Accounts body in offing

KATHMANDU: Eight Asian countries, including Nepal have set up the Asian Governmental Accounts Association with an objective of promoting professional understanding among governmental accounts institutions and exchange technical cooperation. Comptroller General Balgopal Sigdel, who returned here after taking part in a meeting and a workshop in Colombo, said that contributions from the association will be important in enhancing the efficiency of government chief accountants, making provision of training and research and also in maintaining accounting in line with international norms. Sigdel, who is one of the founders of the association signed its charter on behalf of Nepal. Other members of the association are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The next meeting of the association will be held in Pakistan in July this year. — RSS

Sunsari customs gets ‘A’

INARUWA: The Department of Customs has listed Sunsari customs office at Setuvandha in the ‘A’ category on the basis of its achievement that has been more than the targeted revenue collection. Other customs offices listed in the same category are Birgunj, Rajbiraj, Sarlahi, Koilavas, Kanchanpur and the foreign post office. In Nepal, there are 29 customs offices including the Tribhuvan International Airport customs office. Sunsari customs office collected Rs 47,75,000 within six months against a target of Rs 28,30,000 as customs tax and VAT from Saun to Poush. As it raised more customs duty than the target, it was included in the ‘A’ category. Sunsari customs office has an annual target of collecting Rs 45,23,700 in customs tax and Rs 1446,800 in VAT. — RSS

Special logo for Nepali tea

ILAM: An effort is being made to establish a separate logo for Nepali tea in the international market. According to executive director of Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers’ Association, Chandra Bhushan Subba, a separate logo is being designed to represent Nepali quality. So far Nepali tea does not have its own logo. Statistics from the National Tea and Coffee Development Board shows 6.5 metric tonnes of tea is being exported to third countries. But there is no Nepali brand name due to lack of a Nepali logo. Subba says the association is going to establish a logo by integrating tea farmers with factories. — RSS

China, Taiwan illegal trade

TAIWAN: Criminal gangs are making huge profits smuggling goods and women from China into Taiwan by plying routes denied to business because of decades of rivalry between the two governments, police said on Thursday. Officers said Taiwan’s thriving sex industry is being driven by the increasing number of mainland women smuggled in fishing boats to the island by Chinese ‘snakehead’ gangs. — AFP

Philippines to pay debt

MANILA: A central bank official assured foreign creditors on Thursday the Philippines is committed to repaying its debt, downplaying a campaign pledge by leading opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe to restructure sovereign obligations. “The Philippines is committed to honouring its debt obligations,” deputy central bank governor Amando Tetangco said in a statement.