Apropos of the news story “Two watch outlets sealed for overcharging customers” (THT, September 7, Page 10), it is nice to know for whatever reason the government seems to have jolted out of slumber to the dual problem of under invoicing and overcharging by Nepali traders as Dashain looms upon us. Sulux must be as old as or older than our first great Jan Andolan. So it could not have double scammed only now. In its infancy it would have made a killing from gullible Indian tourists who were deprived of imported ‘phoren’ luxuries. Some of us who are aware of the quality and prices of the brand watches never even glanced at the store from the corner of our eyes. The other store - Watch and see - whose manager had ‘Pleasant enough experience’ reviewing Roadhouse Cafe for the popular column ‘Foodspies’ will just have to eponymously watch and see for the store’s fate. What next for the government? Raids on hotels and restaurants which sell dal-bhat experience for US$50 or more or watery beer for Rs. 500/600 or more against purchase invoices of Rs. 200/300! It will be nice to see what fate awaits the hotels and restaurants or mineral water stores that sell at two and half times the invoiced price.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

SOS homes

This is with reference to the news story “Bhimeshwor locals suspect financial irregularities” (THT, September 2, Page 5). It has drawn our attention seriously. SOS Children’s Villages Nepal is a leading NGO working to protect the interest and rights of children. In the reconstruction following the earthquake of 2015, SOS Children’s Villages initiated relief and rehabilitation work.

Our efforts included providing Child Care Spaces, where children could find a safe and welcoming environment. SOS Children’s Villages is taking children’s safety further by building houses and rebuilding schools. All our buildings are built to be resilient through structural mitigation measures and quality materials. SOS Children’s Villages is signatory to International Code of Conduct for Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and follows various humanitarian standards including such as humanitarian accountability principles (HAP) and SPHERE standards.

In Nepal, as well, we are following strict guidelines to ensure that the houses that we construct are strong and durable, as per the norms defined by the Nepal Reconstruction Authority. We believe in building back better to enable a more cost-effective and sustainable recovery in which the affected people are closely involved.

The community in Dolakha, where the houses are being built, has fully participated in the reconstruction process. “The community members have contributed to the design of the houses. We have transferred skills, such as masonry and plumbing, to the community to make them self-reliant.

Deepa Woli, SOS, Communication Officer