Beggars Can't Be Choosers

It came to light today that Nepal Airlines Corporation(NAC), a government owned and operated airlines in Nepal, has requested “eight planes from the northern neighbor as a grant.” The story from eKantipur quotes Krishna Hari Banskota, Finance Secretary at the Ministry of Finance as saying that “if it is not possible as a grant, we have also requested China to provide a soft loan.”

This is the state of the government run airlines in Nepal—it needs to beg for planes!

Now, when one begs for gifts, one loses the right to complain or receive any compensation for any faults with the gift. In other words, one might be stuck with a long bill on repairs and other expenses if the gift is faulty. It seems like the officials at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and Ministry of Finance have discounted these possible future costs. Even if China donates brand new planes (highly unlikely) to Nepal, this story demonstrates the colossal failure of the NAC. It is highly inefficient, lacks the trust of the flying public, and is “incurring Rs 50 million in losses annually from each aircraft serving the remote sector.”

It is high time that we dismantle the NAC!

This can be done in phases and in partnership with private air carriers to have little or no impact on employment. In an industry that has grown with the entry of private carries, NAC’s existence only hinders the improvements that are possible in air travel in Nepal. It takes teh government away from the actual job that it should be doing--making travel safe and secure.The government should move away from trying to provide flights and concentrate more on improving the infrastructure to support the industry. The increase in crashes in recent years and the damage to the runway in Kathmandu are some examples of the failure of various government bodies associated with air travel and tourism. It is also an indication of the bigger problem of corruption in the Nepali public sector.
Getting new planes, whether for free or for a “soft loan” from China, ignores the underlying problem at the NAC, drains the national treasure, while postponing the inevitable.

How quickly we forget the Lauda scandal!

The Prakriti Project

Where would I be at 5pm on November 15, 2011 if I was in Kathmandu? That's easy--I would be in Gyaneshwor at the Fulbright Commission Auditorium. The Fulbright presentations are well researched and very interesting and I would like to encourage you, if you are in Kathmandu, to attend. The details of the program is posted below from the e-mail I got from Fulbright.

F U L B R I G H T F O R U M

" The Prakriti Project:
A Pioneering Synthesis of Newari Repoussé and Contemporary Painting"

Speaker - Ms. Maureen T. Drdak, Senior Fulbright Researcher of Art

Date - Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Time - 5:00 p.m.
Venue - Fulbright Commission Auditorium, Gyaneshwor

Abstract
Taking its name from the Sanskrit word prakriti, signifying both physical matter and the primal creative force that shapes it, Maureen Drdak’s Prakriti Project is the first synthesis of contemporary painting and the metal art of traditional Newari repoussé, a technique in which sheet metal is hammered from both sides to produce a three-dimensional bas-relief.

Drdak is working both at her studio in the Patan Museum, and in the Patan atelier of contemporary master of Newari repoussé, Raj Kumar Shakya, to continue and advance her study with Raj Kumar's brother Rabindra Shakya. Both men are grandsons of the venerable Kuber Singh Shakya, the acknowledged historical master of repoussé. The Kuber Singh Shakya family lineage of artists and scholars, patronized by the Malla rulers, is traceable back to Abhaya Raj Shakya, founder of the Mahabouddha Temple in 1601.

The significance of The Prakriti Project lies in the creation of a genuinely new art form resulting from the mergence of specific materials, artistic practices, and cultural traditions. It represents a unique contribution to the vocabulary of the visual arts, evidencing the unexplored contemporary applications of this venerable and ancient art form, addresses the relevance of qualitatively endangered material techniques to contemporary art practices, and furthers the dynamic expansion of cultural boundaries and the ongoing artistic and cultural dialogue between the Asia and the West. It serves as a model for future investigations of the expressive potential for contemporary art inherent in Nepali traditional practices.

Drdak is creating a major artwork demonstrable of this synthesis, to be exhibited at Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu in January 2012. She will exhibit jointly with her guru, Rabindra Shakya, in order to exemplify the linkage between master and student, traditional legacy and contemporary form. Drdak’s work, Flying Nagas, takes as its theme the protective serpent deities of the Kathmandu valley; among the Naga’s many powers and blessings is the ability to alleviate drought--a growing problem for Nepal--beset as it is by the accelerating effects of global warming. Closely associated with the health of the environment, and symbolic of the integration of opposites, the Naga is a beloved and powerfully relevant symbol for Nepal and for this project, one which speaks with authenticity and eloquence to the Nepalese people and to their current environmental concerns.

Drdak explains her work and its genesis, introduces the audience to the repoussé form and process, its contemporary masters, and presents her work progress to date. A Power Point presentation rich in visual imagery and photos will accompany her presentation.

Economics of Terrorism

Nobel In Economics

As you may already know, Christopher Sims and Thomas Sargent won the Nobel prize in Economics this year. I have decided to post this video of the presentation by Dr. Sims to give you an idea of his work, but mostly because of my interest in DSGE models.

Agriculture Investment in South Asia

Here is an article on agriculture investment in South Asia, published on SAWTEE's Trade Insight (Vol.7, No. 2, 2011) written by Ghintang Economics' own Shreesh Bhattarai. I have posted a brief paragraph from the article below. If you want to read the entire article please click here (PDF) and scroll down to page 27.

South Asian economies rely heavily on the agriculture sector. For instance, in 2000, the share of value added of agriculture in gross domestic product (GDP) was approximately 25 percent in South Asia. However, the region has seen a steady decline in this figure in the last decade. The share of value added of agriculture in GDP was only 18 percent in 2009. This is a result of structural changes as countries have transitioned into more manufacturing- and service-friendly economies. The agriculture sector has also been an important source of liveli- hood, especially for the poor, in South Asia. In 2008, it employed about 60 percent of the labour force in the region, contributing 22 percent of the regional GDP. 

Continue to read the entire article on page 27 of SAWTEE's Trade Insight.

"Demoting The King, Debating Dasai"

I wish I was in town to be able to attend this event--it sounds very interesting. Fulbright presentations are a good opportunity to learn about topics related to Nepal being conducted by Fulbright fellows. I was able to attend one when I was in Kathmandu this past summer presented by Ms. Kerry Brown--I must confess, I learned a lot about Newari Buddhism and the significance behind the various statues and temples around  Kathmandu valley.

Below you will find the  info sent to me by the Fulbright Forum about the upcoming presentation. The event is free and open to public, however, make sure to bring a photo identification with you. 

Please comment on this post and tell us more about the presentation and your experience if you attend the event. Thank you. 

Speaker -  Ms. Anne Mocko, Fulbright Alumnus

 

Date      -  Wednesday, October 12, 2011

 

Time      - 5:30 p.m.

 

Venue    - Fulbright Commission Auditorium, Gyaneshwor

 

 

Following the 2006 Janandolan, the Interim Government undertook a
program to dismantle Nepal's monarchy and transition the country from a
Hindu kingdom to a secular republic. This process was complex and plural,
and touched on issues ranging from the leadership of the army to the design
of banknotes. One of the most complex and contentious issues, however,
was the government's move to appropriate the king's ritual roles: the
performative, traditional, religious practices that had marked the king out
as a unique social actor.

One of the most interesting set of debates surrounded the Interim
Government's challenges to the king's celebration of Dasai, a debate which
required the state to untangle which of the rituals were the king's private
family traditions and which were national occasions. The debates over Dasai
during the Interim Period -- and the continuation of formerly-royal
practices during the post-Interim Period -- thus challenged the Interim Government's policy of ritual appropriation and replacement, and in the continuing context raise questions about the possibilities of retaining traditional practices in a context of institutional change.

Anne Mocko is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago. She has been
researching and writing her dissertation, "Demoting Vishnu: Ritual, Politics, and the Unmaking of Nepal's Monarchy," since 2007. She was a Fulbright- Hays research fellow in Nepal for 2009-2010, and is back in Nepal for a brief follow-up research trip.

Who is Looking Out For You?

The Consumer Court that the government of Nepal is creating is a positive step towards a safe and fair business environment, which is crucial, not only for the safeguard of consumer rights, but also for a vibrant economy. Due to the very high (% of income) transaction costs for any consumer to bring a suit against a business, there has to be proactive government inspections for this program to succeed. I am sure that it will be a learning experience and many kinks will be ironed out as they come up.

All in all, I think it was high time Nepal had a system in place to protect the consumers. Let's just hope the body stays independent and doesn't get bought out by special interests!

शुभकामना!