Nepal

Kathmandu, June 15

The government has transferred the responsibility of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to the Ministry of Health and Population regarding the purchase of ambulances by local levels.

According to MoFAGA, now the MoHP will be responsible for recommending customs duty exemption on ambulances to be purchased by local levels to the Ministry of Finance.

Earlier, the MoFAGA was tasked with the responsibility of making the recommendation to the MoF. As per the ‘Standards on Exemption of Customs Duty on Ambulances to be Purchased by Local Levels-2018, local levels can purchase duty free emergency vehicles on the recommendation of the MoHP.

The standards stipulate a provision of granting exemption of customs duty to metropolitan city/ sub-metropolitan city on the purchase of maximum three ambulances, while municipalities/rural municipalities shall get such exemption for up to two ambulances. However, the concerned local level has to pay one per cent customs duty on import transit.

After obtaining prior consent from the MoF, the concerned local level should again submit an application requesting exemption of customs duty on ambulances. The standard aims to increase peopleaccess to ambulance service at local levels.

Any local level may not import another ambulance as replacement for the existing one until completion of five years after purchase of the emergency vehicle, except in cases where the ambulance is not in operational state due to accident. The local levels concerned should abide by the terms and conditions specified in the standards while operating ambulances.

The ambulance shall be operated on the basis of decision taken by the executive of the local level. Priority shall be given to local patients by charging minimum fee.

The power to determine ambulance fare rests with the MoHP. If the ambulance is not operated for the purpose for which it was purchased, it shall be confiscated and the local level shall be liable to pay fine under the Financial Act, according to the standards.

As many as 88 local levels have enjoyed exemption of customs duty on ambulances in fiscal 2018-19.

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Rautahat, June 14

Police arrested a teenager for taking a minor girl hostage and raping her for days, in Rautahat.

Acting on a tip-off, a team deployed from Gaur District Police Office raided Chanda Guest House in Ward No 5 of Gaur Municipality and arrested a boy identified as Chandan Dube,19, of Ward No 3 of the same municipality, last night.

Four days ago, a 16-year-old girl from Gujara Municipality was waiting for her kin at Gaur Bus Park. Chandan sweet talked her into accompanying him to a nearby hotel, where he raped her for two days, before shifting to a guest house. According to police, the boy exploited the girl giving her a false assurance of marriage.

The court has remanded him to seven days in custody.

Even consensual sex with a minor girl is considered rape according to Nepali law.

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Kavre, June 15

Information and Communication Minister Gokul Prasad Baskota has said the government is trying to address issues surrounding the Guthi Bill in a scientific way.

&As the bill is linked to our culture, tradition and customs on the one hand and production and farmers& rights on the other, the government is trying to hold intensive discussion on this bill as to address concerns raised, and make the bill more scientific,& said the minister, addressing a programme at Sipaghat in Mandan-Deupur Municipality, today.

He questioned the rationale behind the demand that temples should be allowed to occupy a large swathe of land to profit the priests or temple management committee members, leaving the farmers high and dry.

&We have promulgated a constitution that stipulates for providing land to the landless and for increasing productivity.Butwhile Working to achieve the objective, some people are crying foul against the government.

How is this justifiable&asked the minister. He alleged that the protesting people are not ready even to hold discussion on the bill and said that their intention was dubious.

&Those who are against discussions on the bill and want it to be scrapped altogether must be the people who have been getting benefits from the guthiland by paying zero or minimum tax to the government,& Baskota argued, claiming even the Guthi Sansthan doesn&t have a detailed record on the number of guthis across the country.

&The Guthi Bill just aims to manage huge amount of land belonging to various guthis, thatall,& he reiterated.

&Itnot surprising that some big fish benefiting from guthi land are upset by the governmentefforts to ensure the rights of small farmers to land,& he said.

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Kathmandu, June 14

Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal said Nepal Police adopted Community-Police Partnership programme as a strategy to maintain peace and security in society through a systematic partnership between the security agency and people.

He said the programme was a paradigm shift in policing approach.

Community-Police Partnership, a nationwide programme, was officially launched on October 28 with approval of the government and is reckoned as a significant aspect in shaping the contemporary policing. &This concept is built on the theme, ‘security is the pre-requisite of development and development is the foundation of a secure society. We cannot imagine a prosperous and developed country without peace and security. The programme focuses on achieving national security envisioned by the constitution,& IGP Khanal told THT.

He further said though this programme was still at its early stage, it could be a model for many other countries. &This new concept encompasses a shift in policing approach, from traditional community police service to a more credible and vibrant partnership between the community and police. It also expands the concept of community police from urban to nook and corner of the country thereby effectively meeting the growing policing demands,& he said.

The concept was drafted and put in place following an intensive study, research and analysis of past criminal cases, age categories of suspects, perpetrators and victims, influencing factors and environment, and ongoing international practices to combat emergency security challenges. This study also involved focus group discussions along with wider consultations with experts from public and private spheres.

Scope of Community-Police Partnership entails a range of specific thematic issues of policing and community security. They include community sensitisation and crime prevention, police-school liaison programmes, effective security coordination on local level service, instalment and expansion of technical security devices, including CCTV cameras, effective mobilisation of police, integrated mobilisation of volunteers, creative support of community in arresting the absconding criminals, information exchange, data collection and update, and environmental protection and controlling the exploitation of natural resources.

&This is an innovative fusion of traditional and technology-based policing. More than 4,000 highly sensitive and strategic locations have been brought under CCTV coverage since the implementation of the programme. CCTVs are serving as a third eye of police as per the principle that our command should go beyond the horizon,& he said. Nepal Police is also doing a groundwork to establish a CCTV national grid for effective crime control and prevention measures and investigation.

Under this approach, Nepal Police has developed a comprehensive national partnership by forming committees at district, municipality, ward and school levels. The committees comprise Nepal Police, government agencies, community service centres, social and non-profit organisations, women, children and youth related organisations and schools. They will work together in line with a curricula for controlling crimes, raising public awareness against social evils like dowry system, and for enhancing community security.

Burning issues of cybercrime, violence against women and children, rape and attempted rape, organised crime and road safety are priority areas of intervention. &We have already reached more than four million schoolchildren and their guardians for promotion of security starting from home. Concerned police units have been providing basic physical security tips and training and information about the provisions stipulated in the new Criminal Code Act to the young generation in a bid to make them police without uniform,& Khanal said. This concept also envisions a public audit system which helps to keep police personnel away from bribery and financial irregularities, making them responsible in discharging their duties.

All 753 local levels have signed a memorandum of understanding with Nepal Police for implementation of the Community-Police Partnership programme. &It is spontaneously gathering support and is gaining momentum. Communities and the concerned institutions have shown signs of active participation to enhance security through public awareness and proactive community-based interventions,& IGP Khanal said.

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