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TIKA R PRADHANKATHMANDU, NOV 10

Dahal proposes but Oli disposes.The ongoing conflict between the

two chairs of the Nepal Communist Party–KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal–is deepening by the day. A day after Oli sent his confidantes as emissaries to Dahal’s residence, the Dahal faction, comprising senior lead-ers Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha, on Tuesday once again proposed that Oli call a Secretariat meeting.

Oli refused. Earlier on Saturday, the Dahal fac-

tion had also submitted a letter to Oli, requesting him to call the Secretariat meeting. Oli has maintained but one stance—that any party committee meeting would be held on an as-need-ed basis and for that to happen, there must be an agreement between the two chairmen first.

Since Friday, the Dahal faction has held the Secretariat’s “informal” meeting thrice.

While Oli is using all his resources to counter the rival faction, Dahal and his allies too are standing firm this time around, according to insiders.

The nine-member Secretariat is currently vertically divided, with Dahal controlling the majority. Oli has the support of Bishnu Poudel and

Ishwar Pokhrel. Ram Bahadur Thapa, Dahal’s close ally during the Maoist war, however, has refused to attend the “informal” meeting of the Secretariat that Dahal has been holding.

Many believe Thapa could side with Dahal, giving the latter an edge.

A leader said Oli’s refusal to hold the Secretariat meeting is aimed at tiring the Dahal faction out, as despite not having the majority in the party, he considers himself the senior chair-man. Oli is the prime minister also, so he has that luxury of not abiding by what the opponent faction says, according to the leader.

The Dahal faction’s repeated requests to Oli to call the party meet-ing have also led some to question why Dahal is not employing his “execu-tive” authority as “executive chair” of the party. Many wonder if Dahal indeed holds the executive authority to call a party meeting.

Shrestha on Tuesday attempted to make light of such concerns, saying their proposal to Oli to call a Secretariat meeting should not be mis-construed as their weakness, as they are trying to hold a meeting on the basis of consensus.

“We are sensitive about the situa-tion the party has reached,” Shrestha told reporters after the ‘informal’ meeting of the party Secretariat held at Dhumbarahi on Tuesday evening. “We are for saving the party unity and

we have requested the chair [Oli] for a meeting, on the basis of consensus, on Thursday.”

Insiders say the Dahal-Nepal faction is planning to call the party Secretariat meeting even if Oli refuses, but such a move could lead the party towards a split.

Oli has already scuttled the Dahal-Nepal faction’s plan of holding a meeting on Wednesday, as he is flying to Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha.

The infighting in the ruling

party now has become a battle of the egos, insiders say.

“Dahal will continue to press for the meeting while Oli will try to delay it. No one wants to look weaker,” said a Standing Committee member. “Oli will try to set the meeting agenda in his favour.”

Oli on Tuesday morning sent Shankar Pokhrel, chief minister of Lumbini Province who is also a Standing Committee member, to Khumaltar to hold talks with Dahal.

According to sources at Dahal’s Secretariat, Pokhrel conveyed the message that Oli is ready to imple-ment party decisions. Dahal, however, wants all outstanding issues to be sorted through party meetings rather than one-on-one meetings between the two chairs, the sources said.

After receiving the written proposal for the party meeting from the Dahal faction, Oli is learnt to have asked Poudel, the party general secretary, to make preparations for a meeting “as per the provisions of the party statute”.

Oli’s such diktat has irked Dahal no end, as instead of responding to the written request for the meeting, Oli is passing his own orders.

“As the executive chair, I have the authority to call the meeting. The majority of Secretariat members had given a written letter to Oli seeking his nod to the meeting as a goodwill gesture as we do not want the conflict to escalate,” a Standing Committee member quoted Dahal as telling Poudel on Monday.

Oli had sent Poudel to Dahal’s resi-dence on Monday.

Oli’s rigid stance has now made even some leaders close to him won-der why he is making a simple issue like calling a meeting an issue of pres-tige, according to some leaders. Oli knows that he cannot escape a party meeting and he is just trying to delay it as much as possible, they say.

“During informal meetings, even leaders, including lawmakers, close to Oli have started to express concern over his obstinate refusal to hold party meetings,” said a Standing Committee member close to Nepal. “Sooner or later, Oli will agree to party meetings; he has no other option.”

Oli so far has some cards up his sleeve to threaten the opponent fac-tion—like issuing an ordinance to change the law for a party split and dis-solving the House. Though House disso-lution is not allowed by the constitu-tion, many say Oli may go to that extent too if he feels extremely cornered.

“I don’t think Oli is going to display flexibility. He is just biding his time,” said Matrika Yadav, a Standing Committee member close to Dahal. “He has already sent a message to Dahal that the meeting would be held only after two weeks.”

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POST PHOTO: AASH GURUNG

A waterfall on the Annapurna Circuit near Taghring Chyamche in Marshyangdi Rural Municipality, Lamjung. Without its own name, this attraction on the trekking route is called Octopus Jharna.

W I T H O U T F E A R O R F A V O U RNepal’s largest selling English dailyPrinted simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj

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Conflict deepens in ruling party as Oli spurns, once again, Dahal’s call for Secretariat meetOli has no option but to agree to a meeting, but right now he is employing all his means to delay it and have the upper hand, Nepal Communist Party insiders say.

Indian foreign secretary to visit Nepal in sign of ties getting back on trackThe visit later this month, after visits of India’s intelligence chief and army chief, is expected to pave the way for Foreign Minister Gyawali’s trip to India in December.ANIL GIRIKATHMANDU, NOV 10

In a bid to mend ties with Nepal that hit rock bottom since it published a map incorporating Nepali territory as part of Indian territory last November, New Delhi is sending its top diplomat to Kathmandu later this month.

Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tight-lipped about the visit, sources familiar with the devel-opment said that Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is expected to visit Kathmandu on November 26-27.

“Both sides wish for exchange of such visits,” said Sewa Adhikari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We are not in a state to say any-thing about the visit right now.”

An announcement is expected in a couple of days once the schedule of the visit, his meetings and the agenda for discussion are finalised.

If everything goes as planned, the Ministry of External Affairs of India will announce the visit during its weekly press briefing on Thursday in New Delhi, said an official at the Indian Embassy.

A simultaneous announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected in Kathmandu, as per tradition.

“As both sides are looking forward to exchanging high-level vis-its as the way forward in our bilateral ties, there is enormous wish and will

to exchange visits at different levels,” said the Indian embassy official. “The upcoming visit of Indian foreign secretary is part of that exercise.”

The visit would come after the three-day visit of Indian Army chief Manoj Mukunda Naravane, the first high ranking Indian official to visit Nepal in a year, last week to be con-ferred the title of the honorary gener-al of Nepal Army.

During the Indian foreign secre-tary’s visit, high on the agenda will be the way forward to resolving the ongo-ing border row over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpyadhura in north-western Nepal, among others.

After New Delhi published a new political map last November, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inau-gurated a road via Lipulekh that links India with China’s Tibet.

Ties between Kathmandu and New Delhi have remained frosty since.

Even though both sides have expressed their interests to hold diplo-matic talks to address the issue, noth-ing concrete has taken place so far.

“The visit is not explicitly for boundary talks. This is an introduc-tion and familiarisation trip of the Indian foreign secretary where all issues will figure,” said a Nepali diplo-mat on condition of anonymity.

“This visit aims to build confidence where both sides will have an opportu-nity to take forward the bilateral ties towards normalcy.”

>> Continued on page 2

POST FILE PHOTO

Ruling party chairmen Dahal and Oli are not on the same page on party matters of late.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | 02

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POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI

A confectioner makes lakhamari, a traditional Newari sweet, at a shop at Teku, Kathmandu on Tuesday. Lakhamari is one of the most popular sweets used during festivals and celebrations in the Valley.

>> Continued from page 1According to two officials at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Embassy official, Shringla’s visit is expected to pave the way for visit of Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali to New Delhi in December where both sides are planning to hold the sixth meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission at the foreign minister level, the highest level bilateral mech-anism between Nepal and India.

Experts say that the series of high-level visits from New Delhi to Kathmandu within one month shows that India wants to regain its foothold

in Nepal and that Nepal is very much on India’s strategic and security radar and its desire to maintain its sphere of influence in the Himalayan region remains intact.

“Initially, after the boundary dis-pute surfaced, India tried to isolate Nepal to some extent but later realised that Nepal could tilt towards China or any other country if it is continuously disengaged with Kathmandu,” Rupak Sapkota, deputy executive director at the Institute of Foreign Affairs, a think-tank, told the Post.

According to him, India feared los-ing its grip on Nepal because the

United States and China have increased their engagements in Kathmandu.

“The message that India wants to convey by sending its foreign secre-tary following visits by top officials of its security and intelligence appara-tuses is that it is engaging with Nepal at multiple layers,” said Sharma.

Last month Samant Goel, the chief of India’s external intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing, met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The meeting had drawn widespread criticism, with many saying Oli not only breached the diplomatic norms

by meeting the Indian spy but also invited questions against his national-isic stance.

“It was during Goel’s visit that both sides agreed to resume high-level vis-its,” a ruling party leader, who is close to the Oli camp, told the Post.

According to two senior officials at the Foreign Ministry, Shringla, who took charge as India’s foreign secre-tary in December, was supposed to visit Nepal much earlier but the Covid-9 pandemic and the border dis-pute pushed back the visit.

“There is a tradition in India that the new Indian foreign secretary, after

taking office, visits countries of the region and this is part of such visits,” a foreign ministry official told the Post on condition of anonymity.

In a bid to engage with New Delhi following the boundary dispute, Prime Minister Oli had started using both official and unofficial channels to reach out to the Indian establishment.

Oli on August 15 had taken India’s Independence Day as an opportunity to hold talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi and congratulated him and the people of India.

Bishnu Raj Uprety, executive direc-tor of Policy Research Institute under

the aegis of the government, said that the resumption of high-level visits shows Nepal remains in the strategic priority of India and is likely to engage with the country in multiple areas.

“It looks like India, due to geo-polit-ical reasons, is engaging with coun-tries in the region and improving ties with countries in South Asia,” said Uprety. “It must have realised the meaning, value and support of neigh-bouring countries in its larger strate-gic ambitions. We can say that India is pursuing a different path now. It has no alternative but to engage with us.”

Indian foreign secretary to visit Nepal in sign of ties getting back on track

Prohibitory orders reimposed in several places across country to contain Covid-19District administrations and local units take preventive measures for upcoming Tihar and Chhath festivals.

MADHAV GHIMIREBIRATNAGAR, NOV 10

The district administration offices and local units in Province 1 have reimposed prohibitory orders in vari-ous places in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 during the upcom-ing Tihar and Chhath festivals. The authorities have also banned deu-si-bhailo programmes and social gath-erings during the festive season.

On Monday, the District Administration Office in Sunsari imposed a prohibitory order until November 21. The administration in Sunsari has also banned deusi-bhailo programmes this Tihar.

Chief District Officer of Sunsari Phanindramani Pokharel said, “This prohibitory order is the continuation of previous such orders imposed a few months ago. We have reimposed the prohibitory order to control the spread of the virus during the festival season. The flow of people in the market and bazaar areas has again increased for the upcoming festivals.”

Local administration in Morang has requested locals not to form large gatherings in rivers and ponds for the upcoming Chhath festival. According to the local authorities, Biratnagar has seen an uptick in the number of infections in the last few days.

Kosh Hari Niraula, chief district officer in Morang, said, “We have requested locals to stay home and observe the upcoming festivals. The administration has not banned the celebration of any festivals but we have restricted social gatherings dur-ing the pandemic.”

Phidim Municipality in Panchthar has also imposed a lockdown in the municipal area. The lockdown has been enforced from October 4 for 15 days.

In Udayapur, the District Covid-19 Crisis Management Committee has restricted locals from entering rivers and streams during the Chhath festi-val and has also banned deusi-bhailo programmes. The committee has declared rivers and streams across the district as restricted areas on

November 20 and 21, said Chief District Officer of Udayapur Chakrapani Pandey.

In Gandaki Province, some local units have reimposed lockdown whereas some have sealed their boundaries. In Myagdi, Beni Municipality has imposed a lockdown for 14 days starting from October 30. Malika Rural Municipality, Annapurna Rural Municipality and Mangala Rural Municipality have also shut down market areas, banks and financial institutions, except for essential services. In Mustang, the local administration has directed locals to curb unnecessary movement. Hiradevi Paudel, chief district officer of Mustang, said, “Two individuals tested positive in Jomsom on October 28. We have to be extra careful now. That’s why we are taking preventive measures and have advised the locals to stay indoors.”

Marsyangdi Rural Municipality in Lamjung has also closed all services, except essential ones, for six days starting Sunday. Bhimad and Suklagandaki municipalities in Lamjung have reimposed lockdowns

whereas Gorkha Municipality in Gorkha has closed services except for emergency ones for five days starting from Monday. In Parbat, Jaljala Rural Municipality has been sealed from November 3.

Ward No. 9 of Kushma Municipality has been sealed from November 4. Offices of local units in Hupsekot Rural Municipality and Kawasoti Municipality in Nawalparasi (East) have also been closed after some employees of the offices tested posi-tive for Covid-19.

In Province 2, local administrations have issued public notices banning large gatherings for religious activi-ties. Dipak Koirala, the assistant chief district officer in Dhanusha, said, “We will appeal to locals not to play deu-si-bhailo and request them to cele-brate Chhath festival at home. But we are yet to reimpose the lockdown or prohibitory order.”

Chief District Officer of Parsa Aasman Tamang said, “We have issued a public notice directing people not to organise large gatherings in religious sites. We are going to imple-ment a new plan for safety and health alertness during Tihar and Chhath festivals.”

Rautahat administration has pro-hibited locals from holding large gath-erings in religious sites from Monday till December 2. Indradev Yadav, chief district officer in Rautahat, said, “This is just the continuation of the prohibitory orders that we had imposed earlier.”

Chief District Officer of Sarlahi Surendra Paudel said, “We are also going to request the locals to observe the upcoming festivals at their homes. We will discuss with the chiefs of the local units and take a decision soon.”

In Surkhet, the District Administration Office has banned deusi-bhailo programmes during the Tihar festival. Shree Shumsher Rana Magar, the administrative officer at the district office, said, “We have issued a public notice banning deu-si-bhailo programmes, gatherings and fairs during the festival season. The office has also prohibited business activities, except essential services,

after 7pm.”The District Administration Office

in Rukum (West) has imposed a pro-hibitory order in four of its wards until further notice. Ward numbers 9, 10, 11 and 12 of Aathbiskot have been sealed from Friday. Chief District Officer Badrinath Gairhe said, “We have imposed the prohibitory order to prevent the further spread of the virus.”

In Humla, the District Disaster Management Committee has made PCR reports mandatory before enter-ing the district. Chief District Officer of Humla Chiranjibi Giri said, “We have made PCR reports compulsory for those who arrive in Humla through flights. Until now, seven individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 in Humla.”

Meanwhile, in Lumbini Province, all local units have lifted restrictions on public movement after the prov-ince reported a decrease in the num-ber of Covid-19 patients.

With inputs from our correspondents from Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Province 2.

Smuggling of medicinal herbs, wildlife parts rampant via Urai border point in BajhangThe remoteness of the area has encouraged smugglers to use the route to carry out illegal trade across the border, locals say.BASANTA PRATAP SINGHBAJHANG, NOV 10

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown imposed March onwards brought all activities across the country to a stand-still. But what flourished during this period was illegal trade across the Urai border point in Bajhang district, say locals. The Urai border point connects Nepal with Tibet in China. Despite the border being sealed by the Chinese government back in January amid Covid-19 concerns, the smuggling of medicinal herbs and wildlife parts continued.

Pasang Lama, a medicinal herb trader and a local of Dhuli in Saipal Rural Municipality, Bajhang, says the smuggling of medicinal herbs began in April and picked up in June.

“Yarsagumba, ban lasun, katuki and rato chyau, among other precious medicinal herbs, are being transported to China illegally. Nepalis at Taklakot in Tibet are working with Chinese traders to smuggle medicinal herbs across the border areas,” said Lama.

Last year, the Chinese government had opened a road from Taklakot up to Urai border point.

“Nepali smugglers used the route to transport medicinal herbs on mules, yaks and sheep while some also used porters up to Urai. Tibetan business-men drive up to Urai to receive the consignments,” said Samden Lama, another local of Dhuli.

Eight months ago, the local administration in Bajhang had put a complete ban on the collection of medicinal herbs amid Covid-19 fears. But by May, yarsagumba collectors had left for the highlands to collect the precious herbs for a lack of alternate source of income. Soon the local units in Saipal, Chhabispathibhera, Durgathali and Bangul allowed the collection of yarsagumba after repeated demands from the locals. But the Division Forest Office did not give traders permission to transport yarsagum-ba collected during the restriction period out of the district.

Dan Bahadur Surmeli, chairman of Bajhang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the office did not leave the locals with a choice so they began smuggling the collected yarsagumba to China.

“The government should have made other arrange-ments for the traders to legally export yarsagumba out of the district,” Surmeli said.

According to locals, more than a quintal of yarsa-gumba has been transported to Tibet from Urai bor-der point this season. Tashi Lama, a resident of Saipal, said, “Smugglers collected yarsagumba from the district and transported the herb to the border area via Saipal Rural Municipality. The quantity could be more than a quintal.”

In the last fiscal year, the Division Forest Office in Bajhang collected around Rs 6 million revenue from the export of around 200 kilograms of yarsagumba. This year, the office has not collected any revenue on yarsagumba exports, which makes all yarsagumba exports illegal, according to the forest office.

Karna Bahadur Khati, acting division forest officer in Bajhang, says his office has been informed about the illegal export of medicinal herbs to Tibet via the Urai border point but no measures have been taken yet to stop such activities.

“Our office has not allowed any businessmen to export medicinal herbs and we have heard that yar-sagumba, among other precious herbs, is being exported to China,” he said. “However, we can’t take any immediate actions because of the geographical remoteness of the area. We don’t have the human resources to reach the border area and confront the smugglers.”

Saipal Rural Municipality, the country’s biggest and arguably one of the most remote local units in terms of infrastructures, borders China. Until 2000, a temporary security post of Nepal Police used to be set up in Khalanga, some two kilometres south from the Nepal-China border, every year for seven months from April to October. The temporary police post was displaced during the Maoist insurgency in 2000. Another border police post in Dhuli in the rural municipality was also shifted to the district head-quarters, fearing attacks from the Maoist rebels. The border police post in Dhuli was reinstated after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006. But the temporary police post in Khalanga has not been re-established yet.

According to Bahadur Lama, who has been operat-

ing a hotel in Urai near the Chinese Border Security Post in Lupu, Tibet for the last nine years, the border point of late is being used to smuggle not only medic-inal herbs but wildlife parts, including tiger pelts and bones and musk deer parts, as well.

“The Nepali authorities have done little to stop illegal trade through this border point. There are no security checks, making it easy for smugglers to operate,” he said.

Back in 2012, Bajhang Police had seized around 35 quintals of red sandalwood from Rithapata village in the district. The precious wood was being smuggled using 86 porters, all locals of Bajura district. The same year, 50 quintals of red sandalwood had been smuggled to Tibet, said police. Since then, incidents of red sandalwood smuggling had not been reported in the district by the authorities or the police. But the locals say that the smuggling never stopped.

“I saw around 40 quintals of red sandalwood being transported from Bajura to Tibet with the help of 123 porters in 2016. Last year, 35 quintals of wood made its way across the border carried by more than 100 porters from Dailekh,” said Padam Lama, who owns a hotel in Bainsa of Tibet.

With the closure of Tatopani border in Sindhupalchok and heightened security in Rasuwagadhi and other border points, smugglers have started frequenting the Urai border point since security is lax in the area, says Jagat Tamang, secre-tary of Kailash Trade Association. “Urai border point is not closely guarded as other international border points so smugglers find it easy to trade here,” he said.

The people’s representatives of Saipal have urged the authorities to immediately reinstate the tempo-rary police post in Khalanga to control smuggling.

“About 95 percent of smuggling will be controlled if a security post is established in Kalanga. It is dif-ficult to use other trails to reach Tibet,” said Rajendra Dhami, the chairman of Saipal Rural Municipality. It takes around three days to reach the Nepal-China border from the police post in Dhuli, which is around 30 kilometres towards Nepal from the international border.

“Even if the police are informed about smuggling incidents, it will be difficult for them to reach Urai from their police post in Dhuli,” said Dhami. According to him, he has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of the Sudurpaschim Province to establish a temporary security post in Khalanga.

“It is becoming increasingly necessary to re-estab-lish a police post in Kalanga to control the smuggling of medicinal herbs and animal parts,” said Dhami. “The unchecked smuggling of animal parts has encouraged poaching in the forests of Bajhang.”

Addressing the concerns of the people’s repre-sentatives and locals of Bajhang, the federal govern-ment plans to set up a border outpost of the Armed Police Force in the district. The Armed Police Force is also preparing to establish a border outpost in Dhuli village. APF Deputy Superintendent of Police Damodar Dhodari recently made a field visit to Dhuli to set up an outpost.

“There is no human settlement above Dhuli. Preparation is underway to set up a border outpost in Dhuli, as it will be difficult to manage logistics for the APF in the border area. We have to opt for Dhuli and not Khalanga because it is expensive to trans-port rations and other goods there due to its remote-ness,” said Chief District Officer Kamalraj Bhandari. He, however, said a temporary post of the APF could be set up near the Urai border area in summer and the post could be shifted to Dhuli in winter.

POST PHOTO: BASANTA PRATAP SINGH

People use mules, yaks and sheep to smuggle medicinal herbs across the border via Urai, locals say.

POST PHOTO: JITENDRA SAH

The District Administration Office in Morang has banned deusi-bhailo programmes during Tihar and large gatherings in rivers and ponds for the upcoming Chhath festival.

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BRIEFING

27 child rape cases in MorangBIRATNAGAR: As many as 27 child rape cases have been reported in Morang district within the past three months. According to the District Police Office, 30 rape cases were reported in the first three months of the current fiscal year. According to police 27 of the reported victims were minors. Twenty-eight people were arrested in connection with the cases during this period, said police.

Police post shifted due to coldHUMLA: Sunkhani-based police post in Ward No. 6 of Namkha Rural Municipality has been moved to Simikot, the district headquarters due to dipping temperatures in the area. Every year, the police team stays in Sunkhani for six months from mid-May, said Sitaram Bista, Police Inspector at the District Police Office in Humla. After snowfall starts near the Nepal-China border, Limi is also closed for around six months. According to Pemba Tamang, a local man, locals of Limi have also moved to Simikot, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu to avoid the cold weather.

Rani Jamara project warns contractor of legal action

PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHAKATHMANDU, NOV 10

Officials at the Rani Jamara Kulariya Project, have told the contractor to complete the construction of the main canal or face legal action.

While 95 percent of the work on the national pride project has been completed, the contractor hasn’t shown up at the construction site for a year, officials said.

In a notice on Tuesday, the project office warned Marushin Shitaka Construction Co Inc that it would be compelled to take legal action if work wasn’t resumed within 15 days.

“The contract has been extended six times but the contrac-tor has been reluctant to complete the work and hasn’t shown any activity in the site for a year,” the notice reads. “The extended contract period was also up on October 15.”

Prem Lasiwa, information officer at Rani Jamara Kulariya project said the office was forced to issue notice as the contrac-tor failed to resume work.

“The last extension on the deadline appears to have been given for the sake of it only,” he said.

According to him, the contractor has long been promising they will return to work, but they haven’t done so. According to the project, the contractor hasn’t even assigned someone to oversee the site and equipment has been left abandoned.

The Japanese contractor was awarded the contract for the main canal and the settling basin in November 2012. As per the contract, work on the Rs3.18 billion project should have been completed by November 2016. But, failure on the part of the government to clear the site on time delayed the project, according to Lasiwa.

A representative of the contractor blamed the Covid-19 pan-demic for failure to continue work.

“We will resume work right after the Tihar festival,” said Dayaram Thapa, project manager of the company.

“The project should not have issued such a notice consider-ing that only 3-4 percent work is left,” said Thapa. The other component of this multipurpose project is a hydropower pro-ject, which is 70 percent complete.

However, Lasiwa said the contractor halted the works much before the pandemic began and has not set foot at the project site since then.

The project was initiated in 2009-10 with the aim of complet-ing it by 2017-18. The government’s failure to acquire barren land hampered the implementation of the project, according to the 47th report of the National Development Action Committee chaired by the prime minister.

Now, the deadline for the project has been extended till 2023-24. The estimated cost of the project has more than dou-bled.

Initially, it was estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs12.37 billion which has now ballooned to Rs27.7 billion. The project is expected to irrigate 38,300 hectares of land in Kailali.

Minister’s ‘dignified’ journalism jibe draws flakBINOD GHIMIREKATHMANDU, NOV 10

Every time the government has come up with announcements of its intention to curtail free speech and bring new media-related laws, it has been dragged into controversy.

The latest of such announce-ments was made by the govern-ment’s spokesperson, who wants to make journalism in the country “dignified”.

Leaders of journalist associa-tions and advocates of freedom of expression say it is not the job of the state to determine what is “dig-nified” journalism. They say the announcement by Minister Parbat Gurung is a worrying sign for the media.

Govinda Acharya, president of Federation of Nepali Journalists, said the government should refrain from coming up with any laws that attack on the freedom of expression and free press.

“The Constitution of Nepal pro-vides for complete press freedom which means the media is a self-reg-ulated industry,” Acharya said. “It’s not the government which should be developing criteria for dignified journalism. I expect that the gov-ernment doesn’t take any steps against the established principle of free press.”

Speaking at a virtual interaction on Tuesday, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Parbat Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson, said that people’s trust of journal-ism has weakened in the recent time as sensational and negative news have been in its focus.

“The media sector is promoting negative news contributing to

increasing frustration among the general public,” he said during the interaction.

“I would like to inform you that I am for a law incorporating the pro-visions for dignified journalism in media law.”

Gurung didn’t specify what such a law would incorporate but his announcement comes at a time when the government is finalising the Mass Communication Bill.

The government wanted to regis-ter the bill in Parliament last year itself but it was put on hold because the government was already facing widespread criticisms over other related laws: Information Technology and Media Council.

Journalists and civil liberty groups objected to the two bills on the grounds that some of their pro-

visions are aimed at curtailing free-dom of expression and press free-dom as guaranteed by the constitu-tion forcing the government to put them on hold.

The Media Council bill is await-ing endorsement from the House of Representative while the Information Technology bill hasn’t been tabled.

The bill on Information Technology has prescribed fines up to Rs 1.5 million and/or five years imprisonment for posting “improp-er” content on social media sites that authorities construe as a char-acter assassination and an attack on national sovereignty.

Similarly, the provisions in the Media Council Bill legalise hefty fines and give the government more say in hiring and firing of

council members. The federation under Acharya’s

leadership had organised a series of protests against the Information Technology and the Media Council bills compelling the ruling party leaders to announce the controver-sial provisions in the laws will be revised before they get through the federal parliament.

Tara Nath Dahal, executive chair-man of Freedom Forum, an organi-sation that advocates for free speech, said Gurung’s statement shows the government, despite huge criticisms in the past, is working on a law aimed at con-trolling the media and freedom of expression.

“There are already enough laws to make the media accountable. Coming with new law means the government wants to tighten grips on the media sector,” he told the Post. “It is saddening that the gov-ernment doesn’t want the press to function without interference.”

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on different occasions has criticised the media for creating instability in the country. He has been claiming that the media coverage is intended towards dismantling hard-earned stability in the country.

Oli, similar to Gurung’s state-ment on Tuesday, has been saying the media propagates negative information and editors don’t have courage to publish the good works by the government.

“The statement from the govern-ment sometimes shows it isn’t happy with the way Nepali media is functioning,” said Acharya.

“However, I can say our media is functioning in a way more responsi-ble compared to those in our region.”

Health Ministry says revision of guidelines needed to resume free tests and treatmentARJUN POUDELKATHMANDU, NOV 10

Despite the Cabinet decision on Monday to make tests and treatment of Covid -19 free, the new arrangement will be implemented only after the Ministry of Health and Population revises its guidelines.

“We have not received a copy of the Cabinet decision yet,” Dr Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, told the Post. “We have to revise the guideline as per the Cabinet decision and send it to health facilities before start-ing free tests and treatment.”

As per the October 5 Cabinet decision to test and provide treatment free of cost to only those who cannot afford to pay and to the single women, disabled people, front-line health workers, security personnel and cleaning staff, the health Ministry had stopped providing free tests and treatments to all.

“We had enforced the October 5 Cabinet decision to stop providing free tests and treatment to all from October 17 revising the guideline made as per March 22’s Cabinet decision,” Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson for Health Ministry, told the Post. “We will revise the guidelines once we get a copy of the new decision of the Cabinet.”

The Cabinet on March 22 had decided to provide free tests and treatment to all infected with Covid-19. As per that deci-sion, the government had borne costs of testing and treatment in the state-run health facilities until October 17.

Monday’s Cabinet decision of providing free tests and treatment comes as the Supreme Court last week refused to enter-

tain a review petition filed by the health Ministry over the apex court’s previous ruling regarding free tests and treatment to patients infected with coronavirus.

A source at the Health Ministry said that even if the Cabinet meeting had decided to resume free testing and treatment, all those seeking tests will not get free services.

The Health Ministry had proposed to provide free tests to those having symp-toms, elderly people and to those having underlying conditions.

“Yes, the proposal to resume free tests was prepared by the Health Ministry,” said joint spokesperson Adhikari. “But we don’t know how exactly the proposal was passed. The ministry will revise the guidelines as per the Cabinet decision and enforce it.”

It could take upto a week for the Cabinet decision to be implemented and it depends

on how long the Cabinet’s decision will take to the Health Ministry, according to officials.

Meanwhile, public health experts say that the decision to provide tests and treat-ment free of cost was positive, as they are the only way to curb the spread of infections.

“Authorities should not have stopped the free testing and treatment,” Dr Baburam Marasini, former director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, told the Post. “Positive results do not come by making wrong decisions. Testing should be increased, contact trac-ing should be made effective.”

With the Health Ministry stopping free tests and treatment, local governments have halted contact tracing. After severe backlash from various quarters including from the senior leaders from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, the Health Ministry last week had decided to resume contact tracing.

However, local governments, which are responsible for the job, refused to follow the Health Ministry decision and demand-ed to declare free testing first to resume contact testing publicly and provide guide-lines accordingly.

Some local governments, like Kathmandu Metropolitan City, complained that they have stopped contact tracing, after swab samples of those that came in close contact collected in the contact tracing were returned by the government laboratories.

Despite the formation of a-high level team comprising senior officials from the Health Ministry, contact tracing has not resumed.

Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of Clinical

Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, said that along with providing free tests and treatment, authorities should also enforce restrictions in hotspots like in Kathmandu Valley to curb further spread of infections.

“No one knows how much the virus has penetrated the society,” Pun, told the Post. “ I think some kind of restriction is also needed for a few weeks to curb further spread.”

Pun said that free tests for all seeking services is not necessary and the state also may not afford to test everyone. But all those having symptoms, elderly people and those having underlying conditions should be prioritised.

“Those who come in close contact with infected people should mandatorily quar-antine and should be tested if symptoms are seen,” he added.

With the government stopping free tests and treatment, deaths from coronavirus infection has also increased. Since October 17, when the government stopped provid-ing free tests and treatment, 433 people have succumbed to the infection.

Infected people have stopped seeking tests and treatment unless they become seriously ill.

Doctors say the case fatality rate has increased, as members of vulnerable groups—elderly people and people with pre-existing conditions are getting infected.

As of Tuesday, 199,760 people have tested positive to Covid-19 and 1,148 deaths have died. In the last 24 hours 2,736 people tested positive and 22 deaths were reported. According to the Health Ministry, there are 38,035 active cases in the country.

The contractor completed over 95 percent of works but hasn’t shown up at site for a year.

POST FILE PHOTO

This 2017 photo shows the Rani Jamara Kulariya Project in Kailali.

POST PHOTO: ANJOG MANANDHAR

A Miss Nepal 2020 contestant wearing a face shield to protect against Covid-19 takes part in a ‘sash ceremony’ at Park Village Resort, Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Officials say they are yet to receive a copy of Monday’s Cabinet decision to provide Covid-19 tests and treatment free of charge.

Government spokesman and communications minister Parbat Gurung says media was promoting ‘negative’ news.

POST FILE PHOTO

Journalists and civil liberty groups objected to the IT and Media Council bills on the grounds that some provisions are aimed at curbing freedom of expression.

POST PHOTO

C M Y K

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | 04

OPINION

Even as news outlets were readying themselves to call the US presidential election for former vice president Joe Biden, the present incumbent of that high office tweeted from his fantasy land: ‘I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT! [sic]’

Perhaps too embarrassed by the out-rageous assertion to call it an outright lie, Twitter put a simple disclaimer: ‘Official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted.’ Freedom from Trumpism can be expected to make the US re-engage with the rest of the world in a rational manner.

To be sure, America’s withdrawal from the global stage wasn’t so sudden. The job of carrying the burden of a unipolar world after 1990 was getting to be tiresome. The domestic economy was hollowing out as production moved out to countries with lower factor cost and relatively easier operation under the benign watch of authoritarian gov-ernments. The 2008 financial crisis exposed increasing vulnerabilities of the preeminent superpower as the US was shown to be the biggest debtor of the Chinese credit.

The US occupation of Afghanistan had begun to sap the energy of its defence establishment. The invasion, occupation and continued warfare in Iraq had proven to be debilitating. Looking back, President Barack Obama’s much-maligned ‘leading from behind’ foreign policy was the necessi-ty of a time when the US wanted to distribute some of its global responsi-bilities to its trusted allies.

The economies of Japan and South Korea were expected to share some of the cost of protecting common inter-ests in Asia. India and Indonesia were encouraged to mature from being mere recipients of diplomatic favours and emerge as contributing partners of the strategic manoeuvres in the Indian Ocean. Australia was roped in to tie an alliance that would later come to be termed an ‘Asian NATO’.

Once the SEAL Team 6 succeeded in snuffing out Osama bin Laden from his hideout in Pakistan, the US began to reduce its commitments in South Asia. By the time President Trump entrenched himself in the White House, the US has almost abdicated its role as the global leader.

Power abhors a vacuum and the Chinese quickly stepped in to appropri-

ate the diplomatic space that the sole hegemon had vacated with its confus-ing signals in the region. The US saw India being encircled with what was called the ‘ring of pearls’ but expected New Delhi to fend for itself. It’s Nepal policy remained almost unarticulated, enabling diplomats in Kathmandu to play favourites with political suitors and intellectual entrepreneurs of con-trasting hues.

Instable triangleIn the early-1950s, Washington synchro-nised its Nepal policy with those of the South Block in New Delhi for very prac-tical reasons. Nepal was, and remains so to a large extent, virtually India-locked. Intentions of the communist regime in China weren’t very clear. By the end of the decade, however, Kathmandu began to get special US attention as an appropriate watch post to keep an eye on the immense trans-Himalayan landmass.

Unhappy with Prime Minister BP Koirala’s increasingly direct access to the US, New Delhi probably began to decouple its approach towards the regime in Kathmandu from those of Washington in the early-1960s. The Sino-Indian border conflict of 1962 did bring a convergence of interests between the two biggest democracies of the world for a while, but the bond wasn’t strong enough to withstand the pressures of US commitments to CENTO (Central Treaty Organisation) of which Pakistan was an alliance partner.

The US practically bankrolled King Mahendra’s authoritarian adventures in the name of Panchayat politics and remained the chief patron of his exper-iments in institutionalising guided democracy. Indians waited, and watched their influence wither away.

In 1971, India signed the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation with the Soviet Union to counter the influence of the US-Pakistan alliance in the region. Fearful of Soviet influ-ence expanding in Asia, the US changed

course and started courting China through ping-pong diplomacy.

Kathmandu in the 1970s was a play-ground where the Americans, the Chinese, the Indians and the Soviets competed to recruit the local elite through various friendship associa-tions to expand their network of informants. Before long, the competi-tion was reduced to three, as the Soviets decided to gradually withdraw from what it considered to be India’s backyard.

When it came to choosing a spring-board for his secret trip to Beijing, Henry Kissinger preferred Islamabad over Kathmandu. Despite the constant repetition of its fealty, defenders of the Shah regime had failed to win the full confidence of the US establishment.

King Birendra’s proposal that Nepal be declared a Zone of Peace was clearly aimed at undermining the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950, which would have benefitted the Americans as well as the Chinese and strength-ened the anti-Soviet alliance in South Asia. That was something that even the Janata Party government (1977-1979) in New Delhi wasn’t willing to concede.

The fall of the Soviet Union in ear-ly-1990s brought New Delhi and Washington together once again, forc-ing the Chinese to chart an independ-ent course. Due to its earlier deals with palace officials, Beijing already had friends in high places. Political con-tacts developed early in the 1960s were renewed. Nepal Communist Party’s adherence to Xi Jinping Thought is rooted in the history of party to party relations formed with the Chinese way back in the 1950s.

By the early noughties, the three outside players in the power games of Kathmandu—China, the US and India—were acting almost independent of each other. The three-legged insta-bility ended with the intensification of armed Maoist conflict and the Narayanhiti Massacre. It emboldened the newly-enthroned monarch to try playing one power against the other,

which ended up antagonising everyone in the process.

Wilful redundancyThe 12-point Understanding reached between seven political parties and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) in November 2005 ended king Gyanendra’s attempt of re-establishing the suprema-cy of monarchy. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed a year later offered a roadmap for the future of the country.

Just as in the Shah Restoration of 1951 and the reinstatement of parlia-mentary democracy in 1990, New Delhi had played a decisive role in the resolu-tion of the armed conflict and the over-throw of the royal-military rule in 2006. In a hurry to foist Hindutva politics upon Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to humour the old elite in Kathmandu and threw away the gains within a year of assuming office. Under his jingoistic watch, India has now become the sick man of South Asia with little or no influence beyond its borders.

Since the Trump administration had no coherent policy towards Nepal, whatever the Biden-Harris duo does from the White House will be a change, whether for the better or for the worse remains to be seen. However, it’s extremely unlikely that Washington will fully trust New Delhi.

The US willingly ceding its diplomat-ic space to the Chinese sounds even more improbable. The allure of the Beijing Consensus notwithstanding, institutions of the Washington Consensus continue to exercise immense leverage in the political econ-omy of Nepal. Little wonder, Supremo KP Oli appears jubilant despite politi-cal threats from his party colleagues.

Strange as it may seem, regressive forces in Nepal are celebrating the tri-umph of liberalism over Trumpism in the USA with more gusto than con-scientious liberals. That said, do light a lamp this Deepawali to keep the flame of democratic hopes alive.

For Africa, the Covid-19 pandemic will likely mean negative GDP growth at unprecedented rates. In addition, sev-eral African countries are dealing with the aftermath of a commodity price collapse—another key contribu-tor to current recessionary trends.

The continent must now navigate economic recovery while building resilience to future shocks. From strengthening the healthcare sector to nurturing broad-based economic growth, African leaders need to devel-op new strategies for solving structur-al challenges. With the continent’s external partners also hit by Covid-19 and focusing on their own domestic needs, and with capital fleeing from emerging markets (including Africa) at a record rate, even before the pan-demic, Africa’s policymakers need to look inward.

One possible solution is a large-scale infrastructure investment pro-gramme partly funded by mobilising domestic resources through asset recycling, which enables governments to unlock capital tied up in what they already own. By offering these assets through concession schemes to credi-ble private-sector investors, govern-ments could free up funding for criti-cal new projects. Such concessions promise long-term revenue streams and new infrastructure-investment opportunities that should attract more investment capital to Africa. Thus, asset recycling can help close the con-tinent’s massive infrastructure financing gap, which the African

Development Bank (AfDB) estimates at $68-108 billion annually.

Recyclable assets include power plants, toll roads, ports, airports, fibre-optic networks, pipelines, and more. The funds generated by monet-ising these assets could be deployed in new projects with powerful multiplier effects, creating jobs and business opportunities throughout a country’s economy. This is critical, considering the massive job losses that the conti-nent is likely facing and the millions of young people entering the work-force every year.

While asset recycling has never been tried in Africa, Australia has used it successfully to generate over A$25 billion ($18 billion) in three years by recycling just 12 state-owned assets.

African governments could repeat this process across the continent to help close the annual infrastruc-ture-financing gap.

Aside from the immediate benefits, asset recycling in Africa could attract a new class of infrastructure inves-tors. In Australia, a combination of sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and several private investment funds participated in such projects. Attracting similar investors by lever-aging existing assets would end African governments’ dependence solely on donors and development finance institutions. My organisation, Africa50, is currently discussing the implementation of asset-recycling projects with several governments across the continent.

Large-scale infrastructure invest-ment dovetails with a focus on digital-isation, which can reduce public and private actors’ costs, boost their effi-ciency, overcome physical obstacles, and improve the quality of services provided to customers and citizens. The continent’s digital transforma-tion is well underway by any metric: the number of new broadband connec-tions is soaring, mobile phone usage continues to trend upwards, and the continent is a global leader in mobile money. And the ‘new normal’ of work-ing remotely, and changes in consum-er behaviours triggered by Covid-19, present a continent-wide opportunity to accelerate this process.

But, while economic growth and job creation in Africa would clearly bene-

fit from continued digitalisation, broadband penetration is still below the global average. A full digital trans-formation will not be possible without a reliable infrastructure backbone. Achieving universal broadband access with 4G/5G and expansion of fibre-op-tic cable networks will require an additional $100 billion by 2030, accord-ing to the World Bank. Raising the necessary funds is becoming a top priority for African governments as they seek to adapt to a post-Covid-19 world, and Africa50 is already work-ing on one such transaction in a share-holder country, using asset-recycling principles.

Asset-recycling strategies clearly offer a viable way for African govern-ments to contribute significantly to

self-financing the investments that their countries need. And while large-scale digital infrastructure develop-ment is, rightly, a priority for African countries, governments must also focus on supporting entrepreneurs with ecosystems that enable digital innovation. Initiatives such as the Kigali Innovation City will provide ‘plug-and-play’ support to tech- and knowledge-based companies.

Finally, African governments must emphasise further regional integra-tion through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Shared infrastructure is vitally important in developing manufacturing capacity, but many African economic commu-nities are lagging in this regard. Integrating energy infrastructure, in particular, would stabilise supplies and reduce costs, with economy-wide effects. The AfDB’s Desert to Power initiative, for example, seeks to develop 310 gigawatts of renewable energy across the Sahel region to supply power to 11 countries, including Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Djibouti, and Eritrea.

Similarly, regional integration of supply chains through full implemen-tation of the AfCFTA would boost local economies and strengthen domestic production capacity. Most African countries rely on trade with non-African partners for around 30 percent of their GDP. By encouraging intra-continental trade, the AfCFTA will support the growth of the conti-nent’s manufacturing sector catering to local markets. And increasing intra-continental trade from its cur-rent level (15 percent of all trade) to around 60 percent is likely to create millions of jobs.

Clearly, a recovery designed and financed largely by Africans is well within reach. While the pandemic is hitting the continent hard, strategies such as asset recycling, continued dig-italisation, and stronger regional inte-gration can help ensure that Africa is strong enough to fight back.

Ebobissé is Chief Executive Officer of Africa50.

—Project Syndicate

How Africa can self-finance its economic recoveryRaising the necessary funds is becoming a top priority for African governments.

The US willingly ceding its diplomatic space in Nepal to the Chinese sounds improbable.

ALAIN EBOBISSÉ

CK LAL

The ground shakes when a big tree fallsEDITORIAL

A pandemic-battered world on Monday welcomed the announce-ment by United States drug maker Pfizer and German partner BioNTech that their vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19. The findings, based on preliminary data from late-stage human trials, have shown no serious safety concerns so far, according to the developers who described it as a ‘great day for science and humanity’.

While the update from the two companies is a major break-through in the fight against the pandemic, it doesn’t mean that we can get the vaccine tomorrow or next month. Final results of the trial are still due, and more evidence is needed about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, which is now in Phase III study. The preliminary data, according to scientists, doesn’t say if the vaccine prevents severe cases or whether it prevents people from carrying the virus without symptoms. It is also unclear how long the immunity will last or if it works in differ-ent age groups and ethnicities.

The vaccine will also need regulatory approval before it is rolled out for the public. Scientists and public health officials have already hinted that the vaccine will not be available this year, and there’s a massive global demand to be catered to, one that will require the world to act together if it wants to contain the pandemic. Pfizer and BioNTech say they can produce up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021 if they are granted regulato-ry approval.

According to the two companies, the vaccine will have to be administered in two doses around three weeks apart, but stor-age has already been flagged as a massive challenge as the vaccine needs to be kept in ultra-cold conditions at around minus 80 degrees Celsius. The super-cold storage infrastruc-ture is something that the Oli administration must already start to explore besides working first to access the vaccine. To add, dozens more vaccines are currently under final stages of human trials, and there might be more than one vaccine that’s effective and would not require complex storing procedures.

Production and storage, however, are not the only issues as the world races for a cure. The World Health Organisation which welcomed the announcement has already warned that a funding gap could slow access to tests, medicines and vaccines in low-and middle-income countries. The Oli administration needs to take stock of the situation as the two companies seek US emergency use authorisation within this month.

On Monday, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn said that he didn’t expect the vaccine before the first quarter of 2021. The European Union also announced that it would sign up for up to 300 million doses with the drug makers, which already have a $1.95 billion contract with the US government to deliver 100 million doses. Similarly, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan have also reached supply agreements.

While a robust public health response and the adoption of precautionary measures still remain our primary defence against the virus, the government needs to be on its toes about the latest developments on the race for a cure, and ensure that a vaccine, once proven safe and effective, must be accessible to Nepalis. It must already start its homework for a free and nationwide inoculation campaign and identify priority groups and the logistics to deliver it. There should be no room for blun-ders anymore. Until a proven vaccine or pharmaceutical cure arrives, we need to tread cautiously and implement the gold standard to deal with Covid-19—test, trace and isolate.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Race for a cure The Oli administration needs to be on its toes about

the latest vaccine developments.

SHUTTERSTOCK

SOUTH SIDE

C M Y K

05 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020

MONEY

GASOLINE WATCH

FOREX

US 119

Euro 140.43

Pound 157.56

Japanese 11.29

Chinese 18

Qatari 32.68

Australian 86.67

Malaysian 28.88

Saudi 31.73

Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank

BULLIONPRICE PER TOLA

SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA

Fine Gold Rs 94,800

Silver Rs 1,215

Nepse1,678.79pts

1.57%

GHL SHIVM RBCL MLBL UFL NBL1.46% 1.43% 1.34% 1.32% 1.26% 1.20%

STC CORBL SGI NTC OHL HGI10% 10% 9.91% 9.49% 6.79% 6.29%

HIGHEST GAINERS

MSMBS SINDU NICGF NIBSF1 SABSL RHPL-0.68% -0.58% -0.49% -0.49% -0.45% -0.45%

BBC AHPC VLBS AKJCL SADBL PROFL-4.61% -2.69% -2.64% -2.33% -2.11% -2.07%

HIGHEST LOSERS

MODERATE LOSERS

MODERATE GAINERS

Shares

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office

Gauchar, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Notice for Intent to accept the bid Date of publiction – 11th Nov., 2020 (2077/07/26)

This is to notify (as per section 27 (2) of public procurement Act, 2063) to all the concerned bidders, our intention to award following contract to following bidder selected as substantially responsive evaluated bids.

S.No. Bid Description Selected Bidder Total Accepted Bid Price (without VAT)

1. Supply and Delivery of General Lighting Spare Parts and Electrical Appliances, NCB/03/PROSEC/077-78

M/S New Era Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu

NRs.17,19,138.75 (Seventeen Lakhs Nineteen

Thousand One Hundred Thirty-eight and Paisa Seventy-five)

2.

Electrical Maintenance Works at Different Building and ATS, ACB, VCB, SF6 Breakers, Transformers, Power Panels in TIACAO, NCB/04/ PROSEC/077-78

M/S Goodwill Multi Suppliers Pvt. Ltd., Gokarneshwor -12,

Kathmandu

NRs.19,09,800/- (Nineteen Lakhs Nine Thousand

Eight Hundred)

3.

Supply and Delivery of Anya Karyalaya Saman, NCB/05/PROSEC/ 077-78

M/S N.P Trade & Stationary, Jadibuti

Kathmandu

NRs.14,45,935/- (Fourteen Lakhs Forty-five

Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-five)

4. Supply and Delivery of Masalanda Tatha Chhapai, NCB/06/PROSEC/ 077-78

M/S New Era Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu

NRs.16,42,327.50 (Sixteen Lakhs Forty-two Thousand Three Hundred

Twenty-seven and Paisa Fifty)

KRISHANA PRASAINKATHMANDU, NOV 10

For lamp seller Bibek Shrestha, Tihar was the highlight of the year. He would be busy making money with customers crowding his shop to buy fancy lamps to illuminate their homes during the festival.

Shrestha would stock up on festival lights worth more than Rs300,000 for the Tihar rush. But this year has been a disaster because of the coronavirus. Footfall at his shop Aakriti Electrical Shop at Gongabu is down sharply, and he is looking at a lacklustre season.

“Demand for electric lights has fall-en steeply,” Shrestha told the Post. “I have kept stocks of festival lights worth less than Rs100,000 this year because of the downturn,” he said.

Tihar, or the festival of lights which begins on Friday, will be a low-key affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic. People are holding back on their spending which is bad news for the city’s merchants.

“People are not in a celebratory mood like in previous years. The slow Dashain business has already shown this,” he said.

People’s incomes have declined and spending has also fallen. The increas-ing number of cases of virus infec-tions has spread fear among city dwellers.

Geeta Baskota plans to use the festi-val lights she purchased last year instead of buying new ones. “Rather than going to the market and risk get-ting infected, I prefer to mark the festi-val with whatever I have lying around the house,” said Baskota, a house maker from Kupondol. She said that cutting down on spending for the cele-bration was the best move amid the pandemic.

“The festival light market has plunged by 60 percent compared to last year,” said Sudarshan Prasad Paudyal, president of the Federation of Electrical Entrepreneurs of Nepal.

Due to the drop in demand, imports have also fallen. According to Paudyal, imports of festival lights for Tihar this year amounted to only Rs180 million compared to Rs400 million previously.

The slowdown in sales has also hit trade across the northern border this

year, Paudyal said. Most of the ship-ments come through the Kerung and Tatopani border points, he added.

According to the federation, 90 per-cent of the festival lights sold in the Kathmandu Valley are imported from China and the rest come from India. Christmas lights, rope lights and disco lights, among other products, make up most of the imports for the festival.

Paudyal said that festival lights worth around Rs500 million used to be sold during Tihar in previous years. Sales had been soaring in recent years with commercial organisations, shop-ping malls, hotels, restaurants and supermarkets illuminating their premises with all kinds of fancy lights.

The upbeat mood hit a setback this year because of the virus, he said. Traders expect sales of festival lights

to reach a maximum of Rs200 million.Sales had also been increasing

because of a regular supply of elec-tricity, which encouraged people to buy lamps to illuminate their homes during the festival.

With memories of hours-long black-outs still fresh in their minds, house-holders had been wary of buying festi-val lights since they were not sure if they would get to use them. But elec-tricity supply has been regular for the past few years which led to a jump in sales.

The price of fancy lights has not increased from last year, said Paudyal.

According to Shrestha of Aakriti Electrical Shop, prices of lights range from Rs50-60 to Rs2,000, depending on quality and length.

Apart from the toned down festival, a slowdown in construction activities with fewer houses being built has led to a drop in sales of electrical lights by 60 to 70 percent, he said. This has made it difficult for businesses to sur-vive, he said.

In happier days, electrical shops in the major market areas of New Road, Asan, Bhote Bahal and other places would start swarming with shoppers in the run-up to the Tihar festival.

POST FILE PHOTO

A shopkeeper displays decorative lights at his shop in New Baneshwor.

Sales of festival lights dive as virus ruins festive spiritImports were valued at Rs180 million this Tihar compared to Rs400 million previously.

People’s incomes have declined and spending has also fallen.

ASSOCIATED PRESSHONG KONG, NOV 10

Chinese consumers are expected to spend tens of billions on everything from fresh food to luxury goods during this year’s Singles’ Day online shop-ping festival, as the country recovers from the pandemic.

The shopping festival, which is the world’s largest and falls on November 11 every year, is an annual extravagan-za where China’s e-commerce compa-nies, including Alibaba, JD.com and Pinduoduo, offer generous discounts on their platforms. Last year, shoppers spent $38.4 billion on Alibaba’s e-com-merce platforms Tmall and Taobao.

This year’s festival will be closely watched as a barometer of consump-tion in China, which is just beginning to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic after months of lockdown earlier in the year.

Analysts expect Chinese consumers to spend more on imported products and foreign luxury brands, since many Chinese tourists were unable to travel internationally due to the coro-navirus pandemic and tightened trav-el restrictions.

A survey by consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that 86 percent of Chinese consumers are willing to spend the same as or more than dur-ing last year’s Singles’ Day festival.

“In the last six months or so, wealthy households have actually spent more money,” said Sean Shen,

customer and strategy competence leader for EY in Greater China. “We also see that purchases of luxury segment products are increasing because of the international travel restrictions.”

Sales of electronic goods and health and wellness products are also expect-ed to rise, as more people work from home and pay more attention to their health amid the pandemic, according to a report by consultancy Bain & Company.

To help merchants cope with the impact from the coronavirus, online platforms have extended the shopping festival period this year in hopes of boosting sales.

Both Alibaba and JD.com, the coun-try’s two biggest e-commerce compa-nies, began offering discounts on Oct. 21, three weeks ahead of Nov. 11. Some brands and merchants that slashed their prices booked hundreds of mil-lions of yuan in sales just hours into the shopping festival.

Tang Chenghui, an electrical engi-neer who lives in Beijing sees Singles’ Day as an opportunity to stock up on snacks and imported products such as milk from Australia.

Ahead of the festival, Tang pre-or-dered 3 boxes of duck eggs, 10 packets of soybean milk powder, two boxes of yogurt, coffee and wine. “I’m buying more snacks this year because I’ve just moved into a new apartment and have enough storage space to stockpile the snacks I like,” said Tang.

ASSOCIATED PRESSBALTIMORE, NOV 10

Joe Biden will inherit a mangled US economy—one that never fully healed from the coronavirus and could suffer again as new infections are climbing.

The once robust recovery has shown signs of gasping after federal aid lapsed. Ten million remain jobless and more layoffs are becoming permanent. The Federal Reserve says factory out-put dropped.

Parents cannot return to work as childcare centers have shuttered. Restaurants and local retailers are draining whatever cash reserves are left—with many owners wondering if the next week might be their last. One in six restaurants was already closed in September, according to an indus-try survey.

Biden will also be facing an American public with decidedly dif-ferent views about their own financial well-being, with higher income fami-lies weathering the pandemic reasona-bly well and those earning far less in increasing economic peril.

It will in some ways be a reprise of when Biden became vice president at the depths of the financial crisis in 2008-09, with possibly fewer tools and less political leverage to press an agenda to both corral the virus and stoke economic growth.

He is expected to somehow inject enough aid to sustain workers, busi-nesses and state and local govern-ments, without necessarily having enough congressional partners who share his concerns. All of this could

be the difference between a successful presidency and a floundering one.

It’s unclear whether his victory was enough to tip the Senate to the Democrats—with two Senate seat run-offs in Georgia—and provide a clearer pathway for the money. This means that any efforts to secure another round of aid may depend on Republicans who were already voicing concerns about a rising budget deficit before the election.

Senate Majority Leader McConnell of Kentucky previously said a meas-ure should be passed before year-end, but it’s unknown in the aftermath of the election what a compromise would look like or whether President Donald Trump would back it. The longer that aid gets delayed, the greater the threat for the economy.

“The risk is that the recovery goes into reverse,” said Gregory Daco, an economist for the consultancy Oxford Economics.

AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters, found that the reces-sion’s harm has mostly struck low-er-income households, though most people were shielded in large part by initial rounds of aid that nearly totaled $3 trillion.

Twenty-nine percent of voters in households earning less than $50,000 annually said they’re falling behind financially. Their misfortune is a sharp contrast to what’s happening for those with incomes above $100,000. Not only are higher-earners less likely to be struggling, but 26 percent said their finances are improving.

Biden received more support than

Trump from households earning less than $50,000. Voters in higher income households were more closely split between the two candidates.

Among Biden voters, 89 percent said it was more important to contain the pandemic than limit any ongoing damage to the economy. This is likely because they see no trade-off: the economy will never safely recover so long as the threat of the coronavirus exists.

“To get the economy under control, you need to get the virus under con-trol,” said Amanda Fischer, policy director at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a liberal think tank. “It’s the K-shaped recovery—we see a divide between the wealthiest and everyone else.”

The economy was objectively hurt-ing as ballots were cast, even if it has improved since April. The unemploy-ment rate was 6.9 percent, compared to 4.7 percent when Trump took office. Retail sales slipped 0.8 percent since the start of 2020, with a collapse at restaurants, clothiers and furniture stores.

“The labor market still has a long way to go to recover to where it was before the pandemic,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist at the job posting firm Indeed. “Employment is down in almost all industries, dramatically down in industries that depend on travel and large gatherings.”

The nation’s top public health offi-cials are warning that the virus is likely escalating—record numbers of cases have been reported this week—and are beseeching Americans to wear masks, maintain social distance, and avoid large groups, especially indoors. The worsening disease could force more businesses to close.

Still, 43 percent of voters believed the economy was excellent or good. This includes about three-quarters of voters backing Trump, who campaigned on the idea that the economy was booming and would con-tinue to do if he remained president. With Biden in the White House, these once-optimistic voters may suddenly switch and say the econ-omy is troubled.

“That’s what we saw in 2016—a reversal by party in economic confi-dence,” Kolko said. “It was dramatic and very quick after the election. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the same.”

Alec Phillips, an economist at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a note Wednesday that control of the Senate will determine how much additional aid gets approved.

For Biden, how to help mangled economy is next obstacle

AP/RSS

In this March 27 photo, a man walks past the Cafe Du Monde restaurant, which was closed but has since reopened, in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

China gears up for world’s largest online shopping festival

AP/RSS

A delivery man passes by an ad for the November 11 Sales Day in Beijing, China on October 28. Chinese consumers are expected to spend tens of billions on everything from fresh food to luxury goods during this year’s Singles’ Day online shopping festival.

REUTERSSINGAPORE, NOV 10

Southeast Asia’s internet economy will hit $105 billion this year, as the coronavirus crisis prompted stuck-at-home consumers to go online to shop, get food delivered at home and for entertainment purposes, an industry report said on Tuesday.

The report, which covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines, said the region added 40 mil-lion new internet users this year, taking the total to 400 million. That implies 70 percent of the region’s population is now online, the report added.

“Coronavirus has brought about perma-nent and massive digital adoption spurt,” stated the report by Google, Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings and busi-ness consultants Bain & Co. Southeast Asia’s internet economy expanded 5 per-cent from 2019. Online retailers have emerged as winners from coronavirus lockdowns as people prefer to shop from their homes instead of making a trip to stores amid worries over resurgence in

infections. E-commerce grew 63 percent to reach $62 billion in 2020, to become the largest vertical this year, while the travel sector contracted 58 percent to $14 billion.

Singapore’s internet economy contract-ed 24 percent to $9 billion as the pandemic choked the travel sector, while Vietnam and Indonesia continued to grow at dou-ble-digit rates.

The region’s online industry is poised to triple to $309 billion in gross merchandise value by 2025, nearly in line with the $300 billion forecast made last year.

With 11 percent rise in users, Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest growing internet markets. That compares with 4.7 billion internet users worldwide, up 7.4 percent from a year ago, according to digi-tal tracking service wearesocial.com.

Growth in internet usage has helped create unicorns such as Grab and Go-Jek, with the region’s startups attracting bil-lions in capital from global technology companies and investment firms. Deal value has declined since 2018, primarily driven by a slowdown in big-ticket uni-corn investments.

Southeast Asia’s internet economy to cross $100 billion this year

PHOTO COURTESY: BCCI

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma (left) and his teammates celebrate after defeating Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

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Ruthless Mumbai beat Delhi to lift record fifth title

AGENCIESDUBAI, NOV 10

Mumbai Indians on Tuesday clinched their record-extending fifth Indian Premier League title after defeating Delhi Capitals by five wickets in the final.

With this victory, the Rohit Sharma-led side claimed their fifth IPL title, the highest by any franchise. In the summit clash, Mumbai successfully chased down a decent target of 157 runs, set by Delhi. Rohit played an impressive knock of 68 runs to guide his side to a win.

Chasing the target, Mumbai Indians got off to a stunning start with open-

ers Quinton de Kock and Rohit smash-ing regular boundaries. The team scored 45 runs off the first four overs. Marcus Stoinis, bowling the fifth over, got hold of de Kock (20) on the very first ball of the over. Rohit was then joined by Suryakumar Yadav on the field but their partnership did not last long as the latter was run out in the 11th over after scoring 19 runs.

Yadav’s dismissal brought Ishan Kishan out on the field. Rohit contin-ued his sublime form and completed his half-century as Mumbai inched closer towards the victory. Anrich Nortje handed Delhi the much-needed wicket of Rohit in the 17th over. Kieron Pollard was the next batsman

and he played furiously from the very beginning. Pollard smashed two boundaries to Nortje but in the next over, Kagiso Rabada sent the batsman back to the pavilion. Nortje then dis-missed Hardik Pandya in the 19th over following which Krunal Pandya came out to bat when the team needed just one run to win and he easily took the team over the line. Kishan scored unbeaten 33 runs in the match.

Earlier, a magnificent half-century by Rishabh Pant and a gutsy fifty by skipper Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi post 156 runs after witnessing a disas-trous start against Mumbai Indians. Pant smashed 56 runs off 38 balls while Iyer scored 65* as Delhi rebuilt

the innings. However, Delhi lost quick wickets again in the death overs.

After opting to bat first, Delhi got off to the worst possible start as Marcus Stoinis went back in the dug-out for a golden duck on the very first ball courtesy of a stunning delivery from Trent Boult. In his next over, Boult struck again and dismissed Ajinkya Rahane as Delhi reeled at 16/2. Shikhar Dhawan looked in great touch but his stint at crease soon came to an end as Jayant Yadav cleaned up the left-handed batsman in the fourth over.

Iyer and Pant then rebuilt Delhi’s innings as the side scored 75/3 half-way through the mark. Pant provided

some momentum as he whacked Krunal for two sixes in the tenth over as the duo brought up their 50-run partnership. Pant and Iyer continued their fine form and touched the 100-run mark in 14th over. The left-handed batsman smashed his 12th half-centu-ry in IPL and also his first this season before Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed him in the 15th over.

Meanwhile, Iyer brought up his 500 runs and smashed his third half-cen-tury of this season. The right-handed whacked two fours in Jasprit Bum-rah’s third over as Delhi looked set after witnessing a poor start. However, Shimron Hetmyer departed early as Boult picked his third of the day.

Leicester, Southampton and Aston Villa hint at shake-up at the top

REUTERSLONDON, NOV 10

Eight rounds into a Premier League season is usually a sufficient period for the big guns to start gathering near the top of the table and for the surprise early pace-setters to be on their inevitable slide.

Now and again a club from outside the accepted top-six will defy gravity for longer and once in a blue moon miracles happen, as Leicester City proved by winning the title in 2015-16 as 5000-1 outsiders. A glance at the

standings after the weekend’s games raises the prospect that this season might be a bit different.

Southampton, beaten 9-0 by Leicester a year ago, began the week-end perched on top for the first time in 32 years after winning on Friday, Tottenham Hotspur beat West Bromwich Albion to take over for a few hours on Sunday before Leicester moved to the summit with 18 points from eight games by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Aston Villa’s 3-0 drubbing of Arsenal hoisting them to sixth, three

points behind Leicester with a game in hand, Everton in seventh, Crystal Palace in eighth and Wolves in ninth, it resembles a table from the 70s or 80s, long before the evolution of a Premier League big four and then big six. Manchester City are 10th, albeit from only seven games, while Arsenal and Manchester United languish in the bottom half.

BBC pundit and former England striker Alan Shearer says he still expects champions Liverpool and Manchester City to battle each other for the title again and the bookmakers agree. But the quality so far displayed by Leicester, Southampton, Villa and early on Everton suggests a shake-up in the top half is not beyond the realm of possibility. According to statistics provided by Nielsen’s Gracenote, Leicester’s start is the best by a team from outside the big six since Leeds United also took 18 points from eight games 19 years ago, eventually finish-ing fifth.

What is more, Leicester are three points better off after eight games than they were in 2015 and are enjoy-ing their best start to a top-flight cam-paign since 1930. While Leicester’s form is perhaps less surprising, given they were impressive last season before a late fade, Southampton’s is more so considering their squad is more or less the same as last season’s when they struggled. They have 16 points, meaning it is the first time in 14 years that two teams from outside the big six have averaged at least two points per match in their first eight games.

The last time that happened was in 2006 when Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth eventually finished in seventh and ninth places respectively. Should Villa get a point in their next game against Brighton, it would mean three teams outside the big six have taken 16 or more points from their opening eight games—something that has happened in only two Premier League seasons since 1995.

While the appearance of the table is refreshing, it is far too early to start talking about the prospects of another Leicester-like fairytale. Of the 21 teams from outside the big six to have taken 16 or more points from their first eight games, only five finished in the top four, with Newcastle United blowing a golden chance to win the title in 1995-96, finishing second to Manchester United. And a cautionary take is that of Hull City who took 17 points from their first eight games but two from their last eight, surviving on the last day of the 2008-09 season.

BRIEFING

Injured forward Bergwijn withdrawn from Dutch squadAMSTERDAM: Steven Bergwijn has been withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for three internationals over the next week because of injury, the Dutch foot-ball association (KNVB) said. The 23-year-old Tottenham Hotspur forward was declared unfit after a medical test when he joined up with his Dutch team mates on Monday. No details were given of the injury but Bergwijn was side-lined last season with an ankle injury. The KNVB said he would not be replaced in the 24-man squad named by coach Frank de Boer for Wednesday’s friendly against Spain in Amsterdam and Nations League games at home to Bosnia and away in Poland.

Prandelli replaces sacked Iachini as Fiorentina coachFLORENCE: Giuseppe Iachini has been sacked as head coach by Fiorentina, with the Serie A club appointing Cesare Prandelli in his place on Monday. Prandelli returns for a second spell in Florence, having coached Fiorentina between 2005 and 2010, and will have the task of reviving the club’s fortunes as they are 12th in the standings after two wins from seven games this season. “I want to personally thank Beppe Iachini who, in the most difficult moment of last season, has dragged and guided the team,” club president Rocco Commisso said. “Unfortunately, the current results require a change of technical guidance.”

Maradona to be dischargedBUENOS AIRES: Argentine football star Diego Maradona is recovering well from a brain operation and post-surgery com-plications and should be discharged over the next couple of days, his person-al physician said on Monday. “Diego wants to go home and we are evaluating his discharge,” Leopoldo Luque told reporters outside the hospital where the 60-year old Maradona was operated on last week for a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on the brain. “We’ll talk about where he goes later but for now we know that Diego is doing very well.” The former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors player was kept in over the weekend suffering from with-drawal symptoms caused by alcohol dependency but Luque said he would likely be discharged either “tomorrow or next day.” He is also the current coach Arg-entina’s Gimnasia Esgrima. (AGENCIES)

Rohit Sharma-led side successfully chase down 157-run target in 18.4 overs, spoiling Shreyas Iyer-led side’s first Indian Premier League final appearance.

AP/RSS

Ollie Watkins (right) scored two goals for Aston Villa as they stunned Arsenal 3-0 in their English Premier League match at the Emirates stadium on Sunday.