NEWS

Nepal Railway Company Preparing for a Land Management Master Plan

Dec 08, 2020 0 1 minutes 37 seconds to read

December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including…

Traders Facing Hard Time to Pay Exorbitant Rent of Shopping Malls

Dec 08, 2020 0 2 minutes 11 seconds to read

December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper…

EU Acknowledges Efforts Made by Nepal in Relation to Aviation Safety

Dec 08, 2020 0 3 minutes 45 seconds to read

December 8: The European Union (EU) has applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety…

Nepal-India Meeting on Trade and Transshipment Decides to Curb Unauthorized Business in Border Area

Dec 08, 2020 0 2 minutes 28 seconds to read

December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border…

Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa Railway Not Included in First Quarterly Report of Current FY

Dec 07, 2020 0 1 minutes 53 seconds to read

December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY)…

Domestic Production of Nepal Declining

Dec 07, 2020 0 3 minutes 59 seconds to read

December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal’s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country’s domestic production is bot…

Nepal’s Garment Industry in Trouble

Dec 07, 2020 0 2 minutes 20 seconds to read

December 7: The condition of Nepal’s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet.…

NCP Meeting Postponed by a Week

Dec 07, 2020 0 1 minutes 32 seconds to read

December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week.…

Government Unveils Integrated Foreign Policy

Dec 07, 2020 0 2 minutes 12 seconds to read

December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal’s integrated foreign policy.…

There is no Need for Electronic Cargo Transport System: Importers

Dec 06, 2020 0 2 minutes 31 seconds to read

December 6: The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal’s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike.…

Finance Minister Instructs Government Officials to Effectively Implement Budget

Dec 06, 2020 0 2 minutes 49 seconds to read

December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year…

Equipment Required for Upper Tamakoshi Hydel yet to Arrive

Dec 06, 2020 0 2 minutes 28 seconds to read

December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time.…

Secretaries of Nepal and India to Discuss Transshipment Treaty Tomorrow

Dec 06, 2020 0 3 minutes 2 seconds to read

December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two…

Banks to Charge Customers for Inter-Bank Transaction using ATM Cards

Dec 06, 2020 0 1 minutes 2 seconds to read

December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now…

Secretary-Level Meeting on Energy to be held Next Week

Dec 04, 2020 0 1 minutes 49 seconds to read

December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week.…

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No Laughing Matter

The Sweet Rewards of Power

By Madan Lamsal

. . .
read more »

NEPSE

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			'title' => 'Nepal Railway Company Preparing for a Land Management Master Plan ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company which was revived to operate the Janakpur-Jaynagar&nbsp;Railway is planning to take commercial advantage of the land it owns.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that it will search and record the company&#39;s assets and determine how to use such assets for commercial purpose.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the former property of Amalekhgunj-Raxaul Railway will be used for suitable commercial use in the action plan of the current fiscal year 2077/78.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to the first quarterly progress report of the current fiscal year, the company has mentioned that the historical steam locomotives and the physical infrastructure of the railways will be preserved.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Guru Bhattarai, general manager of the company, informed that preparations have been made to bring the lands used by various ministries and other public bodies in the name of the company. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">&ldquo;The company is preparing to make a master plan to consolidate all the assets in the name of the company as it has not been able to take full advantage of the assets worth billions of rupees,&rdquo; he added.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Traders Facing Hard Time to Pay Exorbitant Rent of Shopping Malls',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates. Citing the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of the lockdown, the traders of big shopping malls have started looking for cheaper areas for conducting their businesses. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the effect of the pandemic, the businesses of big shopping malls and supermarkets in the main business centers of Kathmandu have decreased by about 75 percent. The traders are hard hit by the expensive rent of the shopping malls and supermarkets. Therefore, they believe that leaving the shopping malls as soon as possible and finding a cheaper place to do their business would bring them some relief. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to the treasurer of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sushma Mahara, some traders have abandoned their businesses while many have left malls and started looking for cheaper spaces available for rent. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&ldquo;Even though the entire business was halted due to the six-month long lockdown, the traders were compelled to pay the rent. But there is still no business. We don&rsquo;t know for how long we have to do business in loss. So, the traders have no option than to leave the mall and look for cheap places to run their business,&rdquo; she said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to Mahara, it is also the responsibility of the mall operators to support the traders and bear the burden of loss equally.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to various other facilities including car parking, the minimum rent inside the malls is Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Traders say it is unfortunate for them to flee the business due to their inability to pay high rent and to leave the place where they have been doing business for years. </span></span></span></p>
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			'id' => '12772',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU Acknowledges Efforts Made by Nepal in Relation to Aviation Safety',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The European Union (EU) has applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 8: The European Union (EU) has </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In a statement issued on the International Civil Aviation Day on December 7, the EU noted that </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the European Commission is aware of the efforts that have been undertaken by Nepal, notably in regard to the new aviation legislation currently proposed to the Parliament. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">&ldquo;It would be key for this legislation to be adopted by the Parliament and subsequently implemented. This would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List,&rdquo; said the statement.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the EU, the standard process for removal from the list specifically includes organising a technical meeting (in Brussels) with CAAN to review the progress made, organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG MOVE, EASA, and air safety experts from member states, which is needed in order to make a determination about the effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and ienacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safety List by way of a Commission proposal to be endorsed by the EU Air Safety Committee. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The EU had banned Nepal from flying to its member states in December 2013 and is yet the remove the country from the blacklist. The EU kept Nepal in the list due to increasing incidents of plane crashes in the country. Nepali airliners have not been able to conduct flights to European countries ever since the ban was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">A considerable number of people from European countries had lost their lives in five air crashes in Nepal between 2010 to 2012, after which the EU imposed the ban. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 18 airline companies of Nepal, including helicopter operators, have been blacklisted by EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Analysts believe that EU has shown interest to lift the ban on Nepal for its efforts made to airlift people stranded by coronavirus and also because the country has grounded Chinese aircraft. Although EU has not mentioned anything public regarding Nepal using Chinese aircraft, experts say it is one of the reasons for the delay in removing the country from the black list.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai expressed his belief that Nepal will soon be removed from the blacklist of EU as the country has made tremendous reforms to meet the air safety standards of EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He said that the government has presented a draft bill to the House of Representatives and all concerns raised by the EU will be addressed once the bill is endorsed by parliament.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Meanwhile, the statement added that the European Commission with the assistance of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will deliver concrete and demand driven technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in order to support Nepal&rsquo;s efforts to enhance the aviation safety oversight in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Nepal-India Meeting on Trade and  Transshipment Decides to Curb Unauthorized Business in Border Area',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The secretary-level meeting was held to discuss and endorse the agenda of an earlier meeting held on December 3-4.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Monday&rsquo;s meeting decided to curb unauthorized business in border areas. Both sides pledged to ban illegal businesses within their jurisdiction in border areas. Nepal and India also agreed to set up modern infrastructure at customs points to discourage illegal trade and business, informed Urmila KC, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Both sides made commitment to curb illegal businesses in their respective areas,&rdquo; said KC.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last week, Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs had met with India&rsquo;s Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and urged him to regulate unauthorized entry of Nepali goods.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They had informed the minister that the Indian businesses were on the verge of collapse due to the government&rsquo;s failure in regulating import of goods, especially edible oil from Nepal. Minister Goyal had assured the Indian businessmen to resolve their problem.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr Baikuntha Aryal, his Indian counterpart Anup Badhwa and Indian ambassador to Nepal Binaya Mohan Kwatra had attended Monday&rsquo;s virtual meeting. Representatives of various ministries of both the countries were also present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The two sides also discussed trade between the two countries. Discussions were also held in topics like trade and transshipment treaty and its review, amendment of railway agreement, promoting investment and formation of joint commerce forum among other issues.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12768',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa Railway Not Included in First Quarterly Report of Current FY  ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The first quarterly progress report of the Railway Department does not mention any issue regarding this section. However, officials of the department have informed New Business Age that they are preparing to issue a tender for the disputed section again.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department previously had canceled the contract on September 8, 2020 after receiving criticism that it was preparing to award the contract to a limited construction companies on June 29 and 30.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&nbsp;However, the department has not even included this issue in its first quarterly report. Similarly, the expenditure and physical progress of the project has been weak in the first four months of the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the report received from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the targeted budget, and the physical progress of the project have been found to be poor in the review period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department had set a target to spend Rs 3 billion 620 million for the project in the first four months out of which the project was able to spend only Rs 1.12 billion. The total budget of the department for this year is Rs 8.66 billion.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12767',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Domestic Production of Nepal Declining',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal’s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country’s domestic production is bot satisfactory.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country&rsquo;s domestic production is bot satisfactory.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Domestic products taking the market instead of imported goods is considered as a good sign of economy. However, industrialists and entrepreneurs are not ready to buy the idea that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving because the production and demand both had shrunk in the country. The government&rsquo;s data shows that the import of raw materials required for industries has gone down in the recent days. Stakeholders of the private sector say that the import of such materials has declined due to coronavirus pandemic and the increase in price.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of major raw materials required for industries has declined at Birgunj customs point in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Birgunj is not just the main transit point but also a major industrial hub. The construction and food processing industries in this corridor import raw materials through this customs point.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of iron from this entry point has declined by almost half during the review period. The country had imported 359,000 metric tons of iron during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. However, the import of iron dropped to 185,000 metric tons this year, says customs officer Jagdish Purbe.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of raw materials through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Birgunj has also declined. Nepali importers had imported 48,495 metric tons of billet during the first four months of last fiscal year but the import this year dropped by 28 percent to 34,682 metric tons, says customs officer Ramesh Sukhmani.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The local importers of Nepal have placed less demand due to rise in price of billet in India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The price of iron rods has skyrocketed due to the increase in price of raw materials, says industrialist Rajesh Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The price of iron rods has increased due to the rise in price of raw materials. In the meantime, the demand has declined,&rdquo; says Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The demand for cement has also declined says industrialist Saneeep Agrawal. He says that the price and production of cement both have declined due to the low demand. The producers say that the price of cement has dropped by Rs 180 to Rs 230 oer sack.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, the import of clinker has also taken a nosedive.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ICP officials said that clinker has not fallen among the top 20 imports of Nepal this year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Although it is said that the import of clinker has declined due to the production within the country, many industries are operating at below 50 percent capacity.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, the import of raw materials of food processing industries has also declined.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12770',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Garment Industry in Trouble',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The condition of Nepal’s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 7: The condition of Nepal&rsquo;s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. The impact of the pandemic has reduced the production capacity of the garment industry and there have been no signs of improvement in problems faced during export. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Earlier, when the government restricted international flights to reduce the impact of coronavrius, garment manufacturers and businessmen were exporting goods even though they had to pay four times more transportation fare. Entrepreneurs say they are still suffering because the situation has not improved. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Entrepreneurs who exported clothes at high fares for the winter season in September and October were hoping of a reduction in fares while bringing clothes for the summer. However, the problem remains the same. The garment industry is currently producing and exporting clothes for the summer season. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of the Garment Association of Nepal, said that the entrepreneurs are facing many problems in export due to high transportation charge. Under normal circumstances, exporters used to export garments by sea through the Kolkata port of India. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, border tightening due to the coronavirus pandemic has been in force for a long time. Due to this, goods could not be sent via the sea route. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The businessmen say that even though there is not much hassles at the border for import, there is problem in exporting goods. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Therefore, businessmen are forced to export goods via courier these days. &quot;There has been no change in the previous fares and the sea routes have not been opened. We cannot predict for how long this business will have to face such a situation,&quot; Agrawal said. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12766',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCP Meeting Postponed by a Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. The meeting which was called for Sunday (December 6) at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi has been pushed back by a week for next Sunday (December 13).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Reports prepared by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal&nbsp; Dahal were presented at the meeting. The meeting was postponed to study the reports. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the party, did not attend Sunday&rsquo;s meeting. He sent a message to the leaders present at the meeting informing them that he will not be able to attend the meeting which was scheduled to discuss the report blaming him of taking the party on the verge of split. Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel had conveyed Oli&rsquo;s message during the meeting.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Although Oli remained absent, another chairman Dahal chaired the meeting, which decided to study the reports of the two chairmen.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">PM Oli said that the party has been facing problems because his rivals want to take his place even though he has already pledged to step down from the party leadership after the next convention of the party. He also accused his opponents of not being patient enough to wait for the people&rsquo;s mandate.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'article_date' => '2020-12-07 13:07:38',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12765',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Unveils Integrated Foreign Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal’s integrated foreign policy. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal&rsquo;s integrated foreign policy. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Nepal Foreign Policy 2077 made public by the government on Sunday (December 6) strives to promote national interest by maintaining smooth relations with foreign countries based on a balanced and independent approach for mutual benefit.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The integrated policy also aims to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations with neighbouring countries by respecting each others independence.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Speaking at a function to unveil the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> policy, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said that Nepal has adopted a policy to recognize all countries as friendly nations. He said that Nepal will not consider any country as enemy state. He also clarified that the government will have a balanced approach towards any country and will not lean toward any particular country or ignore others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">He also added that the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy has given continuity to Nepal&rsquo;s non-alignment movement, which the country has been following since a long time. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy, which according to the government is independent and balanced, strives for mutual benefits and is based on respecting each other.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The foreign policy has also included issues to protect the rights of Nepali nationals working in foreign countries, informed Minister Gyawali.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12764',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'There is no Need for Electronic Cargo Transport System: Importers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal’s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal&rsquo;s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Government authorities had implemented the ECTS while implementing the transshipment system to remove paperworks at Kolkata and Visakhapatman ports of India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was implemented on cargo containers transported through railways in order to prevent misuse of goods brought from overseas. Although this system, which uses GPS tracking, was launched to facilitate transport of goods, it has become the reason for transportation cost to shoot up.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS is fixed on containers loaded on trains from the sea ports of India to track their location. But Nepali importers say that the location of the cargo containers can be obtained from the website of Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) even without the use of ECTS.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Importer Suresh Rungata says the ECTS has become a means for the transporter company to charge fare arbitrarily. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;There is no need of ECTS in rail route because the containers can be tracked from CONCOR&rsquo;s website, which is authorized to transport the goods through the railway route,&rdquo; says Rungata.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was introduced to remove paper work at Indian ports. This system was expected to reduce the transportation cost by 50 percent. Although the paper works have been removed, the transportation cost has increased by 50 percent instead.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The company authorized to transport the goods charges IRs 3,400 per container. Although the status of the containers can be obtained from the website, the company has been charging fare for every container. Nepali importers complain that this provision has needlessly increased the transportation cost &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12762',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Instructs Government Officials to Effectively Implement Budget',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Pointing out to the fact that the government has not been able to spend capital expenditure, collect revenue and implement the programmes included in the budget properly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, he instructed the government officials to improve their work performance for effective implementation of the programmes.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a meeting organised at the ministry after reviewing the works done in the first quarter, Minister Poudel told the concerned authorities to resolve the problems related to budget implementation at the departmental level as far as it is possible.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pledged to ensure that there will be no problem in resource management and coordination for the implementation of budget.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Please set a deadline and complete the works related to the programmes and policies of the government on time,&rdquo; said Minister Poudel.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also directed the departmental heads to clear all the arrears within the deadline. Stating that the government has already endorsed the work procedure to provide concessional loan for economic revival, he stressed on effective implementation&nbsp; of the programmes to that the targeted groups benefit from the scheme.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Finance Minister Poudel had recently summoned officials from all the ministries and sought details of budget implementation and their current status.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Maha Prasad Adhikari said during the recent meeting that the central bank has been making efforts to effectively implement the financial policies of the government. He said that the central bank has already instructed commercial banks to provide concessional loans to the targeted groups.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Kandel said that the government has been pushing for new projects at a time when old projects have not been able to complete. He also said that the government must pay special attention to discourage such trend.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12761',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Equipment Required for Upper Tamakoshi Hydel yet to Arrive ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Bigyan Prasad Shrestha said that it is not possible to set a date for the test. Project spokesperson Dr Ganesh Neupane said that the project is urging the suppliers to bring expansion joints and disposable boxes from Kolkata. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Neupane further said that if the expansion joints and disposable boxes and other necessary equipment are transported, the project&#39;s desender, tunnel and other structures can be tested from mid-February. He said that it is possible to fix the date for power generation test only after testing the tunnel and penstock of the project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Meanwhile<strong>, </strong>the tower at Putung of Kalinchok Rural Municipality that was constructed for the transmission of electricity generated from the project has been damaged. The project claims that the tower was damaged due to the structure of the land. According to the project office, experts are studying on where to reconstruct the tower. Spokesperson Neupane said that the construction of the tower will be started after receiving suggestions from the experts. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower not built yet due to land dispute</span></span></strong> </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower at Shahare, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality has not been built yet due to the land dispute. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The project stated that the construction of the tower could not happen because the locals are obstructing the construction as the Nepal Electricity Authority has not provided compensation so far. However, Neupane claims that even though the tower has not been constructed, a short-term alternative has been sought for the transmission of electricity generated from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12760',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretaries of Nepal and India to Discuss Transshipment Treaty Tomorrow',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the virtual meeting held on Thursday and Friday (December 3-4), the two sides reviewed trade and business between the two countries and also agreed to conduct a study on trade route between Nepal and India. The two countries also agreed to develop necessary infrastructure on border transit points.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Participants of the meeting also floated the proposal of facilitating trade between Nepal and India in accordance to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the meeting attended by joint secretaries of the two countries, Nepal and India also discussed about the expansion of Indian herbal products (Ayruvedic products) in the Nepali market. The two sides also discussed about resolving the problems that have surfaced in trans-border trade between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Nepalese side also demanded health certificate for the animals that enter Nepal for meat processing industries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Urmila KC informed New Business Age that the Nepali side proposed during the meeting to study additional trade routes between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">A secretarial-level meeting will be held on Monday (December 7) based on the understanding reached during last weeks meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An official of the ministry said that the two countries will discuss about reviewing the transshipment treaty between Nepal and India during the upcoming secretary-level meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last year, the two countries had formulated a draft of the transshipment treaty. The two sides will discuss the flaws of the proposed treaty and make necessary amendments before the new treaty gets endorsed by the ministers of the two countries by upcoming summer. It has been learnt that Monday&rsquo;s meeting will fix the date for signing the treaty.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Once the new transshipment treaty comes into force, Nepal will be able to conduct trade with third countries using waterways. Nepal will also be able to use two more ports of India &ndash; Dhamra of Orissa and Mundra of Gujrat &ndash; for overseas trade.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12759',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Banks to Charge Customers for Inter-Bank Transaction using ATM Cards',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank had earlier instructed banks not to charge any fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM fees to facilitate customers during the lockdown period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">That decision has been recently revoked by the central bank after reviewing the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. It means that the customers using ATM cards for withdrawing money from other banks will now have to pay charges.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank has already instructed banks to proceed with the their regular business in this regard.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretary-Level Meeting on Energy to be held Next Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday (December 10 and 11) through virtual medium.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">An electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India in October 2014. Nepal-India Secretary-level meeting has been held every year for the implementation of the PTA. After signing the PTA, the two countries have been holding meetings alternately.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prior to this, the meeting was held on October 26, 2019 in Bangalore, India. This time it is Nepal&#39;s turn to organize the meeting. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation informed that the meeting will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Energy Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dinesh Ghimire informed that a secretary-level meeting will be held next week. He informed that works are underway to formulate the agenda to be presented at the meeting and necessary preparations are being made.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Last year&#39;s meeting had decided to build the New Butwal-New Gorakhpur Second Interstate Transmission Line (400 KV) with equal investment from both the countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Bangalore meeting also approved the detailed project report of two more inter-country transmission lines - Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareilly - between the two countries. The investment structure of these two transmission lines will be decided in the coming meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12776',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal Railway Company Preparing for a Land Management Master Plan ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company which was revived to operate the Janakpur-Jaynagar&nbsp;Railway is planning to take commercial advantage of the land it owns.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that it will search and record the company&#39;s assets and determine how to use such assets for commercial purpose.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the former property of Amalekhgunj-Raxaul Railway will be used for suitable commercial use in the action plan of the current fiscal year 2077/78.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to the first quarterly progress report of the current fiscal year, the company has mentioned that the historical steam locomotives and the physical infrastructure of the railways will be preserved.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Guru Bhattarai, general manager of the company, informed that preparations have been made to bring the lands used by various ministries and other public bodies in the name of the company. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">&ldquo;The company is preparing to make a master plan to consolidate all the assets in the name of the company as it has not been able to take full advantage of the assets worth billions of rupees,&rdquo; he added.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Traders Facing Hard Time to Pay Exorbitant Rent of Shopping Malls',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates. Citing the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of the lockdown, the traders of big shopping malls have started looking for cheaper areas for conducting their businesses. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the effect of the pandemic, the businesses of big shopping malls and supermarkets in the main business centers of Kathmandu have decreased by about 75 percent. The traders are hard hit by the expensive rent of the shopping malls and supermarkets. Therefore, they believe that leaving the shopping malls as soon as possible and finding a cheaper place to do their business would bring them some relief. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to the treasurer of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sushma Mahara, some traders have abandoned their businesses while many have left malls and started looking for cheaper spaces available for rent. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&ldquo;Even though the entire business was halted due to the six-month long lockdown, the traders were compelled to pay the rent. But there is still no business. We don&rsquo;t know for how long we have to do business in loss. So, the traders have no option than to leave the mall and look for cheap places to run their business,&rdquo; she said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to Mahara, it is also the responsibility of the mall operators to support the traders and bear the burden of loss equally.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to various other facilities including car parking, the minimum rent inside the malls is Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Traders say it is unfortunate for them to flee the business due to their inability to pay high rent and to leave the place where they have been doing business for years. </span></span></span></p>
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			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU Acknowledges Efforts Made by Nepal in Relation to Aviation Safety',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The European Union (EU) has applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 8: The European Union (EU) has </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In a statement issued on the International Civil Aviation Day on December 7, the EU noted that </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the European Commission is aware of the efforts that have been undertaken by Nepal, notably in regard to the new aviation legislation currently proposed to the Parliament. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">&ldquo;It would be key for this legislation to be adopted by the Parliament and subsequently implemented. This would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List,&rdquo; said the statement.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the EU, the standard process for removal from the list specifically includes organising a technical meeting (in Brussels) with CAAN to review the progress made, organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG MOVE, EASA, and air safety experts from member states, which is needed in order to make a determination about the effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and ienacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safety List by way of a Commission proposal to be endorsed by the EU Air Safety Committee. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The EU had banned Nepal from flying to its member states in December 2013 and is yet the remove the country from the blacklist. The EU kept Nepal in the list due to increasing incidents of plane crashes in the country. Nepali airliners have not been able to conduct flights to European countries ever since the ban was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">A considerable number of people from European countries had lost their lives in five air crashes in Nepal between 2010 to 2012, after which the EU imposed the ban. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 18 airline companies of Nepal, including helicopter operators, have been blacklisted by EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Analysts believe that EU has shown interest to lift the ban on Nepal for its efforts made to airlift people stranded by coronavirus and also because the country has grounded Chinese aircraft. Although EU has not mentioned anything public regarding Nepal using Chinese aircraft, experts say it is one of the reasons for the delay in removing the country from the black list.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai expressed his belief that Nepal will soon be removed from the blacklist of EU as the country has made tremendous reforms to meet the air safety standards of EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He said that the government has presented a draft bill to the House of Representatives and all concerns raised by the EU will be addressed once the bill is endorsed by parliament.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Meanwhile, the statement added that the European Commission with the assistance of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will deliver concrete and demand driven technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in order to support Nepal&rsquo;s efforts to enhance the aviation safety oversight in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Nepal-India Meeting on Trade and  Transshipment Decides to Curb Unauthorized Business in Border Area',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The secretary-level meeting was held to discuss and endorse the agenda of an earlier meeting held on December 3-4.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Monday&rsquo;s meeting decided to curb unauthorized business in border areas. Both sides pledged to ban illegal businesses within their jurisdiction in border areas. Nepal and India also agreed to set up modern infrastructure at customs points to discourage illegal trade and business, informed Urmila KC, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Both sides made commitment to curb illegal businesses in their respective areas,&rdquo; said KC.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last week, Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs had met with India&rsquo;s Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and urged him to regulate unauthorized entry of Nepali goods.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They had informed the minister that the Indian businesses were on the verge of collapse due to the government&rsquo;s failure in regulating import of goods, especially edible oil from Nepal. Minister Goyal had assured the Indian businessmen to resolve their problem.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr Baikuntha Aryal, his Indian counterpart Anup Badhwa and Indian ambassador to Nepal Binaya Mohan Kwatra had attended Monday&rsquo;s virtual meeting. Representatives of various ministries of both the countries were also present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The two sides also discussed trade between the two countries. Discussions were also held in topics like trade and transshipment treaty and its review, amendment of railway agreement, promoting investment and formation of joint commerce forum among other issues.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12768',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa Railway Not Included in First Quarterly Report of Current FY  ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The first quarterly progress report of the Railway Department does not mention any issue regarding this section. However, officials of the department have informed New Business Age that they are preparing to issue a tender for the disputed section again.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department previously had canceled the contract on September 8, 2020 after receiving criticism that it was preparing to award the contract to a limited construction companies on June 29 and 30.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&nbsp;However, the department has not even included this issue in its first quarterly report. Similarly, the expenditure and physical progress of the project has been weak in the first four months of the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the report received from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the targeted budget, and the physical progress of the project have been found to be poor in the review period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department had set a target to spend Rs 3 billion 620 million for the project in the first four months out of which the project was able to spend only Rs 1.12 billion. The total budget of the department for this year is Rs 8.66 billion.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12767',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Domestic Production of Nepal Declining',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal’s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country’s domestic production is bot satisfactory.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country&rsquo;s domestic production is bot satisfactory.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Domestic products taking the market instead of imported goods is considered as a good sign of economy. However, industrialists and entrepreneurs are not ready to buy the idea that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving because the production and demand both had shrunk in the country. The government&rsquo;s data shows that the import of raw materials required for industries has gone down in the recent days. Stakeholders of the private sector say that the import of such materials has declined due to coronavirus pandemic and the increase in price.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of major raw materials required for industries has declined at Birgunj customs point in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Birgunj is not just the main transit point but also a major industrial hub. The construction and food processing industries in this corridor import raw materials through this customs point.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of iron from this entry point has declined by almost half during the review period. The country had imported 359,000 metric tons of iron during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. However, the import of iron dropped to 185,000 metric tons this year, says customs officer Jagdish Purbe.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of raw materials through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Birgunj has also declined. Nepali importers had imported 48,495 metric tons of billet during the first four months of last fiscal year but the import this year dropped by 28 percent to 34,682 metric tons, says customs officer Ramesh Sukhmani.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The local importers of Nepal have placed less demand due to rise in price of billet in India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The price of iron rods has skyrocketed due to the increase in price of raw materials, says industrialist Rajesh Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The price of iron rods has increased due to the rise in price of raw materials. In the meantime, the demand has declined,&rdquo; says Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The demand for cement has also declined says industrialist Saneeep Agrawal. He says that the price and production of cement both have declined due to the low demand. The producers say that the price of cement has dropped by Rs 180 to Rs 230 oer sack.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, the import of clinker has also taken a nosedive.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ICP officials said that clinker has not fallen among the top 20 imports of Nepal this year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Although it is said that the import of clinker has declined due to the production within the country, many industries are operating at below 50 percent capacity.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, the import of raw materials of food processing industries has also declined.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12770',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Garment Industry in Trouble',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The condition of Nepal’s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 7: The condition of Nepal&rsquo;s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. The impact of the pandemic has reduced the production capacity of the garment industry and there have been no signs of improvement in problems faced during export. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Earlier, when the government restricted international flights to reduce the impact of coronavrius, garment manufacturers and businessmen were exporting goods even though they had to pay four times more transportation fare. Entrepreneurs say they are still suffering because the situation has not improved. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Entrepreneurs who exported clothes at high fares for the winter season in September and October were hoping of a reduction in fares while bringing clothes for the summer. However, the problem remains the same. The garment industry is currently producing and exporting clothes for the summer season. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of the Garment Association of Nepal, said that the entrepreneurs are facing many problems in export due to high transportation charge. Under normal circumstances, exporters used to export garments by sea through the Kolkata port of India. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, border tightening due to the coronavirus pandemic has been in force for a long time. Due to this, goods could not be sent via the sea route. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The businessmen say that even though there is not much hassles at the border for import, there is problem in exporting goods. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Therefore, businessmen are forced to export goods via courier these days. &quot;There has been no change in the previous fares and the sea routes have not been opened. We cannot predict for how long this business will have to face such a situation,&quot; Agrawal said. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12766',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCP Meeting Postponed by a Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. The meeting which was called for Sunday (December 6) at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi has been pushed back by a week for next Sunday (December 13).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Reports prepared by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal&nbsp; Dahal were presented at the meeting. The meeting was postponed to study the reports. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the party, did not attend Sunday&rsquo;s meeting. He sent a message to the leaders present at the meeting informing them that he will not be able to attend the meeting which was scheduled to discuss the report blaming him of taking the party on the verge of split. Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel had conveyed Oli&rsquo;s message during the meeting.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Although Oli remained absent, another chairman Dahal chaired the meeting, which decided to study the reports of the two chairmen.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">PM Oli said that the party has been facing problems because his rivals want to take his place even though he has already pledged to step down from the party leadership after the next convention of the party. He also accused his opponents of not being patient enough to wait for the people&rsquo;s mandate.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'created' => '2020-12-07',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12765',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Unveils Integrated Foreign Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal’s integrated foreign policy. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal&rsquo;s integrated foreign policy. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Nepal Foreign Policy 2077 made public by the government on Sunday (December 6) strives to promote national interest by maintaining smooth relations with foreign countries based on a balanced and independent approach for mutual benefit.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The integrated policy also aims to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations with neighbouring countries by respecting each others independence.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Speaking at a function to unveil the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> policy, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said that Nepal has adopted a policy to recognize all countries as friendly nations. He said that Nepal will not consider any country as enemy state. He also clarified that the government will have a balanced approach towards any country and will not lean toward any particular country or ignore others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">He also added that the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy has given continuity to Nepal&rsquo;s non-alignment movement, which the country has been following since a long time. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy, which according to the government is independent and balanced, strives for mutual benefits and is based on respecting each other.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The foreign policy has also included issues to protect the rights of Nepali nationals working in foreign countries, informed Minister Gyawali.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12764',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'There is no Need for Electronic Cargo Transport System: Importers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal’s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal&rsquo;s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Government authorities had implemented the ECTS while implementing the transshipment system to remove paperworks at Kolkata and Visakhapatman ports of India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was implemented on cargo containers transported through railways in order to prevent misuse of goods brought from overseas. Although this system, which uses GPS tracking, was launched to facilitate transport of goods, it has become the reason for transportation cost to shoot up.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS is fixed on containers loaded on trains from the sea ports of India to track their location. But Nepali importers say that the location of the cargo containers can be obtained from the website of Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) even without the use of ECTS.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Importer Suresh Rungata says the ECTS has become a means for the transporter company to charge fare arbitrarily. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;There is no need of ECTS in rail route because the containers can be tracked from CONCOR&rsquo;s website, which is authorized to transport the goods through the railway route,&rdquo; says Rungata.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was introduced to remove paper work at Indian ports. This system was expected to reduce the transportation cost by 50 percent. Although the paper works have been removed, the transportation cost has increased by 50 percent instead.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The company authorized to transport the goods charges IRs 3,400 per container. Although the status of the containers can be obtained from the website, the company has been charging fare for every container. Nepali importers complain that this provision has needlessly increased the transportation cost &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12762',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Instructs Government Officials to Effectively Implement Budget',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Pointing out to the fact that the government has not been able to spend capital expenditure, collect revenue and implement the programmes included in the budget properly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, he instructed the government officials to improve their work performance for effective implementation of the programmes.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a meeting organised at the ministry after reviewing the works done in the first quarter, Minister Poudel told the concerned authorities to resolve the problems related to budget implementation at the departmental level as far as it is possible.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pledged to ensure that there will be no problem in resource management and coordination for the implementation of budget.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Please set a deadline and complete the works related to the programmes and policies of the government on time,&rdquo; said Minister Poudel.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also directed the departmental heads to clear all the arrears within the deadline. Stating that the government has already endorsed the work procedure to provide concessional loan for economic revival, he stressed on effective implementation&nbsp; of the programmes to that the targeted groups benefit from the scheme.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Finance Minister Poudel had recently summoned officials from all the ministries and sought details of budget implementation and their current status.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Maha Prasad Adhikari said during the recent meeting that the central bank has been making efforts to effectively implement the financial policies of the government. He said that the central bank has already instructed commercial banks to provide concessional loans to the targeted groups.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Kandel said that the government has been pushing for new projects at a time when old projects have not been able to complete. He also said that the government must pay special attention to discourage such trend.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12761',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Equipment Required for Upper Tamakoshi Hydel yet to Arrive ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Bigyan Prasad Shrestha said that it is not possible to set a date for the test. Project spokesperson Dr Ganesh Neupane said that the project is urging the suppliers to bring expansion joints and disposable boxes from Kolkata. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Neupane further said that if the expansion joints and disposable boxes and other necessary equipment are transported, the project&#39;s desender, tunnel and other structures can be tested from mid-February. He said that it is possible to fix the date for power generation test only after testing the tunnel and penstock of the project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Meanwhile<strong>, </strong>the tower at Putung of Kalinchok Rural Municipality that was constructed for the transmission of electricity generated from the project has been damaged. The project claims that the tower was damaged due to the structure of the land. According to the project office, experts are studying on where to reconstruct the tower. Spokesperson Neupane said that the construction of the tower will be started after receiving suggestions from the experts. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower not built yet due to land dispute</span></span></strong> </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower at Shahare, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality has not been built yet due to the land dispute. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The project stated that the construction of the tower could not happen because the locals are obstructing the construction as the Nepal Electricity Authority has not provided compensation so far. However, Neupane claims that even though the tower has not been constructed, a short-term alternative has been sought for the transmission of electricity generated from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12760',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretaries of Nepal and India to Discuss Transshipment Treaty Tomorrow',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the virtual meeting held on Thursday and Friday (December 3-4), the two sides reviewed trade and business between the two countries and also agreed to conduct a study on trade route between Nepal and India. The two countries also agreed to develop necessary infrastructure on border transit points.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Participants of the meeting also floated the proposal of facilitating trade between Nepal and India in accordance to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the meeting attended by joint secretaries of the two countries, Nepal and India also discussed about the expansion of Indian herbal products (Ayruvedic products) in the Nepali market. The two sides also discussed about resolving the problems that have surfaced in trans-border trade between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Nepalese side also demanded health certificate for the animals that enter Nepal for meat processing industries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Urmila KC informed New Business Age that the Nepali side proposed during the meeting to study additional trade routes between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">A secretarial-level meeting will be held on Monday (December 7) based on the understanding reached during last weeks meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An official of the ministry said that the two countries will discuss about reviewing the transshipment treaty between Nepal and India during the upcoming secretary-level meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last year, the two countries had formulated a draft of the transshipment treaty. The two sides will discuss the flaws of the proposed treaty and make necessary amendments before the new treaty gets endorsed by the ministers of the two countries by upcoming summer. It has been learnt that Monday&rsquo;s meeting will fix the date for signing the treaty.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Once the new transshipment treaty comes into force, Nepal will be able to conduct trade with third countries using waterways. Nepal will also be able to use two more ports of India &ndash; Dhamra of Orissa and Mundra of Gujrat &ndash; for overseas trade.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12759',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Banks to Charge Customers for Inter-Bank Transaction using ATM Cards',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank had earlier instructed banks not to charge any fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM fees to facilitate customers during the lockdown period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">That decision has been recently revoked by the central bank after reviewing the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. It means that the customers using ATM cards for withdrawing money from other banks will now have to pay charges.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank has already instructed banks to proceed with the their regular business in this regard.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12758',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretary-Level Meeting on Energy to be held Next Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday (December 10 and 11) through virtual medium.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">An electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India in October 2014. Nepal-India Secretary-level meeting has been held every year for the implementation of the PTA. After signing the PTA, the two countries have been holding meetings alternately.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prior to this, the meeting was held on October 26, 2019 in Bangalore, India. This time it is Nepal&#39;s turn to organize the meeting. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation informed that the meeting will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Energy Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dinesh Ghimire informed that a secretary-level meeting will be held next week. He informed that works are underway to formulate the agenda to be presented at the meeting and necessary preparations are being made.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Last year&#39;s meeting had decided to build the New Butwal-New Gorakhpur Second Interstate Transmission Line (400 KV) with equal investment from both the countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Bangalore meeting also approved the detailed project report of two more inter-country transmission lines - Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareilly - between the two countries. The investment structure of these two transmission lines will be decided in the coming meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12776',
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			'title' => 'Nepal Railway Company Preparing for a Land Management Master Plan ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company which was revived to operate the Janakpur-Jaynagar&nbsp;Railway is planning to take commercial advantage of the land it owns.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that it will search and record the company&#39;s assets and determine how to use such assets for commercial purpose.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the former property of Amalekhgunj-Raxaul Railway will be used for suitable commercial use in the action plan of the current fiscal year 2077/78.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to the first quarterly progress report of the current fiscal year, the company has mentioned that the historical steam locomotives and the physical infrastructure of the railways will be preserved.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Guru Bhattarai, general manager of the company, informed that preparations have been made to bring the lands used by various ministries and other public bodies in the name of the company. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">&ldquo;The company is preparing to make a master plan to consolidate all the assets in the name of the company as it has not been able to take full advantage of the assets worth billions of rupees,&rdquo; he added.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Traders Facing Hard Time to Pay Exorbitant Rent of Shopping Malls',
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			'summary' => 'December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates. Citing the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of the lockdown, the traders of big shopping malls have started looking for cheaper areas for conducting their businesses. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the effect of the pandemic, the businesses of big shopping malls and supermarkets in the main business centers of Kathmandu have decreased by about 75 percent. The traders are hard hit by the expensive rent of the shopping malls and supermarkets. Therefore, they believe that leaving the shopping malls as soon as possible and finding a cheaper place to do their business would bring them some relief. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to the treasurer of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sushma Mahara, some traders have abandoned their businesses while many have left malls and started looking for cheaper spaces available for rent. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&ldquo;Even though the entire business was halted due to the six-month long lockdown, the traders were compelled to pay the rent. But there is still no business. We don&rsquo;t know for how long we have to do business in loss. So, the traders have no option than to leave the mall and look for cheap places to run their business,&rdquo; she said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to Mahara, it is also the responsibility of the mall operators to support the traders and bear the burden of loss equally.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to various other facilities including car parking, the minimum rent inside the malls is Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Traders say it is unfortunate for them to flee the business due to their inability to pay high rent and to leave the place where they have been doing business for years. </span></span></span></p>
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	(int) 2 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12772',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU Acknowledges Efforts Made by Nepal in Relation to Aviation Safety',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The European Union (EU) has applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 8: The European Union (EU) has </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In a statement issued on the International Civil Aviation Day on December 7, the EU noted that </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the European Commission is aware of the efforts that have been undertaken by Nepal, notably in regard to the new aviation legislation currently proposed to the Parliament. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">&ldquo;It would be key for this legislation to be adopted by the Parliament and subsequently implemented. This would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List,&rdquo; said the statement.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the EU, the standard process for removal from the list specifically includes organising a technical meeting (in Brussels) with CAAN to review the progress made, organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG MOVE, EASA, and air safety experts from member states, which is needed in order to make a determination about the effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and ienacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safety List by way of a Commission proposal to be endorsed by the EU Air Safety Committee. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The EU had banned Nepal from flying to its member states in December 2013 and is yet the remove the country from the blacklist. The EU kept Nepal in the list due to increasing incidents of plane crashes in the country. Nepali airliners have not been able to conduct flights to European countries ever since the ban was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">A considerable number of people from European countries had lost their lives in five air crashes in Nepal between 2010 to 2012, after which the EU imposed the ban. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 18 airline companies of Nepal, including helicopter operators, have been blacklisted by EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Analysts believe that EU has shown interest to lift the ban on Nepal for its efforts made to airlift people stranded by coronavirus and also because the country has grounded Chinese aircraft. Although EU has not mentioned anything public regarding Nepal using Chinese aircraft, experts say it is one of the reasons for the delay in removing the country from the black list.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai expressed his belief that Nepal will soon be removed from the blacklist of EU as the country has made tremendous reforms to meet the air safety standards of EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He said that the government has presented a draft bill to the House of Representatives and all concerns raised by the EU will be addressed once the bill is endorsed by parliament.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Meanwhile, the statement added that the European Commission with the assistance of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will deliver concrete and demand driven technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in order to support Nepal&rsquo;s efforts to enhance the aviation safety oversight in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12771',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Meeting on Trade and  Transshipment Decides to Curb Unauthorized Business in Border Area',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The secretary-level meeting was held to discuss and endorse the agenda of an earlier meeting held on December 3-4.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Monday&rsquo;s meeting decided to curb unauthorized business in border areas. Both sides pledged to ban illegal businesses within their jurisdiction in border areas. Nepal and India also agreed to set up modern infrastructure at customs points to discourage illegal trade and business, informed Urmila KC, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Both sides made commitment to curb illegal businesses in their respective areas,&rdquo; said KC.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last week, Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs had met with India&rsquo;s Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and urged him to regulate unauthorized entry of Nepali goods.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They had informed the minister that the Indian businesses were on the verge of collapse due to the government&rsquo;s failure in regulating import of goods, especially edible oil from Nepal. Minister Goyal had assured the Indian businessmen to resolve their problem.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr Baikuntha Aryal, his Indian counterpart Anup Badhwa and Indian ambassador to Nepal Binaya Mohan Kwatra had attended Monday&rsquo;s virtual meeting. Representatives of various ministries of both the countries were also present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The two sides also discussed trade between the two countries. Discussions were also held in topics like trade and transshipment treaty and its review, amendment of railway agreement, promoting investment and formation of joint commerce forum among other issues.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'sortorder' => '12518',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12768',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa Railway Not Included in First Quarterly Report of Current FY  ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The first quarterly progress report of the Railway Department does not mention any issue regarding this section. However, officials of the department have informed New Business Age that they are preparing to issue a tender for the disputed section again.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department previously had canceled the contract on September 8, 2020 after receiving criticism that it was preparing to award the contract to a limited construction companies on June 29 and 30.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&nbsp;However, the department has not even included this issue in its first quarterly report. Similarly, the expenditure and physical progress of the project has been weak in the first four months of the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the report received from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the targeted budget, and the physical progress of the project have been found to be poor in the review period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department had set a target to spend Rs 3 billion 620 million for the project in the first four months out of which the project was able to spend only Rs 1.12 billion. The total budget of the department for this year is Rs 8.66 billion.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12767',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Domestic Production of Nepal Declining',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal’s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country’s domestic production is bot satisfactory.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country&rsquo;s domestic production is bot satisfactory.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Domestic products taking the market instead of imported goods is considered as a good sign of economy. However, industrialists and entrepreneurs are not ready to buy the idea that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving because the production and demand both had shrunk in the country. The government&rsquo;s data shows that the import of raw materials required for industries has gone down in the recent days. Stakeholders of the private sector say that the import of such materials has declined due to coronavirus pandemic and the increase in price.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of major raw materials required for industries has declined at Birgunj customs point in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Birgunj is not just the main transit point but also a major industrial hub. The construction and food processing industries in this corridor import raw materials through this customs point.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of iron from this entry point has declined by almost half during the review period. The country had imported 359,000 metric tons of iron during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. However, the import of iron dropped to 185,000 metric tons this year, says customs officer Jagdish Purbe.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of raw materials through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Birgunj has also declined. Nepali importers had imported 48,495 metric tons of billet during the first four months of last fiscal year but the import this year dropped by 28 percent to 34,682 metric tons, says customs officer Ramesh Sukhmani.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The local importers of Nepal have placed less demand due to rise in price of billet in India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The price of iron rods has skyrocketed due to the increase in price of raw materials, says industrialist Rajesh Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The price of iron rods has increased due to the rise in price of raw materials. In the meantime, the demand has declined,&rdquo; says Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The demand for cement has also declined says industrialist Saneeep Agrawal. He says that the price and production of cement both have declined due to the low demand. The producers say that the price of cement has dropped by Rs 180 to Rs 230 oer sack.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, the import of clinker has also taken a nosedive.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ICP officials said that clinker has not fallen among the top 20 imports of Nepal this year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Although it is said that the import of clinker has declined due to the production within the country, many industries are operating at below 50 percent capacity.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, the import of raw materials of food processing industries has also declined.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12770',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Garment Industry in Trouble',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The condition of Nepal’s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 7: The condition of Nepal&rsquo;s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. The impact of the pandemic has reduced the production capacity of the garment industry and there have been no signs of improvement in problems faced during export. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Earlier, when the government restricted international flights to reduce the impact of coronavrius, garment manufacturers and businessmen were exporting goods even though they had to pay four times more transportation fare. Entrepreneurs say they are still suffering because the situation has not improved. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Entrepreneurs who exported clothes at high fares for the winter season in September and October were hoping of a reduction in fares while bringing clothes for the summer. However, the problem remains the same. The garment industry is currently producing and exporting clothes for the summer season. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of the Garment Association of Nepal, said that the entrepreneurs are facing many problems in export due to high transportation charge. Under normal circumstances, exporters used to export garments by sea through the Kolkata port of India. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, border tightening due to the coronavirus pandemic has been in force for a long time. Due to this, goods could not be sent via the sea route. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The businessmen say that even though there is not much hassles at the border for import, there is problem in exporting goods. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Therefore, businessmen are forced to export goods via courier these days. &quot;There has been no change in the previous fares and the sea routes have not been opened. We cannot predict for how long this business will have to face such a situation,&quot; Agrawal said. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12766',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCP Meeting Postponed by a Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. The meeting which was called for Sunday (December 6) at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi has been pushed back by a week for next Sunday (December 13).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Reports prepared by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal&nbsp; Dahal were presented at the meeting. The meeting was postponed to study the reports. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the party, did not attend Sunday&rsquo;s meeting. He sent a message to the leaders present at the meeting informing them that he will not be able to attend the meeting which was scheduled to discuss the report blaming him of taking the party on the verge of split. Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel had conveyed Oli&rsquo;s message during the meeting.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Although Oli remained absent, another chairman Dahal chaired the meeting, which decided to study the reports of the two chairmen.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">PM Oli said that the party has been facing problems because his rivals want to take his place even though he has already pledged to step down from the party leadership after the next convention of the party. He also accused his opponents of not being patient enough to wait for the people&rsquo;s mandate.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'article_date' => '2020-12-07 13:07:38',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12765',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Unveils Integrated Foreign Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal’s integrated foreign policy. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal&rsquo;s integrated foreign policy. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Nepal Foreign Policy 2077 made public by the government on Sunday (December 6) strives to promote national interest by maintaining smooth relations with foreign countries based on a balanced and independent approach for mutual benefit.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The integrated policy also aims to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations with neighbouring countries by respecting each others independence.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Speaking at a function to unveil the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> policy, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said that Nepal has adopted a policy to recognize all countries as friendly nations. He said that Nepal will not consider any country as enemy state. He also clarified that the government will have a balanced approach towards any country and will not lean toward any particular country or ignore others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">He also added that the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy has given continuity to Nepal&rsquo;s non-alignment movement, which the country has been following since a long time. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy, which according to the government is independent and balanced, strives for mutual benefits and is based on respecting each other.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The foreign policy has also included issues to protect the rights of Nepali nationals working in foreign countries, informed Minister Gyawali.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'created' => '2020-12-07',
			'modified' => '2020-12-07',
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			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '12512',
			'image' => '20201207123126_1607297631.pradip.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-12-07 12:30:23',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12764',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'There is no Need for Electronic Cargo Transport System: Importers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal’s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal&rsquo;s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Government authorities had implemented the ECTS while implementing the transshipment system to remove paperworks at Kolkata and Visakhapatman ports of India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was implemented on cargo containers transported through railways in order to prevent misuse of goods brought from overseas. Although this system, which uses GPS tracking, was launched to facilitate transport of goods, it has become the reason for transportation cost to shoot up.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS is fixed on containers loaded on trains from the sea ports of India to track their location. But Nepali importers say that the location of the cargo containers can be obtained from the website of Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) even without the use of ECTS.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Importer Suresh Rungata says the ECTS has become a means for the transporter company to charge fare arbitrarily. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;There is no need of ECTS in rail route because the containers can be tracked from CONCOR&rsquo;s website, which is authorized to transport the goods through the railway route,&rdquo; says Rungata.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was introduced to remove paper work at Indian ports. This system was expected to reduce the transportation cost by 50 percent. Although the paper works have been removed, the transportation cost has increased by 50 percent instead.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The company authorized to transport the goods charges IRs 3,400 per container. Although the status of the containers can be obtained from the website, the company has been charging fare for every container. Nepali importers complain that this provision has needlessly increased the transportation cost &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12762',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Instructs Government Officials to Effectively Implement Budget',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Pointing out to the fact that the government has not been able to spend capital expenditure, collect revenue and implement the programmes included in the budget properly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, he instructed the government officials to improve their work performance for effective implementation of the programmes.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a meeting organised at the ministry after reviewing the works done in the first quarter, Minister Poudel told the concerned authorities to resolve the problems related to budget implementation at the departmental level as far as it is possible.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pledged to ensure that there will be no problem in resource management and coordination for the implementation of budget.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Please set a deadline and complete the works related to the programmes and policies of the government on time,&rdquo; said Minister Poudel.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also directed the departmental heads to clear all the arrears within the deadline. Stating that the government has already endorsed the work procedure to provide concessional loan for economic revival, he stressed on effective implementation&nbsp; of the programmes to that the targeted groups benefit from the scheme.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Finance Minister Poudel had recently summoned officials from all the ministries and sought details of budget implementation and their current status.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Maha Prasad Adhikari said during the recent meeting that the central bank has been making efforts to effectively implement the financial policies of the government. He said that the central bank has already instructed commercial banks to provide concessional loans to the targeted groups.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Kandel said that the government has been pushing for new projects at a time when old projects have not been able to complete. He also said that the government must pay special attention to discourage such trend.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12761',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Equipment Required for Upper Tamakoshi Hydel yet to Arrive ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Bigyan Prasad Shrestha said that it is not possible to set a date for the test. Project spokesperson Dr Ganesh Neupane said that the project is urging the suppliers to bring expansion joints and disposable boxes from Kolkata. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Neupane further said that if the expansion joints and disposable boxes and other necessary equipment are transported, the project&#39;s desender, tunnel and other structures can be tested from mid-February. He said that it is possible to fix the date for power generation test only after testing the tunnel and penstock of the project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Meanwhile<strong>, </strong>the tower at Putung of Kalinchok Rural Municipality that was constructed for the transmission of electricity generated from the project has been damaged. The project claims that the tower was damaged due to the structure of the land. According to the project office, experts are studying on where to reconstruct the tower. Spokesperson Neupane said that the construction of the tower will be started after receiving suggestions from the experts. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower not built yet due to land dispute</span></span></strong> </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower at Shahare, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality has not been built yet due to the land dispute. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The project stated that the construction of the tower could not happen because the locals are obstructing the construction as the Nepal Electricity Authority has not provided compensation so far. However, Neupane claims that even though the tower has not been constructed, a short-term alternative has been sought for the transmission of electricity generated from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12760',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretaries of Nepal and India to Discuss Transshipment Treaty Tomorrow',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the virtual meeting held on Thursday and Friday (December 3-4), the two sides reviewed trade and business between the two countries and also agreed to conduct a study on trade route between Nepal and India. The two countries also agreed to develop necessary infrastructure on border transit points.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Participants of the meeting also floated the proposal of facilitating trade between Nepal and India in accordance to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the meeting attended by joint secretaries of the two countries, Nepal and India also discussed about the expansion of Indian herbal products (Ayruvedic products) in the Nepali market. The two sides also discussed about resolving the problems that have surfaced in trans-border trade between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Nepalese side also demanded health certificate for the animals that enter Nepal for meat processing industries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Urmila KC informed New Business Age that the Nepali side proposed during the meeting to study additional trade routes between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">A secretarial-level meeting will be held on Monday (December 7) based on the understanding reached during last weeks meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An official of the ministry said that the two countries will discuss about reviewing the transshipment treaty between Nepal and India during the upcoming secretary-level meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last year, the two countries had formulated a draft of the transshipment treaty. The two sides will discuss the flaws of the proposed treaty and make necessary amendments before the new treaty gets endorsed by the ministers of the two countries by upcoming summer. It has been learnt that Monday&rsquo;s meeting will fix the date for signing the treaty.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Once the new transshipment treaty comes into force, Nepal will be able to conduct trade with third countries using waterways. Nepal will also be able to use two more ports of India &ndash; Dhamra of Orissa and Mundra of Gujrat &ndash; for overseas trade.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12759',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Banks to Charge Customers for Inter-Bank Transaction using ATM Cards',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank had earlier instructed banks not to charge any fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM fees to facilitate customers during the lockdown period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">That decision has been recently revoked by the central bank after reviewing the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. It means that the customers using ATM cards for withdrawing money from other banks will now have to pay charges.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank has already instructed banks to proceed with the their regular business in this regard.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 14 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12758',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretary-Level Meeting on Energy to be held Next Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday (December 10 and 11) through virtual medium.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">An electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India in October 2014. Nepal-India Secretary-level meeting has been held every year for the implementation of the PTA. After signing the PTA, the two countries have been holding meetings alternately.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prior to this, the meeting was held on October 26, 2019 in Bangalore, India. This time it is Nepal&#39;s turn to organize the meeting. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation informed that the meeting will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Energy Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dinesh Ghimire informed that a secretary-level meeting will be held next week. He informed that works are underway to formulate the agenda to be presented at the meeting and necessary preparations are being made.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Last year&#39;s meeting had decided to build the New Butwal-New Gorakhpur Second Interstate Transmission Line (400 KV) with equal investment from both the countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Bangalore meeting also approved the detailed project report of two more inter-country transmission lines - Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareilly - between the two countries. The investment structure of these two transmission lines will be decided in the coming meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12776',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal Railway Company Preparing for a Land Management Master Plan ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 8: Nepal Railway Company Limited, which is back in operation after six years, has started focusing on commercial use of land in railway stations including Janakpur.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company which was revived to operate the Janakpur-Jaynagar&nbsp;Railway is planning to take commercial advantage of the land it owns.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that it will search and record the company&#39;s assets and determine how to use such assets for commercial purpose.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the former property of Amalekhgunj-Raxaul Railway will be used for suitable commercial use in the action plan of the current fiscal year 2077/78.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to the first quarterly progress report of the current fiscal year, the company has mentioned that the historical steam locomotives and the physical infrastructure of the railways will be preserved.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Guru Bhattarai, general manager of the company, informed that preparations have been made to bring the lands used by various ministries and other public bodies in the name of the company. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Calibri">&ldquo;The company is preparing to make a master plan to consolidate all the assets in the name of the company as it has not been able to take full advantage of the assets worth billions of rupees,&rdquo; he added.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12773',
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			'title' => 'Traders Facing Hard Time to Pay Exorbitant Rent of Shopping Malls',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 8: Unable to pay the rent of shopping malls, traders have started looking for renting areas available at cheaper rates. Citing the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of the lockdown, the traders of big shopping malls have started looking for cheaper areas for conducting their businesses. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the effect of the pandemic, the businesses of big shopping malls and supermarkets in the main business centers of Kathmandu have decreased by about 75 percent. The traders are hard hit by the expensive rent of the shopping malls and supermarkets. Therefore, they believe that leaving the shopping malls as soon as possible and finding a cheaper place to do their business would bring them some relief. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to the treasurer of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sushma Mahara, some traders have abandoned their businesses while many have left malls and started looking for cheaper spaces available for rent. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&ldquo;Even though the entire business was halted due to the six-month long lockdown, the traders were compelled to pay the rent. But there is still no business. We don&rsquo;t know for how long we have to do business in loss. So, the traders have no option than to leave the mall and look for cheap places to run their business,&rdquo; she said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">According to Mahara, it is also the responsibility of the mall operators to support the traders and bear the burden of loss equally.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to various other facilities including car parking, the minimum rent inside the malls is Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Traders say it is unfortunate for them to flee the business due to their inability to pay high rent and to leave the place where they have been doing business for years. </span></span></span></p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12772',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU Acknowledges Efforts Made by Nepal in Relation to Aviation Safety',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The European Union (EU) has applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 8: The European Union (EU) has </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">applauded the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve aviation safety mechanisms although the EU is yet to remove Nepal from aviation safety blacklist.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In a statement issued on the International Civil Aviation Day on December 7, the EU noted that </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the European Commission is aware of the efforts that have been undertaken by Nepal, notably in regard to the new aviation legislation currently proposed to the Parliament. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">&ldquo;It would be key for this legislation to be adopted by the Parliament and subsequently implemented. This would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List,&rdquo; said the statement.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the EU, the standard process for removal from the list specifically includes organising a technical meeting (in Brussels) with CAAN to review the progress made, organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG MOVE, EASA, and air safety experts from member states, which is needed in order to make a determination about the effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and ienacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safety List by way of a Commission proposal to be endorsed by the EU Air Safety Committee. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The EU had banned Nepal from flying to its member states in December 2013 and is yet the remove the country from the blacklist. The EU kept Nepal in the list due to increasing incidents of plane crashes in the country. Nepali airliners have not been able to conduct flights to European countries ever since the ban was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">A considerable number of people from European countries had lost their lives in five air crashes in Nepal between 2010 to 2012, after which the EU imposed the ban. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 18 airline companies of Nepal, including helicopter operators, have been blacklisted by EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Analysts believe that EU has shown interest to lift the ban on Nepal for its efforts made to airlift people stranded by coronavirus and also because the country has grounded Chinese aircraft. Although EU has not mentioned anything public regarding Nepal using Chinese aircraft, experts say it is one of the reasons for the delay in removing the country from the black list.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai expressed his belief that Nepal will soon be removed from the blacklist of EU as the country has made tremendous reforms to meet the air safety standards of EU.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He said that the government has presented a draft bill to the House of Representatives and all concerns raised by the EU will be addressed once the bill is endorsed by parliament.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Meanwhile, the statement added that the European Commission with the assistance of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will deliver concrete and demand driven technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in order to support Nepal&rsquo;s efforts to enhance the aviation safety oversight in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12771',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Meeting on Trade and  Transshipment Decides to Curb Unauthorized Business in Border Area',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 8: The Inter Government Committee Meeting on Trade and Transshipment between Nepal and India concluded on Monday (December 7) with an understanding to step up efforts to curb unauthorized business in border areas.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The secretary-level meeting was held to discuss and endorse the agenda of an earlier meeting held on December 3-4.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Monday&rsquo;s meeting decided to curb unauthorized business in border areas. Both sides pledged to ban illegal businesses within their jurisdiction in border areas. Nepal and India also agreed to set up modern infrastructure at customs points to discourage illegal trade and business, informed Urmila KC, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Both sides made commitment to curb illegal businesses in their respective areas,&rdquo; said KC.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last week, Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs had met with India&rsquo;s Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and urged him to regulate unauthorized entry of Nepali goods.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They had informed the minister that the Indian businesses were on the verge of collapse due to the government&rsquo;s failure in regulating import of goods, especially edible oil from Nepal. Minister Goyal had assured the Indian businessmen to resolve their problem.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr Baikuntha Aryal, his Indian counterpart Anup Badhwa and Indian ambassador to Nepal Binaya Mohan Kwatra had attended Monday&rsquo;s virtual meeting. Representatives of various ministries of both the countries were also present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The two sides also discussed trade between the two countries. Discussions were also held in topics like trade and transshipment treaty and its review, amendment of railway agreement, promoting investment and formation of joint commerce forum among other issues.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12768',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa Railway Not Included in First Quarterly Report of Current FY  ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway section of the East-West Electric Railway, whose contract was canceled due to a dispute, has not been listed in the first quarterly report of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2077/78.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The first quarterly progress report of the Railway Department does not mention any issue regarding this section. However, officials of the department have informed New Business Age that they are preparing to issue a tender for the disputed section again.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department previously had canceled the contract on September 8, 2020 after receiving criticism that it was preparing to award the contract to a limited construction companies on June 29 and 30.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&nbsp;However, the department has not even included this issue in its first quarterly report. Similarly, the expenditure and physical progress of the project has been weak in the first four months of the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the report received from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the targeted budget, and the physical progress of the project have been found to be poor in the review period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The department had set a target to spend Rs 3 billion 620 million for the project in the first four months out of which the project was able to spend only Rs 1.12 billion. The total budget of the department for this year is Rs 8.66 billion.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12767',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Domestic Production of Nepal Declining',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal’s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country’s domestic production is bot satisfactory.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 7: The government has been claiming that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving as a result of surplus Balance of Payments due to decline in imports. However, the country&rsquo;s domestic production is bot satisfactory.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Domestic products taking the market instead of imported goods is considered as a good sign of economy. However, industrialists and entrepreneurs are not ready to buy the idea that Nepal&rsquo;s foreign trade is improving because the production and demand both had shrunk in the country. The government&rsquo;s data shows that the import of raw materials required for industries has gone down in the recent days. Stakeholders of the private sector say that the import of such materials has declined due to coronavirus pandemic and the increase in price.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of major raw materials required for industries has declined at Birgunj customs point in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Birgunj is not just the main transit point but also a major industrial hub. The construction and food processing industries in this corridor import raw materials through this customs point.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of iron from this entry point has declined by almost half during the review period. The country had imported 359,000 metric tons of iron during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. However, the import of iron dropped to 185,000 metric tons this year, says customs officer Jagdish Purbe.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The import of raw materials through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Birgunj has also declined. Nepali importers had imported 48,495 metric tons of billet during the first four months of last fiscal year but the import this year dropped by 28 percent to 34,682 metric tons, says customs officer Ramesh Sukhmani.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The local importers of Nepal have placed less demand due to rise in price of billet in India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The price of iron rods has skyrocketed due to the increase in price of raw materials, says industrialist Rajesh Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The price of iron rods has increased due to the rise in price of raw materials. In the meantime, the demand has declined,&rdquo; says Kyal.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The demand for cement has also declined says industrialist Saneeep Agrawal. He says that the price and production of cement both have declined due to the low demand. The producers say that the price of cement has dropped by Rs 180 to Rs 230 oer sack.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, the import of clinker has also taken a nosedive.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ICP officials said that clinker has not fallen among the top 20 imports of Nepal this year.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Although it is said that the import of clinker has declined due to the production within the country, many industries are operating at below 50 percent capacity.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, the import of raw materials of food processing industries has also declined.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12770',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Garment Industry in Trouble',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The condition of Nepal’s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 7: The condition of Nepal&rsquo;s garment industry, which has been affected severely by the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, has not improved yet. The impact of the pandemic has reduced the production capacity of the garment industry and there have been no signs of improvement in problems faced during export. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Earlier, when the government restricted international flights to reduce the impact of coronavrius, garment manufacturers and businessmen were exporting goods even though they had to pay four times more transportation fare. Entrepreneurs say they are still suffering because the situation has not improved. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Entrepreneurs who exported clothes at high fares for the winter season in September and October were hoping of a reduction in fares while bringing clothes for the summer. However, the problem remains the same. The garment industry is currently producing and exporting clothes for the summer season. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of the Garment Association of Nepal, said that the entrepreneurs are facing many problems in export due to high transportation charge. Under normal circumstances, exporters used to export garments by sea through the Kolkata port of India. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, border tightening due to the coronavirus pandemic has been in force for a long time. Due to this, goods could not be sent via the sea route. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The businessmen say that even though there is not much hassles at the border for import, there is problem in exporting goods. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Therefore, businessmen are forced to export goods via courier these days. &quot;There has been no change in the previous fares and the sea routes have not been opened. We cannot predict for how long this business will have to face such a situation,&quot; Agrawal said. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12766',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCP Meeting Postponed by a Week',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">December 7: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been postponed by a week. The meeting which was called for Sunday (December 6) at the party headquarters in Dhumbarahi has been pushed back by a week for next Sunday (December 13).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Reports prepared by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal&nbsp; Dahal were presented at the meeting. The meeting was postponed to study the reports. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the party, did not attend Sunday&rsquo;s meeting. He sent a message to the leaders present at the meeting informing them that he will not be able to attend the meeting which was scheduled to discuss the report blaming him of taking the party on the verge of split. Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel had conveyed Oli&rsquo;s message during the meeting.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Although Oli remained absent, another chairman Dahal chaired the meeting, which decided to study the reports of the two chairmen.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">PM Oli said that the party has been facing problems because his rivals want to take his place even though he has already pledged to step down from the party leadership after the next convention of the party. He also accused his opponents of not being patient enough to wait for the people&rsquo;s mandate.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12765',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Unveils Integrated Foreign Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal’s integrated foreign policy. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">December 7: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has for the first time unveiled Nepal&rsquo;s integrated foreign policy. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Nepal Foreign Policy 2077 made public by the government on Sunday (December 6) strives to promote national interest by maintaining smooth relations with foreign countries based on a balanced and independent approach for mutual benefit.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The integrated policy also aims to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations with neighbouring countries by respecting each others independence.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Speaking at a function to unveil the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> policy, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said that Nepal has adopted a policy to recognize all countries as friendly nations. He said that Nepal will not consider any country as enemy state. He also clarified that the government will have a balanced approach towards any country and will not lean toward any particular country or ignore others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">He also added that the </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy has given continuity to Nepal&rsquo;s non-alignment movement, which the country has been following since a long time. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">integrated</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial"> foreign policy, which according to the government is independent and balanced, strives for mutual benefits and is based on respecting each other.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The foreign policy has also included issues to protect the rights of Nepali nationals working in foreign countries, informed Minister Gyawali.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12764',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'There is no Need for Electronic Cargo Transport System: Importers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal’s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS), which was introduced to reduce the transportation cost of Nepal&rsquo;s overseas trade, has ironically become the reason for price hike. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Government authorities had implemented the ECTS while implementing the transshipment system to remove paperworks at Kolkata and Visakhapatman ports of India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was implemented on cargo containers transported through railways in order to prevent misuse of goods brought from overseas. Although this system, which uses GPS tracking, was launched to facilitate transport of goods, it has become the reason for transportation cost to shoot up.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS is fixed on containers loaded on trains from the sea ports of India to track their location. But Nepali importers say that the location of the cargo containers can be obtained from the website of Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) even without the use of ECTS.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Importer Suresh Rungata says the ECTS has become a means for the transporter company to charge fare arbitrarily. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;There is no need of ECTS in rail route because the containers can be tracked from CONCOR&rsquo;s website, which is authorized to transport the goods through the railway route,&rdquo; says Rungata.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The ECTS was introduced to remove paper work at Indian ports. This system was expected to reduce the transportation cost by 50 percent. Although the paper works have been removed, the transportation cost has increased by 50 percent instead.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The company authorized to transport the goods charges IRs 3,400 per container. Although the status of the containers can be obtained from the website, the company has been charging fare for every container. Nepali importers complain that this provision has needlessly increased the transportation cost &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12762',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Instructs Government Officials to Effectively Implement Budget',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel has directed government officials to effectively implement the programmes and policies of the current fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Pointing out to the fact that the government has not been able to spend capital expenditure, collect revenue and implement the programmes included in the budget properly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, he instructed the government officials to improve their work performance for effective implementation of the programmes.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a meeting organised at the ministry after reviewing the works done in the first quarter, Minister Poudel told the concerned authorities to resolve the problems related to budget implementation at the departmental level as far as it is possible.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pledged to ensure that there will be no problem in resource management and coordination for the implementation of budget.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;Please set a deadline and complete the works related to the programmes and policies of the government on time,&rdquo; said Minister Poudel.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also directed the departmental heads to clear all the arrears within the deadline. Stating that the government has already endorsed the work procedure to provide concessional loan for economic revival, he stressed on effective implementation&nbsp; of the programmes to that the targeted groups benefit from the scheme.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Finance Minister Poudel had recently summoned officials from all the ministries and sought details of budget implementation and their current status.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Maha Prasad Adhikari said during the recent meeting that the central bank has been making efforts to effectively implement the financial policies of the government. He said that the central bank has already instructed commercial banks to provide concessional loans to the targeted groups.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Kandel said that the government has been pushing for new projects at a time when old projects have not been able to complete. He also said that the government must pay special attention to discourage such trend.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12761',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Equipment Required for Upper Tamakoshi Hydel yet to Arrive ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">December 6: The construction of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has slowed down and the production has also become uncertain as the Indian contractor Texmaya has not been able to transport penstock expansion joint and dismantle box from Kolkata on time. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Bigyan Prasad Shrestha said that it is not possible to set a date for the test. Project spokesperson Dr Ganesh Neupane said that the project is urging the suppliers to bring expansion joints and disposable boxes from Kolkata. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Neupane further said that if the expansion joints and disposable boxes and other necessary equipment are transported, the project&#39;s desender, tunnel and other structures can be tested from mid-February. He said that it is possible to fix the date for power generation test only after testing the tunnel and penstock of the project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Meanwhile<strong>, </strong>the tower at Putung of Kalinchok Rural Municipality that was constructed for the transmission of electricity generated from the project has been damaged. The project claims that the tower was damaged due to the structure of the land. According to the project office, experts are studying on where to reconstruct the tower. Spokesperson Neupane said that the construction of the tower will be started after receiving suggestions from the experts. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower not built yet due to land dispute</span></span></strong> </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The multi-circuit tower at Shahare, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality has not been built yet due to the land dispute. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The project stated that the construction of the tower could not happen because the locals are obstructing the construction as the Nepal Electricity Authority has not provided compensation so far. However, Neupane claims that even though the tower has not been constructed, a short-term alternative has been sought for the transmission of electricity generated from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12760',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Secretaries of Nepal and India to Discuss Transshipment Treaty Tomorrow',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Nepal and India have concluded a Joint secretary-level inter-governmental sub-committee meeting on trade and transshipment between the two countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the virtual meeting held on Thursday and Friday (December 3-4), the two sides reviewed trade and business between the two countries and also agreed to conduct a study on trade route between Nepal and India. The two countries also agreed to develop necessary infrastructure on border transit points.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Participants of the meeting also floated the proposal of facilitating trade between Nepal and India in accordance to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During the meeting attended by joint secretaries of the two countries, Nepal and India also discussed about the expansion of Indian herbal products (Ayruvedic products) in the Nepali market. The two sides also discussed about resolving the problems that have surfaced in trans-border trade between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Nepalese side also demanded health certificate for the animals that enter Nepal for meat processing industries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Urmila KC informed New Business Age that the Nepali side proposed during the meeting to study additional trade routes between Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">A secretarial-level meeting will be held on Monday (December 7) based on the understanding reached during last weeks meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An official of the ministry said that the two countries will discuss about reviewing the transshipment treaty between Nepal and India during the upcoming secretary-level meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Last year, the two countries had formulated a draft of the transshipment treaty. The two sides will discuss the flaws of the proposed treaty and make necessary amendments before the new treaty gets endorsed by the ministers of the two countries by upcoming summer. It has been learnt that Monday&rsquo;s meeting will fix the date for signing the treaty.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Once the new transshipment treaty comes into force, Nepal will be able to conduct trade with third countries using waterways. Nepal will also be able to use two more ports of India &ndash; Dhamra of Orissa and Mundra of Gujrat &ndash; for overseas trade.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Banks to Charge Customers for Inter-Bank Transaction using ATM Cards',
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			'summary' => 'December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">December 6: Commercial banks will be charging fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM cards from now onwards.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank had earlier instructed banks not to charge any fee for inter-bank transaction using ATM fees to facilitate customers during the lockdown period. </span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">That decision has been recently revoked by the central bank after reviewing the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. It means that the customers using ATM cards for withdrawing money from other banks will now have to pay charges.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Nepal Rastra Bank has already instructed banks to proceed with the their regular business in this regard.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'Secretary-Level Meeting on Energy to be held Next Week',
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			'summary' => 'December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday (December 10 and 11) through virtual medium.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">An electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India in October 2014. Nepal-India Secretary-level meeting has been held every year for the implementation of the PTA. After signing the PTA, the two countries have been holding meetings alternately.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prior to this, the meeting was held on October 26, 2019 in Bangalore, India. This time it is Nepal&#39;s turn to organize the meeting. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation informed that the meeting will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Energy Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dinesh Ghimire informed that a secretary-level meeting will be held next week. He informed that works are underway to formulate the agenda to be presented at the meeting and necessary preparations are being made.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Last year&#39;s meeting had decided to build the New Butwal-New Gorakhpur Second Interstate Transmission Line (400 KV) with equal investment from both the countries.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Bangalore meeting also approved the detailed project report of two more inter-country transmission lines - Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareilly - between the two countries. The investment structure of these two transmission lines will be decided in the coming meeting.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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FOREX

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)

Bullion

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

Petroleum

Petrol	1 Liter	106.00
Diesel	1 Liter	95.00
Kerosene	1 Liter	95.00
LP Gas	1 Cylinder	1375.00