The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok…
The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok…
In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has…
May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May…
May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY…
May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday.…
May 15: Nepal witnessed a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind on Sunday.…
May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the…
May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return…
Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being…
May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local…
May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case…
May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any…
May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods.…
May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season.…
May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and…
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17868', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Arrested For Robbing Cooperative of Over Rs 3 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Acting on the tip-off, Makawanpur police team arrested two suspects from Indrasarobar Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district on Monday, said Tek Bahadur Karki, spokesperson for the Makawanpur district police office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The police have recovered Rs 500,000 in cash, a home-made pistol and an iron rod from the arrestees. The arrested have been identified as Ashok Rumba and Akabar Lama. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The arrested have been taken to the District Police Office Kavre for investigation, spokesperson Tek Bahadur Karki said.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17599', 'image' => '20230515060133_robbery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 17:59:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17867', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Rising Government Expenses and Falling Revenue Collection Cause Financial Deficit', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, until mid-May (the end of Baisakh) in the current fiscal year 2022/2023, government expenses have increased by more than NPR 250 billion compared to the government's revenue income.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, while government expenses stood at NPR 1047 billion, revenue collection and grants received were only around 797 billion rupees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Office of the Financial Comptroller General, the government has spent 58.41 percent of the annual budget appropriation in 10 months of the current fiscal year. The government had presented a budget of NPR 1793.82 billion for the current fiscal year, of which around NPR 1047 billion has been spent so far.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the current expenditure is 66.49%, the capital expenditure is 33.04%, and the financial management expenditure is 58.79%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">For the current fiscal year, a budget of NPR 1,183.23 billion was allocated in the current expenditure title, and so far, NPR 786.74 billion has been spent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the development budget of NPR 380.38 billion has been allocated for the current fiscal year, and only NPR. 125.67 billion has been spent in the first ten months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Looking at the budget expenditure of the first ten months of the current fiscal year, the financial management budget is significantly higher than the capital expenditure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till the mid-May, the government has spent a total of NPR 135 billion in financial management. The expenses under financial management are spent on paying the principal and interest of the government loan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the government's target for annual revenue collection is 54.66 percent. The government has set a target of collecting Rs. 1403.14 billion in domestic revenue for the current fiscal year, but so far, only Rs. 756.25 billion has been collected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the government had set a target of receiving foreign aid equivalent to Rs. 55.45 billion for the current fiscal year, but until mid-May only Rs. 4.80 billion, or 8.66 percent of the target, has been received.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, income tax and value-added tax (VAT) have decreased, while excise revenue has increased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the current fiscal year until mid-May, revenue collection from income tax has reached NPR 159.5 billion, which is lower than the previous fiscal year's collection of NPR 173.40 billion during the same period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the collection of VAT has also decreased compared to the previous year. Until mid-May in the previous fiscal year, VAT collection was NPR 90.68 billion, whereas in the current fiscal year, it is NPR 88.67 billion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, revenue collection under from excise duty has slightly increased compared to the previous year. Revenue collection from excise duty increased to NPR 84.11 billion from last year’s NPR 83.88 billion until mid-May.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17598', 'image' => '20230515041232_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 16:06:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17866', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Doctors' Consultation Fees Increase by 14 Percent ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This is the second times in two years that medical consultation fees have increased. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">NMA General Secretary Dr Sanjeev Tiwari said the latest decision to hike the fees follows on the recommendation of the Nepal Rastra Bank's Inflation and Fees Advisory Committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As per the revised fee chart, the doctors’ consultation fee has been fixed between Rs 420 to Rs 940 per patient. The fees to consult with MBBS and BDS graduates with a five-year experience has been fixed at Rs 420 while Rs 515 will be charged to seek services from those who have more than five years of experience. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the fees to see a doctor with a diploma degree and the five years of experiences has been fixed at Rs 670, while Rs 750 will be charged for an appointment with MD, MS and MDS doctors having experiences up to five years. Similarly, Rs 880 will be charged to see doctors with MD, MS and MDS degrees having more than the five years of experiences. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">One has to pay Rs 880 to receive the service from a doctor with DM/MCh degree with five years of experience, and Rs 940 to see those MD/MCH degree holders with experiences of more than five years. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17597', 'image' => '20230515023906_health sector.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:38:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17864', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'This is How the Budget is Prepared', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24). According to the constitutional provisions, intensive discussions on the priorities and principles of the budget are going on in the Parliament to bring the budget for the year 2023/24 on this May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">What is the budget?</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Generally, a budget is an estimate of income and expenditure. It determines how much income the government shall earn and how much it shall spend in a certain period of time. The budget cycle continues throughout the year. After determining the goals and objectives of the budget, the preparation of drafting the budget begins by analyzing the old information.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">When the government starts budgeting, it asks for plans and programs from the lower levels. The government agencies send the plan from the districts. After those plans are received by the line ministry through the concerned department, new plans are registered in the Project Bank. Projects registered in the Project Bank are included in the budget on a priority basis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The projects and programs included in the budget are classified into P-1, P-2, P-3 and the budget is allocated based on priority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">According to former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Pushparaj Kandel, this has to some extent discouraged the old trend of including small and petty schemes and programs directly in the budget on the basis of personal influence.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Earlier, when the government started preparing a new budget, high-ranking people and parliamentarians used to create a lot of fuss include their petty plans and programs in the budget. Now that has become somewhat discouraged.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the country adopted the federal system, the federal government started announcing budget on May 29, followed by the budget announcement by the state governments and then the local governments. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">While preparing the budget, the government should give priority to the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the constitution. By ensuring these rights, the budget is expected to develop the country, flourish industries, and create jobs within the country itself.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission and related ministries participate in the preparation of the budget. While preparing the budget, one should work according to the provisions of the Financial Procedures Act and Financial Regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">There are methods and procedures for budgeting. Just because the Ministry of Finance prepares the budget doesn’t mean that the finance minister directly submits the budget in the parliament. It has its own method and process from the preparation of the budget to the time it is submitted to the parliament, and it should be followed accordingly.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission sets the budget ceiling for the government in the winter. Based on that limit, the preparation of the budget gets started. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The preparation of budget includes various steps from compilation of draft forms to tabulation and study, discussions with officials of the National Planning Commission on the policies and programs of the budget, preparation of financial surveys along with discussions on income and expenditure for the budget in the ministry </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, foreign technical assistance and budget suggestions are also collected for the budget. Concerned bodies give suggestions through various means. Before unveiling the budget, the government submits the priorities and principles of the budget to the parliament. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget session is currently underway according to the same process.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The finance minister has to include the suggestions given by the parliamentarians in the budget. After the discussion on priorities and principles, the president on behalf of the government submits the new fiscal year's policies and programs in the Parliament.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, preparations are made for the pre-budget presentation in the Parliament. The final draft of the target and progress reports of the ministries is prepared. Along with this, the final draft of the progress report of various institutes is also prepared. The report of the Revenue Advisory Committee is studied and the projects involving foreign aid are studied. The Ministry of Finance then prepares an economic survey. Expenditure estimates and topic-wise expenditure estimates are also prepared. Similarly, the preliminary draft of the expenditure estimate is prepared and the three-year expenditure is estimated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance prepares the draft of the schedule of the finance bill, prepares the source book of projects involving foreign aid, prepares the initial draft of the budget statement, publishes the progress report of the institute, and publishes the economic survey report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Appropriation Bill, National Debt Collection Bill, Loan and Guarantee Bill, Finance Bill and Provisional Expenditure Bill are also prepared at this time. The budget begins to take its final form after the Ministry of Finance informs the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the President’s Office about the budget after deciding the revenue estimates and programs.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the budget is made, the finance minister should brief the National Planning Commission and the Council of Ministers on the matter. After approval by the cabinet, the president is informed about the new budget. After this, the budget will be announced in the federal parliament on May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, discussions on the budget starts in the parliament. After the budget is passed by the majority in Parliament, the door to implement the budget opens. The budget passed by the House will be implemented from mid-July. The tax rates proposed through the budget, such as customs and excise duties, will be implemented from the day of the budget speech. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Before the promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal, it was customary to bring the budget before mid-July. But now, the budget is announced on May 29 every year so that the budget can be implemented from the first day of the new fiscal year starting from mid-July.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">However, there is a continuity of the same trend as the budget authority is not given to the implementing agencies on time, the capital budget is allocated less than the current expenditure, the capital budget is not spent according to the allocation, there is lack of clear criteria in the budget formulation, and the tendency to formulate the budget in haste is still prevalent. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, there is a tendency that all expected foreign aid in the budget is not received in reality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Even though the Public Expenditure Review Commission established by the government has recommended to improve the expenditure system as well as the process of fixing the resources of the budget, it has not been implemented yet. The government announces that it will implement the commission's report, but it is never implemented.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">As the economic indicators are not positive at the moment, many people are interested in what kind of budget the Ministry of Finance will bring to improve the economy. Experts have been saying that there is a need to increase production in the country and a budget that will support the increase in production is the need of the moment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">In the current situation, experts have been suggesting that a distribution-oriented and unimplementable budget cannot be justified. Even in the past, experts used to give such suggestions, but the government continued to bring distribution-oriented and unimplementable budgets.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">History of Budget in Nepal</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The tradition of presenting the annual budget started in Nepal since 1952. On February 4, 1952, the first budget was presented in Nepal according to the constitutional provisions. The budget was presented by the then Finance Minister Subarna Shumsher Rana.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The size of the budget was Rs 52.5 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget from 1952 to 1956 was focused on maintaining peace and security, revenue collection and daily administration. Since the beginning of the planned development in 1957 and the implementation of the first five-year plan in the year 1957/58, the practice of budget management started with the target of achieving the goals mentioned in the plan.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17596', 'image' => '20230515020916_1683767264.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:08:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17865', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Meeting between Nepal and Bangladesh from Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. According to sources, the meeting to be held in Bangladesh will discuss how to prepare the necessary environment for electricity trade between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire is leading the Nepali delegation in the meeting and Energy Secretary Habibur Rahman will lead it the Bangladesh side.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In a conversation with New Business Age, Kulman Ghising, the executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who arrived in Bangladesh to attend the energy meeting, said that a joint working group meeting will be held on the first day of the meeting, followed by a meeting of the Energy Secretary-level joint directorate committee of Nepal and Bangladesh on the second day based on the prime theme of electricity transmission and trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Officials of the Ministry of Energy have said that it will be a significant achievement if they can start electricity trade with Bangladesh even if it is only symbolic and will open the way for Nepal-Bangladesh electricity trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal proposed to sell electricity from Likhu-4 hydropower project to Bangladesh. However, India's consent is mandatory for electricity trade with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Energy plans to start electricity trade with Bangladesh before the onset of the rainy season, after India gave permission to use its transmission line.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sunkoshi-3 hydropower project will also be discussed in the meeting, which has already been agreed to be jointly invested by Nepal and Bangladesh.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the agreement, Nepal has provided a feasibility study report and an environmental impact assessment report to Bangladesh. As the private sector of Bangladesh is also willing to invest in Nepal's hydropower, the officials said that how to bring that investment will be discussed in the meeting.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17595', 'image' => '20230515022832_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:27:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17863', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ''No Noticeable Effects of Cyclone Mocha in Nepal' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal witnessed a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal witnessng a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind. The powerful cyclone 'Mocha' that originated in the Bay of Bengal has had no noticeable effects in Nepal on Sunday, said the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the division, the cyclone has already entered the territory of Bangladesh and Myanmar and is gradually losing its intensity. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Partial to general changes in weather are taking place in Koshi, Karnali and Sudurapschim provinces now, but the weather is generally clear in remaining provinces on Monday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the weather forecasting bulletin published by the division, brief or light rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in some areas of mountainous belt of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces with partial to general changes in weather in the mountainous region of the country. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17594', 'image' => '20230515122821_weatherrrr.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 12:27:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17862', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Court Extends Custody of 12 Individuals Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The court granted permission for the extension of custody following an appeal by the District Police Range, Kathmandu to the court stating that the investigation could not be concluded within the previously given deadline, said SP Sitaram Rijal </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far arrested 13 people, including suspended UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, for allegedly promising to send people to the United States identifying them as Bhutanese refugees. The accused include some high-profile individuals including former Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and MP Indrajit Rai, security advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have the authority to launch investigation into organized crimes by keeping the alleged people in custody for 60 days. It's been 50 days since the police made the first round of arrests involving conmen and launched the investigation. Based on the statements given by the conmen, police later made some high-profile arrests that has rocked the political circle of the country.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">SP Rijal added that they were preparing to submit a report to the Office of the District Public Prosecutor in 8 to 9 days. The office will thereafter register prosecution based on that report. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far received 20 complaints from 106 individuals in connection with the scam. The victims have complained that the fraudsters fleeced over Rs 230 million from them promising to send them to the USA. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17593', 'image' => '20230515113335_court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:32:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17861', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepali Migrant Workers can Bring Home Two Mobile Phones ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Only those who have gone for a foreign job after taking labour permits and have completed six months on the job can carry home two mobiles (a used one and another brand new or both used ones) with them, according to a notice issued by the Department of Customs on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, those Nepalis who have gone to foreign countries to pursue education or for other purposes can bring in only one phone, said the department’s director Punya Bikram Khadka. "Those who have brought home two phones should go through the customs process," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 9 took a decision to this effect. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17592', 'image' => '20230515110313_20161218091617_sppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:02:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17860', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Suspended UML Secretary Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">He was held from the Budhanilkantha area of Kathmandu for his alleged role in a fraud of millions of rupees by duping Nepali citizens with the promises of sending them to the United States in the cover of Bhutanese refugees on Sunday evening, according to sources from the Home Ministry. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">An arrest warrant was issued against Rayamajhi by the Kathmandu District Court on May 3 in connection with the case. He had been absconding since then.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) had suspended him from all party responsibilities shortly after his disappearance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Rayamajhi's arrest marks yet another high-profile development in the ongoing investigation into the scam. Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, was arrested on charges of his involvement in the scam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The investigation is being closely monitored by the authorities, and the police have already made 13 arrests over their alleged connections to the scam.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17591', 'image' => '20230515055822_collage (20).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 05:55:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17859', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Westerly Wind Causes Light Rainfall in Some Places including Kathmandu Valley ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather is cloudy in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and isolated rain is likely in the hill regions of Koshi, Bagamati and Gandaki provinces. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Valley witnessed brief rainfall on Sunday, said the division's meteorologist Sameer Shrestha. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">No impact of Cyclone Mocha </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Division made it clear that there will be no impact of Cyclone Mocha developing in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is moving towards the east and Nepal is not likely to see its impact. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It will have major impacts on Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar, according to Shrestha. Cyclone Mocha is moving towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17590', 'image' => '20230515120601_rainfallll.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 19:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17858', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Arrest Warrant Issued against Former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s Son', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case .', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case amounting to millions of rupees by duping people with the promises of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the District Police Range Kathmandu, the District Court Kathmandu has issued the arrest warrant against the son of the former home minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Thapa, was arrested on the charge of his involvement in the scam. Police said they found 'evidence' of Prateek's association with the nexus during the investigation against Rai. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have already made high-profile arrests over their alleged connections to the scam by taking into custody former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey. So far 12 people have been arrested over the scam while two others accused including former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (UML) secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Neeraj Rai, the son of Indrajit Rai, have been on the run since the warrants were issued against them. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UML has already suspended Rayamajhi after he was accused of being involved in the scam. – RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17589', 'image' => '20230514054302_nepal police.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 17:42:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17857', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Attempt to Bring Private Sector under CIAA’s Jurisdiction is Unacceptable: FNCCI President', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">FNCCI President Dhakal made such a statement during an interaction organized by the Birgunj chapter of FNCCI recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There are talks of bringing the private sector under the CIAA's jurisdiction. It seems that this disaster will discourage the private sector even more. We are not in favor of it,” said Dhakal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The FNCCI president said that the industries and businesses are facing problems due to lack of liquidity and high interest rates. He made it clear that the private sector is ready to cooperate in this issue if the government comes up with a blueprint for its long-term solution. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the main problems in the economy are easing restrictions, decline in market demand, and lack of revenue collection.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Ashok Kumar Temani, president of Madhes Province chapter of the FNCCI, said that the relationship between the state level and the central FNCCI should be defined in a new way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17588', 'image' => '20230514035758_1684050182.344291018_766552064960837_8877345925174622149_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 15:56:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17855', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Import of Liquor Increase after Government Lifts Ban', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. The Department of Customs informed that 468,626 liters of alcohol worth Rs 791 million was imported in four months after the ban was lifted.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Last year, the government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette on April 26 and banned the import of 10 luxury items including alcohol due to the decline in foreign exchange reserves. Now that the reserves are restoring back to normalcy, the government lifted the import ban from mid-December.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After the ban was lifted, 40,343 liters of alcohol worth Rs 83.24 million from mid-December to mid-January, 121,908 liters worth Rs 284.6 million from mid-January to mid-February, 85,151 liters worth Rs 142.3 million from mid-February to mid-March and 221,143 million liters worth Rs 281.6 million from mid-March to mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Many people have been surprised by the fact that a large amount of alcohol is imported from abroad in a short period of time when enough alcohol is produced within the country. Besides, the question surfaced as to why Nepali people use so much foreign liquor instead of domestic liquor.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ravi KC, the producer of domestic Vodka brand 8848 said, “Since there is no significant difference in the price of domestic and foreign liquor, customers may prefer foreign brand. It is difficult to produce the raw materials needed for alcohol in Nepal due to legal complications. On top of that, the government has increased the rate of excise duty on the import of raw materials. In this case, the price of domestic and foreign alcohol is almost similar.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to KC, the reason for importing large quantities of liquor is the ban that has been in place for a long time. He said that the importers may have stocked a large amount of liquor due to the suspicion that the ban may be imposed again. However, government officials say that quality and brand play an important role in increasing the import of foreign liquor. Officials argue that the market for foreign liquor will increase as domestic liquor cannot compete with foreign liquor in terms of quality and the brand is not established.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Urmila KC, joint-spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says that businessmen have not discussed the issue of legal complications in the production of raw materials required for alcohol with the ministry. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Industrialists and businessmen need to submit an application to the ministry about the problems faced by them. The industrialists also need to explain what caused the problem, what is expected from the government and how the solution can be done,” she said, adding, “After the industrialists put their point clearly, the ministry will consider the matter in a thorough manner.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also said that ultimately the industrialists should work harder for the production and market expansion of raw materials and alcohol.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17586', 'image' => '20230514024107_alco.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 14:39:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17854', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Climbers Scale Mt Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. Nepal's Pasang Temba Sherpa and Naila Kaini from Pakistan successfully scaled the world's highest peak at 8:02 am on Sunday. Their expedition was facilitated by Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Company. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They climbed the peak just a day after a team of icefall doctors concluded the rope-fixing along the climbing route. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The company’s executive director Dawa Gyalje Sherpa said, Kaini reached the summit of Mt Everest this morning and she is the first international climber to climb the world's highest peak in the year 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Some of the climbers have reached the Hillary step and many are in and around the South Col. Many are expected to reach the summit by Sunday evening. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expedition for the spring season began on Saturday. According to the Department of Tourism, 467 of 44 expedition teams have taken permission for mountain climbing this spring season. </span><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">-- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17585', 'image' => '20230514014039_20220516042550_expedition-in-nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 13:39:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17853', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Drought Hits Cardamom Plantation in Taplejung ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds. But, this year, cardamom plants have wilted. Even the trees that provide shade and help to keep soil damp for cardamom are getting dry. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The plantation areas are vulnerable to blaze. This is the story about the cardamom estate of Siddhadanda at Phungling Municipality in Taplegung. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">With the parched cash crop, farmers here are worried much about the income. There is neither rainfall nor irrigation facility to water the dried crop. It is not possible to fetch water and irrigate the estate. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I've been planting cardamom for 40 years. I harvested as much as 1600 kgs of cardamom, but for some years, the harvest has been dented much with disease and drought. Now, the absence of rain this year has hit hard the cultivation," farmer Krishna Gurung shared the plight. "What is left to grow as the plant is dried before flowering,” he expressed his grief. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Another farmer Bir Bahadur Phembule from the same locality shared a similar story. He expressed sadness over the imminent loss of income with drying cardamom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the previous years, there used to be rainfall in early January while the Himalayan region witnessed snowfall during that time. But this year, there was no snowfall. It resulted in diminished sources of water, according to Principal Raju Hellok at Parbati Basic School from Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-5. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Farmers are cheerless this time as the cash crop has dried for lack of rainfall," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, Ran Bahadur Baboko, a farmer from Mangmakhe of Sirijungha Rural Municipality-6, said they will most certainly bear huge loss in cardamom plantation this time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Cardamom has been planted in 4,200 hectares of land in the district this year, which is 50 hectares less than last year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, in the nine months of the current fiscal year, cardamom worth Rs 6.35 billion has been exported from Nepal, according to the Department of Customs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The farmers here are desperately waiting for relief from concerned authorities citing the impact of drought on cardamom estate. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17584', 'image' => '20230514122740_cardamon_18736222.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 12:26:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17868', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Arrested For Robbing Cooperative of Over Rs 3 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Acting on the tip-off, Makawanpur police team arrested two suspects from Indrasarobar Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district on Monday, said Tek Bahadur Karki, spokesperson for the Makawanpur district police office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The police have recovered Rs 500,000 in cash, a home-made pistol and an iron rod from the arrestees. The arrested have been identified as Ashok Rumba and Akabar Lama. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The arrested have been taken to the District Police Office Kavre for investigation, spokesperson Tek Bahadur Karki said.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17599', 'image' => '20230515060133_robbery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 17:59:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17867', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Rising Government Expenses and Falling Revenue Collection Cause Financial Deficit', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, until mid-May (the end of Baisakh) in the current fiscal year 2022/2023, government expenses have increased by more than NPR 250 billion compared to the government's revenue income.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, while government expenses stood at NPR 1047 billion, revenue collection and grants received were only around 797 billion rupees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Office of the Financial Comptroller General, the government has spent 58.41 percent of the annual budget appropriation in 10 months of the current fiscal year. The government had presented a budget of NPR 1793.82 billion for the current fiscal year, of which around NPR 1047 billion has been spent so far.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the current expenditure is 66.49%, the capital expenditure is 33.04%, and the financial management expenditure is 58.79%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">For the current fiscal year, a budget of NPR 1,183.23 billion was allocated in the current expenditure title, and so far, NPR 786.74 billion has been spent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the development budget of NPR 380.38 billion has been allocated for the current fiscal year, and only NPR. 125.67 billion has been spent in the first ten months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Looking at the budget expenditure of the first ten months of the current fiscal year, the financial management budget is significantly higher than the capital expenditure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till the mid-May, the government has spent a total of NPR 135 billion in financial management. The expenses under financial management are spent on paying the principal and interest of the government loan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the government's target for annual revenue collection is 54.66 percent. The government has set a target of collecting Rs. 1403.14 billion in domestic revenue for the current fiscal year, but so far, only Rs. 756.25 billion has been collected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the government had set a target of receiving foreign aid equivalent to Rs. 55.45 billion for the current fiscal year, but until mid-May only Rs. 4.80 billion, or 8.66 percent of the target, has been received.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, income tax and value-added tax (VAT) have decreased, while excise revenue has increased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the current fiscal year until mid-May, revenue collection from income tax has reached NPR 159.5 billion, which is lower than the previous fiscal year's collection of NPR 173.40 billion during the same period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the collection of VAT has also decreased compared to the previous year. Until mid-May in the previous fiscal year, VAT collection was NPR 90.68 billion, whereas in the current fiscal year, it is NPR 88.67 billion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, revenue collection under from excise duty has slightly increased compared to the previous year. Revenue collection from excise duty increased to NPR 84.11 billion from last year’s NPR 83.88 billion until mid-May.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17598', 'image' => '20230515041232_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 16:06:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17866', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Doctors' Consultation Fees Increase by 14 Percent ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This is the second times in two years that medical consultation fees have increased. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">NMA General Secretary Dr Sanjeev Tiwari said the latest decision to hike the fees follows on the recommendation of the Nepal Rastra Bank's Inflation and Fees Advisory Committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As per the revised fee chart, the doctors’ consultation fee has been fixed between Rs 420 to Rs 940 per patient. The fees to consult with MBBS and BDS graduates with a five-year experience has been fixed at Rs 420 while Rs 515 will be charged to seek services from those who have more than five years of experience. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the fees to see a doctor with a diploma degree and the five years of experiences has been fixed at Rs 670, while Rs 750 will be charged for an appointment with MD, MS and MDS doctors having experiences up to five years. Similarly, Rs 880 will be charged to see doctors with MD, MS and MDS degrees having more than the five years of experiences. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">One has to pay Rs 880 to receive the service from a doctor with DM/MCh degree with five years of experience, and Rs 940 to see those MD/MCH degree holders with experiences of more than five years. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17597', 'image' => '20230515023906_health sector.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:38:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17864', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'This is How the Budget is Prepared', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24). According to the constitutional provisions, intensive discussions on the priorities and principles of the budget are going on in the Parliament to bring the budget for the year 2023/24 on this May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">What is the budget?</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Generally, a budget is an estimate of income and expenditure. It determines how much income the government shall earn and how much it shall spend in a certain period of time. The budget cycle continues throughout the year. After determining the goals and objectives of the budget, the preparation of drafting the budget begins by analyzing the old information.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">When the government starts budgeting, it asks for plans and programs from the lower levels. The government agencies send the plan from the districts. After those plans are received by the line ministry through the concerned department, new plans are registered in the Project Bank. Projects registered in the Project Bank are included in the budget on a priority basis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The projects and programs included in the budget are classified into P-1, P-2, P-3 and the budget is allocated based on priority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">According to former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Pushparaj Kandel, this has to some extent discouraged the old trend of including small and petty schemes and programs directly in the budget on the basis of personal influence.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Earlier, when the government started preparing a new budget, high-ranking people and parliamentarians used to create a lot of fuss include their petty plans and programs in the budget. Now that has become somewhat discouraged.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the country adopted the federal system, the federal government started announcing budget on May 29, followed by the budget announcement by the state governments and then the local governments. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">While preparing the budget, the government should give priority to the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the constitution. By ensuring these rights, the budget is expected to develop the country, flourish industries, and create jobs within the country itself.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission and related ministries participate in the preparation of the budget. While preparing the budget, one should work according to the provisions of the Financial Procedures Act and Financial Regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">There are methods and procedures for budgeting. Just because the Ministry of Finance prepares the budget doesn’t mean that the finance minister directly submits the budget in the parliament. It has its own method and process from the preparation of the budget to the time it is submitted to the parliament, and it should be followed accordingly.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission sets the budget ceiling for the government in the winter. Based on that limit, the preparation of the budget gets started. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The preparation of budget includes various steps from compilation of draft forms to tabulation and study, discussions with officials of the National Planning Commission on the policies and programs of the budget, preparation of financial surveys along with discussions on income and expenditure for the budget in the ministry </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, foreign technical assistance and budget suggestions are also collected for the budget. Concerned bodies give suggestions through various means. Before unveiling the budget, the government submits the priorities and principles of the budget to the parliament. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget session is currently underway according to the same process.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The finance minister has to include the suggestions given by the parliamentarians in the budget. After the discussion on priorities and principles, the president on behalf of the government submits the new fiscal year's policies and programs in the Parliament.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, preparations are made for the pre-budget presentation in the Parliament. The final draft of the target and progress reports of the ministries is prepared. Along with this, the final draft of the progress report of various institutes is also prepared. The report of the Revenue Advisory Committee is studied and the projects involving foreign aid are studied. The Ministry of Finance then prepares an economic survey. Expenditure estimates and topic-wise expenditure estimates are also prepared. Similarly, the preliminary draft of the expenditure estimate is prepared and the three-year expenditure is estimated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance prepares the draft of the schedule of the finance bill, prepares the source book of projects involving foreign aid, prepares the initial draft of the budget statement, publishes the progress report of the institute, and publishes the economic survey report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Appropriation Bill, National Debt Collection Bill, Loan and Guarantee Bill, Finance Bill and Provisional Expenditure Bill are also prepared at this time. The budget begins to take its final form after the Ministry of Finance informs the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the President’s Office about the budget after deciding the revenue estimates and programs.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the budget is made, the finance minister should brief the National Planning Commission and the Council of Ministers on the matter. After approval by the cabinet, the president is informed about the new budget. After this, the budget will be announced in the federal parliament on May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, discussions on the budget starts in the parliament. After the budget is passed by the majority in Parliament, the door to implement the budget opens. The budget passed by the House will be implemented from mid-July. The tax rates proposed through the budget, such as customs and excise duties, will be implemented from the day of the budget speech. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Before the promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal, it was customary to bring the budget before mid-July. But now, the budget is announced on May 29 every year so that the budget can be implemented from the first day of the new fiscal year starting from mid-July.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">However, there is a continuity of the same trend as the budget authority is not given to the implementing agencies on time, the capital budget is allocated less than the current expenditure, the capital budget is not spent according to the allocation, there is lack of clear criteria in the budget formulation, and the tendency to formulate the budget in haste is still prevalent. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, there is a tendency that all expected foreign aid in the budget is not received in reality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Even though the Public Expenditure Review Commission established by the government has recommended to improve the expenditure system as well as the process of fixing the resources of the budget, it has not been implemented yet. The government announces that it will implement the commission's report, but it is never implemented.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">As the economic indicators are not positive at the moment, many people are interested in what kind of budget the Ministry of Finance will bring to improve the economy. Experts have been saying that there is a need to increase production in the country and a budget that will support the increase in production is the need of the moment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">In the current situation, experts have been suggesting that a distribution-oriented and unimplementable budget cannot be justified. Even in the past, experts used to give such suggestions, but the government continued to bring distribution-oriented and unimplementable budgets.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">History of Budget in Nepal</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The tradition of presenting the annual budget started in Nepal since 1952. On February 4, 1952, the first budget was presented in Nepal according to the constitutional provisions. The budget was presented by the then Finance Minister Subarna Shumsher Rana.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The size of the budget was Rs 52.5 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget from 1952 to 1956 was focused on maintaining peace and security, revenue collection and daily administration. Since the beginning of the planned development in 1957 and the implementation of the first five-year plan in the year 1957/58, the practice of budget management started with the target of achieving the goals mentioned in the plan.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17596', 'image' => '20230515020916_1683767264.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:08:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17865', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Meeting between Nepal and Bangladesh from Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. According to sources, the meeting to be held in Bangladesh will discuss how to prepare the necessary environment for electricity trade between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire is leading the Nepali delegation in the meeting and Energy Secretary Habibur Rahman will lead it the Bangladesh side.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In a conversation with New Business Age, Kulman Ghising, the executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who arrived in Bangladesh to attend the energy meeting, said that a joint working group meeting will be held on the first day of the meeting, followed by a meeting of the Energy Secretary-level joint directorate committee of Nepal and Bangladesh on the second day based on the prime theme of electricity transmission and trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Officials of the Ministry of Energy have said that it will be a significant achievement if they can start electricity trade with Bangladesh even if it is only symbolic and will open the way for Nepal-Bangladesh electricity trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal proposed to sell electricity from Likhu-4 hydropower project to Bangladesh. However, India's consent is mandatory for electricity trade with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Energy plans to start electricity trade with Bangladesh before the onset of the rainy season, after India gave permission to use its transmission line.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sunkoshi-3 hydropower project will also be discussed in the meeting, which has already been agreed to be jointly invested by Nepal and Bangladesh.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the agreement, Nepal has provided a feasibility study report and an environmental impact assessment report to Bangladesh. As the private sector of Bangladesh is also willing to invest in Nepal's hydropower, the officials said that how to bring that investment will be discussed in the meeting.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17595', 'image' => '20230515022832_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:27:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17863', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ''No Noticeable Effects of Cyclone Mocha in Nepal' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal witnessed a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal witnessng a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind. The powerful cyclone 'Mocha' that originated in the Bay of Bengal has had no noticeable effects in Nepal on Sunday, said the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the division, the cyclone has already entered the territory of Bangladesh and Myanmar and is gradually losing its intensity. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Partial to general changes in weather are taking place in Koshi, Karnali and Sudurapschim provinces now, but the weather is generally clear in remaining provinces on Monday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the weather forecasting bulletin published by the division, brief or light rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in some areas of mountainous belt of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces with partial to general changes in weather in the mountainous region of the country. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17594', 'image' => '20230515122821_weatherrrr.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 12:27:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17862', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Court Extends Custody of 12 Individuals Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The court granted permission for the extension of custody following an appeal by the District Police Range, Kathmandu to the court stating that the investigation could not be concluded within the previously given deadline, said SP Sitaram Rijal </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far arrested 13 people, including suspended UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, for allegedly promising to send people to the United States identifying them as Bhutanese refugees. The accused include some high-profile individuals including former Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and MP Indrajit Rai, security advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have the authority to launch investigation into organized crimes by keeping the alleged people in custody for 60 days. It's been 50 days since the police made the first round of arrests involving conmen and launched the investigation. Based on the statements given by the conmen, police later made some high-profile arrests that has rocked the political circle of the country.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">SP Rijal added that they were preparing to submit a report to the Office of the District Public Prosecutor in 8 to 9 days. The office will thereafter register prosecution based on that report. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far received 20 complaints from 106 individuals in connection with the scam. The victims have complained that the fraudsters fleeced over Rs 230 million from them promising to send them to the USA. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17593', 'image' => '20230515113335_court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:32:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17861', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepali Migrant Workers can Bring Home Two Mobile Phones ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Only those who have gone for a foreign job after taking labour permits and have completed six months on the job can carry home two mobiles (a used one and another brand new or both used ones) with them, according to a notice issued by the Department of Customs on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, those Nepalis who have gone to foreign countries to pursue education or for other purposes can bring in only one phone, said the department’s director Punya Bikram Khadka. "Those who have brought home two phones should go through the customs process," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 9 took a decision to this effect. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17592', 'image' => '20230515110313_20161218091617_sppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:02:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17860', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Suspended UML Secretary Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">He was held from the Budhanilkantha area of Kathmandu for his alleged role in a fraud of millions of rupees by duping Nepali citizens with the promises of sending them to the United States in the cover of Bhutanese refugees on Sunday evening, according to sources from the Home Ministry. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">An arrest warrant was issued against Rayamajhi by the Kathmandu District Court on May 3 in connection with the case. He had been absconding since then.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) had suspended him from all party responsibilities shortly after his disappearance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Rayamajhi's arrest marks yet another high-profile development in the ongoing investigation into the scam. Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, was arrested on charges of his involvement in the scam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The investigation is being closely monitored by the authorities, and the police have already made 13 arrests over their alleged connections to the scam.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17591', 'image' => '20230515055822_collage (20).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 05:55:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17859', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Westerly Wind Causes Light Rainfall in Some Places including Kathmandu Valley ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather is cloudy in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and isolated rain is likely in the hill regions of Koshi, Bagamati and Gandaki provinces. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Valley witnessed brief rainfall on Sunday, said the division's meteorologist Sameer Shrestha. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">No impact of Cyclone Mocha </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Division made it clear that there will be no impact of Cyclone Mocha developing in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is moving towards the east and Nepal is not likely to see its impact. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It will have major impacts on Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar, according to Shrestha. Cyclone Mocha is moving towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17590', 'image' => '20230515120601_rainfallll.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 19:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17858', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Arrest Warrant Issued against Former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s Son', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case .', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case amounting to millions of rupees by duping people with the promises of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the District Police Range Kathmandu, the District Court Kathmandu has issued the arrest warrant against the son of the former home minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Thapa, was arrested on the charge of his involvement in the scam. Police said they found 'evidence' of Prateek's association with the nexus during the investigation against Rai. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have already made high-profile arrests over their alleged connections to the scam by taking into custody former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey. So far 12 people have been arrested over the scam while two others accused including former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (UML) secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Neeraj Rai, the son of Indrajit Rai, have been on the run since the warrants were issued against them. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UML has already suspended Rayamajhi after he was accused of being involved in the scam. – RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17589', 'image' => '20230514054302_nepal police.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 17:42:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17857', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Attempt to Bring Private Sector under CIAA’s Jurisdiction is Unacceptable: FNCCI President', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">FNCCI President Dhakal made such a statement during an interaction organized by the Birgunj chapter of FNCCI recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There are talks of bringing the private sector under the CIAA's jurisdiction. It seems that this disaster will discourage the private sector even more. We are not in favor of it,” said Dhakal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The FNCCI president said that the industries and businesses are facing problems due to lack of liquidity and high interest rates. He made it clear that the private sector is ready to cooperate in this issue if the government comes up with a blueprint for its long-term solution. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the main problems in the economy are easing restrictions, decline in market demand, and lack of revenue collection.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Ashok Kumar Temani, president of Madhes Province chapter of the FNCCI, said that the relationship between the state level and the central FNCCI should be defined in a new way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17588', 'image' => '20230514035758_1684050182.344291018_766552064960837_8877345925174622149_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 15:56:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17855', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Import of Liquor Increase after Government Lifts Ban', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. The Department of Customs informed that 468,626 liters of alcohol worth Rs 791 million was imported in four months after the ban was lifted.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Last year, the government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette on April 26 and banned the import of 10 luxury items including alcohol due to the decline in foreign exchange reserves. Now that the reserves are restoring back to normalcy, the government lifted the import ban from mid-December.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After the ban was lifted, 40,343 liters of alcohol worth Rs 83.24 million from mid-December to mid-January, 121,908 liters worth Rs 284.6 million from mid-January to mid-February, 85,151 liters worth Rs 142.3 million from mid-February to mid-March and 221,143 million liters worth Rs 281.6 million from mid-March to mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Many people have been surprised by the fact that a large amount of alcohol is imported from abroad in a short period of time when enough alcohol is produced within the country. Besides, the question surfaced as to why Nepali people use so much foreign liquor instead of domestic liquor.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ravi KC, the producer of domestic Vodka brand 8848 said, “Since there is no significant difference in the price of domestic and foreign liquor, customers may prefer foreign brand. It is difficult to produce the raw materials needed for alcohol in Nepal due to legal complications. On top of that, the government has increased the rate of excise duty on the import of raw materials. In this case, the price of domestic and foreign alcohol is almost similar.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to KC, the reason for importing large quantities of liquor is the ban that has been in place for a long time. He said that the importers may have stocked a large amount of liquor due to the suspicion that the ban may be imposed again. However, government officials say that quality and brand play an important role in increasing the import of foreign liquor. Officials argue that the market for foreign liquor will increase as domestic liquor cannot compete with foreign liquor in terms of quality and the brand is not established.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Urmila KC, joint-spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says that businessmen have not discussed the issue of legal complications in the production of raw materials required for alcohol with the ministry. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Industrialists and businessmen need to submit an application to the ministry about the problems faced by them. The industrialists also need to explain what caused the problem, what is expected from the government and how the solution can be done,” she said, adding, “After the industrialists put their point clearly, the ministry will consider the matter in a thorough manner.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also said that ultimately the industrialists should work harder for the production and market expansion of raw materials and alcohol.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17586', 'image' => '20230514024107_alco.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 14:39:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17854', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Climbers Scale Mt Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. Nepal's Pasang Temba Sherpa and Naila Kaini from Pakistan successfully scaled the world's highest peak at 8:02 am on Sunday. Their expedition was facilitated by Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Company. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They climbed the peak just a day after a team of icefall doctors concluded the rope-fixing along the climbing route. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The company’s executive director Dawa Gyalje Sherpa said, Kaini reached the summit of Mt Everest this morning and she is the first international climber to climb the world's highest peak in the year 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Some of the climbers have reached the Hillary step and many are in and around the South Col. Many are expected to reach the summit by Sunday evening. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expedition for the spring season began on Saturday. According to the Department of Tourism, 467 of 44 expedition teams have taken permission for mountain climbing this spring season. </span><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">-- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17585', 'image' => '20230514014039_20220516042550_expedition-in-nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 13:39:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17853', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Drought Hits Cardamom Plantation in Taplejung ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds. But, this year, cardamom plants have wilted. Even the trees that provide shade and help to keep soil damp for cardamom are getting dry. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The plantation areas are vulnerable to blaze. This is the story about the cardamom estate of Siddhadanda at Phungling Municipality in Taplegung. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">With the parched cash crop, farmers here are worried much about the income. There is neither rainfall nor irrigation facility to water the dried crop. It is not possible to fetch water and irrigate the estate. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I've been planting cardamom for 40 years. I harvested as much as 1600 kgs of cardamom, but for some years, the harvest has been dented much with disease and drought. Now, the absence of rain this year has hit hard the cultivation," farmer Krishna Gurung shared the plight. "What is left to grow as the plant is dried before flowering,” he expressed his grief. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Another farmer Bir Bahadur Phembule from the same locality shared a similar story. He expressed sadness over the imminent loss of income with drying cardamom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the previous years, there used to be rainfall in early January while the Himalayan region witnessed snowfall during that time. But this year, there was no snowfall. It resulted in diminished sources of water, according to Principal Raju Hellok at Parbati Basic School from Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-5. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Farmers are cheerless this time as the cash crop has dried for lack of rainfall," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, Ran Bahadur Baboko, a farmer from Mangmakhe of Sirijungha Rural Municipality-6, said they will most certainly bear huge loss in cardamom plantation this time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Cardamom has been planted in 4,200 hectares of land in the district this year, which is 50 hectares less than last year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, in the nine months of the current fiscal year, cardamom worth Rs 6.35 billion has been exported from Nepal, according to the Department of Customs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The farmers here are desperately waiting for relief from concerned authorities citing the impact of drought on cardamom estate. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17584', 'image' => '20230514122740_cardamon_18736222.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 12:26:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17868', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Arrested For Robbing Cooperative of Over Rs 3 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Acting on the tip-off, Makawanpur police team arrested two suspects from Indrasarobar Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district on Monday, said Tek Bahadur Karki, spokesperson for the Makawanpur district police office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The police have recovered Rs 500,000 in cash, a home-made pistol and an iron rod from the arrestees. The arrested have been identified as Ashok Rumba and Akabar Lama. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The arrested have been taken to the District Police Office Kavre for investigation, spokesperson Tek Bahadur Karki said.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17599', 'image' => '20230515060133_robbery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 17:59:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17867', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Rising Government Expenses and Falling Revenue Collection Cause Financial Deficit', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, until mid-May (the end of Baisakh) in the current fiscal year 2022/2023, government expenses have increased by more than NPR 250 billion compared to the government's revenue income.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, while government expenses stood at NPR 1047 billion, revenue collection and grants received were only around 797 billion rupees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Office of the Financial Comptroller General, the government has spent 58.41 percent of the annual budget appropriation in 10 months of the current fiscal year. The government had presented a budget of NPR 1793.82 billion for the current fiscal year, of which around NPR 1047 billion has been spent so far.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the current expenditure is 66.49%, the capital expenditure is 33.04%, and the financial management expenditure is 58.79%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">For the current fiscal year, a budget of NPR 1,183.23 billion was allocated in the current expenditure title, and so far, NPR 786.74 billion has been spent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the development budget of NPR 380.38 billion has been allocated for the current fiscal year, and only NPR. 125.67 billion has been spent in the first ten months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Looking at the budget expenditure of the first ten months of the current fiscal year, the financial management budget is significantly higher than the capital expenditure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till the mid-May, the government has spent a total of NPR 135 billion in financial management. The expenses under financial management are spent on paying the principal and interest of the government loan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the government's target for annual revenue collection is 54.66 percent. The government has set a target of collecting Rs. 1403.14 billion in domestic revenue for the current fiscal year, but so far, only Rs. 756.25 billion has been collected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the government had set a target of receiving foreign aid equivalent to Rs. 55.45 billion for the current fiscal year, but until mid-May only Rs. 4.80 billion, or 8.66 percent of the target, has been received.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, income tax and value-added tax (VAT) have decreased, while excise revenue has increased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the current fiscal year until mid-May, revenue collection from income tax has reached NPR 159.5 billion, which is lower than the previous fiscal year's collection of NPR 173.40 billion during the same period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the collection of VAT has also decreased compared to the previous year. Until mid-May in the previous fiscal year, VAT collection was NPR 90.68 billion, whereas in the current fiscal year, it is NPR 88.67 billion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, revenue collection under from excise duty has slightly increased compared to the previous year. Revenue collection from excise duty increased to NPR 84.11 billion from last year’s NPR 83.88 billion until mid-May.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17598', 'image' => '20230515041232_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 16:06:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17866', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Doctors' Consultation Fees Increase by 14 Percent ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This is the second times in two years that medical consultation fees have increased. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">NMA General Secretary Dr Sanjeev Tiwari said the latest decision to hike the fees follows on the recommendation of the Nepal Rastra Bank's Inflation and Fees Advisory Committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As per the revised fee chart, the doctors’ consultation fee has been fixed between Rs 420 to Rs 940 per patient. The fees to consult with MBBS and BDS graduates with a five-year experience has been fixed at Rs 420 while Rs 515 will be charged to seek services from those who have more than five years of experience. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the fees to see a doctor with a diploma degree and the five years of experiences has been fixed at Rs 670, while Rs 750 will be charged for an appointment with MD, MS and MDS doctors having experiences up to five years. Similarly, Rs 880 will be charged to see doctors with MD, MS and MDS degrees having more than the five years of experiences. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">One has to pay Rs 880 to receive the service from a doctor with DM/MCh degree with five years of experience, and Rs 940 to see those MD/MCH degree holders with experiences of more than five years. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17597', 'image' => '20230515023906_health sector.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:38:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17864', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'This is How the Budget is Prepared', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24). According to the constitutional provisions, intensive discussions on the priorities and principles of the budget are going on in the Parliament to bring the budget for the year 2023/24 on this May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">What is the budget?</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Generally, a budget is an estimate of income and expenditure. It determines how much income the government shall earn and how much it shall spend in a certain period of time. The budget cycle continues throughout the year. After determining the goals and objectives of the budget, the preparation of drafting the budget begins by analyzing the old information.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">When the government starts budgeting, it asks for plans and programs from the lower levels. The government agencies send the plan from the districts. After those plans are received by the line ministry through the concerned department, new plans are registered in the Project Bank. Projects registered in the Project Bank are included in the budget on a priority basis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The projects and programs included in the budget are classified into P-1, P-2, P-3 and the budget is allocated based on priority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">According to former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Pushparaj Kandel, this has to some extent discouraged the old trend of including small and petty schemes and programs directly in the budget on the basis of personal influence.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Earlier, when the government started preparing a new budget, high-ranking people and parliamentarians used to create a lot of fuss include their petty plans and programs in the budget. Now that has become somewhat discouraged.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the country adopted the federal system, the federal government started announcing budget on May 29, followed by the budget announcement by the state governments and then the local governments. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">While preparing the budget, the government should give priority to the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the constitution. By ensuring these rights, the budget is expected to develop the country, flourish industries, and create jobs within the country itself.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission and related ministries participate in the preparation of the budget. While preparing the budget, one should work according to the provisions of the Financial Procedures Act and Financial Regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">There are methods and procedures for budgeting. Just because the Ministry of Finance prepares the budget doesn’t mean that the finance minister directly submits the budget in the parliament. It has its own method and process from the preparation of the budget to the time it is submitted to the parliament, and it should be followed accordingly.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission sets the budget ceiling for the government in the winter. Based on that limit, the preparation of the budget gets started. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The preparation of budget includes various steps from compilation of draft forms to tabulation and study, discussions with officials of the National Planning Commission on the policies and programs of the budget, preparation of financial surveys along with discussions on income and expenditure for the budget in the ministry </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, foreign technical assistance and budget suggestions are also collected for the budget. Concerned bodies give suggestions through various means. Before unveiling the budget, the government submits the priorities and principles of the budget to the parliament. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget session is currently underway according to the same process.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The finance minister has to include the suggestions given by the parliamentarians in the budget. After the discussion on priorities and principles, the president on behalf of the government submits the new fiscal year's policies and programs in the Parliament.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, preparations are made for the pre-budget presentation in the Parliament. The final draft of the target and progress reports of the ministries is prepared. Along with this, the final draft of the progress report of various institutes is also prepared. The report of the Revenue Advisory Committee is studied and the projects involving foreign aid are studied. The Ministry of Finance then prepares an economic survey. Expenditure estimates and topic-wise expenditure estimates are also prepared. Similarly, the preliminary draft of the expenditure estimate is prepared and the three-year expenditure is estimated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance prepares the draft of the schedule of the finance bill, prepares the source book of projects involving foreign aid, prepares the initial draft of the budget statement, publishes the progress report of the institute, and publishes the economic survey report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Appropriation Bill, National Debt Collection Bill, Loan and Guarantee Bill, Finance Bill and Provisional Expenditure Bill are also prepared at this time. The budget begins to take its final form after the Ministry of Finance informs the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the President’s Office about the budget after deciding the revenue estimates and programs.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the budget is made, the finance minister should brief the National Planning Commission and the Council of Ministers on the matter. After approval by the cabinet, the president is informed about the new budget. After this, the budget will be announced in the federal parliament on May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, discussions on the budget starts in the parliament. After the budget is passed by the majority in Parliament, the door to implement the budget opens. The budget passed by the House will be implemented from mid-July. The tax rates proposed through the budget, such as customs and excise duties, will be implemented from the day of the budget speech. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Before the promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal, it was customary to bring the budget before mid-July. But now, the budget is announced on May 29 every year so that the budget can be implemented from the first day of the new fiscal year starting from mid-July.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">However, there is a continuity of the same trend as the budget authority is not given to the implementing agencies on time, the capital budget is allocated less than the current expenditure, the capital budget is not spent according to the allocation, there is lack of clear criteria in the budget formulation, and the tendency to formulate the budget in haste is still prevalent. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, there is a tendency that all expected foreign aid in the budget is not received in reality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Even though the Public Expenditure Review Commission established by the government has recommended to improve the expenditure system as well as the process of fixing the resources of the budget, it has not been implemented yet. The government announces that it will implement the commission's report, but it is never implemented.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">As the economic indicators are not positive at the moment, many people are interested in what kind of budget the Ministry of Finance will bring to improve the economy. Experts have been saying that there is a need to increase production in the country and a budget that will support the increase in production is the need of the moment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">In the current situation, experts have been suggesting that a distribution-oriented and unimplementable budget cannot be justified. Even in the past, experts used to give such suggestions, but the government continued to bring distribution-oriented and unimplementable budgets.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">History of Budget in Nepal</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The tradition of presenting the annual budget started in Nepal since 1952. On February 4, 1952, the first budget was presented in Nepal according to the constitutional provisions. The budget was presented by the then Finance Minister Subarna Shumsher Rana.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The size of the budget was Rs 52.5 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget from 1952 to 1956 was focused on maintaining peace and security, revenue collection and daily administration. Since the beginning of the planned development in 1957 and the implementation of the first five-year plan in the year 1957/58, the practice of budget management started with the target of achieving the goals mentioned in the plan.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17596', 'image' => '20230515020916_1683767264.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:08:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17865', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Meeting between Nepal and Bangladesh from Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. According to sources, the meeting to be held in Bangladesh will discuss how to prepare the necessary environment for electricity trade between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire is leading the Nepali delegation in the meeting and Energy Secretary Habibur Rahman will lead it the Bangladesh side.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In a conversation with New Business Age, Kulman Ghising, the executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who arrived in Bangladesh to attend the energy meeting, said that a joint working group meeting will be held on the first day of the meeting, followed by a meeting of the Energy Secretary-level joint directorate committee of Nepal and Bangladesh on the second day based on the prime theme of electricity transmission and trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Officials of the Ministry of Energy have said that it will be a significant achievement if they can start electricity trade with Bangladesh even if it is only symbolic and will open the way for Nepal-Bangladesh electricity trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal proposed to sell electricity from Likhu-4 hydropower project to Bangladesh. However, India's consent is mandatory for electricity trade with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Energy plans to start electricity trade with Bangladesh before the onset of the rainy season, after India gave permission to use its transmission line.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sunkoshi-3 hydropower project will also be discussed in the meeting, which has already been agreed to be jointly invested by Nepal and Bangladesh.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the agreement, Nepal has provided a feasibility study report and an environmental impact assessment report to Bangladesh. As the private sector of Bangladesh is also willing to invest in Nepal's hydropower, the officials said that how to bring that investment will be discussed in the meeting.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17595', 'image' => '20230515022832_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:27:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17863', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ''No Noticeable Effects of Cyclone Mocha in Nepal' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal witnessed a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal witnessng a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind. The powerful cyclone 'Mocha' that originated in the Bay of Bengal has had no noticeable effects in Nepal on Sunday, said the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the division, the cyclone has already entered the territory of Bangladesh and Myanmar and is gradually losing its intensity. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Partial to general changes in weather are taking place in Koshi, Karnali and Sudurapschim provinces now, but the weather is generally clear in remaining provinces on Monday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the weather forecasting bulletin published by the division, brief or light rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in some areas of mountainous belt of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces with partial to general changes in weather in the mountainous region of the country. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17594', 'image' => '20230515122821_weatherrrr.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 12:27:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17862', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Court Extends Custody of 12 Individuals Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The court granted permission for the extension of custody following an appeal by the District Police Range, Kathmandu to the court stating that the investigation could not be concluded within the previously given deadline, said SP Sitaram Rijal </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far arrested 13 people, including suspended UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, for allegedly promising to send people to the United States identifying them as Bhutanese refugees. The accused include some high-profile individuals including former Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and MP Indrajit Rai, security advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have the authority to launch investigation into organized crimes by keeping the alleged people in custody for 60 days. It's been 50 days since the police made the first round of arrests involving conmen and launched the investigation. Based on the statements given by the conmen, police later made some high-profile arrests that has rocked the political circle of the country.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">SP Rijal added that they were preparing to submit a report to the Office of the District Public Prosecutor in 8 to 9 days. The office will thereafter register prosecution based on that report. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far received 20 complaints from 106 individuals in connection with the scam. The victims have complained that the fraudsters fleeced over Rs 230 million from them promising to send them to the USA. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17593', 'image' => '20230515113335_court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:32:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17861', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepali Migrant Workers can Bring Home Two Mobile Phones ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Only those who have gone for a foreign job after taking labour permits and have completed six months on the job can carry home two mobiles (a used one and another brand new or both used ones) with them, according to a notice issued by the Department of Customs on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, those Nepalis who have gone to foreign countries to pursue education or for other purposes can bring in only one phone, said the department’s director Punya Bikram Khadka. "Those who have brought home two phones should go through the customs process," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 9 took a decision to this effect. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17592', 'image' => '20230515110313_20161218091617_sppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:02:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17860', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Suspended UML Secretary Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">He was held from the Budhanilkantha area of Kathmandu for his alleged role in a fraud of millions of rupees by duping Nepali citizens with the promises of sending them to the United States in the cover of Bhutanese refugees on Sunday evening, according to sources from the Home Ministry. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">An arrest warrant was issued against Rayamajhi by the Kathmandu District Court on May 3 in connection with the case. He had been absconding since then.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) had suspended him from all party responsibilities shortly after his disappearance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Rayamajhi's arrest marks yet another high-profile development in the ongoing investigation into the scam. Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, was arrested on charges of his involvement in the scam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The investigation is being closely monitored by the authorities, and the police have already made 13 arrests over their alleged connections to the scam.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17591', 'image' => '20230515055822_collage (20).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 05:55:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17859', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Westerly Wind Causes Light Rainfall in Some Places including Kathmandu Valley ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather is cloudy in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and isolated rain is likely in the hill regions of Koshi, Bagamati and Gandaki provinces. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Valley witnessed brief rainfall on Sunday, said the division's meteorologist Sameer Shrestha. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">No impact of Cyclone Mocha </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Division made it clear that there will be no impact of Cyclone Mocha developing in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is moving towards the east and Nepal is not likely to see its impact. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It will have major impacts on Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar, according to Shrestha. Cyclone Mocha is moving towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17590', 'image' => '20230515120601_rainfallll.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 19:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17858', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Arrest Warrant Issued against Former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s Son', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case .', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case amounting to millions of rupees by duping people with the promises of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the District Police Range Kathmandu, the District Court Kathmandu has issued the arrest warrant against the son of the former home minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Thapa, was arrested on the charge of his involvement in the scam. Police said they found 'evidence' of Prateek's association with the nexus during the investigation against Rai. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have already made high-profile arrests over their alleged connections to the scam by taking into custody former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey. So far 12 people have been arrested over the scam while two others accused including former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (UML) secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Neeraj Rai, the son of Indrajit Rai, have been on the run since the warrants were issued against them. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UML has already suspended Rayamajhi after he was accused of being involved in the scam. – RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17589', 'image' => '20230514054302_nepal police.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 17:42:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17857', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Attempt to Bring Private Sector under CIAA’s Jurisdiction is Unacceptable: FNCCI President', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">FNCCI President Dhakal made such a statement during an interaction organized by the Birgunj chapter of FNCCI recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There are talks of bringing the private sector under the CIAA's jurisdiction. It seems that this disaster will discourage the private sector even more. We are not in favor of it,” said Dhakal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The FNCCI president said that the industries and businesses are facing problems due to lack of liquidity and high interest rates. He made it clear that the private sector is ready to cooperate in this issue if the government comes up with a blueprint for its long-term solution. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the main problems in the economy are easing restrictions, decline in market demand, and lack of revenue collection.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Ashok Kumar Temani, president of Madhes Province chapter of the FNCCI, said that the relationship between the state level and the central FNCCI should be defined in a new way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17588', 'image' => '20230514035758_1684050182.344291018_766552064960837_8877345925174622149_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 15:56:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17855', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Import of Liquor Increase after Government Lifts Ban', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. The Department of Customs informed that 468,626 liters of alcohol worth Rs 791 million was imported in four months after the ban was lifted.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Last year, the government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette on April 26 and banned the import of 10 luxury items including alcohol due to the decline in foreign exchange reserves. Now that the reserves are restoring back to normalcy, the government lifted the import ban from mid-December.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After the ban was lifted, 40,343 liters of alcohol worth Rs 83.24 million from mid-December to mid-January, 121,908 liters worth Rs 284.6 million from mid-January to mid-February, 85,151 liters worth Rs 142.3 million from mid-February to mid-March and 221,143 million liters worth Rs 281.6 million from mid-March to mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Many people have been surprised by the fact that a large amount of alcohol is imported from abroad in a short period of time when enough alcohol is produced within the country. Besides, the question surfaced as to why Nepali people use so much foreign liquor instead of domestic liquor.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ravi KC, the producer of domestic Vodka brand 8848 said, “Since there is no significant difference in the price of domestic and foreign liquor, customers may prefer foreign brand. It is difficult to produce the raw materials needed for alcohol in Nepal due to legal complications. On top of that, the government has increased the rate of excise duty on the import of raw materials. In this case, the price of domestic and foreign alcohol is almost similar.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to KC, the reason for importing large quantities of liquor is the ban that has been in place for a long time. He said that the importers may have stocked a large amount of liquor due to the suspicion that the ban may be imposed again. However, government officials say that quality and brand play an important role in increasing the import of foreign liquor. Officials argue that the market for foreign liquor will increase as domestic liquor cannot compete with foreign liquor in terms of quality and the brand is not established.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Urmila KC, joint-spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says that businessmen have not discussed the issue of legal complications in the production of raw materials required for alcohol with the ministry. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Industrialists and businessmen need to submit an application to the ministry about the problems faced by them. The industrialists also need to explain what caused the problem, what is expected from the government and how the solution can be done,” she said, adding, “After the industrialists put their point clearly, the ministry will consider the matter in a thorough manner.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also said that ultimately the industrialists should work harder for the production and market expansion of raw materials and alcohol.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17586', 'image' => '20230514024107_alco.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 14:39:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17854', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Climbers Scale Mt Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. Nepal's Pasang Temba Sherpa and Naila Kaini from Pakistan successfully scaled the world's highest peak at 8:02 am on Sunday. Their expedition was facilitated by Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Company. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They climbed the peak just a day after a team of icefall doctors concluded the rope-fixing along the climbing route. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The company’s executive director Dawa Gyalje Sherpa said, Kaini reached the summit of Mt Everest this morning and she is the first international climber to climb the world's highest peak in the year 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Some of the climbers have reached the Hillary step and many are in and around the South Col. Many are expected to reach the summit by Sunday evening. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expedition for the spring season began on Saturday. According to the Department of Tourism, 467 of 44 expedition teams have taken permission for mountain climbing this spring season. </span><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">-- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17585', 'image' => '20230514014039_20220516042550_expedition-in-nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 13:39:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17853', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Drought Hits Cardamom Plantation in Taplejung ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds. But, this year, cardamom plants have wilted. Even the trees that provide shade and help to keep soil damp for cardamom are getting dry. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The plantation areas are vulnerable to blaze. This is the story about the cardamom estate of Siddhadanda at Phungling Municipality in Taplegung. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">With the parched cash crop, farmers here are worried much about the income. There is neither rainfall nor irrigation facility to water the dried crop. It is not possible to fetch water and irrigate the estate. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I've been planting cardamom for 40 years. I harvested as much as 1600 kgs of cardamom, but for some years, the harvest has been dented much with disease and drought. Now, the absence of rain this year has hit hard the cultivation," farmer Krishna Gurung shared the plight. "What is left to grow as the plant is dried before flowering,” he expressed his grief. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Another farmer Bir Bahadur Phembule from the same locality shared a similar story. He expressed sadness over the imminent loss of income with drying cardamom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the previous years, there used to be rainfall in early January while the Himalayan region witnessed snowfall during that time. But this year, there was no snowfall. It resulted in diminished sources of water, according to Principal Raju Hellok at Parbati Basic School from Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-5. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Farmers are cheerless this time as the cash crop has dried for lack of rainfall," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, Ran Bahadur Baboko, a farmer from Mangmakhe of Sirijungha Rural Municipality-6, said they will most certainly bear huge loss in cardamom plantation this time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Cardamom has been planted in 4,200 hectares of land in the district this year, which is 50 hectares less than last year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, in the nine months of the current fiscal year, cardamom worth Rs 6.35 billion has been exported from Nepal, according to the Department of Customs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The farmers here are desperately waiting for relief from concerned authorities citing the impact of drought on cardamom estate. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17584', 'image' => '20230514122740_cardamon_18736222.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 12:26:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17868', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Arrested For Robbing Cooperative of Over Rs 3 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: The police have apprehended two suspects in connection with the recent robbery of Rs 3 million from a community cooperative in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok district. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Acting on the tip-off, Makawanpur police team arrested two suspects from Indrasarobar Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district on Monday, said Tek Bahadur Karki, spokesperson for the Makawanpur district police office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The police have recovered Rs 500,000 in cash, a home-made pistol and an iron rod from the arrestees. The arrested have been identified as Ashok Rumba and Akabar Lama. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The arrested have been taken to the District Police Office Kavre for investigation, spokesperson Tek Bahadur Karki said.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17599', 'image' => '20230515060133_robbery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 17:59:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17867', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Rising Government Expenses and Falling Revenue Collection Cause Financial Deficit', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: In comparison to government expenses, financial deficits have increased as revenue collection has decreased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office, until mid-May (the end of Baisakh) in the current fiscal year 2022/2023, government expenses have increased by more than NPR 250 billion compared to the government's revenue income.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, while government expenses stood at NPR 1047 billion, revenue collection and grants received were only around 797 billion rupees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">According to the Office of the Financial Comptroller General, the government has spent 58.41 percent of the annual budget appropriation in 10 months of the current fiscal year. The government had presented a budget of NPR 1793.82 billion for the current fiscal year, of which around NPR 1047 billion has been spent so far.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the current expenditure is 66.49%, the capital expenditure is 33.04%, and the financial management expenditure is 58.79%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">For the current fiscal year, a budget of NPR 1,183.23 billion was allocated in the current expenditure title, and so far, NPR 786.74 billion has been spent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the development budget of NPR 380.38 billion has been allocated for the current fiscal year, and only NPR. 125.67 billion has been spent in the first ten months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Looking at the budget expenditure of the first ten months of the current fiscal year, the financial management budget is significantly higher than the capital expenditure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till the mid-May, the government has spent a total of NPR 135 billion in financial management. The expenses under financial management are spent on paying the principal and interest of the government loan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Until mid-May, the government's target for annual revenue collection is 54.66 percent. The government has set a target of collecting Rs. 1403.14 billion in domestic revenue for the current fiscal year, but so far, only Rs. 756.25 billion has been collected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the government had set a target of receiving foreign aid equivalent to Rs. 55.45 billion for the current fiscal year, but until mid-May only Rs. 4.80 billion, or 8.66 percent of the target, has been received.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, income tax and value-added tax (VAT) have decreased, while excise revenue has increased.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the current fiscal year until mid-May, revenue collection from income tax has reached NPR 159.5 billion, which is lower than the previous fiscal year's collection of NPR 173.40 billion during the same period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Similarly, the collection of VAT has also decreased compared to the previous year. Until mid-May in the previous fiscal year, VAT collection was NPR 90.68 billion, whereas in the current fiscal year, it is NPR 88.67 billion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, revenue collection under from excise duty has slightly increased compared to the previous year. Revenue collection from excise duty increased to NPR 84.11 billion from last year’s NPR 83.88 billion until mid-May.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17598', 'image' => '20230515041232_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 16:06:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17866', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Doctors' Consultation Fees Increase by 14 Percent ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Private Health Institution Nepal (APHIN) have reached an agreement to hike the doctors’ consultation charge by 14 percent beginning from today (May 15). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This is the second times in two years that medical consultation fees have increased. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">NMA General Secretary Dr Sanjeev Tiwari said the latest decision to hike the fees follows on the recommendation of the Nepal Rastra Bank's Inflation and Fees Advisory Committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As per the revised fee chart, the doctors’ consultation fee has been fixed between Rs 420 to Rs 940 per patient. The fees to consult with MBBS and BDS graduates with a five-year experience has been fixed at Rs 420 while Rs 515 will be charged to seek services from those who have more than five years of experience. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the fees to see a doctor with a diploma degree and the five years of experiences has been fixed at Rs 670, while Rs 750 will be charged for an appointment with MD, MS and MDS doctors having experiences up to five years. Similarly, Rs 880 will be charged to see doctors with MD, MS and MDS degrees having more than the five years of experiences. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">One has to pay Rs 880 to receive the service from a doctor with DM/MCh degree with five years of experience, and Rs 940 to see those MD/MCH degree holders with experiences of more than five years. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17597', 'image' => '20230515023906_health sector.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:38:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17864', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'This is How the Budget is Prepared', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">May 15: At present, the government is busy preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24). According to the constitutional provisions, intensive discussions on the priorities and principles of the budget are going on in the Parliament to bring the budget for the year 2023/24 on this May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">What is the budget?</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Generally, a budget is an estimate of income and expenditure. It determines how much income the government shall earn and how much it shall spend in a certain period of time. The budget cycle continues throughout the year. After determining the goals and objectives of the budget, the preparation of drafting the budget begins by analyzing the old information.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">When the government starts budgeting, it asks for plans and programs from the lower levels. The government agencies send the plan from the districts. After those plans are received by the line ministry through the concerned department, new plans are registered in the Project Bank. Projects registered in the Project Bank are included in the budget on a priority basis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The projects and programs included in the budget are classified into P-1, P-2, P-3 and the budget is allocated based on priority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">According to former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Pushparaj Kandel, this has to some extent discouraged the old trend of including small and petty schemes and programs directly in the budget on the basis of personal influence.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Earlier, when the government started preparing a new budget, high-ranking people and parliamentarians used to create a lot of fuss include their petty plans and programs in the budget. Now that has become somewhat discouraged.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the country adopted the federal system, the federal government started announcing budget on May 29, followed by the budget announcement by the state governments and then the local governments. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">While preparing the budget, the government should give priority to the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the constitution. By ensuring these rights, the budget is expected to develop the country, flourish industries, and create jobs within the country itself.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission and related ministries participate in the preparation of the budget. While preparing the budget, one should work according to the provisions of the Financial Procedures Act and Financial Regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">There are methods and procedures for budgeting. Just because the Ministry of Finance prepares the budget doesn’t mean that the finance minister directly submits the budget in the parliament. It has its own method and process from the preparation of the budget to the time it is submitted to the parliament, and it should be followed accordingly.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission sets the budget ceiling for the government in the winter. Based on that limit, the preparation of the budget gets started. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The preparation of budget includes various steps from compilation of draft forms to tabulation and study, discussions with officials of the National Planning Commission on the policies and programs of the budget, preparation of financial surveys along with discussions on income and expenditure for the budget in the ministry </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, foreign technical assistance and budget suggestions are also collected for the budget. Concerned bodies give suggestions through various means. Before unveiling the budget, the government submits the priorities and principles of the budget to the parliament. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget session is currently underway according to the same process.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The finance minister has to include the suggestions given by the parliamentarians in the budget. After the discussion on priorities and principles, the president on behalf of the government submits the new fiscal year's policies and programs in the Parliament.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, preparations are made for the pre-budget presentation in the Parliament. The final draft of the target and progress reports of the ministries is prepared. Along with this, the final draft of the progress report of various institutes is also prepared. The report of the Revenue Advisory Committee is studied and the projects involving foreign aid are studied. The Ministry of Finance then prepares an economic survey. Expenditure estimates and topic-wise expenditure estimates are also prepared. Similarly, the preliminary draft of the expenditure estimate is prepared and the three-year expenditure is estimated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Finance prepares the draft of the schedule of the finance bill, prepares the source book of projects involving foreign aid, prepares the initial draft of the budget statement, publishes the progress report of the institute, and publishes the economic survey report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Appropriation Bill, National Debt Collection Bill, Loan and Guarantee Bill, Finance Bill and Provisional Expenditure Bill are also prepared at this time. The budget begins to take its final form after the Ministry of Finance informs the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the President’s Office about the budget after deciding the revenue estimates and programs.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After the budget is made, the finance minister should brief the National Planning Commission and the Council of Ministers on the matter. After approval by the cabinet, the president is informed about the new budget. After this, the budget will be announced in the federal parliament on May 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">After that, discussions on the budget starts in the parliament. After the budget is passed by the majority in Parliament, the door to implement the budget opens. The budget passed by the House will be implemented from mid-July. The tax rates proposed through the budget, such as customs and excise duties, will be implemented from the day of the budget speech. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Before the promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal, it was customary to bring the budget before mid-July. But now, the budget is announced on May 29 every year so that the budget can be implemented from the first day of the new fiscal year starting from mid-July.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">However, there is a continuity of the same trend as the budget authority is not given to the implementing agencies on time, the capital budget is allocated less than the current expenditure, the capital budget is not spent according to the allocation, there is lack of clear criteria in the budget formulation, and the tendency to formulate the budget in haste is still prevalent. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Similarly, there is a tendency that all expected foreign aid in the budget is not received in reality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">Even though the Public Expenditure Review Commission established by the government has recommended to improve the expenditure system as well as the process of fixing the resources of the budget, it has not been implemented yet. The government announces that it will implement the commission's report, but it is never implemented.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">As the economic indicators are not positive at the moment, many people are interested in what kind of budget the Ministry of Finance will bring to improve the economy. Experts have been saying that there is a need to increase production in the country and a budget that will support the increase in production is the need of the moment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">In the current situation, experts have been suggesting that a distribution-oriented and unimplementable budget cannot be justified. Even in the past, experts used to give such suggestions, but the government continued to bring distribution-oriented and unimplementable budgets.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">History of Budget in Nepal</span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The tradition of presenting the annual budget started in Nepal since 1952. On February 4, 1952, the first budget was presented in Nepal according to the constitutional provisions. The budget was presented by the then Finance Minister Subarna Shumsher Rana.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The size of the budget was Rs 52.5 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Nirmala UI","sans-serif"">The budget from 1952 to 1956 was focused on maintaining peace and security, revenue collection and daily administration. Since the beginning of the planned development in 1957 and the implementation of the first five-year plan in the year 1957/58, the practice of budget management started with the target of achieving the goals mentioned in the plan.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17596', 'image' => '20230515020916_1683767264.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:08:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17865', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Meeting between Nepal and Bangladesh from Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. According to sources, the meeting to be held in Bangladesh will discuss how to prepare the necessary environment for electricity trade between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire is leading the Nepali delegation in the meeting and Energy Secretary Habibur Rahman will lead it the Bangladesh side.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In a conversation with New Business Age, Kulman Ghising, the executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who arrived in Bangladesh to attend the energy meeting, said that a joint working group meeting will be held on the first day of the meeting, followed by a meeting of the Energy Secretary-level joint directorate committee of Nepal and Bangladesh on the second day based on the prime theme of electricity transmission and trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Officials of the Ministry of Energy have said that it will be a significant achievement if they can start electricity trade with Bangladesh even if it is only symbolic and will open the way for Nepal-Bangladesh electricity trade.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal proposed to sell electricity from Likhu-4 hydropower project to Bangladesh. However, India's consent is mandatory for electricity trade with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Energy plans to start electricity trade with Bangladesh before the onset of the rainy season, after India gave permission to use its transmission line.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sunkoshi-3 hydropower project will also be discussed in the meeting, which has already been agreed to be jointly invested by Nepal and Bangladesh.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the agreement, Nepal has provided a feasibility study report and an environmental impact assessment report to Bangladesh. As the private sector of Bangladesh is also willing to invest in Nepal's hydropower, the officials said that how to bring that investment will be discussed in the meeting.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17595', 'image' => '20230515022832_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 14:27:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17863', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ''No Noticeable Effects of Cyclone Mocha in Nepal' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepal witnessed a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepal witnessng a general influence of the Westerly wind and local wind. The powerful cyclone 'Mocha' that originated in the Bay of Bengal has had no noticeable effects in Nepal on Sunday, said the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the division, the cyclone has already entered the territory of Bangladesh and Myanmar and is gradually losing its intensity. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Partial to general changes in weather are taking place in Koshi, Karnali and Sudurapschim provinces now, but the weather is generally clear in remaining provinces on Monday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the weather forecasting bulletin published by the division, brief or light rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in some areas of mountainous belt of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces with partial to general changes in weather in the mountainous region of the country. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17594', 'image' => '20230515122821_weatherrrr.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 12:27:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17862', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Court Extends Custody of 12 Individuals Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: The District Court, Kathmandu on Sunday extended the custody of 12 individuals accused of being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam by four more days for the police to investigate the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The court granted permission for the extension of custody following an appeal by the District Police Range, Kathmandu to the court stating that the investigation could not be concluded within the previously given deadline, said SP Sitaram Rijal </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far arrested 13 people, including suspended UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, for allegedly promising to send people to the United States identifying them as Bhutanese refugees. The accused include some high-profile individuals including former Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and MP Indrajit Rai, security advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have the authority to launch investigation into organized crimes by keeping the alleged people in custody for 60 days. It's been 50 days since the police made the first round of arrests involving conmen and launched the investigation. Based on the statements given by the conmen, police later made some high-profile arrests that has rocked the political circle of the country.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">SP Rijal added that they were preparing to submit a report to the Office of the District Public Prosecutor in 8 to 9 days. The office will thereafter register prosecution based on that report. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have so far received 20 complaints from 106 individuals in connection with the scam. The victims have complained that the fraudsters fleeced over Rs 230 million from them promising to send them to the USA. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17593', 'image' => '20230515113335_court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:32:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17861', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepali Migrant Workers can Bring Home Two Mobile Phones ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 15: Nepali migrants who have spent at least six months in a foreign job are allowed to bring back two mobile phones along with them upon their return home. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Only those who have gone for a foreign job after taking labour permits and have completed six months on the job can carry home two mobiles (a used one and another brand new or both used ones) with them, according to a notice issued by the Department of Customs on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, those Nepalis who have gone to foreign countries to pursue education or for other purposes can bring in only one phone, said the department’s director Punya Bikram Khadka. "Those who have brought home two phones should go through the customs process," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 9 took a decision to this effect. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17592', 'image' => '20230515110313_20161218091617_sppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 11:02:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17860', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Suspended UML Secretary Arrested in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 15: Former Deputy Prime Minister and suspended secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, was arrested. He had been on the run for 12 days before being caught.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">He was held from the Budhanilkantha area of Kathmandu for his alleged role in a fraud of millions of rupees by duping Nepali citizens with the promises of sending them to the United States in the cover of Bhutanese refugees on Sunday evening, according to sources from the Home Ministry. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">An arrest warrant was issued against Rayamajhi by the Kathmandu District Court on May 3 in connection with the case. He had been absconding since then.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) had suspended him from all party responsibilities shortly after his disappearance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Rayamajhi's arrest marks yet another high-profile development in the ongoing investigation into the scam. Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, was arrested on charges of his involvement in the scam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The investigation is being closely monitored by the authorities, and the police have already made 13 arrests over their alleged connections to the scam.</span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-15', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17591', 'image' => '20230515055822_collage (20).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-15 05:55:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17859', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Westerly Wind Causes Light Rainfall in Some Places including Kathmandu Valley ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Some parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday experienced light rainfall due to the influence of the Westerly and the local winds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather is cloudy in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and isolated rain is likely in the hill regions of Koshi, Bagamati and Gandaki provinces. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Valley witnessed brief rainfall on Sunday, said the division's meteorologist Sameer Shrestha. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">No impact of Cyclone Mocha </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Division made it clear that there will be no impact of Cyclone Mocha developing in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is moving towards the east and Nepal is not likely to see its impact. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It will have major impacts on Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar, according to Shrestha. Cyclone Mocha is moving towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17590', 'image' => '20230515120601_rainfallll.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 19:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17858', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Arrest Warrant Issued against Former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s Son', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case .', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: An arrest warrant has been issued against Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, for his alleged role in a fraud case amounting to millions of rupees by duping people with the promises of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the District Police Range Kathmandu, the District Court Kathmandu has issued the arrest warrant against the son of the former home minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Earlier, Indrajit Rai, the advisor to former Home Minister Thapa, was arrested on the charge of his involvement in the scam. Police said they found 'evidence' of Prateek's association with the nexus during the investigation against Rai. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Police have already made high-profile arrests over their alleged connections to the scam by taking into custody former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey. So far 12 people have been arrested over the scam while two others accused including former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (UML) secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Neeraj Rai, the son of Indrajit Rai, have been on the run since the warrants were issued against them. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UML has already suspended Rayamajhi after he was accused of being involved in the scam. – RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17589', 'image' => '20230514054302_nepal police.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 17:42:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17857', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Attempt to Bring Private Sector under CIAA’s Jurisdiction is Unacceptable: FNCCI President', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has said that the attempts to bring the private sector under the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will not be accepted at any cost.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">FNCCI President Dhakal made such a statement during an interaction organized by the Birgunj chapter of FNCCI recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There are talks of bringing the private sector under the CIAA's jurisdiction. It seems that this disaster will discourage the private sector even more. We are not in favor of it,” said Dhakal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The FNCCI president said that the industries and businesses are facing problems due to lack of liquidity and high interest rates. He made it clear that the private sector is ready to cooperate in this issue if the government comes up with a blueprint for its long-term solution. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the main problems in the economy are easing restrictions, decline in market demand, and lack of revenue collection.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Ashok Kumar Temani, president of Madhes Province chapter of the FNCCI, said that the relationship between the state level and the central FNCCI should be defined in a new way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17588', 'image' => '20230514035758_1684050182.344291018_766552064960837_8877345925174622149_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 15:56:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17855', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Import of Liquor Increase after Government Lifts Ban', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 14: The import of alcohol has immensely increased after the government lifted the ban on the import of luxury goods. The Department of Customs informed that 468,626 liters of alcohol worth Rs 791 million was imported in four months after the ban was lifted.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Last year, the government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette on April 26 and banned the import of 10 luxury items including alcohol due to the decline in foreign exchange reserves. Now that the reserves are restoring back to normalcy, the government lifted the import ban from mid-December.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After the ban was lifted, 40,343 liters of alcohol worth Rs 83.24 million from mid-December to mid-January, 121,908 liters worth Rs 284.6 million from mid-January to mid-February, 85,151 liters worth Rs 142.3 million from mid-February to mid-March and 221,143 million liters worth Rs 281.6 million from mid-March to mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Many people have been surprised by the fact that a large amount of alcohol is imported from abroad in a short period of time when enough alcohol is produced within the country. Besides, the question surfaced as to why Nepali people use so much foreign liquor instead of domestic liquor.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ravi KC, the producer of domestic Vodka brand 8848 said, “Since there is no significant difference in the price of domestic and foreign liquor, customers may prefer foreign brand. It is difficult to produce the raw materials needed for alcohol in Nepal due to legal complications. On top of that, the government has increased the rate of excise duty on the import of raw materials. In this case, the price of domestic and foreign alcohol is almost similar.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to KC, the reason for importing large quantities of liquor is the ban that has been in place for a long time. He said that the importers may have stocked a large amount of liquor due to the suspicion that the ban may be imposed again. However, government officials say that quality and brand play an important role in increasing the import of foreign liquor. Officials argue that the market for foreign liquor will increase as domestic liquor cannot compete with foreign liquor in terms of quality and the brand is not established.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Urmila KC, joint-spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says that businessmen have not discussed the issue of legal complications in the production of raw materials required for alcohol with the ministry. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Industrialists and businessmen need to submit an application to the ministry about the problems faced by them. The industrialists also need to explain what caused the problem, what is expected from the government and how the solution can be done,” she said, adding, “After the industrialists put their point clearly, the ministry will consider the matter in a thorough manner.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also said that ultimately the industrialists should work harder for the production and market expansion of raw materials and alcohol.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17586', 'image' => '20230514024107_alco.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 14:39:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17854', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Two Climbers Scale Mt Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Two people have reached the top of Mt Everest in this spring season. Nepal's Pasang Temba Sherpa and Naila Kaini from Pakistan successfully scaled the world's highest peak at 8:02 am on Sunday. Their expedition was facilitated by Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition Company. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They climbed the peak just a day after a team of icefall doctors concluded the rope-fixing along the climbing route. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The company’s executive director Dawa Gyalje Sherpa said, Kaini reached the summit of Mt Everest this morning and she is the first international climber to climb the world's highest peak in the year 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Some of the climbers have reached the Hillary step and many are in and around the South Col. Many are expected to reach the summit by Sunday evening. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expedition for the spring season began on Saturday. According to the Department of Tourism, 467 of 44 expedition teams have taken permission for mountain climbing this spring season. </span><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">-- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17585', 'image' => '20230514014039_20220516042550_expedition-in-nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 13:39:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17853', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Drought Hits Cardamom Plantation in Taplejung ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 14: Generally, the onset of spring season is a time cardamom flowers and buds. But, this year, cardamom plants have wilted. Even the trees that provide shade and help to keep soil damp for cardamom are getting dry. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The plantation areas are vulnerable to blaze. This is the story about the cardamom estate of Siddhadanda at Phungling Municipality in Taplegung. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">With the parched cash crop, farmers here are worried much about the income. There is neither rainfall nor irrigation facility to water the dried crop. It is not possible to fetch water and irrigate the estate. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I've been planting cardamom for 40 years. I harvested as much as 1600 kgs of cardamom, but for some years, the harvest has been dented much with disease and drought. Now, the absence of rain this year has hit hard the cultivation," farmer Krishna Gurung shared the plight. "What is left to grow as the plant is dried before flowering,” he expressed his grief. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Another farmer Bir Bahadur Phembule from the same locality shared a similar story. He expressed sadness over the imminent loss of income with drying cardamom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the previous years, there used to be rainfall in early January while the Himalayan region witnessed snowfall during that time. But this year, there was no snowfall. It resulted in diminished sources of water, according to Principal Raju Hellok at Parbati Basic School from Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-5. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Farmers are cheerless this time as the cash crop has dried for lack of rainfall," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, Ran Bahadur Baboko, a farmer from Mangmakhe of Sirijungha Rural Municipality-6, said they will most certainly bear huge loss in cardamom plantation this time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Cardamom has been planted in 4,200 hectares of land in the district this year, which is 50 hectares less than last year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, in the nine months of the current fiscal year, cardamom worth Rs 6.35 billion has been exported from Nepal, according to the Department of Customs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The farmers here are desperately waiting for relief from concerned authorities citing the impact of drought on cardamom estate. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-14', 'modified' => '2023-05-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17584', 'image' => '20230514122740_cardamon_18736222.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-14 12:26:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
