By Surendra Phuyal
PENNSYLVANIA, July 27 – Senator Dianne Feinstein has assured a visiting high-level Nepalese delegation that she would move in the US Senate a bill for duty-and quota-free access to Nepali garments in the United States.
Such assurance from the California Democrat, who last month criticised Nepal government’s May 31 move to deport 18 Tibetan immigrants back to China and decided to withdraw her support to the bill, came at a meeting early Friday with visiting Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya. Also present in the meeting, held at Sen. Feinstein’s Washington office, were President of the Garment Association of Nepal (GAN) Kiran Saakha and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Washington DC, Rudra Kumar Nepal.
“The talks were very good and very positive,” Secretary Acharya told The Kathmandu Post from Washington. “Senator Feinstein has assured that she would move the bill in the Senate.” The bill, sponsored by Sen. Feinstein, was introduced in the Senate Finance Committee on March 19. It was expected to be passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives before 2004-end.
Nepalese-made garments are currently subjected to an average tariff rate of 18 percent in the US, which absorbs up to 80 per cent of the garments manufactured in Nepal. The enactment of the bill would pave the way for duty- and-quota-free access for a two-year period.
Secretary Acharya added that Sen. Feinstein was convinced after the Nepalese side explained Nepal’s position on refugees that the May 31 deportation of the Tibetans was a typical case and a stray incident, that the general practice is to hand over refugees to UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees), like in the case of 19 Tibetans arrested in Achham in July, and that Nepal is home to over 132,000 refugees -100,000 Bhutanese and 32,000 Tibetans.
“We told her that Nepal has remained friendly and open to refugees since ages and the tradition remains,” he said. According to Secretary Acharya, other congressmen and US officials who he met have also given him assurances that they would support the Nepal trade legislation, as well as Nepal’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
During his week-long visit, the Foreign Secretary also met with Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, Assistant US Trade Representative Ambassador E Ashley Wills, Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman and Congressman Pete Sessions. On Thursday, he met with Richard Blum, Nepal’s honorary consul based in California. Blum, who is the husband of Sen. Feinstein and a sympathiser of the Tibetan cause, flew into Washington from California for the meeting, sources said.
On the same day, the Foreign Secretary had a meeting with Rheett Hurless, an executive of Texas-based Panda Energy, which has a stake in 36 MW Bhote Koshi hydroelectric project. Sources said the American investors, chiefly the Panda Energy officials, are putting pressure on the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) officials to either buy the surplus energy generated by the project or buy the project itself which was built at a cost of US$ 100 in 2000.
The outcomes of the talks with the Panda Energy officials are positive, a source in Washington said, adding, more meetings will be held to look into the Bhote Koshi issue. Asked to elaborate about his July 21 talks with Assistant Secretary of State Rocca, Secretary Acharya only said, “discussions were held on various aspects of bilateral relations, including utilisation of the U.S. military and development assistance (which totals nearly $ 38 million for 2003) and that’s it.”
