain Day, let us seek new partnerships for sustainable mountain development, for mountain people, and the billions dependent on mountain services.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the spirit of partnership, I am happy to mention that coinciding with our 30th Anniversary, and in collaboration with GlacierWorks, together with the American Embassy, Thinc Design, photo.circle, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Art Council, and other partners, we have put up an exhibition titled &lsquo;Climate+Change&rsquo; in the heart of Kathmandu.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	I am also happy to mention that ICIMOD joins our regional member countries of Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in observing this very important Day. This year, the theme for the Day is &lsquo;Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future&rsquo;. The focus is on celebrating how mountains are crucial in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth in the context of poverty eradication, and on drawing attention to their generally sustainable and low-emission production models.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Mountains cover about 24 per cent of the global land surface and are home to 12 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population. They are a direct source of livelihood to 10 per cent of the world&rsquo;s people, and another 40 per cent derive indirect benefits from the wide varieties of goods and services afforded by the mountain socio-ecosystems. Mountains provide most of world&rsquo;s freshwater and are repositories of cultural and biological diversity. Today, it is acknowledged worldwide that mountain socio-ecosystems are crucial for sustainable development.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/ep(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;
width: 300px; height: 369px;" /> In the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region, sometimes referred to as the Third Pole or the Water Towers of Asia, mountains are a direct source of livelihood for 210 million people. Further, mountain goods and services support another 1.3 billion people downstream. Glaciers of the HKH feed 10 major rivers that support extensive irrigation systems in the region. Yet, despite this vast natural wealth, mountain people are the ones who have often lived and continue to live in the margins of societies. In a succinct metaphor, they are like the poor and hungry servants who live in a palace made of gold and diamonds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let me recall what the chief scientific adviser to the UK government, Sir John Beddington, cautioned in March 2009: that food, energy, and water shortages will unleash unrest and international conflicts. This food-energy-water security is intrinsically linked to mountains and mountain communities, and mountains therefore will play a very important political role in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, mountains and their fragile socio-ecosystems today face a host of challenges: out-migration, mostly male; impacts of climate change including retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, disaster frequency, and extreme events; depleting resources and ecosystem services; government neglect and insufficient private investment; and slow development progress compared to lowland areas.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Let us recognize that change also brings significant opportunities. For these opportunities to bring about meaningful benefits to mountains communities, a sea change in the attitude of both policymakers and policy implementers is urgently required. Among others, mountains should not be seen as inaccessible or conflict zones, instead communities must rally around the common mountain agenda through collaborations and partnerships. Social development must focus on sustaining functional ecosystems, and broader partnerships must be forged to share mountain knowledge and data. The bond between democracy and sustainable development must be deepened by empowering local people, particularly women.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At ICIMOD, in the last few years, we have been issuing forth a rallying call for a broader partnership for all actors to collaborate in finding practical solutions to the challenges facing the mountain communities. We have to seek ways to improve community resilience and explore sustainable livelihood options. We must work across disciplinary boundaries and focus on inclusive growth so that no one is left behind. We must devise innovative financing mechanisms and bring private sector on board the Mountain Agenda. And we must foster and enhance trans-boundary cooperation to share data and knowledge. In this connection, ICIMOD will continue to find ways to address the cross-border issues in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and partner for talks on processes and the agenda being developed for UNFCCC to help share the voice of vulnerable mountain communities at the global level.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a mountain resource center, ICIMOD will continue to generate information, package it, and disseminate it to all the stakeholders. We will facilitate partnership building among various actors and stakeholders to enhance the capability of the mountain people to transform their own future. We will continue to raise awareness about the importance of mountains and highlight opportunities and constraints in mountain development. We will continue to promote development approach that incorporates mountain people&rsquo;s traditional knowledge in the context of a green economy. Above all, we will continue to seek new windows of opportunities in the area of sustainable mountain development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Dr Molden is the Director General of ICIMOD. The article is adapted from a speech he delivered on this year&rsquo;s International Mountain Day.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-17',
			'modified' => '2013-12-23',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'As we observed the 30th Anniversary of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, we took the opportunity to once again thank our partners because the impact of ICIMOD work has always been attained through partnership.',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2239',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Market As An Institution For Inclusive Growth And Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Madhukar SJB Rana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly. Being able to do so will deepen liberal democracy and heighten the chances for the long desired economic revolution.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The market assures Good Governance through Transparency, Accountability and Competition with, hopefully, a lean and efficient State where Consumer Sovereignty Is deemed to be &nbsp;just as vital as People&rsquo;s Sovereignty and Parliamentary Sovereignty for a dynamic liberal society.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Strong and sound Regulation of Business by State guarantees moral and ethical Markets to safeguard the supremacy of Consumer Rights and Welfare, as well as Labour&rsquo;s Rights and Welfare. Regulated Markets helps eradicate graft and corruption from the body politic by advancing the rule of law, order and justice including laying the ground work for a stronger criminal justice system. Absence of competitive Markets adversely affects all these vitals for a vibrant political democracy. Graft and corruption is endemic when the State enters the domain of business and when these enterprises are outside the purview of regulation by independent authorities providing for a level playing field for all enterprises.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In short, the Market mechanism allows the fostering of a new Social Contract between the People and the State in the manner of 4 Ps -- people-private-public- partnerships if all decisions, henceforth, seek to maximise social profit and not simply private profit as happens now. Business enterprises will then begin to take their Corporate Social Responsibility statements more seriously and not use their CSR statements as new managerial fads for PR purposes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indeed, a moral market calls for the enforcement of these statements as cases to be decided by Consumer and Labour courts on grounds of morality that may thus go far beyond the rule of law. This is the essence of moral Markets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Policy for marketisation: No licence be needed to enter any business. All citizens be able to a start business with due registration with Company Affairs Dept or CDO offices for proprietorships and partnerships as the case may be. All businesses must have PAN cards from Ministry of Finance or, where unable, from the Ward Office as a registered local business entity. Transaction cost for such business permits be at the minimum possible. And to convert informal businesses to formal ones, the State should encourage register at ease by providing subsidies to meet their registration costs.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets create cities and an ever expanding middle class both of which are forces and factors for inclusive social development and modernization. No institutional innovation known to mankind can crate more wealth and prosperity than does the market mechanism. Liberal democracies are best served by an expanding middle class with maximum social mobility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Markets must be managed by managers whose social duty is to create a win-win situation by balancing the interests of all stakeholders -- owners, shareholders, employees, consumers, suppliers, community and ecology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Governments must regulate Markets to guarantee fair and free competition and to oversee that the larger public good, including those of the next generation and the additional need to conserve and protect the natural environment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Faith in the Market as an institution does not mean that it will guarantee economic or social justice. We must not subscribe to laissez faire where the property class is given free reign. Rather than seeking to curtail the excesses of wealth through all manner of wealth and estate taxes as well as capital gains taxes, the state must encourage Private Philanthropy and for this the new CA is alerted to the need to promulgate a Private Trust Act that is available for all sectors of the economy. It has been lying pending since 2005. The state must regulate the Market to ensure be actualised. For all this to be actualised, there is the supreme need for strong independent regulatory bodies to protect and promote the rule of law just as much &nbsp;as there is need for a strong Executive to be kept in check and balance with the final say left to an independent &nbsp;Supreme Court as the arbiter and dispense of justice and the Constitutional Court to decide on the powers and authority of the federal and local governments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It should be the Constitutional Court that has the final say on when People&rsquo;s Sovereignty should hold sway over Parliamentary Sovereignty so that matters for local, federal and national referenda could be decided in an apolitical manner by an organ of State other than the Parliament.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must be one that enshrines liberal democracy where the State guarantees equal opportunity to all based on merit and grounded by a Social Contract where there is quality education and health services from the State for all: to ensure social meritocracy for all irrespective of race, religion, caste, class and region. All public institutions must be bound by minimum standards for infrastructure, health and hygiene, safety and security.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Constitution must also enshrine values of Transparency, Accountability and Competition as the troika of Liberal Multi Party Democracy. A strong State is needed that is fully alert to the probability of collusion by and between vested interest of Political Parties acting in tandem with the wealthy and rich classes to capture Political and Market power against the larger Public Good. Only politically neutral, strong, independent and autonomous Institutions can guarantee this. Public servants holding party membership must be summarily dismissed from service and asked to become politicians rather than be ones in disguise.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It must punish patronage politics and political executive&rsquo;s incursion into bureaucratic executive&rsquo;s prerogative, which is to support the formulation of policies rationally and to execute policies efficiently and effectively. To assure this delicate balance of executive powers is in effect new forms of Accountability to Parliament must be innovated. One method is to have Ministers account for Policies and Bureaucrats account, to Parliamentary Select Committees for Policy Execution -- for its speed and also its propriety vis Acts, bye laws and regulations. Bureaucrats must be guaranteed a minimum tenure on posts they are assigned to; and for which they must be academically qualified as determined by the job specifications that befit job descriptions.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Gurcharan Das says beautifully, in his &ldquo;India Grows At Night&rdquo; (2012), that the mantra of France is &lsquo;equality&rsquo;; that of U S A it is &lsquo;liberty&rsquo; and that of India it is &lsquo;dharma&rsquo;. Let it be so in Nepal too where our National Dharma should be democracy, duty, discipline, determination, discrimination (between good and bad and right and wrong) and devotion to God and family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We need to found, in the 21st century, a moral State with a moral society and moral markets. That subscribes to pluralism and pragmatism; that practices unity in diversity through its diverse communities while, at the same time, empowering each person to not only take pride in his or her individual identity but the modern State providing full &nbsp;societal scope for each individual to have and behold multiple identities, which should be the hallmark of the 21st century.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<em>(Writer is Professor at South Asian Institute of Management and Former Finance Minister)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Creating a new mind set amidst citizens -- away from the feudalrisk-averting, rent-seeking behaviour towards competition, entrepreneurship and judicious risk taking is a challenge that needs to be faced by the victorious left of centre and centrist political parties that now dominate the Constituent Assembly.',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2197',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A South Asian Song',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">--By Abhay K</span></strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	F<span style="font-size: 12px;">ostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. As part of my training at the Indian Foreign Service Institute, before being confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service, I had visited the Foreign Ministries and the Foreign Service Institutes of the neighboring South Asian countries between 2004-2005. Those days the idea of deeper interaction among the South Asians always brought back memories of my days spent in Jawaharlal Nehru and Delhi Universities. I cherished the company of students from the South Asian countries who enriched my academic life in many ways.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The visit gave me the opportunity to meet the young Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan officer-trainees. During our meetings we felt that it would be a great learning experience for the young officer-trainees of the SAARC member countries if we could spend a week or so together and share our ideas and aspirations with each other.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After my visit to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, I wrote a paper titled &lsquo;South Asian Affairs&rsquo; proposing establishment of a South Asian University in May 2005, I was glad to see that the idea of establishing the new South Asian University was announced in November 2005 in Dhaka at the 13th SAARC Summit. The South Asian University is functioning since 2010 at Akbar Bhawan, New Delhi paving the path for a new South Asia.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	After the milestone achievement in the history of SAARC with the establishment of the South Asian University, I believe a South Asian Song, a song that all South Asians could sing together, can act as a catalyst in fostering deeper South Asian consciousness and fraternity. I am now ready with a South Asian Song after a very warm and enthusiastic reception of the Earth Anthem internationally which I wrote and produced recently.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Earth Anthem was released in June this year by Mr. Kapil Sibal and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Union Ministers of India at ICCR, New Delhi and later in Kathmandu by Mr. Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister of Nepal in presence of Mr. Axel Plathe, UNESCO&rsquo;s Representative to Nepal. Since then it has been translated into major world languages. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India has put this on its website for the use of the students studying in schools affiliated with CBSE. I have been informed that UNESCO is going to turn the idea of an official Earth Anthem into a global initiative. I hope a Global Earth Anthem Challenge will be launched soon and the best judged entry will be declared as the official anthem of our planet earth.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Regional and International Anthems have been in use since quite some time now. Some of the other prominent regional organizations have their own international anthems. For example the European Union uses &lsquo;Beethoven&rsquo;s Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy part)&rsquo; as its anthem while the African Union has adopted its own anthem titled &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s All Unite and Celebrate Together&rsquo;. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted an official anthem titled &lsquo;ASEAN Way&rsquo; in 2008 which is in English. As per ASEAN, its anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity and strengthens the sense of ASEAN identity and belonging among the peoples of the region.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Being aware of the huge popularity of Bollywood films in South Asia, I have written a South Asian Song in Hindustani which has been translated in all the eight South Asian languages. The English version is as follows-</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Himalaya to Hind, Naga Hills to Hindukush/ Mahaweli to Ganga, Sindhu to Brahmputra/Lakshadweep to Andaman, Everest to Adam&rsquo;s Peak/ Kabul to Thimphu, Male to Kathmandu / &nbsp;Delhi to Dhaka, Colombo, Islamabad/ Every step in unison, every step in unison/Dzongkha, Sinhala, Nepali, Hindi, Pashto, Bengali/ Urdu, English, Dhivehi, every step in unison, every step in unison/ one&rsquo;s own identity,one&rsquo;s own dreams / talks of love n&rsquo;peace, every step in unison/ every step with SAARC / every step in unison/every step with SAARC, &nbsp;every step in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Naga and Chin hills mark the eastern frontiers of SAARC member states. Mahaweli is the longest river of Sri Lanka while Adam&rsquo;s Peak is its most venerated peak. Sri Lanka has two official languages-Sinhala and Tamil like Afghanistan which also has two official languages-Pashto and Dari. I have chosen the language of their national anthems. Dhivehi is the official language of Maldives. The South Asian Song also highlights the life-sustaining perennial rivers of South Asia such as Sindhu, Ganga, Brahmputra as well as the official languages of the SAARC member countries. The Song celebrates vibrant cultural diversity of South Asia as well as aspirations of the South Asians walking in unison.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Once adopted, the SAARC Secretariat could be the main body to oversee the proper use of the South Asian Song which could be encouraged at the formal meetings of SAARC as well as SAARC Apex and Recognized Bodies. The South Asian Song could also be played to commemorate special occasions of SAARC such as the SAARC Charter Day (8 December).</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	SAARC member countries could be encouraged to translate the South Asian Song into local languages as a way to promote the song and foster South Asian consciousness and fraternity among their citizens.</div>
<div>
	<em>(The writer is a poet-diplomat. Views expressed are personal.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-02',
			'modified' => '2013-12-09',
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			'description' => 'Fostering regional consciousness needs mammoth efforts. South Asia has a formal mechanism of cooperation in place among its member countries through the vibrant organization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985.',
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	(int) 14 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2198',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'A Fresh Opportunity In Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size: 12px;">Th</span><span style="font-size: 12px;">e results of the elections to Nepal&rsquo;s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist). The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which won a majority of the seats in the 2008 election, has been routed and is expected to win fewer than a hundred places in the 601-seat House. The first Constituent Assembly had to be dissolved after it failed in its task of framing a Constitution even after its tenure was extended four times. Last week&rsquo;s election was originally scheduled for November 2012 but was postponed repeatedly. The instability in Nepal belied the promise of the peace process that ended the Maoist insurgency and brought the rebels into the political mainstream.</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The challenge for Nepal&rsquo;s fractious political forces now is to make the fresh start provided by the election work. It is encouraging that after an initial threat to boycott the new Assembly, the Maoists have been more conciliatory; the victorious NC and the CPN (UML) have enough seats between them for government formation but they have expressed the readiness to consider the Maoist demand for a &ldquo;government of consensus&rdquo;. If Nepal is to go down this route again, the power sharing negotiations will hopefully avoid last time&rsquo;s pitfalls. A national unity government will certainly help the Assembly&rsquo;s main task of Constitution making, which Nepal&rsquo;s political forces have agreed must be based on consensus. &nbsp;<em>(The Hindu)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-02',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The results of the elections to Nepal’s second Constituent Assembly are yet to fully come out but there is little doubt that the Nepali Congress is set to become the single largest party, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist).',
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