Kathmandu, July 3, 2007

Petroleum supply in the Valley is to become normal by tomorrow evening, thanks to the resumption of transportation after a week-long strike.

More than 35 tankers carrying petroleum products entered the Valley today, after the transport entrepreneurs called off the strike last evening. “We immediately released the petroleum products as they reached the Thanko depot,” said Ichha Bikram Thapa, spokesperson for the Nepal Oil Corporation. He said the NOC released 111,000 litres of petrol, 155,000 litres of diesel and 120,000 litres of kerosene for the public and private pumps today.

More than 40 tankers carrying petroleum products have already left NOC depot at Amlekhgunj in Bara district, which are expected to arrive by tomorrow afternoon, Thapa said. Lilendra Pradhan, treasurer of the Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ Association, confirmed that the NOC released fuel to the private dealers also.

“Only 25 per cent out of the 114 pumps in the valley received petrol and diesel today,” he said. Pradhan, however, feared that panic buying would continue till the NOC provided ‘full supply’ to the private dealers.

The private dealers meet more than 90 per cent of total fuel requirement in the Valley. The petroleum supply has been erratic for the last three months, especially after the Tarai unrest and due to the NOC’s inability to pay the dues that it owes to the sole supplier — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which stands at Rs 4.5 billion.

Nepal,UAE sign labour pact

Kathmandu, July 3, 2007

Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today signed a bilateral labour pact, paving the way for secured employment opportunities and providing legal recognition to Nepali migrant workers in the UAE.

Ramesh Lekhak, minister of state for labour and transport management and Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi, labour minister of UAE, signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect on behalf of their respective governments, today.

The UAE is the first country with which Nepal has formally signed a bilateral labour pact, establishing a legal status for Nepali migrant workers.

The accord has not only set a legal framework for thousands of migrant workers but also clearly spells out requirements for both job seekers and recruiting agencies in the source country. Employers in the UAE are now bound to comply with the contracts signed between recruiting agencies and workers. “The MoU has been concluded to confirm the importance of organising the supply and recruitment of Nepali labour force on a firm foundation and in accordance with laws and regulations in force in both countries,” reads the agreement signed here today in the presence of high-ranking government officials of the two countries.