May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors.…
May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors.…
May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and…
May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and…
May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country.…
May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector.…
May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently…
May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).…
May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and…
May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on…
May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS…
May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension.…
May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.…
May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required.…
April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics…
April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.…
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upcoming Budget to Focus on Coronavirus Affected Sectors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 4</span><span style="font-family:Arial">: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. Ministry of Finance is currently preparing the government’s policies and programmes to address the concerns of industrial sector, tourism industry as well as labor and employment issues.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:Arial">Along with neighboring India, many other countries have announced stimulus package. However, the government of Nepal has not yet announced any such package. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">But the government has decided to give subsidies to the affected areas. Issues like giving income tax relief for three to seven years based on production of the industries, postponing loan repayment for six months and limiting interest rate to nine percent are some the measures being considered by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif""> The government is also planning to allocate budget for providing employment opportunity to the returnee migrant workers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to the ministry, the returnee migrant workers will get jobs on the basis of their skills. Government officials informed that the government will give continuity to the Prime Minister Employment Fund in the coming years. The officials say that all these concerns will be addressed by the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Pressure to include informal sector and laborers </span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Members of Parliament have been pressurizing the government to address all the concerns of small and medium scale industries. During a discussion on Sunday, MPs said that the government must prepare some relief for informal sectors workers and small enterprises as well. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">As many migrant laborers and other local workers are under the risk of losing their job, the lawmakers demanded that the government address their concerns promptly. During the meeting, leaders of various political parties said that industrial zone should be established in all 753 local units. Also, according to them, infrastructures should be expanded so that Nepal can store petrol for at least three months. The MPs demanded the government to address all these concerns in the next fiscal year’s budget. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11765', 'image' => '20200504033240_1588549898.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:31:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 12,000 Containers Stuck at Different Ports', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India. The containers are stuck in the port due to transportation and procedural delays caused by the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, more than 3500 containers are stuck in the Birgunj Dry Port. Meanwhile importers have not turned up at the dry port to clear their containers. The containers were brought to Birgunj from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports of India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The delay in clearing the goods has affected the shipments from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports as containers are stuck at the Birgunj port.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are altogether 19 trains that transport goods from India to Birgunj Dry Port and all of the trains are currently moving towards Birgunj with additional containers. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Bishnukant Chaudhary, chief executive officer of Himalayan Terminal that handles the Birgunj Dry Port, informed that the port is already overcrowded with containers and it no longer has sufficient space to unload the arriving containers from India. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“One train carries 90 containers. So, more than 1,700 containers are on the way. Now we are concerned about how to manage the arriving containers,” Chaudhary informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The number of Nepal-bound containers at Kolkata Port has already exceeded 4,000. The port has decided to send the containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS) if the importers do not receive them.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“About 1,400 containers unloaded at the Kolkata Port before April 23 will be delivered to CFS. We have already informed the importers about this,” informed Vineet Kumar, chairman of Kolkata Port Trust.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11764', 'image' => '20200504031808_20202_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:17:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases in Nepal Surge to 75', 'sub_title' => '16 new cases of reported in a single day', 'summary' => 'May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The ministry informed that 15 new cases were confirmed in Banke while one was reported in Prasa. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 75 across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Spokesperson at the ministry Dr Bikas Devkota said that the health condition of all the infected persons is normal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">So far 16 people infected with coronavirus have returned home after full recovery. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">As of Sunday, health authorities have tested 13,414 samples through PCR method and 49,688 through RDT method.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 21,951 persons have been kept in quarantine across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11763', 'image' => '20200504102006_Toll Rises4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 10:16:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SMEs is Crisis due to Lockdown ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are in crisis as production and supply have come to a standstill due to the month-long lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to such unprecedented circumstances, stakeholders opine that the entire economy will be affected by the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Economist Dr Govinda Nepal informed new Business Age that the lockdown and coronavirus crisis have affected SMEs the most around the world.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He informed that all such enterprises are the most vulnerable during the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The small and medium scale industries are affected by minor risks and eventually force them to shut down. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Even small risks can cause such industries to close down quickly. However, the government should provide short-term relief, soft loans and refinancing to save such industries from crisis,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Experts also suggest that the state must take appropriate decision to save such industries from crisis. Small and medium industries and enterprises contribute a lot in creating employment opportunities.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Restaurants, handicraft industry and poultry farms which are part of small and medium industries have been providing direct and indirect employment to about 2.4 million people in Nepal and are contributing 22 percent to the country's gross domestic product.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, poultry industry is bearing a daily loss of around Rs 220 million. Likewise, restaurants have been shut for more than a month. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are about 2,500 restaurants in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara making a daily turnover of Rs 70 million. Similarly, the handicraft industry, which employs around one million people, is also in crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11762', 'image' => '20200503040317_20181115113202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:02:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Sector may face loss of Rs 13 billion', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Usually around this time of the year, the insurance companies make good business due to various schemes they announce. But, due to the lockdown, insurance companies are getting very less clients who want purchase insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The main source of revenue for insurance companies is insurance premium. The officials say that even the insurance renewal hasn’t taken place as the government has postponed the renewal deadline till mid-June. Earlier, the deadline for renewal was mid-May. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Shiva Nath Pandey, president of Nepal Insurers Association, the insurance sector may lose Rs 13 billion due to lockdown. “Had it been normal times, we would have invested in various sectors to expand revenue horizon,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to chances of decreasing revenue of companies, it is expected that people’s income will reduce. In this situation, it is very difficult for the insurance companies to get new businesses. Apart from that, it is also certain to affect the renewals of insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Because of decreasing income, people will give less priority to insurance,” says Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The insurance sector had set a target to collect insurance premium of Rs 100 billion in the current Fiscal Year. In the last Fiscal Year, insurance premium of Rs 70 billion was collected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to the slowdown of business in the insurance sector, the profit of most of companies will be affected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The affect is also seen in the non-life insurance sector. According to Noor Pratap Pradhan, vice-president of Nepal Insurers’ Association, the renewal of non-life insurance is not so exciting. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“The employees haven’t got salary from their offices. It is normal that the insurance holders have not been able to deposit the amount during this period,” said Pradhan. “Presently, the business is only 45 percent compared to normal times. All these transactions have taken place through online medium.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Similarly, the insurance companies have further been affected due to the reduction of interest rate by the commercial banks. The insurance companies deposit almost the entire amount in the banks. So, they gain profit from the interest. But, due to Covid 29, the interest rate on deposits has been reduced to 7 percent from 9.75 percent. According to data from Nepal Rastra Bank, the insurance companies have deposited around Rs 200.63 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Pandey, the effects won’t be seen in the financial report of this year. “Because the business was really good for first 8-9 months of this fiscal year. However, the effect will be seen in the next fiscal year,” he said. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11761', 'image' => '20200503041304_20191023114923_aaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:12:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12010', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Government Lacks Data Regarding Nepali Citizens in Foreign Countries’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to officials at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the body responsible of keeping records of the Nepali nationals living abroad. However, the concerned ministry has not maintained proper data, the labour ministry officials said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security had time and again sought details of Nepali nationals living in different countries across the world to rescue them. However, the foreign ministry replied to us saying that they have to seek the details,” said Joint Secretary Suman Ghimire.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Ghimire, although the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security keeps the record of Nepali migrant workers in foreign countries but they do not have any data about Nepali citizens visiting foreign countries for study and other purposes. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Officials at the foreign ministry have made irresponsible remarks by stating that they do not have the details of Nepali nationals abroad at the moment.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11760', 'image' => '20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 10:42:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11759', 'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12009', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. “This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11758', 'image' => '20200503094122_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:40:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven’t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to workers’ union, around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers’ unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven’t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,” said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven’t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won’t be jobless and they don’t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11757', 'image' => '20200501033855_1062426068-H.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 15:38:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet service providers to continue with such scheme. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister for Communication and Information Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11756', 'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:22:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12005', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11755', 'image' => '20200501121048_20200320110025_1584659224.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:09:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12003', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11754', 'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12004', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal’s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11753', 'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12002', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal’s economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government’s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors – tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11752', 'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12001', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal's development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11751', 'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upcoming Budget to Focus on Coronavirus Affected Sectors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 4</span><span style="font-family:Arial">: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. Ministry of Finance is currently preparing the government’s policies and programmes to address the concerns of industrial sector, tourism industry as well as labor and employment issues.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:Arial">Along with neighboring India, many other countries have announced stimulus package. However, the government of Nepal has not yet announced any such package. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">But the government has decided to give subsidies to the affected areas. Issues like giving income tax relief for three to seven years based on production of the industries, postponing loan repayment for six months and limiting interest rate to nine percent are some the measures being considered by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif""> The government is also planning to allocate budget for providing employment opportunity to the returnee migrant workers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to the ministry, the returnee migrant workers will get jobs on the basis of their skills. Government officials informed that the government will give continuity to the Prime Minister Employment Fund in the coming years. The officials say that all these concerns will be addressed by the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Pressure to include informal sector and laborers </span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Members of Parliament have been pressurizing the government to address all the concerns of small and medium scale industries. During a discussion on Sunday, MPs said that the government must prepare some relief for informal sectors workers and small enterprises as well. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">As many migrant laborers and other local workers are under the risk of losing their job, the lawmakers demanded that the government address their concerns promptly. During the meeting, leaders of various political parties said that industrial zone should be established in all 753 local units. Also, according to them, infrastructures should be expanded so that Nepal can store petrol for at least three months. The MPs demanded the government to address all these concerns in the next fiscal year’s budget. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11765', 'image' => '20200504033240_1588549898.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:31:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 12,000 Containers Stuck at Different Ports', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India. The containers are stuck in the port due to transportation and procedural delays caused by the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, more than 3500 containers are stuck in the Birgunj Dry Port. Meanwhile importers have not turned up at the dry port to clear their containers. The containers were brought to Birgunj from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports of India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The delay in clearing the goods has affected the shipments from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports as containers are stuck at the Birgunj port.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are altogether 19 trains that transport goods from India to Birgunj Dry Port and all of the trains are currently moving towards Birgunj with additional containers. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Bishnukant Chaudhary, chief executive officer of Himalayan Terminal that handles the Birgunj Dry Port, informed that the port is already overcrowded with containers and it no longer has sufficient space to unload the arriving containers from India. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“One train carries 90 containers. So, more than 1,700 containers are on the way. Now we are concerned about how to manage the arriving containers,” Chaudhary informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The number of Nepal-bound containers at Kolkata Port has already exceeded 4,000. The port has decided to send the containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS) if the importers do not receive them.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“About 1,400 containers unloaded at the Kolkata Port before April 23 will be delivered to CFS. We have already informed the importers about this,” informed Vineet Kumar, chairman of Kolkata Port Trust.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11764', 'image' => '20200504031808_20202_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:17:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases in Nepal Surge to 75', 'sub_title' => '16 new cases of reported in a single day', 'summary' => 'May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The ministry informed that 15 new cases were confirmed in Banke while one was reported in Prasa. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 75 across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Spokesperson at the ministry Dr Bikas Devkota said that the health condition of all the infected persons is normal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">So far 16 people infected with coronavirus have returned home after full recovery. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">As of Sunday, health authorities have tested 13,414 samples through PCR method and 49,688 through RDT method.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 21,951 persons have been kept in quarantine across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11763', 'image' => '20200504102006_Toll Rises4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 10:16:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SMEs is Crisis due to Lockdown ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are in crisis as production and supply have come to a standstill due to the month-long lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to such unprecedented circumstances, stakeholders opine that the entire economy will be affected by the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Economist Dr Govinda Nepal informed new Business Age that the lockdown and coronavirus crisis have affected SMEs the most around the world.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He informed that all such enterprises are the most vulnerable during the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The small and medium scale industries are affected by minor risks and eventually force them to shut down. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Even small risks can cause such industries to close down quickly. However, the government should provide short-term relief, soft loans and refinancing to save such industries from crisis,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Experts also suggest that the state must take appropriate decision to save such industries from crisis. Small and medium industries and enterprises contribute a lot in creating employment opportunities.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Restaurants, handicraft industry and poultry farms which are part of small and medium industries have been providing direct and indirect employment to about 2.4 million people in Nepal and are contributing 22 percent to the country's gross domestic product.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, poultry industry is bearing a daily loss of around Rs 220 million. Likewise, restaurants have been shut for more than a month. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are about 2,500 restaurants in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara making a daily turnover of Rs 70 million. Similarly, the handicraft industry, which employs around one million people, is also in crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11762', 'image' => '20200503040317_20181115113202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:02:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Sector may face loss of Rs 13 billion', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Usually around this time of the year, the insurance companies make good business due to various schemes they announce. But, due to the lockdown, insurance companies are getting very less clients who want purchase insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The main source of revenue for insurance companies is insurance premium. The officials say that even the insurance renewal hasn’t taken place as the government has postponed the renewal deadline till mid-June. Earlier, the deadline for renewal was mid-May. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Shiva Nath Pandey, president of Nepal Insurers Association, the insurance sector may lose Rs 13 billion due to lockdown. “Had it been normal times, we would have invested in various sectors to expand revenue horizon,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to chances of decreasing revenue of companies, it is expected that people’s income will reduce. In this situation, it is very difficult for the insurance companies to get new businesses. Apart from that, it is also certain to affect the renewals of insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Because of decreasing income, people will give less priority to insurance,” says Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The insurance sector had set a target to collect insurance premium of Rs 100 billion in the current Fiscal Year. In the last Fiscal Year, insurance premium of Rs 70 billion was collected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to the slowdown of business in the insurance sector, the profit of most of companies will be affected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The affect is also seen in the non-life insurance sector. According to Noor Pratap Pradhan, vice-president of Nepal Insurers’ Association, the renewal of non-life insurance is not so exciting. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“The employees haven’t got salary from their offices. It is normal that the insurance holders have not been able to deposit the amount during this period,” said Pradhan. “Presently, the business is only 45 percent compared to normal times. All these transactions have taken place through online medium.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Similarly, the insurance companies have further been affected due to the reduction of interest rate by the commercial banks. The insurance companies deposit almost the entire amount in the banks. So, they gain profit from the interest. But, due to Covid 29, the interest rate on deposits has been reduced to 7 percent from 9.75 percent. According to data from Nepal Rastra Bank, the insurance companies have deposited around Rs 200.63 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Pandey, the effects won’t be seen in the financial report of this year. “Because the business was really good for first 8-9 months of this fiscal year. However, the effect will be seen in the next fiscal year,” he said. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11761', 'image' => '20200503041304_20191023114923_aaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:12:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12010', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Government Lacks Data Regarding Nepali Citizens in Foreign Countries’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to officials at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the body responsible of keeping records of the Nepali nationals living abroad. However, the concerned ministry has not maintained proper data, the labour ministry officials said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security had time and again sought details of Nepali nationals living in different countries across the world to rescue them. However, the foreign ministry replied to us saying that they have to seek the details,” said Joint Secretary Suman Ghimire.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Ghimire, although the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security keeps the record of Nepali migrant workers in foreign countries but they do not have any data about Nepali citizens visiting foreign countries for study and other purposes. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Officials at the foreign ministry have made irresponsible remarks by stating that they do not have the details of Nepali nationals abroad at the moment.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11760', 'image' => '20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 10:42:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11759', 'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12009', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. “This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11758', 'image' => '20200503094122_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:40:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven’t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to workers’ union, around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers’ unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven’t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,” said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven’t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won’t be jobless and they don’t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11757', 'image' => '20200501033855_1062426068-H.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 15:38:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet service providers to continue with such scheme. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister for Communication and Information Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11756', 'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:22:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12005', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11755', 'image' => '20200501121048_20200320110025_1584659224.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:09:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12003', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11754', 'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12004', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal’s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11753', 'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12002', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal’s economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government’s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors – tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11752', 'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12001', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal's development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11751', 'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upcoming Budget to Focus on Coronavirus Affected Sectors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 4</span><span style="font-family:Arial">: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. Ministry of Finance is currently preparing the government’s policies and programmes to address the concerns of industrial sector, tourism industry as well as labor and employment issues.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:Arial">Along with neighboring India, many other countries have announced stimulus package. However, the government of Nepal has not yet announced any such package. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">But the government has decided to give subsidies to the affected areas. Issues like giving income tax relief for three to seven years based on production of the industries, postponing loan repayment for six months and limiting interest rate to nine percent are some the measures being considered by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif""> The government is also planning to allocate budget for providing employment opportunity to the returnee migrant workers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to the ministry, the returnee migrant workers will get jobs on the basis of their skills. Government officials informed that the government will give continuity to the Prime Minister Employment Fund in the coming years. The officials say that all these concerns will be addressed by the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Pressure to include informal sector and laborers </span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Members of Parliament have been pressurizing the government to address all the concerns of small and medium scale industries. During a discussion on Sunday, MPs said that the government must prepare some relief for informal sectors workers and small enterprises as well. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">As many migrant laborers and other local workers are under the risk of losing their job, the lawmakers demanded that the government address their concerns promptly. During the meeting, leaders of various political parties said that industrial zone should be established in all 753 local units. Also, according to them, infrastructures should be expanded so that Nepal can store petrol for at least three months. The MPs demanded the government to address all these concerns in the next fiscal year’s budget. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11765', 'image' => '20200504033240_1588549898.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:31:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 12,000 Containers Stuck at Different Ports', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India. The containers are stuck in the port due to transportation and procedural delays caused by the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, more than 3500 containers are stuck in the Birgunj Dry Port. Meanwhile importers have not turned up at the dry port to clear their containers. The containers were brought to Birgunj from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports of India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The delay in clearing the goods has affected the shipments from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports as containers are stuck at the Birgunj port.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are altogether 19 trains that transport goods from India to Birgunj Dry Port and all of the trains are currently moving towards Birgunj with additional containers. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Bishnukant Chaudhary, chief executive officer of Himalayan Terminal that handles the Birgunj Dry Port, informed that the port is already overcrowded with containers and it no longer has sufficient space to unload the arriving containers from India. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“One train carries 90 containers. So, more than 1,700 containers are on the way. Now we are concerned about how to manage the arriving containers,” Chaudhary informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The number of Nepal-bound containers at Kolkata Port has already exceeded 4,000. The port has decided to send the containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS) if the importers do not receive them.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“About 1,400 containers unloaded at the Kolkata Port before April 23 will be delivered to CFS. We have already informed the importers about this,” informed Vineet Kumar, chairman of Kolkata Port Trust.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11764', 'image' => '20200504031808_20202_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:17:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases in Nepal Surge to 75', 'sub_title' => '16 new cases of reported in a single day', 'summary' => 'May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The ministry informed that 15 new cases were confirmed in Banke while one was reported in Prasa. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 75 across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Spokesperson at the ministry Dr Bikas Devkota said that the health condition of all the infected persons is normal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">So far 16 people infected with coronavirus have returned home after full recovery. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">As of Sunday, health authorities have tested 13,414 samples through PCR method and 49,688 through RDT method.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 21,951 persons have been kept in quarantine across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11763', 'image' => '20200504102006_Toll Rises4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 10:16:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SMEs is Crisis due to Lockdown ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are in crisis as production and supply have come to a standstill due to the month-long lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to such unprecedented circumstances, stakeholders opine that the entire economy will be affected by the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Economist Dr Govinda Nepal informed new Business Age that the lockdown and coronavirus crisis have affected SMEs the most around the world.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He informed that all such enterprises are the most vulnerable during the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The small and medium scale industries are affected by minor risks and eventually force them to shut down. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Even small risks can cause such industries to close down quickly. However, the government should provide short-term relief, soft loans and refinancing to save such industries from crisis,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Experts also suggest that the state must take appropriate decision to save such industries from crisis. Small and medium industries and enterprises contribute a lot in creating employment opportunities.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Restaurants, handicraft industry and poultry farms which are part of small and medium industries have been providing direct and indirect employment to about 2.4 million people in Nepal and are contributing 22 percent to the country's gross domestic product.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, poultry industry is bearing a daily loss of around Rs 220 million. Likewise, restaurants have been shut for more than a month. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are about 2,500 restaurants in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara making a daily turnover of Rs 70 million. Similarly, the handicraft industry, which employs around one million people, is also in crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11762', 'image' => '20200503040317_20181115113202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:02:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Sector may face loss of Rs 13 billion', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Usually around this time of the year, the insurance companies make good business due to various schemes they announce. But, due to the lockdown, insurance companies are getting very less clients who want purchase insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The main source of revenue for insurance companies is insurance premium. The officials say that even the insurance renewal hasn’t taken place as the government has postponed the renewal deadline till mid-June. Earlier, the deadline for renewal was mid-May. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Shiva Nath Pandey, president of Nepal Insurers Association, the insurance sector may lose Rs 13 billion due to lockdown. “Had it been normal times, we would have invested in various sectors to expand revenue horizon,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to chances of decreasing revenue of companies, it is expected that people’s income will reduce. In this situation, it is very difficult for the insurance companies to get new businesses. Apart from that, it is also certain to affect the renewals of insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Because of decreasing income, people will give less priority to insurance,” says Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The insurance sector had set a target to collect insurance premium of Rs 100 billion in the current Fiscal Year. In the last Fiscal Year, insurance premium of Rs 70 billion was collected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to the slowdown of business in the insurance sector, the profit of most of companies will be affected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The affect is also seen in the non-life insurance sector. According to Noor Pratap Pradhan, vice-president of Nepal Insurers’ Association, the renewal of non-life insurance is not so exciting. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“The employees haven’t got salary from their offices. It is normal that the insurance holders have not been able to deposit the amount during this period,” said Pradhan. “Presently, the business is only 45 percent compared to normal times. All these transactions have taken place through online medium.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Similarly, the insurance companies have further been affected due to the reduction of interest rate by the commercial banks. The insurance companies deposit almost the entire amount in the banks. So, they gain profit from the interest. But, due to Covid 29, the interest rate on deposits has been reduced to 7 percent from 9.75 percent. According to data from Nepal Rastra Bank, the insurance companies have deposited around Rs 200.63 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Pandey, the effects won’t be seen in the financial report of this year. “Because the business was really good for first 8-9 months of this fiscal year. However, the effect will be seen in the next fiscal year,” he said. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11761', 'image' => '20200503041304_20191023114923_aaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:12:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12010', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Government Lacks Data Regarding Nepali Citizens in Foreign Countries’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to officials at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the body responsible of keeping records of the Nepali nationals living abroad. However, the concerned ministry has not maintained proper data, the labour ministry officials said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security had time and again sought details of Nepali nationals living in different countries across the world to rescue them. However, the foreign ministry replied to us saying that they have to seek the details,” said Joint Secretary Suman Ghimire.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Ghimire, although the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security keeps the record of Nepali migrant workers in foreign countries but they do not have any data about Nepali citizens visiting foreign countries for study and other purposes. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Officials at the foreign ministry have made irresponsible remarks by stating that they do not have the details of Nepali nationals abroad at the moment.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11760', 'image' => '20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 10:42:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11759', 'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12009', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. “This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11758', 'image' => '20200503094122_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:40:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven’t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to workers’ union, around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers’ unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven’t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,” said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven’t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won’t be jobless and they don’t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11757', 'image' => '20200501033855_1062426068-H.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 15:38:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet service providers to continue with such scheme. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister for Communication and Information Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11756', 'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:22:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12005', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11755', 'image' => '20200501121048_20200320110025_1584659224.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:09:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12003', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11754', 'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12004', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal’s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11753', 'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12002', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal’s economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government’s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors – tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11752', 'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12001', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal's development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11751', 'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upcoming Budget to Focus on Coronavirus Affected Sectors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 4</span><span style="font-family:Arial">: The government is planning to announce the upcoming budget with special focus on coronavirus-affected sectors. Ministry of Finance is currently preparing the government’s policies and programmes to address the concerns of industrial sector, tourism industry as well as labor and employment issues.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:Arial">Along with neighboring India, many other countries have announced stimulus package. However, the government of Nepal has not yet announced any such package. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">But the government has decided to give subsidies to the affected areas. Issues like giving income tax relief for three to seven years based on production of the industries, postponing loan repayment for six months and limiting interest rate to nine percent are some the measures being considered by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif""> The government is also planning to allocate budget for providing employment opportunity to the returnee migrant workers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to the ministry, the returnee migrant workers will get jobs on the basis of their skills. Government officials informed that the government will give continuity to the Prime Minister Employment Fund in the coming years. The officials say that all these concerns will be addressed by the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2020/21.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Pressure to include informal sector and laborers </span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Members of Parliament have been pressurizing the government to address all the concerns of small and medium scale industries. During a discussion on Sunday, MPs said that the government must prepare some relief for informal sectors workers and small enterprises as well. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">As many migrant laborers and other local workers are under the risk of losing their job, the lawmakers demanded that the government address their concerns promptly. During the meeting, leaders of various political parties said that industrial zone should be established in all 753 local units. Also, according to them, infrastructures should be expanded so that Nepal can store petrol for at least three months. The MPs demanded the government to address all these concerns in the next fiscal year’s budget. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11765', 'image' => '20200504033240_1588549898.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:31:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 12,000 Containers Stuck at Different Ports', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 4: Around 12,000 Nepal-bound containers carrying goods from third countries have been piled up at various ports in Nepal and India. The containers are stuck in the port due to transportation and procedural delays caused by the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, more than 3500 containers are stuck in the Birgunj Dry Port. Meanwhile importers have not turned up at the dry port to clear their containers. The containers were brought to Birgunj from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports of India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The delay in clearing the goods has affected the shipments from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports as containers are stuck at the Birgunj port.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are altogether 19 trains that transport goods from India to Birgunj Dry Port and all of the trains are currently moving towards Birgunj with additional containers. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Bishnukant Chaudhary, chief executive officer of Himalayan Terminal that handles the Birgunj Dry Port, informed that the port is already overcrowded with containers and it no longer has sufficient space to unload the arriving containers from India. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“One train carries 90 containers. So, more than 1,700 containers are on the way. Now we are concerned about how to manage the arriving containers,” Chaudhary informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The number of Nepal-bound containers at Kolkata Port has already exceeded 4,000. The port has decided to send the containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS) if the importers do not receive them.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“About 1,400 containers unloaded at the Kolkata Port before April 23 will be delivered to CFS. We have already informed the importers about this,” informed Vineet Kumar, chairman of Kolkata Port Trust.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11764', 'image' => '20200504031808_20202_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 15:17:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases in Nepal Surge to 75', 'sub_title' => '16 new cases of reported in a single day', 'summary' => 'May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 4: Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a single day on Sunday (May 3), according to officials at the Ministry of Health and Population.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The ministry informed that 15 new cases were confirmed in Banke while one was reported in Prasa. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 75 across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Spokesperson at the ministry Dr Bikas Devkota said that the health condition of all the infected persons is normal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">So far 16 people infected with coronavirus have returned home after full recovery. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">As of Sunday, health authorities have tested 13,414 samples through PCR method and 49,688 through RDT method.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Altogether 21,951 persons have been kept in quarantine across the country.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-04', 'modified' => '2020-05-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11763', 'image' => '20200504102006_Toll Rises4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-04 10:16:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SMEs is Crisis due to Lockdown ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: The lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus has been affecting small and medium sized industries across the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are in crisis as production and supply have come to a standstill due to the month-long lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to such unprecedented circumstances, stakeholders opine that the entire economy will be affected by the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Economist Dr Govinda Nepal informed new Business Age that the lockdown and coronavirus crisis have affected SMEs the most around the world.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He informed that all such enterprises are the most vulnerable during the current crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The small and medium scale industries are affected by minor risks and eventually force them to shut down. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Even small risks can cause such industries to close down quickly. However, the government should provide short-term relief, soft loans and refinancing to save such industries from crisis,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Experts also suggest that the state must take appropriate decision to save such industries from crisis. Small and medium industries and enterprises contribute a lot in creating employment opportunities.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Restaurants, handicraft industry and poultry farms which are part of small and medium industries have been providing direct and indirect employment to about 2.4 million people in Nepal and are contributing 22 percent to the country's gross domestic product.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, poultry industry is bearing a daily loss of around Rs 220 million. Likewise, restaurants have been shut for more than a month. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are about 2,500 restaurants in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara making a daily turnover of Rs 70 million. Similarly, the handicraft industry, which employs around one million people, is also in crisis.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11762', 'image' => '20200503040317_20181115113202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:02:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Sector may face loss of Rs 13 billion', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 3: The uncertainty caused by the fear of coronavirus and the extension of lockdown have been affecting the insurance sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Usually around this time of the year, the insurance companies make good business due to various schemes they announce. But, due to the lockdown, insurance companies are getting very less clients who want purchase insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The main source of revenue for insurance companies is insurance premium. The officials say that even the insurance renewal hasn’t taken place as the government has postponed the renewal deadline till mid-June. Earlier, the deadline for renewal was mid-May. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Shiva Nath Pandey, president of Nepal Insurers Association, the insurance sector may lose Rs 13 billion due to lockdown. “Had it been normal times, we would have invested in various sectors to expand revenue horizon,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to chances of decreasing revenue of companies, it is expected that people’s income will reduce. In this situation, it is very difficult for the insurance companies to get new businesses. Apart from that, it is also certain to affect the renewals of insurance policies. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Because of decreasing income, people will give less priority to insurance,” says Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The insurance sector had set a target to collect insurance premium of Rs 100 billion in the current Fiscal Year. In the last Fiscal Year, insurance premium of Rs 70 billion was collected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Due to the slowdown of business in the insurance sector, the profit of most of companies will be affected. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">The affect is also seen in the non-life insurance sector. According to Noor Pratap Pradhan, vice-president of Nepal Insurers’ Association, the renewal of non-life insurance is not so exciting. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“The employees haven’t got salary from their offices. It is normal that the insurance holders have not been able to deposit the amount during this period,” said Pradhan. “Presently, the business is only 45 percent compared to normal times. All these transactions have taken place through online medium.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Similarly, the insurance companies have further been affected due to the reduction of interest rate by the commercial banks. The insurance companies deposit almost the entire amount in the banks. So, they gain profit from the interest. But, due to Covid 29, the interest rate on deposits has been reduced to 7 percent from 9.75 percent. According to data from Nepal Rastra Bank, the insurance companies have deposited around Rs 200.63 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Pandey, the effects won’t be seen in the financial report of this year. “Because the business was really good for first 8-9 months of this fiscal year. However, the effect will be seen in the next fiscal year,” he said. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11761', 'image' => '20200503041304_20191023114923_aaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 16:12:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12010', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Government Lacks Data Regarding Nepali Citizens in Foreign Countries’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">May 3: At a time when the government is under pressure to rescue Nepalis stranded across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been found that the government lacks data on the number of Nepalis currently abroad.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to officials at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the body responsible of keeping records of the Nepali nationals living abroad. However, the concerned ministry has not maintained proper data, the labour ministry officials said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security had time and again sought details of Nepali nationals living in different countries across the world to rescue them. However, the foreign ministry replied to us saying that they have to seek the details,” said Joint Secretary Suman Ghimire.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Ghimire, although the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security keeps the record of Nepali migrant workers in foreign countries but they do not have any data about Nepali citizens visiting foreign countries for study and other purposes. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Officials at the foreign ministry have made irresponsible remarks by stating that they do not have the details of Nepali nationals abroad at the moment.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11760', 'image' => '20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 10:42:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11759', 'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12009', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. “This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,” he informed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-03', 'modified' => '2020-05-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11758', 'image' => '20200503094122_1588282929.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:40:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven’t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to workers’ union, around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers’ unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven’t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">“Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,” said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven’t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won’t be jobless and they don’t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-family:"Mangal","serif"">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11757', 'image' => '20200501033855_1062426068-H.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 15:38:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet service providers to continue with such scheme. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister for Communication and Information Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> <br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11756', 'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:22:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12005', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11755', 'image' => '20200501121048_20200320110025_1584659224.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:09:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12003', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11754', 'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12004', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agrawal’s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-05-01', 'modified' => '2020-05-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11753', 'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12002', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal’s economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government’s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors – tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11752', 'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12001', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal's development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-30', 'modified' => '2020-04-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11751', 'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
