Bio-data-Prabhakar-updated-February 12, 2014

PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE

Special Correspondent

Republica English Daily

Nepal Republic Media Pvt.Ltd

JDA Complex, Bag Durbar, Sundhara, Kathmandu, NEPAL

Cell : 977-9841-564442,  977-1-4265100, Fax: 977-1-4255257

E-mail : prabhakarji@gmail.com

 EDUCATION                                                                                             .  

·        2010            Masters of Mass Communication and Journalism

                         (Batch Topper and Gold Medalist with Distinction   Marks)

                         Kantipur City Collage, Kathmandu, Purbanchal University– NEPAL

·        2008             Post Graduate Diploma in Education

                      Community Education Campus, Kathmandu,

                         Tribhuwan University-Nepal

·        2005             Diploma in Development Journalism

                     Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC),  

                     New Delhi (Under Indian Government’s full   scholarship)

·        1997              Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

                         

                          Saraswoti Multiple Campus, Kathmandu,   

                              Tribhuwan University, Nepal

·        1992             Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)

                    Balkumari Collage, Narayangirh, Chitwan            

                      Tribhuwan University- Nepal

·        1990              Intermediate of Commerce (I.Com)

                      Shree Commerce Campus (Shahid Smriti Multiple

                      Campus), Ratnanagar, Chitwan                

                      Tribhuwan University-Nepal

·        1987              School Leaving Certificate (SLC)

               Amar Secondary School, Patihani, Chitwan, SLC Board -Nepal

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE                                                         .

2009 April- 12 Feb 2014 ---Nepal Republic Media Pvt Ltd           

Kathmandu, Nepal

                

§  Business News Bureau Chief ( Business News Editor / Special  Correspondent (Republica English Daily) --From 2014 January 15

§  Business News Bureau Chief ( Business News Editor / Senior correspondent (2013 January-2014 January)

§  Deputy chief of Business News Bureau / Senior Correspondent (2011 March- 2013 January)

§  Senior Correspondent (Republica English Daily) (2009 April –March 2011 )

    

n  Editing news, translating news, coordinating colleagues of  Business News Bureau

n  Planning for business news pages and news stories every day

n  Daily Reporting on special beats: Foreign Trade, Foreign Employment, Labor Issues, Public Enterprises, Capital Markets, Agriculture , Public Finance, Food Security

n  Giving News story ideas for junior colleagues

n  Briefing to editor about the news stories developed by Business News Bureau

n  Participating policy making process of editorial department

                                      

         

2000-2008: Kantipur Publications Pvt Ltd

 

§  Senior Assistant Sub-Editor, The Kathmandu Post English Daily

 

 

§  Daily news reporting (Special Beats: Foreign Employment, Labor Issues, Public Enterprises, Capital Market, Derivative Market, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Commodities and Supplies)

• § Regular Analysis of Stock Market trend

§  Interview various people of corporate sector

                     

Ø  Chief of Regional News Bureau of Kantipur Publications

in Bharatpur , Chitwan

§  Coordinate with 10 correspondents of six districts for news everyday   

     

§  Inform about major issues of regional news to central office

§  Edit news came from different correspondents of the region and sent to the news to central office  after  editing

§  News reporting specially on environment, tourism, wildlife, agriculture

§  Call regular meeting with regional correspondents to share news ideas

§  Evaluate performance of regional reporters and recommend for incentives for deserving reporters

Ø    News Desk sub-editor

§  Editing news stories sent by district correspondents

§  Making pages allocated for district level news

§  Recommending the news which deserves placing on front pages

§  Occasionally reporting on environment related news

1999-2000    : Kamana Publications Pvt Ltd, Kathmandu, Nepal

 

Senior Reporter/ Chief of Business News Bureau

(Nepal Samacharpattra Daily)

§  Daily Reporting (Special Beats: Banking, agriculture, tourism, civil aviation, public enterprises) 

§  Daily coordination of business news

ACHIEVEMENT & AWARDS                                                                            .

·        2012--Journalism Excellence Award by Nepal Cultural Association

                  

·        2006 –Best Working Journalist Award (esented by Nepal Press   Union, Chitwan Chapter

                   

·        2004  -- Environmental Journalism Award  (Presented by Nepal Forum of    Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) 

·        2004--Letter of Appreciation by Narayangirh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI)

·        2003--Letter of Appreciation by Jyoti Library, Bharatpur, Chitwan

·        1994--Winner of Radio Nepal Quiz Contest

                     

 

INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS, TRAININGS & PARTICIPATIONS       .

§  2012 --   Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Singapore ( Three months)

§  2011 --Training program for Economic Journalists of Nepal provided by Indian  

                  Government at Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) , New Delhi 

                 

§  2010  --Business and Financial Reporting Training in London, given by   

            Thomson Reuters Foundation London, UK

§  2007 --Presentation of Working Paper on “Role of Media on Rhino

           Conservation in Nepal”at an international seminar in Kaziranga,    

           Asam, India

§  2007 --Communicating Labor Rights Training for Media Persons organized    

          by International Labor Organization (ILO) in Turin, Italy   

 

NATIONAL LEVEL TRAINING & PARTICIPATION                                                                                     

§  2011 --Investigative Journalism Training jointly organized by British Embassy,  Thomson Foundation and Center for Investigative Journalism-Nepal

§  2011 --Training on foreign trade issues jointly organized by Society of Economic     

                    Journalists-Nepal (SEJON) and Ministry of Commerce and Supplies

§  2010 --Introductory Training on Economic and Financial Reporting for             

                     Journalists given by Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon)

§  2004 --Proactive News Reporting Training given by Nepal Press Institute (NPI)

§  2001--Basic Course on Radio Program provided by Communication and  

         Cultural Academy of Nepal

§  2000 --Economic Reporting Workshop for Economic Journalists, organized by 

                    Ministry of Information and Communication, Nepal

§  1999 --Workshop on Renewable Energy Technologies for Journalists, organized by  Institute of Engineering and UNDP

TEACHING & TUTORING                                                                                                    .

§  2010-Till date  Guest Lecture for Mass Communication and Journalism at Vishwo Niketan College, Kathmandu Nepal

§  2003-2006--- Guest Lecture for Mass Communication and Journalism at Maiya Devi Girls College, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal

MEMBERSHIP

§  Member of the Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON)

§  Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Chitwan

LANGUAGE

§  Fluent in English, Nepali , Hindi

GENERAL

Sex              :         Male

Date of Birth         :         27-05-1971

Place of Birth:   Jagatpur-3, Chitwan, NEPAL

Marital Status         :         Married

Nationality   :         Nepalese

Father’s Name:    Shovakar Ghimire

 REFERENCE

Low capital spending limits disbursement at 35 percent

REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Feb 3: Total disbursements of the World Bank (WB) for its ongoing projects in the country have stood at only 35 percent of the target due to low capital spending over the first six months of the current fiscal year. Donors disburse the amount committed to the government in proportion to the progress in capital expenditure in the projects supported by them. “Only US$ 64 million has been disbursed in WB-supported projects against the target of $182 million during the review period ending mid-January,” Madhu Kumar Marasini, chief of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), told Republica on Monday. “Out of total commitment worth $1.5 billion made so far for various ongoing projects, only $750 million has been disbursed.” A total of 20 WB-funded projects are under different phase of implementation across the country. Meanwhile, a trimester-review meeting over implementation and future action plan of projects supported by the WB was held on Monday. At the meeting, seven projects being run under WB support was designated as problematic and potentially problematic projects on the basis of weak implementation during the first four months of current fiscal year. The review meeting was organized jointly by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the WB Nepal office. The meeting named Emerging Towns Project of Urban Development Sector, Road Sector Development Project and Bridge Improvement and Maintenance Project of physical infrastructure sector, Kabeli Transmission Project of energy sector and Enhanced Vocational Education and Training Project under education sector as problematic. Similarly, Nepal Health Sector Program and ´Sunaula Hazar Din´ project have been named potentially problematic projects. “Some problematic projects, which are running in their final years under designated completion period, have reported less than 17 percent progress in term of disbursement volume,” Marasini added. At the meeting, officials from both government and the WB extensively reviewed the current status of the projects and discussed on pertinent problems and measures to be taken to resolve them. At the meeting, WB officials voiced concerned over low disbursement, delay in submitting implementation action plan, delay in producing audit reports, transfer of key staff of the projects, low capital expenditure, lengthy documentation process set by the government for project implementation, and lack of coordination among line agencies, among other issues. Johannes Zutt, WB Country Director for Nepal, urged the government to give special attention for speeding up implementation of projects, lowering transfer of staff members, enhancing spending capacity in projects, and promoting good governance. Terming the meeting a ´milestone´ for the success of the WB-funded projects, Zutt stressed the need to seriously address arising in project implementation. Speaking on the occasion, Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi expressed commitment to seriously monitor the implementation of donor-funded projects.
Published on 2014-02-03 23:51:41

Nepal, India amend transit treaty

REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Jan 31: Nepal and India have formalized an amendment to the Treaty of Transit between the two sides to facilitate traffic in transit for goods of third country origin exported from Nepal. A Letter of Exchange (LoE) for formalizing the decision has been finalized by both sides. The amendment was necessitated as, according to the earlier procedure, only goods of Nepalese origin were allowed to be exported through India to third countries. “This restriction has now been removed and now goods of non-Nepali origin would be allowed transit through India for export to third countries. This provision would facilitate Nepal´s genuine third country export which may be required for re-export of goods imported in to Nepal for display in fairs and exhibitions,” the Indian embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement on Friday. The amendment would also facilitate re-export of third country origin capital goods from Nepal to third countries for repair and return and also re-export of rejected goods from Nepal. “The new provision has been enforced,” a source at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) said on Friday. At the Nepal-India Inter-governmental Committee (IGC) meeting held in Kathmandu in December last year, India had agreed to allow shipment of overseas goods from Nepal using Indian ports to their respective countries of origin. Existing Nepal-India Treaty of Transit restricts repatriation of third-country goods from Nepal through the Indian territory. Because of the provision, Nepal had been facing difficulty in repatriation of goods imported from third countries for temporary use like different fairs, expos and diplomatic use. However, Indian customs officials had been allowing export of such goods on practical ground ignoring treaty provision. The issue resurfaced after Indian official stopped allowing export of such goods through their customs points. The source also said MoCS had already prepared a draft proposal of LoE on transport of vehicles ´on their own power´. As per the existing transit treaty, vehicles imported from third countries have to be transported to Nepal only in containers or rail wagons. Similarly, MoCS has drafted a LoE on bringing into operation two additional routes -- Kolkata/Haldia-Jogbani-Biratnagar and Kolkata/Haldia-Nautanawa-Bhairahawa -- for Nepal´s overseas trade. In the Inter-government Committee (IGC), Indian officials had agreed to allow Nepal to transport vehicles imported from third countries to the Nepali border on their own power. “We have sent the both drafts to line ministries, including law ministry, for their consent. The drafts will then be submitted to the cabinet for endorsement before they are forwarded to India for approval from its side,” the source added. The Indian embassy also said the two proposals for making these amendments in the Treaty of Transit had been finalized by India and shared through the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu with the Nepal government.
Published on 2014-01-31 23:49:30

Mushrooming trade fairs vs supply constraints

--------------Analysis-------------------------- PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, Jan 30: Poultry was quite new to Chitwan -- now the poultry capital of the country -- when a poultry fair was first organized there in 1996. That fair is widely been credited for the boom of the sector in Chitwan, which now commands more than 50 percent of the total poultry business across the country. The fair was a forum for both poultry entrepreneurs to explore new avenues and the development of this sector in the district. More than Rs 10 billion has already been invested in the sector, annual turnover has reached Rs 20 billion and it also represents a significant chunk of employment in the district. The district tops production of vegetables, honey, fish, dairy products and is now emerging as a leading banana growing district. The secret behind farm commercialization there is the Chitwan Festival and the Agriculture Festival regularly organized on alternating years over the last two decades. Both festivals have been proved to be instrumental in informing about modern technology and for sharing of ideas between farmers and experts. News reports of different industrial and trade fairs being organized pour in on a regular basis from correspondents across the country. However, the impact has not been as effective as the 1996 poultry expo in Chitwan as such fairs have not focused on increasing quality and supply of local goods in line with local and global demands. Though such festivals, organized jointly by the government, local bodies and business associations, have served as a platform for showcasing local produce, they have not been able to promote local products at the local, cross-country and international levels. In the absence of effective promotional activities on production to marketing of goods, such fairs are still forums for buying and selling of goods. At a time when the country is suffering from a daily trade deficit of Rs 1.5 billion, such fairs could play significant roles in expanding the local and international markets for locally-produced goods. The government introduced the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) -- a policy roadmap for promoting 19 chosen domestic products, 12 goods and seven services -- in 2010 in an effort to boost domestic supplies and enhance export capacity. Under the NTIS list of goods, large cardamom, ginger, honey, lentil, tea, instant noodles and medicinal herbs/essential oils are agro-based goods while handmade paper, silver jewelries, iron and steel products, pashmina products and woolen products are industrial goods. Similarly, tourism, labor services, IT/BPO, health, education, engineering and hydro-electricity are services selected under the NTIS. Ever year the winter season sees dozens of industrial and trade fairs aimed at introducing and further promoting local goods and services. At a recent program organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) in the capital, former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey drew an anecdote which summed up the reality of how weak the supply capacity of Nepali producers was. “One trader from the UAE tried to import Nepali vegetables a few months back. He could not get sufficient quantity of vegetables from Nepali market to fill the required load for an aircraft. We can´t even guarantee the quality at a par with export standards,” Pandey said. As Pandey said, Nepali exportable products are stuck with the twin problems of not being able to meet the required quality and quantity. In a similar example, a Japanese trader offered Nepali tea producers a deal to supply tea to Japan. Although the Nepali traders were delighted to get the lucrative offer, their excitement evaporated when found out that the quantity of tea demanded by the Japanese trading firm was more than Nepal can produce annually. China has offered duty-free access to around 8,000 products from the so-called Least Developed Countries (LDCs), including Nepal, and a huge number of Nepali goods have been getting similar access to India -- our largest trade partner. Nepali goods are also enjoying a higher demand from other overseas markets. But, the only problem is the problem in guaranteeing quality and ensuring adequate supply as demanded by the importers. Keeping in view the supply constraints of domestic goods, the government initiated support for the private sector in organizing regional trade fairs from this year. The government allocated Rs 2 million for each regional industrial trade fair, to be organized in collaboration with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). Such regional trade fairs have already organized in Surkhet and Butwal while two more are scheduled in the central and eastern regions outside the capital. Besides, an international trade fair is also on the cards for Kathmandu this year. “We started supporting the private sector to organize such regional trade fairs which could be instrumental in discussing different trade and industrial issues amongst the business people, the media and the central-level policymakers,” Toya Narayan Gyawali, the joint-secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies told Republica on Thursday. Gyawali, who is also overseeing the implementation of NTIS, said such expos will provide opportunities not only for promoting goods, but also introduce new technologies being used in other countries. “Trade fairs should not only be a venue for promoting goods, but also serve as a forum to exchange ideas and explore new business opportunities through open discussions between government officials and local producers,” Gyawali added.
Published on 2014-01-31 02:54:52

Finance Minister is liberal with state largesse

PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, Jan 30: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is supposed to control unnecessary expenditures and encourage austerity at government agencies.  Contrary to this crucial function, Minister for Finance Shankar Prasad Koirala has doled out state funds haphazardly for non-budgetary programs to please particular individuals and organizations. The MoF funds non-budgetary programs under the ´miscellaneous´ head. With Koirala providing opportunities for frequent foreign trips by individuals who have no need for such junkets and his uncontrolled and imprudent distribution of funds to different organizations and individuals, huge costs have been incurred by the state. Finance Minister Koirala Koirala has been arranging frequent foreign trips to his close aides--press advisor Sanket Koirala and personal secretary Sumin Dhakal--purportedly for participating in international programs. In a bid to maintain austerity, then finance secretary Rameshwor Khanal had taken initiatives to restrict foreign trips by the personal assistants of ministers. As a consequence, ministers generally do not take their personal assistants with them on foreign trips. “The finance minister seems not to be serious at all about his responsibility for controlling unnecessary spending. Instead, he is himself misusing state funds by leading jumbo teams to different countries, including his personal assistants,” said a senior official at MoF. Whether it is participating at the 9th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference held in Bali, Indonesia in December or visiting the USA to take part in the annual general meeting of the World Bank and IMF in October, he has continued to take his close associates along with him. The government had to foot a bill of Rs 2.9 million for an 18-member delegation to the Bali conference. The latest example of how Minister Koirala squanders state funds is his participation -- with aides Koirala and Dhakal-- in the 5th Meeting of SAARC Commerce Ministers held early this month in New Delhi. Koirala, who is liberal with foreign trips, is found to be equally liberal in doling out money to different individuals, organizations or groups. Due to pressure from Koirala, MoF officials have been compelled to issue funds meant for non-budgetary programs as financial support to different recipients, ranging from non-government organizations to various groups and individuals. Recently, Koirala directed MoF officials to provide Rs 3.3 million or a vehicle for a social organization run by Nepali Congress leader Uma Adhikari. The ministry also provided a vehicle to the National Cooperative Federation of Nepal for free. MoF recently decided to extend financial support of Rs 500,000 to a Tharu organization for holding a Maghi festival function in Kathmandu. His attempt to provide Rs 100,000 for a Magar student organization could not succeed due to resistance from MoF officials. The ministry also issued an additional Rs 5 million rupees for the treatment of Justice Ram Kumar Prasad Sah, who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor at his residence in Kathmandu, without properly verifying the necessary documents. Sah has already received Rs 2.9 million to pay his medical bills. “Under pressure from Koirala, the ministry issued the huge amount to Sah without properly studying the medical documents,” added the source. Koirala, who is spiritually inclined, has instructed ministry officials to provide funds to various temples and shrines. Koirala pledged to provide financial assistance to Maulakalika temple at Gaidakot, Pathibhara temple in Taplejung and Binda Basini temple in Pokhara. He already come under controversy when media disclosed that he had provided Rs 30 million for an ashram run by Kamal Nayanacharya. Recently, MoF provide Rs 1.5 million to the GP Foundation at the request of Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala for organizing an international event. The state has been squandering tax-payer money on meaningless programs because of Minister Koirala´s imprudence, it is stated. His policy-level decisions have also placed an excessive financial burden on the state. In giving his consent to a proposal to add another 9,200 police personnel of different ranks, Koirala has dented the state coffers for decades to come. “Despite resistance from MoF officials, Koirala gave his consent to the Home Ministry to take the proposal to the cabinet to recruit the additional 9,200 police personal. This is going to burden the state for salary and pensions for decades,” said a high-level source at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM). Koirala made another policy mistake in giving his consent to open five regional offices for the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the constitutional anti-graft body. “It is one of many decisions to add offices and staff to the police, the judicial service, district attorney offices and other civil service entities, which are going to be a long-term economic burden for the government,” said the source.
Published on 2014-01-30 00:00:00

Gutkha, tobacco become potent revenue source

PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, Jan 28: Revenue collection during the first six months of the current fiscal year from chewing tobacco and gutkha (mix of ingredients taken with betel leaf) has become a great example on how revenue collection can be enhanced if the tax net is widened to include areas prone to huge revenue leakage. Total revenue, including excise duty, VAT and income tax, from chewing tobacco and gutkha shot up more than 12-fold to touch around one billion rupees during the first six months of the current fiscal year. The government had raised only around Rs 80 million in revenue from gutkha and chewing tobacco during the same period last year. Officials at the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) said excise duty alone raised up to Rs 800 million during the review period, significantly up compared to Rs 60 million reported raised during the same period last year. The government had collected Rs 120 million and Rs 200 million in revenue from the gutkha and chewing tobacco business during fiscal year 2011/12 and 2012/13 respectively. “It is a shining example of how we can boost revenue if we expand the revenue net to reach areas where widespread revenue leakage is reported. We are confident we can mobilize up to two billion rupees in revenue from chewing tobacco and gutkha if revenue collection continues is to go up at this pace until the end of the fiscal year,” Ram Mani Duwadi, deputy director general of IRD, told Republica on Monday. He said the potentiality of increasing revenue from this sector very high as still large chuck of transaction is not coming into the tax system.	Following the budget announcement, IRD had strictly enforced the use of excise duty stickers for gutkha and tobacco products. Before the budget also, IRD had introduced excise duty stickers on a trial basis from mid-April to mid-June. “We formally introduced excise duty stickers for those products after witnessing the positive impact on revenue during the trial period,” added Duwadi. Following reports of rampant leakage in revenue in gutkha and tobacco, the government consulted the producers and traders and introduced sticker use for transactions in those products. The government has been levying excise duty of Rs 160 per kg and Rs 240 per kg for plain tobacco and tobacco with jarda incredient respectively. Similarly, Rs 275 per kg in excise duty has been fixed for gutkha products. “We are surprised to find that one single business firm dealing with gutkha and tobacco has been paying over R 25 million per month as excise duty. We found many other firms contributing over Rs 10 million in excise duty,” added Duwadi.
Published on 2014-01-28 07:53:31

Interaction with Chitwan journalists in Sauraha--- Prabhakar Ghimire