KATHMANDU, OCT 02 -Experts on Tuesday underlined the need for increased local content on the internet , to capitalise on the global network and reap the benefits of exposure. The idea has come at a time when Nepal is failing to boost local content on the web, despite a remarkable growth in the nation’s internet connectivity.
Currently, it is estimated that over 90 percent of the content being accessed by Nepali internet users is being generated from sources outside of the country. Participants at the Asia Internet Symposium, held in the capital on Tuesday, have stated that the use of local web content helps to provide opportunities for entrepreneurship on a global level, and offers a platform that enables the sharing of knowledge and culture.
Nepali wikipedia, e-pustakalya and e-paath are some of the local content available on the internet . Participants said with Nepali being the main language, the content development in Nepali for internet resources would further push the demand for connectivity to increase.
Binay Bohara, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal said that expanding broadband infrastructure to a community level and utilising local content was equally important. “As the future is in mobiles, the government should push the development of local content, so that the users can access information through handsets.”
Oct 2, 2013
Oct 1, 2013
Jewellers put in place regulation
KATHMANDU, OCT 01 -Gold dealers have unilaterally prepared rules on jewellery business, which has allowed them to earn profit up to 20 percent. Two federations of the dealers have asked all its members across the country to implement the rules and conduct business accordingly from Tuesday.
But only the government has the right to introduce such a regulation. The “Jewellery Business Operation Regulation” of the traders has come at the time when the government has resumed inspection of jewellery shops. The government has filed cases against eight jewellers found cheating customers.
The jewellers came up with the regulation after they failed to agree to the draft guideline being prepared by the government. The regulation says while buying jewellery from customers, traders can reduce the price of the item by 10 percent compared to the market price on the business day. “Since the government delayed the preparation and implementation of the standard rules, we had to devise our own,” said Ramesh Maharjan, president of the Federation of Nepal Gold, Silver, Gem and Jewellery Association (FNGSGJA). He added it has already been more than three months since the government started the work on the guideline.
Deepak Subedi, officiating secretary at the Ministry of Commerce Supply, said traders could not introduce a regulation setting own standards. “We will discuss on the matter with the Department of Commerce and Supply Management and Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology on Tuesday,” he said.
But only the government has the right to introduce such a regulation. The “Jewellery Business Operation Regulation” of the traders has come at the time when the government has resumed inspection of jewellery shops. The government has filed cases against eight jewellers found cheating customers.
The jewellers came up with the regulation after they failed to agree to the draft guideline being prepared by the government. The regulation says while buying jewellery from customers, traders can reduce the price of the item by 10 percent compared to the market price on the business day. “Since the government delayed the preparation and implementation of the standard rules, we had to devise our own,” said Ramesh Maharjan, president of the Federation of Nepal Gold, Silver, Gem and Jewellery Association (FNGSGJA). He added it has already been more than three months since the government started the work on the guideline.
Deepak Subedi, officiating secretary at the Ministry of Commerce Supply, said traders could not introduce a regulation setting own standards. “We will discuss on the matter with the Department of Commerce and Supply Management and Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology on Tuesday,” he said.
Rat behind service disruption: NT
KATHMANDU, OCT 01 -The Nepal Telecom (NT) said on Monday that its service had been interrupted on Saturday due to rats damaging the optical fibre based transmission links in its Sundhara office.
The company’s mobile network was out of service for four hours (5:50 am to 9:45 am) on Saturday morning, leaving over 1 million customers in the Kathmandu valley without GSM mobile or data service. “Our study has verified that the fibre wires were cut off by rats, causing the service in the Kathmandu valley to be disrupted,” said the NT spokesperson, Guna Keshari Pradhan.
She added that, as a precaution, the company has started test operations on a redundant transmission link so that the service remains uninterrupted, even if another route stops working.
After Saturday’s incident, the NT had used poison to get rid of the rats, according to officials. Since its offices face a problem with rats, the NT has long had been using mouse repellents; but those measures clearly did not prevent Saturday’s service disruption. After the fibres were cut, the transmission link between the NT’s Master Switching Controller (MSC) in its Babarmahal office (Telecom Training Centre) and the gateway at the Sundhara office was disrupted, according to the NT officials.
The company’s mobile network was out of service for four hours (5:50 am to 9:45 am) on Saturday morning, leaving over 1 million customers in the Kathmandu valley without GSM mobile or data service. “Our study has verified that the fibre wires were cut off by rats, causing the service in the Kathmandu valley to be disrupted,” said the NT spokesperson, Guna Keshari Pradhan.
She added that, as a precaution, the company has started test operations on a redundant transmission link so that the service remains uninterrupted, even if another route stops working.
After Saturday’s incident, the NT had used poison to get rid of the rats, according to officials. Since its offices face a problem with rats, the NT has long had been using mouse repellents; but those measures clearly did not prevent Saturday’s service disruption. After the fibres were cut, the transmission link between the NT’s Master Switching Controller (MSC) in its Babarmahal office (Telecom Training Centre) and the gateway at the Sundhara office was disrupted, according to the NT officials.
NT begins scouting for strategic partner
KATHMANDU, OCT 01 -Nepal Telecom (NT) plans to hire an international consultant to help it with the preparations to find a strategic partner. The consultant will be employed to carry out a due diligence audit (DDA) report and prepare the bid document. NT plans to select the consultant by November.
A sub-committee, assigned to carry out legal and procedural activities, is expected to complete drafting the expression of interest (EoI) soon. “We will complete the EoI preparations within one month and submit it to the NT board," said Basu Sharma, undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), who is also a member of the sub-committee.
According to Sharma, the NT will be able to call the EoI based on the terms of reference prepared by them without seeking the approval of the Cabinet. “It will take 45 days to receive the EoI from interested consultants once the notice is called,” he added.
The sub-committee, headed by the MoF Joint Secretary Janma Jaya Regmi, includes officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the NT. With increasing competition in the domestic telecom market, the state-owned company has been seeking a partner for over three years, however work to this effect has failed to progress due to procedural delays.
A sub-committee, assigned to carry out legal and procedural activities, is expected to complete drafting the expression of interest (EoI) soon. “We will complete the EoI preparations within one month and submit it to the NT board," said Basu Sharma, undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), who is also a member of the sub-committee.
According to Sharma, the NT will be able to call the EoI based on the terms of reference prepared by them without seeking the approval of the Cabinet. “It will take 45 days to receive the EoI from interested consultants once the notice is called,” he added.
The sub-committee, headed by the MoF Joint Secretary Janma Jaya Regmi, includes officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the NT. With increasing competition in the domestic telecom market, the state-owned company has been seeking a partner for over three years, however work to this effect has failed to progress due to procedural delays.
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