EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

Novel way to save forests

This is what social forestry is all about

Authorities have taken the right course of action to save the Madhupur forest. The indigenous people who survive on the forest are now being trained to protect it. They are also receiving orientation and fund to switch to alternative ways of livelihood like agricultural farming, apiculture, fishery, poultry and livestock raising, afforestation, vegetable gardening and so on.
The government deserves commendation for hitting upon this ingenious strategy to rehabilitate the 5,500 families living inside the forest.
Ironically, the indigenous people of the Madhupur forest, mainly members of the hunter-gatherer Garo community, were so far looked upon as looters of forest resources. But it was never thought that the forest people had no other means to survive than on the forest. Even the local poor non-indigenous settlers were not so much to blame for living off the Madhupur forest. Now the approach is changing. The indigenous Garos and the poor non-ethnic settlers have so far been pursued by the law-enforces in court cases as forest thieves.
The authorities have finally come to realise, though at a huge cost, the futility of the earlier approach to protect the forest, which is now facing virtual extinction with the decimation of around 83 per cent of the original forestland.
We hope that with apt use of the new approach of rehabilitating the Garos and other poor locals in the forest as its protectors, the remaining part of the traditional sal forest could be saved. And with the learning of the alternative means to survive, the local communities, too, would be able to reduce their dependence on the forest.
But while implementing the new strategy, the authorities must not lose sight of the fact that the real enemies of the forest are the outside loggers, who have money and influence. The forest department and the law-enforcers should have to be incorruptible and merciless in dealing with the forest robbers in order to save the forest.

Protecting consumer rights

Implementation of law is key

World Consumer Rights Day passed off Wednesday without any appraisal of where we stand in terms of implementing Consumer Rights Protection Law, 2009. All that Commerce Minister Faruk Khan could promise is that the government would amend the 2009 law in order to make it more effective. Obviously, the law is flawed in many ways as it is weighted towards the sellers rather than to the buyers, let alone the non-deterrent penalties prescribed in it. Besides, the whole spectrum of goods, services and utilities that the consumers have use for, have not been covered by the law. Still, whatever has been provided remains confined to paper and not yet applied.
One of the major shortcomings lie in the National Consumers' Rights Protection Directorate (NCRPD) being acutely short of manpower. It cannot afford to be a centrally controlled affair, there will have to be district and upazila offices to respond to consumers' complaints against being cheated in weights, measures, contents, expiry dates, and, above all, overpricing. There has been talk of separate courts for disposing of disputes relating to denial of consumer rights with attendant remedies, relief, compensation and penalties extracted from the offenders.
Part of the problem is in consumers not coming forward to demand justice. Basically, therefore, we need to concentrate on building awareness among the citizens of their rights to protection as consumers, legal remedies available to them and how they go about obtaining results from the system.
Merely giving more teeth to law is no guarantee for saving the consumers from the onslaught of food adulteration, spurious drugs, short-weight deliveries and overcharges. On the contrary, it can fuel corruption.
It is, however, a good idea to include financial services under the protective umbrella. But no matter how inclusive the law is, it has to be underpinned by a fair competition policy and a structure for surveillance and law enforcement that are free from corrupting influence of any vested interest.

EDITORIAL : THE HINDU, INDIA

Why exports need to be robust

The robust export performance in February is attributed primarily to the rebound in demand in the U.S. and a few other advanced economies. According to figures released by the Commerce Ministry, exports grew by nearly 50 per cent over February 2010 to $23.6 billion. During the 11 months of the current year (April 2010-February 2011) exports have grown to over $208 billion, crossing the annual target of $200 billion with one month to spare. The government's strategy of encouraging diversification into newer markets and the focus on non-traditional exports — the two important features of the Foreign Trade Policy — have paid off. Heartened by the strong export performance, the government has, in a strategy paper released recently, called for a doubling of exports to $450 billion by 2014. That can happen if exports grow at an annual rate of 26 per cent over the next three years. More in the nature of a visionary statement, the strategy is based on four pillars: a product strategy that will build on intrinsic strengths of some industries; market diversification; incentivising research and development; and building a Brand India. None of these is new but obviously the government hopes to refine some of the ongoing programmes of export promotion for even better results.

However, while a visionary approach to exports is welcome, perhaps necessary, the limitations of the Commerce Ministry ought not to be overlooked. While significant success has been achieved in fine-tuning procedures, discarding unwanted ones and building up an impressive technology backbone, the Ministry depends on various other arms of the government for achieving even some basic goals such as reducing transaction costs. Despite the adverse impact of rupee appreciation on export competitiveness, it has not always been possible to counter it just for the benefit of exporters. Facilitating infrastructure development has been a challenge for the government as a whole. On the external front, the weak recovery in the industrialised economies and the disasters in Japan call into question the assumption of world trade bouncing back to pre-crisis levels. Obviously Indian exports ought to be encouraged by every possible means to maintain the recent momentum. But trade policy is about imports too and what matters most in today's macroeconomic calculations is the level of merchandise trade deficit and its implications for the current account of the balance of payments. To a large extent, the growth in imports last year was due to the buoyant economic conditions at home, but the recent spikes in petroleum prices are a big cause for worry as energy imports are bound to enlarge in the coming years.

Contrasting elections

  Niger and Ivory Coast provide a stark contrast in responses to democratic voting. They also pose problems for globalisation theory. Niger's presidential election has been acclaimed as peaceful, free, and fair by 2,000 observers from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union, and others. The dictator, General Salou Djibo, who seized power in 2009 when the previous president, Mamadou Tandja, repealed a constitutional ban on a third term in office, is carrying out his promise to step down. The election is no mean achievement. Niger — vast, landlocked, and drought-prone — is desperately poor. Foreign corporations profit hugely by exploiting Niger's minerals; uranium extraction in particular is tainted by poor safety records and high rates of radiation-induced diseases. In addition, the country is a target for al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and faces a long-running Tuareg rebellion in the northern region. As for the election result, the second-round turnout of about 35 per cent is likely to give victory to Mahmadou Issoufou, who, having won the first round by 13 percentage points over an ally of Mr. Tandja's, Seini Oumarou, is now endorsed by many of the first-round losers.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, has collapsed into near-civil war with a concomitant humanitarian catastrophe. The election was free and fair, and the country is far wealthier than Niger. But the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has rejected the result, which was a clear win for Alassane Ouattara. He has unleashed his troops, who machine-gunned an all-women demonstration in Treichville; 80,000 Ivorians have fled to Liberia, and 450,000 have been internally displaced. As essential supplies dwindle, militias claiming to support Mr. Ouattara have created a condition of near-total lawlessness in Abidjan's Abobo district, amid tribal rivalries with other groups. Mr. Ouattara and his entourage are holed up in a luxury resort, and the 8,000 troops of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) have only a limited mandate. There is no doubting the popular commitment to the ballot-box in both Niger and Ivory Coast. The key difference lies only partly in the response of the two authoritarian regimes. The AU and ECOWAS have attempted to mediate in Ivory Coast and have imposed sanctions, but to no apparent effect. What Mr. Gbagbo is exposing, among other things, is that unless multilateral bodies create strong mandates for justifiable humanitarian intervention, the theory that national sovereignty has been vitiated in these purportedly globalised times is a vast overstatement.

EDITORIAL : THE TIMES OF INDIA, INDIA

TIMES VIEW

Debate, don't squabble

Recently revealed documents indicate that the business of governance, which depends on those in government putting their heads together, is being undermined by squabbling. The differences between environment minister Jairam Ramesh and several ministers whose concerns are voiced by home minister P Chidambaram, aren't being resolved through thought out and reasoned debate. Rather, what is happening is quite the opposite and is illustrated by Chidambaram's scathing attack on Ramesh. Speaking analogically, Chidambaram asked Ramesh, would he stop all car production because cars pollute?

Obviously car production, like mining, cannot be stopped and engaging in such exchanges is not what ministers should be doing. For one, it detracts from the seriousness of their jobs. For another, it is the duty of the government to function rather than get bogged down in internal squabbles. And that requires navigating a path through what are often completely opposing points of view. Ramesh and Chidambaram are a case in point as they have differing points of view on what the criteria for granting mining permits should be. Yet, Ramesh's environmental concerns are legitimate, as are Chidambaram's about growth. Both ministers should present their differing, and compelling, concerns and resolve them through debate. It is their responsibility to ultimately resolve their differences on the basis of detailed studies about what the costs and benefits of various policies will be. After all, they have bureaucracies to assist them in doing this.

All of these various inputs, processes and debates require privacy. Ministers are however squandering the privacy reserved for decision-making without distraction by engaging in public squabbles. Instead, they should focus on resolving complex issues. The positions of the various ministers and their concerns are well known. It is now up to UPA-II to demonstrate that it can rise above them and govern.

EDITORIAL : THE JAPAN TIMES, JAPAN

Mr. Ishihara's re-election bid

Gov. Shintaro Ishihara of Tokyo announced Friday that he will run for a fourth term in the April gubernatorial election. At one point, it was reported he would not run. Behind his decision was strong encouragement from the Liberal Democratic Party. It appears that he was worried that none of the other candidates would continue his policy line.

It is shameful that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan has decided not to field its own gubernatorial candidate, although there was a rumor that government revitalization minister Renho would run. The DPJ's decision is another blow to a party that has been on a losing streak in local elections. There are about 10.68 million voters in Tokyo, more than 10 percent of the nation's voters. Tokyo is Japan's center of politics and administration. Its general account budget for fiscal 2011 is more than ¥6.2 trillion. The function and power of the Tokyo governor are different from those of other prefectural governors. The outcome of the election will have a great impact on the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

Mr. Ishihara, originally a novelist, is a well-known figure. He is often criticized for making discriminatory remarks. His strength lies in his strong character and leadership, whether one likes him or not. His 12-year record as Tokyo governor is mixed. He reconstructed the metropolitan government's finances, strengthened control of gas emissions from diesel-engine vehicles and pushed Haneda airport into going international. Yet, Shinginko Tokyo, a bank established on Mr. Ishihara's initiative, has entered financial straits, and there is criticism that while he likes to pursue large-scale development projects, he does not demonstrate a strong interest in medical services and social welfare measures.

At least two other candidates will run in the gubernatorial election. The main issues include the relocation of the Tsukiji fish market, whether Tokyo should bid for the Olympic games and how to strengthen welfare policies. It is hoped that the candidates will make concrete policy proposals so that voters can choose a person who deserves to serve as the face of Japan's capital.

Fukushima nuclear plant alert

The situation at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant, damaged by the March 11 quake and tsunami, is worsening. Following hydrogen explosions in the No. 1 and No. 3 reactors Saturday and Monday, respectively, serious accidents occurred in the No. 2 and No. 4 reactors Monday and Tuesday.

The No. 2 reactor suffered a major loss of coolant, fully exposing its nuclear fuel rods for several hours. An explosion occurred Tuesday morning in the suppression pool at the bottom of its containment vessel. Water in the doughnut-shaped pool cools steam from the vessel and turns it into water when pressure inside the vessel goes up. The explosion points to the possibility that highly radioactive materials leaked through a crack in the suppression pool. Later Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in the No. 4 reactor's outer containment building, possibly caused by a hydrogen explosion. Another fire occured Wednesday. The function to cool spent nuclear fuel stored in the building with water may have been lost. If such fuel is not cooled, and if it is exposed, highly radioactive materials could leak outside.

Possible partial damage to the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel was reported Wednesday. At one point on Tuesday, radiation of 400,000 microsieverts was detected inside the plant site — close to a level that can cause acute health problems. Evacuation from areas within a 20-km radius from the plant has been carried out. The government told people within a 20- to 30-km radius to remain indoors.

Radiation levels drastically fall as radioactive particles travel from their source. Although radioactive alpha particles believed to be from the plant were detected in Tokyo, about 200 km away, there is little possibility — even in a worse-case scenario — that human health would be at risk in places more than 30 km from the plant. Still, people should carefully monitor the wind direction.

It is vital that the government and TEPCO provide accurate information on radiation levels promptly and regularly. TEPCO is working to cool the reactor cores by injecting seawater. Danger from the release of radioactive materials into the environment cannot be ruled out. The government must seriously consider specific ways to protect health in such a situation.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY YOMIURI, JAPAN

The largest circulated newspaper in the world

Quake disaster requires economic response

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Stock prices went into a free fall amid growing economic worries sparked by Friday's calamitous earthquake and ensuing malfunctions at a quake-hit nuclear power plant.

On Tuesday, Tokyo stocks plummeted below 9,000 points. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 1,015 to close at 8,605 after temporarily falling nearly 1,400 that day.

The plunge came after the Nikkei stock index had fallen below the 10,000 level on Monday. This means stock prices have plummeted an astonishing 1,800 points from Thursday's close since the massive temblor struck the Tohoku and northern Kanto regions.

The huge drop in stock prices is sure to dampen corporate and consumer sentiment and serve as a major cause of economic deterioration.

The government and the Bank of Japan should take all possible fiscal and monetary steps to allay investors' anxiety and underpin the economy and stock prices. These authorities should also keep close watch on any speculative moves that could exacerbate the current turmoil.

The Tohoku Pacific Offshore Earthquake has dealt a crushing blow to production bases and physical distribution networks used by corporations to stay in business. Market players are increasingly apprehensive that stagnation in manufacturing, marketing and other corporate activities will continue for extended periods.

Rising tensions due to the sequence of explosions and failures at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture have added to the prevalence of uncertainty in the market. To make matters worse, there is no telling when electric power companies in quake-stricken areas, including Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, will be able to restore their impaired power supply capability.

All of these factors compound the difficulty of shoring up stock prices.

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BOJ should do more

Admittedly, the acute crisis facing the Fukushima nuclear power station must take priority. However, the authorities cannot afford to put off taking measures to prevent the worsening of the economy.

On Monday, the central bank moved to increase the amount of money to be injected into money markets by 5 trillion yen, an additional measure aimed at complementing its existing quantitative easing policy. This was followed by the bank's continued efforts to inject a massive amount of funds Tuesday.

We believe the central bank has made the right decision. Nonetheless, there is no denying that these measures were too small to defuse the crisis. The bank will be tested over its decision about how and when additional easy-money policies will be implemented.

Undoubtedly, the central bank implementing monetary policies alone will not be enough to overcome the ongoing crisis. Swift action in rehabilitating the devastated areas and preventing an economic downturn will oblige the government to implement fiscal stimulus measures. With this in mind, the government and all political parties need to swiftly consider budgetary measures and special legislation designed to rebuild these areas.

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Avoid an overly strong yen

It is also necessary to closely watch any new moves on foreign exchange markets. The markets are trending toward a rise in the value of the yen. This seems to reflect growing speculation that Japanese and other corporations are seeking to convert their foreign-currency assets into yen, a move apparently aimed at containing risks and anticipating emergencies the ongoing crisis may pose for them.

The current crisis must not be allowed to deal a double blow to the economy in the form of falling stock prices and a strong yen. The government and the central bank should take determined action to prevent the yen's appreciation, including market intervention.

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 may be illuminating in this respect. The government of those times adopted a greatly curtailed budget for post-quake rehabilitation projects. This policy was intended to ensure that the goal of restoring fiscal health took precedence over post-quake reconstruction.

The austerity budget was combined with other misguided government policies, including what was intended to be benign neglect of a rise in the yen's value. As it turned out, all this triggered deflation, paving the way for a financial panic that gripped the nation in the early part of the Showa era (1926-1989).

The government and the central bank must take this bitter lesson to heart in dealing with the current crisis. They must not neglect to control an economic crisis that could emerge from such a catastrophe as the latest killer quake.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY MIRROR, SRILANKA

Democratic Violence

The much awaited Local Government Polls are here, finally.
What is disturbing in our democracy is that aberrations have become the norm.
The violence related to the very basic form of the non-violent method of rule has become high, while citizens have developed an aversion towards the entire system.
So much so that NGOs have to engage in awareness campaigns of the importance of exercising the franchise.
The malaise is not peculiar to Sri Lanka but very much a characteristic of the former Third World countries.
Corrupt to the core, where politics has become a big business while campaigning is another form of investment.
As per yesterday a total of 210 incidents of elections related violence have been reported, including six deaths according to a democracy group.
The NGO said that there had been 86 reports of assault and 76 reports of party office attacks. In addition 140 persons had been arrested including 15 who were candidates.
IGP Mahinda Balasuriya confirms the numbers.
IGP Balasuriya said 50,000 police personnel had been deployed for election duty while 20,000 STF and armed forces personnel will also assist when necessary at the Local Government election on the 17th of March.
That is quite a big number of security personnel. To someone from a “civilized democracy” this would look like a preparation for a war!
In fact now the bullet as well as the ballot have become part and parcel of our democracy.
It is comical that the IGP is “requesting” all involved to conduct a “peaceful” election.
If we remember correctly, strictly speaking there should be no mention whatsoever about “peaceful” in the practice of democracy.
Worse is the number of STF being deployed?
STF, for those who have forgotten, stands for Special Task Force-similar to that of SWAT, SEAL, command.
While the main opposition UNP lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake, regarding incidents during the postal voting, the once-twice jilted JVP claimed of expected violence in Tissamaharama.
At one place the UNP agent had been chased away from the Pallakale Army camp.
Meanwhile the JVP feared mass scale election malpractices and violence in Tissamaharama in the Hamabantota District on polling day, and requested the authorities to make special security arrangements to avert any “untoward” incident.
JVP also charged that the police had miserably failed to maintain law and order in the area.  He said that a certain Colombo District politician had gone to the area with a gang of thugs apparently to intimidate voters on polling day.
The once militant party charged that a ruling party politician had been delegated to prevent votes for the JVP through violence.
The JVP said that special security arrangements are needed. Making things worse the OIC of the Tissamaharama Police had also been implicated.

EDITORIAL : THE DAWN, PAKISTAN

More taxes

THE fresh tax measures announced by our cash-starved government to boost its revenues during the remaining three and a half months of the current fiscal have surprised no one. Some measures like a 15 per cent flood surcharge on incomes are temporary and scheduled not to last beyond June 30. Others like a 2.5 per cent special excise duty on imports and sales tax on sugar, domestic sales of the five major export-oriented industries and agricultural inputs are likely to remain longer. It was also not surprising to see the politically belea-guered government of Prime Minister Gilani circumvent parliament and implement new taxes of Rs53bn by promulgating ordinances. This may not be unconstitutional, but it certainly is not desirable. Apparently, the government’s failure to build political consensus in parliament on the controversial but important RGST led it to take this step. Had it chosen to take the fresh package to parliament, the opposition would have blocked the move. Even treasury supporters might have found it difficult to digest the new package.
Together, the additional taxes and expenditure reductions are expected to provide a cushion of Rs120bn to the government and help it restrict fiscal deficit to less than 5.5 per cent of GDP from the projected eight per cent or above. It will also help it to reduce its borrowings from the central bank and ease pressure on interest rates. Moreover, the implementation of the new measures will pave the way for the partial release of the currently blocked official capital flows from international donors and lenders. It would, therefore, be safe to assume that the government has at least stalled an economic meltdown.
Simultaneously, the government has announced fresh budget cuts of Rs67bn to make the new tax measures more ‘palatable’ to taxpayers. Development spending has again been scaled down, fresh recruitments banned and non-salary expenditure halved. But this will hardly appease the opposition. While it is necessary to boost tax revenues to protect the economy from collapse, the new measures cannot be described as equitable and fair. They will further burden the salaried class that has been asked to pay additional taxes of Rs20bn. No effort has been made to broaden the tax base and make the system equitable by removing exemptions given to the rich growers and property and stocks speculators. The government must realise that fire-fighting measures cannot help it prop up the economy or improve its public rating. It will continue to lose public support and the economy will continue to be un-stable until all segments of society are made to pay their due share of taxes.

Bahrain unrest

AS the Arab movement for change shows no sign of abating, all eyes seem to be fixed on the small Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. The island has been rocked by nearly continuous anti-government protests — some deadly — for the last month or so. Bahraini security forces uprooted a protest camp at Pearl Square — Manama’s answer to Cairo’s Tahrir Square — on Wednesday in which several protesters were reportedly killed as the king declared a three-month state of emergency a day earlier. At least one Pakistani was also reportedly killed in violence earlier in the week. But the arrival of a Gulf Cooperation Council military contingent on Monday threatens to escalate tensions. As nearly 2,000 Saudi and Emirati troops rumbled down the King Fahd Causeway into Bahrain from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the move attracted criticism from within Bahrain as well as from the region, with the Bahraini opposition calling the foreign troops an “occupation force”. While the six GCC states — under a common security framework — can call in the Peninsula Shield when a member state is threatened by military aggression, this is the first time the force has been deployed to deal with internal unrest.
What is happening in Bahrain is purely a domestic issue. The opposition, mainly made up of a dis-enfranchised Shia majority, is dissatisfied with the way in which the Sunni royal family is running the country and wants representative government as well as to secure the social, political and economic rights of the majority. Hence foreign military intervention, even within the framework of the GCC, is a questionable solution to the problem. It risks internationalising a local issue and should Iran get involved (it has denounced the intervention), the conflict is likely to stir up sectarian passions across the Muslim world. Interestingly, many Arab governments have denounced Muammar Qadhafi’s brutal suppression of the Libyan opposition, while the international community has mooted the idea of a ‘no-fly zone’ over the North African country. Yet the silence over Bahrain is deafening, where Arab and most Muslim governments, as well as the US, seem to be rallying behind the Bahraini regime. Pakistan’s religious parties are also conspicuous by their silence.

Rehabilitation refused

MYTHS and misinformation abound about HIV-Aids, particularly in countries with low literacy rates. Pakistan is no exception in this regard, with many believing that the disease can be ‘caught’ through a handshake or even by being near an infected person. Hepatitis C, though it doesn’t carry the stigma attached to HIV, is another ailment whose mode of transmission is poorly understood by the public at large. This is unfortunate but some small allowance can perhaps be made for ignorance or discrimination rooted in poverty and lack of education. But the same leeway cannot be given to officials in charge of healthcare facilities. As this paper reported on Tuesday, a government-run centre established in Karachi last year to treat and rehabilitate injecting drug users (IDUs) is turning away addicts who test positive for HIV or hepatitis C. And the rationale behind this policy? The project manager, for one, believes infected IDUs could spread these diseases to other patients at the rehab centre. How anyone can share syringes and inject drugs at a facility where addicts are closely monitored during the detoxification process remains a mystery. Either the staff there is not doing its job properly or the centre is being run on discriminatory lines.
By refusing to admit IDUs infected with HIV or hepatitis C, the centre is denying addicts their basic right to be treated. At the same time there is the risk that infected addicts who are rejected by the centre could, through the sharing of syringes, transmit the viruses to other IDUs. The latter may in turn unwittingly infect their spouses or other sexual partners. Addicts suffering from HIV or hepatitis C must be treated at par with other IDUs, not only for indivi-dual betterment but also to check the spread of these deadly diseases.