
April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself.…
April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself.…
April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government.…
April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days.…
April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus.…
April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP)…
April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading.…
April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20.…
April 19: The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in…
April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.…
April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.…
April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic.…
April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign…
April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared…
April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19.…
April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest…
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This topic was deliberated during a meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Sunday. The meeting dwelt on creating job opportunities within the country and the kind of initiatives required for this purpose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting was called by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Lekhraj Bhatta. Representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries, Nepal Chamber of Commerce and other trade and business organisations were present in the meeting. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting decided to form a committee under the coordination of the Industrial Investment and Promotion Division at the Ministry for preparing a special plan for involving the youths returned home from across the world after losing jobs due to COVID-19 in productive entrepreneurship. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The committee comprises the representative each from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration as well as representatives from the umbrella organisations of industries and commerce. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Bhatta said the newly-formed taskforce has been given 15 days' time to submit a report with suggestions. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting, likewise, decided to provide the salary of workers working in industries for the lockdown period. All the industries that have closed due to the lockdown have been divided into three phases and a decision made to present a proposal to the high-level committee for the operation of these industries, the Ministry has stated. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11704', 'image' => '20200420094304_On-Entrepreneurship.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:42:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11956', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hyatt Hotel to Remain Closed Until June 30', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. Issuing a notice on Sunday, the hotel said it will remain closed till June 30.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice issued by the hotel’s General Manager Rajesh Ramdas said that the hotel will not be in a position to operate in a safe and secure manner even if the lockdown is lifted. Therefore, the management took a decision to close the hotel completely for more than two months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that they were forced to extend the closure of the hotel as the staffers were unable to come to work. The hotel had stopped its services more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the hotel decided to take precautionary measures due to the spread of the infectious disease.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The hotel has said all of its staff members are kept in standby until June 30 and will be paid half their salaries during the closure.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice says further decision will be taken after evaluating the situation. The hotel is partly owned by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11703', 'image' => '20200420102121_1587308584.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 10:20:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11954', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Agrawal Remanded in Custody for 10 More Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. The DAO granted permission to keep Agrawal in custody to investigate into his alleged involvement in black marketing.</span></span></span></p> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">This is the third time Agrawal has been remanded in custody. Earlier, the DAO had remanded him in custody for a total of 12 days after his arrest from Baluwatar while selling thermal guns at exorbitant price. An undercover had arrested Agrawal red handed on April 7 from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate. </span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police can keep a suspect in custody for a total of 25 days for investigation.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police are yet to complete investigation into the case.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Information Officer Numraj Adhikari at the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the DAO has granted permission to the police to investigate the case by keeping Agrawal in custody for 10 more days.</span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11702', 'image' => '20200420095349_456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:52:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11950', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'BFIs Refuse to Follow Government Directive', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had directed BFIs to support the entrepreneurs with repayment scheme. Under the repayment scheme, the banks were requested to extend the time period for paying the installments and not to charge any interest between March and June. This was expected to provide some respite to the entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the entrepreneurs complained that banks have not abided by the government directive.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Banks have allegedly deducted the installment amount unilaterally from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts and charged interest on loans arguing that the relief package announced by the government was unacceptable to them. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Following this, the entrepreneurs said that the governments relief package was just for the sake of announcement.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodha Kumar Gupta, president of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Pulses and Oil Industry, informed New Business that the banks have deducted installments of loan from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts without any prior notice.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The relief package allocated by the government was meaningless, as the banks have not accepted the directives,” he said.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He additionally informed that the banks have misinterpreted the relief package and misused their authority.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the bankers clarified that they have deducted the installment amounts only from the debtors having fund in their accounts. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We are not forcing anyone to pay their installments, we are only deducting the amount from the debtors who already have funds in their accounts,” informed a banker in Birgunj requesting anonymity. </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><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11701', 'image' => '20200419015315_bank-malware.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 13:52:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11951', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nations Debate Easing Lockdown as Economic Hardship Grows', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news agency, mandatory lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus, which has so far infected more than 2.2 million people and for which there is no vaccine, have brought widespread hardship across the globe.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In a joint statement Saturday, a group of 13 countries including Canada, Brazil, Italy and Germany called for global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic, the news report published by AP further says.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">“It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods,” AP quoted the leaders as saying in the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The group, which also includes Britain, France Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey, said it was committed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">This includes maintaining “air, land and marine transportation links” to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travelers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In the United States, the debate has taken on partisan tones ahead of this fall's presidential elections. Republican President Donald Trump urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors, tweeting the kind of rhetoric some have used to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work, AP further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working, with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe in response to the lockdowns there.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In France and Spain, some field hospitals were starting to be dismantled, while Germany said the number of people infected by each person with COVID-19 fell below one for the first time this week.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Still, most governments and public health officials remain cautious about relaxing the shutdowns, despite the mounting economic toll.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news report, health experts have advised that any easing must be gradual in the country affected by the pandemic.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Meanwhile, some Asian nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control, including Singapore and Japan, reported a fresh surge in cases Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Iran, hard hit by the virus and international sanctions, allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran’s grand bazaar will remain closed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Top leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party called for deficit spending and a more flexible monetary policy after the economy shrank 6.8% in the first three months of the year, AP reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">South Korea's health minister, Kim Gang-lip, said Saturday that new guidelines could be issued soon that officials have said would allow people to engage in “certain levels of economic and social activity.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">While most of those sickened by the virus recover, the outbreak has killed at least 160,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The official death toll in the US has topped 35,000, with more than 700,000 confirmed infections, which is the highest in the world. Globally, 2.3 million people have been infected with the deadly virus, that is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan, the capital of its central province Hubei, in late December last year.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11700', 'image' => '20200419021602_maxresdefault 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 14:15:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11949', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Employers ‘Not in a Condition’ to Pay Full Salary to Workers', 'sub_title' => 'The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. ', 'summary' => 'April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Private businesses as well as government office have remained shut due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the first phase of relief announced by the government, it had clearly instructed the employers of the private sector to pay the salary of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) to the workers. However, the employers say have not been able to pay the salary of their staffers due to the extension of lockdown, which has affected their business. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Umbrella organisations of the private sector are currently discussing how to address this problem. They are expected to come up with a solution by today (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">However, the credibility of established companies have been put into question for their reluctance to pay the staffers at time of crisis. The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. But the companies are considering paying certain amount of salary instead of full pay, arguing that their business have come to a complete halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Government employees get paid even if their office is opened or not. But the private sector employers argue that they can pay only by generating income. They say it is natural for them to struggle to pay the workers at a time when their businesses have come to a grinding halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Nepal Chamber of Commerce are weighing various options regarding payment of workers. The umbrella bodies of the private sector have been discussing this issue since a week and are expected to finalize the modality of payment by Sunday (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Vice President of NCC Rajendra Malla said that none of the businesses and industries are currently in a position to pay full salary to their staffers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“We have tentatively decided to deduct the salary of workers depending on their pay. Those who earn low salary will see less deduction while those who make good income will be dealth accordingly,” said Malla.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11699', 'image' => '20200419101954_2016-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 10:19:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11948', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Penalty on Electricity Tariffs if Dues Cleared by May 20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising said that a cabinet meeting held recently decided to waive off the penalty of previous three months if they pay the tariffs within the given date. The deadline could again be extended if the current lockdown order is extended to fight against COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">To implement the cabinet decision taken on March 29, a meeting of the Board of Directors of NEA presided over by Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun took a decision to waive off the penalty. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Pun has also urged the public to clear the dues through online system and help in financial risk reduction of the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, the NEA has decided to exempt two percent if the tariff of previous two months is cleared by May 19. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11698', 'image' => '20200419093559_20181218024309_nea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:35:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11947', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'One More Tests Positive in Udayapur ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 19: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal. One more person living in a mosque in Udayapur has tested positive, taking the total confirmed cases to 31, said Director of the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division Dr Basudev Pandey. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that 12 persons, all Indian nationals, living in the Udayapur mosque had tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive case to 13 in the mosque alone. The latest is a man of 65 years old. His nationality is not yet known. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The latest case was confirmed at the Koshi Hospital, joint spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Sameer Adhikari said. Contact tracing of the infected ones has already begun. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11697', 'image' => '20200419093051_548_12722_111 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:30:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11946', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hotel Industry Faces Loss of Rs 9 Billion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. This sector has been the worst hit by the crisis, which emerged in late December last year from China and has now spread to 210 countries across the globe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial"> Hotel entrepreneurs say that they had to bear the loss due to the cancellation of bookings as the number of tourists arriving in Nepal started decline with the growing impact of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry of Nepal witnessed large number of booking cancellation between January to March, which is considered the peak season for tourism.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A preliminary study conducted by the Hotel Association of Nepal, the umbrella body of hotel entrepreneurs in the country, states that the hotel industry has been badly affected by the lack of tourists due to the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the governments across the world, including Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry had invested heavily in the recent past as the country prepared to welcome a large number of tourists during the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. New star-rated hotels in the capital and outside were emerging, targeting the government campaign. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Kathmandu Marriott by MS Group, Vivanta by Chaudhary Group, Akama Hotel by Sanima Group are already in operation. Similarly, Hilton Hotel by Shanker Group and Sheraton Hotel by Non- Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) are under construction. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the existing hotels had also upgraded their services keeping in mind the VNY 2020 campaign.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the crisis of coronavirus came out of the blue at a time when this sector was witnessing heavy investment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the hotel entrepreneurs, this situation is more challenging than the 10-year Maoist insurgency, earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade imposed by India. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Managing fixed cost like employee’s salary and payment of bank loan despite the zero arrival of tourists has been one of the biggest challenges for the hotel sector. The entrepreneurs say that uncertainty on the normalcy have made them more worried. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Pravin Bahadur Pandey, executive director of Shangri-la hotel, it may take around one year to get back to normal business even after the outbreak comes under control. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The entrepreneurs say that five-star hotels have been bearing loss of around Rs 100 million every month. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We are facing loss of around Rs 100 million per month,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Also, refunding of the bookings is another challenge entrepreneurs are currently facing. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We need to refund 100 percent for the bookings made for September and October, which is the peak tourism season,” said the entrepreneurs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Shashikant Agarwal of Marriott Hotel said that although all the hotel are facing problems, the ones which have taken high amount of loan targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020 for infrastructure development are in trouble.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Binayak Shah, vice-president of HAN, said that the government should bring a concrete plan to revive the tourism sector in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to HAN, government needs to give one year’s time to pay the interest on loan, provide them subsidized loan, arrange relief for rent of six months and manage the payroll of one million employees and workers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Agarwal of Marriott said that as it will take time to bounce back from the crisis, the government should address the concerns of the hotel and tourism sectors.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11696', 'image' => '20200417125326_1587074003.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:52:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11944', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Lockdown Prevents 2 Companies from Issuing IPOs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited, a company promoted by the Non Residential Nepalis (NRNs) and NIC Asia Microfinance Company have not been able to issue their IPO due to the ongoing lockdown. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Sanima Capital, which has been assigned to issue the IPOs of both the companies, has not been able to do so owing to the current crisis.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Mandeep Luitel, investment banking chief of Sanima Capital, confirmed that the company has not been able to issue the IPOs because of the lockdown. According to him, NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited was due to issue the IPOs on April 10 while NIC Asia Microfinance was scheduled to issue the IPOs on April 14. But the process has been halted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) had approved the issuance of 33,98,046 units of IPO of NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited. The issued capital of the company is Rs 1.13 billion, out of which 30 percent share was to be opened for the general public. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, NIC Asia Microfinance was set to issue IPOs worth Rs 470 million. Both the companies had received the approval more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11695', 'image' => '20200417122239_1587081992.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:21:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11943', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Board Directs Stakeholders to Issue COVID-19 Insurance Coverage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Till date, none of the insurance companies have any scheme to cover the risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Insurance Board issued a circular on Thursday stating that the new insurance policy will be categorized into two groups.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the first category, any person availing the insurance policy has to pay a premium of Rs 1000 for coverage up to Rs 100,000. Likewise, the insurance premium charge has been set up at Rs 600 if all members of the family subscribe to the insurance scheme.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the second category, the board has introduced another insurance scheme worth Rs 50,000 per person. To register for the scheme, an individual has to pay a premium of Rs 500 per person or Rs 300 for each member of the family.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The scheme aims to cover people with low income affected by COVID-19, according to the board’s executive director Raju Raman Poudel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">“Our aim is to provide insurance facility to people from low income grout. Therefore, this scheme has to be available in every village,” Poudel told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/insurence_notice.jpg" style="height:1554px; width:1216px" /></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11694', 'image' => '20200417105653_Beema-Samiti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 10:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11942', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Government to Rescue Migrant Workers at Risk ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries.', 'content' => '<p><em>Flowers blooming on the premises of the Supreme Court in this recent picture. Photo Courtesy: Rss</em></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries, the state-run 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 RSS, a single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla on Thursday (April 16) directed the government to rescue the migrant workers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court reportedly also asked the government to immediately prepare a report on the health status of the Nepali migrant workers in different countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"No matter where Nepalis are it is the duty of a legitimate government to address their health, security and other needs," RSS reported citing the order. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The state cannot ignore a situation where the Nepali migrant workers, who have a significant contribution to the country's economy, lie in a very poor, unsafe and unhealthy situation after losing their job, reads the order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The bench further said that immediate and effective additional measures are warranted in the case of the citizens in foreign employment in the present situation of global crisis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order comes in response to a writ petition filed on Wednesday by advocate Som Prasad Luintel, seeking court intervention to save the Nepali migrant workers from the possible risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11693', 'image' => '20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:47:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11945', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Case Filed against Sulav Agarwal at DAO yet', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has already submitted an investigation report to the District Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu. The report suggests the government to punish Agrawal for misusing his diplomatic privilege despite, a police source informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, no charge has been filed against Agarwal at the District Administration Office at a time when the courts are closed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Agrawal was arrested by an undercover team of the Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police from Baluwatar on April 7 for attempting to sell the thermal guns at inflated price by misusing his diplomatic privilege. He was arrested red-handed from the car with diplomatic number plate.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The District Administration Office had remanded Agarwal in custody for 12 days for investigation. The detention period is expiring on Saturday, April 18.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Advocate of the District Attorney’s Office, Shrijan Dhakal, informed New Business Age that the case has not yet been registered in the DAO because the investigation has not concluded.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The police can keep an accused in custody for a maximum of 25 days in accordance to the law.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11692', 'image' => '20200417123741_20200408111456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:36:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11941', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Aircraft with Medical Supplies Arrive from Guangzhou ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A source at the Tribhuvan International Airport said the two chartered aircraft landed at the airport on Friday morning. The quantity and type of medical supplies that have been brought from Guangzhou are yet to be known</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The aircraft of the national flag-carrier NAC had flown to China’s Guangzhou on Thursday night to bring the medical kits and supplies. Two business groups had chartered the aircraft. Medical supplies were brought from Guangzhou on March 29 and April 2 as well. --RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11691', 'image' => '20200417094021_733_20180727021334_2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:39:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11939', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Warns of “Great Recession”', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Aljazeera, the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF on Tuesday paints a bleak picture of world economy and the manifold financial challenges facing low-income countries.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF said that the world economy’s contraction and recovery would be worse than anticipated if the coronavirus lingers, Bloomberg reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"For low-income countries, the challenges of this crisis are manifold," IMF Chief Economist Geeta Gopinath reportedly said at a video conference briefing where she presented the report. "They have to deal with health crises with health systems that are just not as strong."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Titled The Great Lockdown, the IMF's latest report on the global economy described the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis "like no other" and predicted that world economic output will shrink by three percent this year, before experiencing a partial rebound next year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is very likely that this year, the global economy will experience its worst recession since the Great Depression, surpassing that seen during the financial crisis a decade ago," Aljazeera quoted IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath as saying.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">IMF warned that there is extreme uncertainty around the global growth forecast. The economic fallout depends on factors that interact in ways that are hard to predict, the report said citing the pathway of the pandemic, the efficacy of containment measures, the intensity of supply chain disruptions, credit market freezes, commodity price impacts and changes in consumer behaviour.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Under the IMF’s best-case scenario, the world is likely to lose a cumulative $9 trillion in output over two years - greater than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of Germany and Japan, said Gopinath.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF's forecasts assume that outbreaks of the novel coronavirus will peak in most countries during the second quarter and fade in the second half of the year, with business closures and other containment measures gradually unwound.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A longer pandemic that lasts through the third quarter could cause a further three percent contraction in 2020 and a slower recovery in 2021, due to the "scarring" effects of bankruptcies and prolonged unemployment, the report said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Aljazeera further reported citing the IMF that emerging and developing economies face a litany of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from underfunded healthcare systems and burdensome debt loads to high rates of unemployment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report said that developing economies that are highly dependent on tourism will be hit particularly hard, while low-income countries where large portions of the working population depend on daily wages to survive require immediate intervention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is important to do whatever it takes and that includes cash transfers, digital payment systems to reach those working for daily wages," Gopinath stressed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">For low-income countries with high levels of debt, Gopinath stressed the importance for creditors to stand up and provide debt relief.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"This crisis is a truly exogenous shock," she said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-16', 'modified' => '2020-04-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11690', 'image' => '20200416014023_c4736bc8fadd413b8b56f3bb4c53323a_18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-16 13:39:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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$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' => '11953', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Taskforce Formed to Create Entrepreneurship Environment Within Country Itself', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This topic was deliberated during a meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Sunday. The meeting dwelt on creating job opportunities within the country and the kind of initiatives required for this purpose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting was called by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Lekhraj Bhatta. Representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries, Nepal Chamber of Commerce and other trade and business organisations were present in the meeting. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting decided to form a committee under the coordination of the Industrial Investment and Promotion Division at the Ministry for preparing a special plan for involving the youths returned home from across the world after losing jobs due to COVID-19 in productive entrepreneurship. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The committee comprises the representative each from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration as well as representatives from the umbrella organisations of industries and commerce. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Bhatta said the newly-formed taskforce has been given 15 days' time to submit a report with suggestions. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting, likewise, decided to provide the salary of workers working in industries for the lockdown period. All the industries that have closed due to the lockdown have been divided into three phases and a decision made to present a proposal to the high-level committee for the operation of these industries, the Ministry has stated. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11704', 'image' => '20200420094304_On-Entrepreneurship.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:42:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11956', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hyatt Hotel to Remain Closed Until June 30', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. Issuing a notice on Sunday, the hotel said it will remain closed till June 30.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice issued by the hotel’s General Manager Rajesh Ramdas said that the hotel will not be in a position to operate in a safe and secure manner even if the lockdown is lifted. Therefore, the management took a decision to close the hotel completely for more than two months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that they were forced to extend the closure of the hotel as the staffers were unable to come to work. The hotel had stopped its services more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the hotel decided to take precautionary measures due to the spread of the infectious disease.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The hotel has said all of its staff members are kept in standby until June 30 and will be paid half their salaries during the closure.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice says further decision will be taken after evaluating the situation. The hotel is partly owned by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11703', 'image' => '20200420102121_1587308584.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 10:20:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11954', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Agrawal Remanded in Custody for 10 More Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. The DAO granted permission to keep Agrawal in custody to investigate into his alleged involvement in black marketing.</span></span></span></p> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">This is the third time Agrawal has been remanded in custody. Earlier, the DAO had remanded him in custody for a total of 12 days after his arrest from Baluwatar while selling thermal guns at exorbitant price. An undercover had arrested Agrawal red handed on April 7 from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate. </span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police can keep a suspect in custody for a total of 25 days for investigation.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police are yet to complete investigation into the case.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Information Officer Numraj Adhikari at the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the DAO has granted permission to the police to investigate the case by keeping Agrawal in custody for 10 more days.</span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11702', 'image' => '20200420095349_456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:52:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11950', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'BFIs Refuse to Follow Government Directive', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had directed BFIs to support the entrepreneurs with repayment scheme. Under the repayment scheme, the banks were requested to extend the time period for paying the installments and not to charge any interest between March and June. This was expected to provide some respite to the entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the entrepreneurs complained that banks have not abided by the government directive.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Banks have allegedly deducted the installment amount unilaterally from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts and charged interest on loans arguing that the relief package announced by the government was unacceptable to them. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Following this, the entrepreneurs said that the governments relief package was just for the sake of announcement.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodha Kumar Gupta, president of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Pulses and Oil Industry, informed New Business that the banks have deducted installments of loan from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts without any prior notice.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The relief package allocated by the government was meaningless, as the banks have not accepted the directives,” he said.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He additionally informed that the banks have misinterpreted the relief package and misused their authority.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the bankers clarified that they have deducted the installment amounts only from the debtors having fund in their accounts. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We are not forcing anyone to pay their installments, we are only deducting the amount from the debtors who already have funds in their accounts,” informed a banker in Birgunj requesting anonymity. </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><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11701', 'image' => '20200419015315_bank-malware.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 13:52:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11951', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nations Debate Easing Lockdown as Economic Hardship Grows', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news agency, mandatory lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus, which has so far infected more than 2.2 million people and for which there is no vaccine, have brought widespread hardship across the globe.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In a joint statement Saturday, a group of 13 countries including Canada, Brazil, Italy and Germany called for global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic, the news report published by AP further says.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">“It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods,” AP quoted the leaders as saying in the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The group, which also includes Britain, France Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey, said it was committed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">This includes maintaining “air, land and marine transportation links” to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travelers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In the United States, the debate has taken on partisan tones ahead of this fall's presidential elections. Republican President Donald Trump urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors, tweeting the kind of rhetoric some have used to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work, AP further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working, with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe in response to the lockdowns there.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In France and Spain, some field hospitals were starting to be dismantled, while Germany said the number of people infected by each person with COVID-19 fell below one for the first time this week.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Still, most governments and public health officials remain cautious about relaxing the shutdowns, despite the mounting economic toll.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news report, health experts have advised that any easing must be gradual in the country affected by the pandemic.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Meanwhile, some Asian nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control, including Singapore and Japan, reported a fresh surge in cases Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Iran, hard hit by the virus and international sanctions, allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran’s grand bazaar will remain closed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Top leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party called for deficit spending and a more flexible monetary policy after the economy shrank 6.8% in the first three months of the year, AP reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">South Korea's health minister, Kim Gang-lip, said Saturday that new guidelines could be issued soon that officials have said would allow people to engage in “certain levels of economic and social activity.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">While most of those sickened by the virus recover, the outbreak has killed at least 160,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The official death toll in the US has topped 35,000, with more than 700,000 confirmed infections, which is the highest in the world. Globally, 2.3 million people have been infected with the deadly virus, that is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan, the capital of its central province Hubei, in late December last year.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11700', 'image' => '20200419021602_maxresdefault 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 14:15:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11949', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Employers ‘Not in a Condition’ to Pay Full Salary to Workers', 'sub_title' => 'The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. ', 'summary' => 'April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Private businesses as well as government office have remained shut due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the first phase of relief announced by the government, it had clearly instructed the employers of the private sector to pay the salary of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) to the workers. However, the employers say have not been able to pay the salary of their staffers due to the extension of lockdown, which has affected their business. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Umbrella organisations of the private sector are currently discussing how to address this problem. They are expected to come up with a solution by today (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">However, the credibility of established companies have been put into question for their reluctance to pay the staffers at time of crisis. The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. But the companies are considering paying certain amount of salary instead of full pay, arguing that their business have come to a complete halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Government employees get paid even if their office is opened or not. But the private sector employers argue that they can pay only by generating income. They say it is natural for them to struggle to pay the workers at a time when their businesses have come to a grinding halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Nepal Chamber of Commerce are weighing various options regarding payment of workers. The umbrella bodies of the private sector have been discussing this issue since a week and are expected to finalize the modality of payment by Sunday (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Vice President of NCC Rajendra Malla said that none of the businesses and industries are currently in a position to pay full salary to their staffers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“We have tentatively decided to deduct the salary of workers depending on their pay. Those who earn low salary will see less deduction while those who make good income will be dealth accordingly,” said Malla.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11699', 'image' => '20200419101954_2016-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 10:19:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11948', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Penalty on Electricity Tariffs if Dues Cleared by May 20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising said that a cabinet meeting held recently decided to waive off the penalty of previous three months if they pay the tariffs within the given date. The deadline could again be extended if the current lockdown order is extended to fight against COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">To implement the cabinet decision taken on March 29, a meeting of the Board of Directors of NEA presided over by Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun took a decision to waive off the penalty. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Pun has also urged the public to clear the dues through online system and help in financial risk reduction of the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, the NEA has decided to exempt two percent if the tariff of previous two months is cleared by May 19. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11698', 'image' => '20200419093559_20181218024309_nea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:35:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11947', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'One More Tests Positive in Udayapur ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 19: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal. One more person living in a mosque in Udayapur has tested positive, taking the total confirmed cases to 31, said Director of the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division Dr Basudev Pandey. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that 12 persons, all Indian nationals, living in the Udayapur mosque had tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive case to 13 in the mosque alone. The latest is a man of 65 years old. His nationality is not yet known. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The latest case was confirmed at the Koshi Hospital, joint spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Sameer Adhikari said. Contact tracing of the infected ones has already begun. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11697', 'image' => '20200419093051_548_12722_111 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:30:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11946', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hotel Industry Faces Loss of Rs 9 Billion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. This sector has been the worst hit by the crisis, which emerged in late December last year from China and has now spread to 210 countries across the globe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial"> Hotel entrepreneurs say that they had to bear the loss due to the cancellation of bookings as the number of tourists arriving in Nepal started decline with the growing impact of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry of Nepal witnessed large number of booking cancellation between January to March, which is considered the peak season for tourism.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A preliminary study conducted by the Hotel Association of Nepal, the umbrella body of hotel entrepreneurs in the country, states that the hotel industry has been badly affected by the lack of tourists due to the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the governments across the world, including Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry had invested heavily in the recent past as the country prepared to welcome a large number of tourists during the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. New star-rated hotels in the capital and outside were emerging, targeting the government campaign. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Kathmandu Marriott by MS Group, Vivanta by Chaudhary Group, Akama Hotel by Sanima Group are already in operation. Similarly, Hilton Hotel by Shanker Group and Sheraton Hotel by Non- Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) are under construction. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the existing hotels had also upgraded their services keeping in mind the VNY 2020 campaign.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the crisis of coronavirus came out of the blue at a time when this sector was witnessing heavy investment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the hotel entrepreneurs, this situation is more challenging than the 10-year Maoist insurgency, earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade imposed by India. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Managing fixed cost like employee’s salary and payment of bank loan despite the zero arrival of tourists has been one of the biggest challenges for the hotel sector. The entrepreneurs say that uncertainty on the normalcy have made them more worried. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Pravin Bahadur Pandey, executive director of Shangri-la hotel, it may take around one year to get back to normal business even after the outbreak comes under control. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The entrepreneurs say that five-star hotels have been bearing loss of around Rs 100 million every month. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We are facing loss of around Rs 100 million per month,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Also, refunding of the bookings is another challenge entrepreneurs are currently facing. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We need to refund 100 percent for the bookings made for September and October, which is the peak tourism season,” said the entrepreneurs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Shashikant Agarwal of Marriott Hotel said that although all the hotel are facing problems, the ones which have taken high amount of loan targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020 for infrastructure development are in trouble.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Binayak Shah, vice-president of HAN, said that the government should bring a concrete plan to revive the tourism sector in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to HAN, government needs to give one year’s time to pay the interest on loan, provide them subsidized loan, arrange relief for rent of six months and manage the payroll of one million employees and workers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Agarwal of Marriott said that as it will take time to bounce back from the crisis, the government should address the concerns of the hotel and tourism sectors.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11696', 'image' => '20200417125326_1587074003.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:52:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11944', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Lockdown Prevents 2 Companies from Issuing IPOs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited, a company promoted by the Non Residential Nepalis (NRNs) and NIC Asia Microfinance Company have not been able to issue their IPO due to the ongoing lockdown. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Sanima Capital, which has been assigned to issue the IPOs of both the companies, has not been able to do so owing to the current crisis.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Mandeep Luitel, investment banking chief of Sanima Capital, confirmed that the company has not been able to issue the IPOs because of the lockdown. According to him, NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited was due to issue the IPOs on April 10 while NIC Asia Microfinance was scheduled to issue the IPOs on April 14. But the process has been halted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) had approved the issuance of 33,98,046 units of IPO of NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited. The issued capital of the company is Rs 1.13 billion, out of which 30 percent share was to be opened for the general public. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, NIC Asia Microfinance was set to issue IPOs worth Rs 470 million. Both the companies had received the approval more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11695', 'image' => '20200417122239_1587081992.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:21:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11943', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Board Directs Stakeholders to Issue COVID-19 Insurance Coverage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Till date, none of the insurance companies have any scheme to cover the risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Insurance Board issued a circular on Thursday stating that the new insurance policy will be categorized into two groups.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the first category, any person availing the insurance policy has to pay a premium of Rs 1000 for coverage up to Rs 100,000. Likewise, the insurance premium charge has been set up at Rs 600 if all members of the family subscribe to the insurance scheme.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the second category, the board has introduced another insurance scheme worth Rs 50,000 per person. To register for the scheme, an individual has to pay a premium of Rs 500 per person or Rs 300 for each member of the family.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The scheme aims to cover people with low income affected by COVID-19, according to the board’s executive director Raju Raman Poudel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">“Our aim is to provide insurance facility to people from low income grout. Therefore, this scheme has to be available in every village,” Poudel told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/insurence_notice.jpg" style="height:1554px; width:1216px" /></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11694', 'image' => '20200417105653_Beema-Samiti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 10:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11942', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Government to Rescue Migrant Workers at Risk ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries.', 'content' => '<p><em>Flowers blooming on the premises of the Supreme Court in this recent picture. Photo Courtesy: Rss</em></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries, the state-run 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 RSS, a single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla on Thursday (April 16) directed the government to rescue the migrant workers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court reportedly also asked the government to immediately prepare a report on the health status of the Nepali migrant workers in different countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"No matter where Nepalis are it is the duty of a legitimate government to address their health, security and other needs," RSS reported citing the order. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The state cannot ignore a situation where the Nepali migrant workers, who have a significant contribution to the country's economy, lie in a very poor, unsafe and unhealthy situation after losing their job, reads the order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The bench further said that immediate and effective additional measures are warranted in the case of the citizens in foreign employment in the present situation of global crisis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order comes in response to a writ petition filed on Wednesday by advocate Som Prasad Luintel, seeking court intervention to save the Nepali migrant workers from the possible risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11693', 'image' => '20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:47:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11945', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Case Filed against Sulav Agarwal at DAO yet', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has already submitted an investigation report to the District Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu. The report suggests the government to punish Agrawal for misusing his diplomatic privilege despite, a police source informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, no charge has been filed against Agarwal at the District Administration Office at a time when the courts are closed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Agrawal was arrested by an undercover team of the Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police from Baluwatar on April 7 for attempting to sell the thermal guns at inflated price by misusing his diplomatic privilege. He was arrested red-handed from the car with diplomatic number plate.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The District Administration Office had remanded Agarwal in custody for 12 days for investigation. The detention period is expiring on Saturday, April 18.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Advocate of the District Attorney’s Office, Shrijan Dhakal, informed New Business Age that the case has not yet been registered in the DAO because the investigation has not concluded.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The police can keep an accused in custody for a maximum of 25 days in accordance to the law.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11692', 'image' => '20200417123741_20200408111456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:36:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11941', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Aircraft with Medical Supplies Arrive from Guangzhou ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A source at the Tribhuvan International Airport said the two chartered aircraft landed at the airport on Friday morning. The quantity and type of medical supplies that have been brought from Guangzhou are yet to be known</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The aircraft of the national flag-carrier NAC had flown to China’s Guangzhou on Thursday night to bring the medical kits and supplies. Two business groups had chartered the aircraft. Medical supplies were brought from Guangzhou on March 29 and April 2 as well. --RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11691', 'image' => '20200417094021_733_20180727021334_2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:39:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11939', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Warns of “Great Recession”', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Aljazeera, the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF on Tuesday paints a bleak picture of world economy and the manifold financial challenges facing low-income countries.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF said that the world economy’s contraction and recovery would be worse than anticipated if the coronavirus lingers, Bloomberg reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"For low-income countries, the challenges of this crisis are manifold," IMF Chief Economist Geeta Gopinath reportedly said at a video conference briefing where she presented the report. "They have to deal with health crises with health systems that are just not as strong."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Titled The Great Lockdown, the IMF's latest report on the global economy described the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis "like no other" and predicted that world economic output will shrink by three percent this year, before experiencing a partial rebound next year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is very likely that this year, the global economy will experience its worst recession since the Great Depression, surpassing that seen during the financial crisis a decade ago," Aljazeera quoted IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath as saying.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">IMF warned that there is extreme uncertainty around the global growth forecast. The economic fallout depends on factors that interact in ways that are hard to predict, the report said citing the pathway of the pandemic, the efficacy of containment measures, the intensity of supply chain disruptions, credit market freezes, commodity price impacts and changes in consumer behaviour.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Under the IMF’s best-case scenario, the world is likely to lose a cumulative $9 trillion in output over two years - greater than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of Germany and Japan, said Gopinath.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF's forecasts assume that outbreaks of the novel coronavirus will peak in most countries during the second quarter and fade in the second half of the year, with business closures and other containment measures gradually unwound.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A longer pandemic that lasts through the third quarter could cause a further three percent contraction in 2020 and a slower recovery in 2021, due to the "scarring" effects of bankruptcies and prolonged unemployment, the report said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Aljazeera further reported citing the IMF that emerging and developing economies face a litany of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from underfunded healthcare systems and burdensome debt loads to high rates of unemployment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report said that developing economies that are highly dependent on tourism will be hit particularly hard, while low-income countries where large portions of the working population depend on daily wages to survive require immediate intervention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is important to do whatever it takes and that includes cash transfers, digital payment systems to reach those working for daily wages," Gopinath stressed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">For low-income countries with high levels of debt, Gopinath stressed the importance for creditors to stand up and provide debt relief.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"This crisis is a truly exogenous shock," she said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-16', 'modified' => '2020-04-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11690', 'image' => '20200416014023_c4736bc8fadd413b8b56f3bb4c53323a_18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-16 13:39:45', '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
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This topic was deliberated during a meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Sunday. The meeting dwelt on creating job opportunities within the country and the kind of initiatives required for this purpose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting was called by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Lekhraj Bhatta. Representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries, Nepal Chamber of Commerce and other trade and business organisations were present in the meeting. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting decided to form a committee under the coordination of the Industrial Investment and Promotion Division at the Ministry for preparing a special plan for involving the youths returned home from across the world after losing jobs due to COVID-19 in productive entrepreneurship. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The committee comprises the representative each from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration as well as representatives from the umbrella organisations of industries and commerce. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Bhatta said the newly-formed taskforce has been given 15 days' time to submit a report with suggestions. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting, likewise, decided to provide the salary of workers working in industries for the lockdown period. All the industries that have closed due to the lockdown have been divided into three phases and a decision made to present a proposal to the high-level committee for the operation of these industries, the Ministry has stated. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11704', 'image' => '20200420094304_On-Entrepreneurship.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:42:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11956', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hyatt Hotel to Remain Closed Until June 30', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. Issuing a notice on Sunday, the hotel said it will remain closed till June 30.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice issued by the hotel’s General Manager Rajesh Ramdas said that the hotel will not be in a position to operate in a safe and secure manner even if the lockdown is lifted. Therefore, the management took a decision to close the hotel completely for more than two months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that they were forced to extend the closure of the hotel as the staffers were unable to come to work. The hotel had stopped its services more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the hotel decided to take precautionary measures due to the spread of the infectious disease.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The hotel has said all of its staff members are kept in standby until June 30 and will be paid half their salaries during the closure.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice says further decision will be taken after evaluating the situation. The hotel is partly owned by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11703', 'image' => '20200420102121_1587308584.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 10:20:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11954', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Agrawal Remanded in Custody for 10 More Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. The DAO granted permission to keep Agrawal in custody to investigate into his alleged involvement in black marketing.</span></span></span></p> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">This is the third time Agrawal has been remanded in custody. Earlier, the DAO had remanded him in custody for a total of 12 days after his arrest from Baluwatar while selling thermal guns at exorbitant price. An undercover had arrested Agrawal red handed on April 7 from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate. </span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police can keep a suspect in custody for a total of 25 days for investigation.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police are yet to complete investigation into the case.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Information Officer Numraj Adhikari at the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the DAO has granted permission to the police to investigate the case by keeping Agrawal in custody for 10 more days.</span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11702', 'image' => '20200420095349_456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:52:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11950', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'BFIs Refuse to Follow Government Directive', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had directed BFIs to support the entrepreneurs with repayment scheme. Under the repayment scheme, the banks were requested to extend the time period for paying the installments and not to charge any interest between March and June. This was expected to provide some respite to the entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the entrepreneurs complained that banks have not abided by the government directive.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Banks have allegedly deducted the installment amount unilaterally from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts and charged interest on loans arguing that the relief package announced by the government was unacceptable to them. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Following this, the entrepreneurs said that the governments relief package was just for the sake of announcement.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodha Kumar Gupta, president of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Pulses and Oil Industry, informed New Business that the banks have deducted installments of loan from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts without any prior notice.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The relief package allocated by the government was meaningless, as the banks have not accepted the directives,” he said.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He additionally informed that the banks have misinterpreted the relief package and misused their authority.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the bankers clarified that they have deducted the installment amounts only from the debtors having fund in their accounts. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We are not forcing anyone to pay their installments, we are only deducting the amount from the debtors who already have funds in their accounts,” informed a banker in Birgunj requesting anonymity. </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><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11701', 'image' => '20200419015315_bank-malware.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 13:52:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11951', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nations Debate Easing Lockdown as Economic Hardship Grows', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news agency, mandatory lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus, which has so far infected more than 2.2 million people and for which there is no vaccine, have brought widespread hardship across the globe.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In a joint statement Saturday, a group of 13 countries including Canada, Brazil, Italy and Germany called for global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic, the news report published by AP further says.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">“It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods,” AP quoted the leaders as saying in the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The group, which also includes Britain, France Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey, said it was committed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">This includes maintaining “air, land and marine transportation links” to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travelers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In the United States, the debate has taken on partisan tones ahead of this fall's presidential elections. Republican President Donald Trump urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors, tweeting the kind of rhetoric some have used to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work, AP further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working, with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe in response to the lockdowns there.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In France and Spain, some field hospitals were starting to be dismantled, while Germany said the number of people infected by each person with COVID-19 fell below one for the first time this week.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Still, most governments and public health officials remain cautious about relaxing the shutdowns, despite the mounting economic toll.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news report, health experts have advised that any easing must be gradual in the country affected by the pandemic.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Meanwhile, some Asian nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control, including Singapore and Japan, reported a fresh surge in cases Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Iran, hard hit by the virus and international sanctions, allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran’s grand bazaar will remain closed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Top leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party called for deficit spending and a more flexible monetary policy after the economy shrank 6.8% in the first three months of the year, AP reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">South Korea's health minister, Kim Gang-lip, said Saturday that new guidelines could be issued soon that officials have said would allow people to engage in “certain levels of economic and social activity.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">While most of those sickened by the virus recover, the outbreak has killed at least 160,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The official death toll in the US has topped 35,000, with more than 700,000 confirmed infections, which is the highest in the world. Globally, 2.3 million people have been infected with the deadly virus, that is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan, the capital of its central province Hubei, in late December last year.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11700', 'image' => '20200419021602_maxresdefault 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 14:15:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11949', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Employers ‘Not in a Condition’ to Pay Full Salary to Workers', 'sub_title' => 'The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. ', 'summary' => 'April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Private businesses as well as government office have remained shut due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the first phase of relief announced by the government, it had clearly instructed the employers of the private sector to pay the salary of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) to the workers. However, the employers say have not been able to pay the salary of their staffers due to the extension of lockdown, which has affected their business. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Umbrella organisations of the private sector are currently discussing how to address this problem. They are expected to come up with a solution by today (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">However, the credibility of established companies have been put into question for their reluctance to pay the staffers at time of crisis. The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. But the companies are considering paying certain amount of salary instead of full pay, arguing that their business have come to a complete halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Government employees get paid even if their office is opened or not. But the private sector employers argue that they can pay only by generating income. They say it is natural for them to struggle to pay the workers at a time when their businesses have come to a grinding halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Nepal Chamber of Commerce are weighing various options regarding payment of workers. The umbrella bodies of the private sector have been discussing this issue since a week and are expected to finalize the modality of payment by Sunday (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Vice President of NCC Rajendra Malla said that none of the businesses and industries are currently in a position to pay full salary to their staffers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“We have tentatively decided to deduct the salary of workers depending on their pay. Those who earn low salary will see less deduction while those who make good income will be dealth accordingly,” said Malla.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11699', 'image' => '20200419101954_2016-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 10:19:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11948', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Penalty on Electricity Tariffs if Dues Cleared by May 20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising said that a cabinet meeting held recently decided to waive off the penalty of previous three months if they pay the tariffs within the given date. The deadline could again be extended if the current lockdown order is extended to fight against COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">To implement the cabinet decision taken on March 29, a meeting of the Board of Directors of NEA presided over by Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun took a decision to waive off the penalty. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Pun has also urged the public to clear the dues through online system and help in financial risk reduction of the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, the NEA has decided to exempt two percent if the tariff of previous two months is cleared by May 19. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11698', 'image' => '20200419093559_20181218024309_nea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:35:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11947', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'One More Tests Positive in Udayapur ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 19: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal. One more person living in a mosque in Udayapur has tested positive, taking the total confirmed cases to 31, said Director of the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division Dr Basudev Pandey. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that 12 persons, all Indian nationals, living in the Udayapur mosque had tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive case to 13 in the mosque alone. The latest is a man of 65 years old. His nationality is not yet known. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The latest case was confirmed at the Koshi Hospital, joint spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Sameer Adhikari said. Contact tracing of the infected ones has already begun. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11697', 'image' => '20200419093051_548_12722_111 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:30:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11946', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hotel Industry Faces Loss of Rs 9 Billion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. This sector has been the worst hit by the crisis, which emerged in late December last year from China and has now spread to 210 countries across the globe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial"> Hotel entrepreneurs say that they had to bear the loss due to the cancellation of bookings as the number of tourists arriving in Nepal started decline with the growing impact of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry of Nepal witnessed large number of booking cancellation between January to March, which is considered the peak season for tourism.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A preliminary study conducted by the Hotel Association of Nepal, the umbrella body of hotel entrepreneurs in the country, states that the hotel industry has been badly affected by the lack of tourists due to the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the governments across the world, including Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry had invested heavily in the recent past as the country prepared to welcome a large number of tourists during the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. New star-rated hotels in the capital and outside were emerging, targeting the government campaign. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Kathmandu Marriott by MS Group, Vivanta by Chaudhary Group, Akama Hotel by Sanima Group are already in operation. Similarly, Hilton Hotel by Shanker Group and Sheraton Hotel by Non- Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) are under construction. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the existing hotels had also upgraded their services keeping in mind the VNY 2020 campaign.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the crisis of coronavirus came out of the blue at a time when this sector was witnessing heavy investment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the hotel entrepreneurs, this situation is more challenging than the 10-year Maoist insurgency, earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade imposed by India. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Managing fixed cost like employee’s salary and payment of bank loan despite the zero arrival of tourists has been one of the biggest challenges for the hotel sector. The entrepreneurs say that uncertainty on the normalcy have made them more worried. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Pravin Bahadur Pandey, executive director of Shangri-la hotel, it may take around one year to get back to normal business even after the outbreak comes under control. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The entrepreneurs say that five-star hotels have been bearing loss of around Rs 100 million every month. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We are facing loss of around Rs 100 million per month,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Also, refunding of the bookings is another challenge entrepreneurs are currently facing. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We need to refund 100 percent for the bookings made for September and October, which is the peak tourism season,” said the entrepreneurs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Shashikant Agarwal of Marriott Hotel said that although all the hotel are facing problems, the ones which have taken high amount of loan targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020 for infrastructure development are in trouble.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Binayak Shah, vice-president of HAN, said that the government should bring a concrete plan to revive the tourism sector in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to HAN, government needs to give one year’s time to pay the interest on loan, provide them subsidized loan, arrange relief for rent of six months and manage the payroll of one million employees and workers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Agarwal of Marriott said that as it will take time to bounce back from the crisis, the government should address the concerns of the hotel and tourism sectors.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11696', 'image' => '20200417125326_1587074003.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:52:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11944', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Lockdown Prevents 2 Companies from Issuing IPOs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited, a company promoted by the Non Residential Nepalis (NRNs) and NIC Asia Microfinance Company have not been able to issue their IPO due to the ongoing lockdown. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Sanima Capital, which has been assigned to issue the IPOs of both the companies, has not been able to do so owing to the current crisis.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Mandeep Luitel, investment banking chief of Sanima Capital, confirmed that the company has not been able to issue the IPOs because of the lockdown. According to him, NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited was due to issue the IPOs on April 10 while NIC Asia Microfinance was scheduled to issue the IPOs on April 14. But the process has been halted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) had approved the issuance of 33,98,046 units of IPO of NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited. The issued capital of the company is Rs 1.13 billion, out of which 30 percent share was to be opened for the general public. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, NIC Asia Microfinance was set to issue IPOs worth Rs 470 million. Both the companies had received the approval more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11695', 'image' => '20200417122239_1587081992.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:21:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11943', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Board Directs Stakeholders to Issue COVID-19 Insurance Coverage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Till date, none of the insurance companies have any scheme to cover the risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Insurance Board issued a circular on Thursday stating that the new insurance policy will be categorized into two groups.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the first category, any person availing the insurance policy has to pay a premium of Rs 1000 for coverage up to Rs 100,000. Likewise, the insurance premium charge has been set up at Rs 600 if all members of the family subscribe to the insurance scheme.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the second category, the board has introduced another insurance scheme worth Rs 50,000 per person. To register for the scheme, an individual has to pay a premium of Rs 500 per person or Rs 300 for each member of the family.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The scheme aims to cover people with low income affected by COVID-19, according to the board’s executive director Raju Raman Poudel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">“Our aim is to provide insurance facility to people from low income grout. Therefore, this scheme has to be available in every village,” Poudel told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/insurence_notice.jpg" style="height:1554px; width:1216px" /></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11694', 'image' => '20200417105653_Beema-Samiti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 10:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11942', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Government to Rescue Migrant Workers at Risk ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries.', 'content' => '<p><em>Flowers blooming on the premises of the Supreme Court in this recent picture. Photo Courtesy: Rss</em></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries, the state-run 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 RSS, a single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla on Thursday (April 16) directed the government to rescue the migrant workers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court reportedly also asked the government to immediately prepare a report on the health status of the Nepali migrant workers in different countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"No matter where Nepalis are it is the duty of a legitimate government to address their health, security and other needs," RSS reported citing the order. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The state cannot ignore a situation where the Nepali migrant workers, who have a significant contribution to the country's economy, lie in a very poor, unsafe and unhealthy situation after losing their job, reads the order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The bench further said that immediate and effective additional measures are warranted in the case of the citizens in foreign employment in the present situation of global crisis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order comes in response to a writ petition filed on Wednesday by advocate Som Prasad Luintel, seeking court intervention to save the Nepali migrant workers from the possible risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11693', 'image' => '20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:47:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11945', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Case Filed against Sulav Agarwal at DAO yet', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has already submitted an investigation report to the District Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu. The report suggests the government to punish Agrawal for misusing his diplomatic privilege despite, a police source informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, no charge has been filed against Agarwal at the District Administration Office at a time when the courts are closed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Agrawal was arrested by an undercover team of the Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police from Baluwatar on April 7 for attempting to sell the thermal guns at inflated price by misusing his diplomatic privilege. He was arrested red-handed from the car with diplomatic number plate.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The District Administration Office had remanded Agarwal in custody for 12 days for investigation. The detention period is expiring on Saturday, April 18.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Advocate of the District Attorney’s Office, Shrijan Dhakal, informed New Business Age that the case has not yet been registered in the DAO because the investigation has not concluded.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The police can keep an accused in custody for a maximum of 25 days in accordance to the law.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11692', 'image' => '20200417123741_20200408111456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:36:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11941', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Aircraft with Medical Supplies Arrive from Guangzhou ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A source at the Tribhuvan International Airport said the two chartered aircraft landed at the airport on Friday morning. The quantity and type of medical supplies that have been brought from Guangzhou are yet to be known</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The aircraft of the national flag-carrier NAC had flown to China’s Guangzhou on Thursday night to bring the medical kits and supplies. Two business groups had chartered the aircraft. Medical supplies were brought from Guangzhou on March 29 and April 2 as well. --RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11691', 'image' => '20200417094021_733_20180727021334_2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:39:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11939', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Warns of “Great Recession”', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Aljazeera, the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF on Tuesday paints a bleak picture of world economy and the manifold financial challenges facing low-income countries.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF said that the world economy’s contraction and recovery would be worse than anticipated if the coronavirus lingers, Bloomberg reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"For low-income countries, the challenges of this crisis are manifold," IMF Chief Economist Geeta Gopinath reportedly said at a video conference briefing where she presented the report. "They have to deal with health crises with health systems that are just not as strong."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Titled The Great Lockdown, the IMF's latest report on the global economy described the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis "like no other" and predicted that world economic output will shrink by three percent this year, before experiencing a partial rebound next year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is very likely that this year, the global economy will experience its worst recession since the Great Depression, surpassing that seen during the financial crisis a decade ago," Aljazeera quoted IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath as saying.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">IMF warned that there is extreme uncertainty around the global growth forecast. The economic fallout depends on factors that interact in ways that are hard to predict, the report said citing the pathway of the pandemic, the efficacy of containment measures, the intensity of supply chain disruptions, credit market freezes, commodity price impacts and changes in consumer behaviour.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Under the IMF’s best-case scenario, the world is likely to lose a cumulative $9 trillion in output over two years - greater than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of Germany and Japan, said Gopinath.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF's forecasts assume that outbreaks of the novel coronavirus will peak in most countries during the second quarter and fade in the second half of the year, with business closures and other containment measures gradually unwound.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A longer pandemic that lasts through the third quarter could cause a further three percent contraction in 2020 and a slower recovery in 2021, due to the "scarring" effects of bankruptcies and prolonged unemployment, the report said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Aljazeera further reported citing the IMF that emerging and developing economies face a litany of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from underfunded healthcare systems and burdensome debt loads to high rates of unemployment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report said that developing economies that are highly dependent on tourism will be hit particularly hard, while low-income countries where large portions of the working population depend on daily wages to survive require immediate intervention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is important to do whatever it takes and that includes cash transfers, digital payment systems to reach those working for daily wages," Gopinath stressed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">For low-income countries with high levels of debt, Gopinath stressed the importance for creditors to stand up and provide debt relief.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"This crisis is a truly exogenous shock," she said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-16', 'modified' => '2020-04-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11690', 'image' => '20200416014023_c4736bc8fadd413b8b56f3bb4c53323a_18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-16 13:39:45', '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
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: The government has taken initiative to engage the youths who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic in entrepreneurship within the country itself. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This topic was deliberated during a meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Sunday. The meeting dwelt on creating job opportunities within the country and the kind of initiatives required for this purpose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting was called by Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Lekhraj Bhatta. Representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries, Nepal Chamber of Commerce and other trade and business organisations were present in the meeting. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting decided to form a committee under the coordination of the Industrial Investment and Promotion Division at the Ministry for preparing a special plan for involving the youths returned home from across the world after losing jobs due to COVID-19 in productive entrepreneurship. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The committee comprises the representative each from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration as well as representatives from the umbrella organisations of industries and commerce. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Bhatta said the newly-formed taskforce has been given 15 days' time to submit a report with suggestions. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The meeting, likewise, decided to provide the salary of workers working in industries for the lockdown period. All the industries that have closed due to the lockdown have been divided into three phases and a decision made to present a proposal to the high-level committee for the operation of these industries, the Ministry has stated. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11704', 'image' => '20200420094304_On-Entrepreneurship.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:42:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11956', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hyatt Hotel to Remain Closed Until June 30', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 20: Hyatt Regency Hotel has decided to halt all of its services until June due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government. Issuing a notice on Sunday, the hotel said it will remain closed till June 30.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice issued by the hotel’s General Manager Rajesh Ramdas said that the hotel will not be in a position to operate in a safe and secure manner even if the lockdown is lifted. Therefore, the management took a decision to close the hotel completely for more than two months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that they were forced to extend the closure of the hotel as the staffers were unable to come to work. The hotel had stopped its services more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the hotel decided to take precautionary measures due to the spread of the infectious disease.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The hotel has said all of its staff members are kept in standby until June 30 and will be paid half their salaries during the closure.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The notice says further decision will be taken after evaluating the situation. The hotel is partly owned by the government.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11703', 'image' => '20200420102121_1587308584.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 10:20:41', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11954', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Agrawal Remanded in Custody for 10 More Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 20: District Administration Office, Kathmandu has remanded the operator of Shankar Group, Shulav Agrawal, in custody for 10 days. The DAO granted permission to keep Agrawal in custody to investigate into his alleged involvement in black marketing.</span></span></span></p> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">This is the third time Agrawal has been remanded in custody. Earlier, the DAO had remanded him in custody for a total of 12 days after his arrest from Baluwatar while selling thermal guns at exorbitant price. An undercover had arrested Agrawal red handed on April 7 from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate. </span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police can keep a suspect in custody for a total of 25 days for investigation.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Police are yet to complete investigation into the case.</span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Information Officer Numraj Adhikari at the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the DAO has granted permission to the police to investigate the case by keeping Agrawal in custody for 10 more days.</span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-20', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11702', 'image' => '20200420095349_456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-20 09:52:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11950', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'BFIs Refuse to Follow Government Directive', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 19: Entrepreneurs have complained that the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have not followed the government directives to provide loan renewal facility under the relief package announced to support the sectors affected by coronavirus. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had directed BFIs to support the entrepreneurs with repayment scheme. Under the repayment scheme, the banks were requested to extend the time period for paying the installments and not to charge any interest between March and June. This was expected to provide some respite to the entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the entrepreneurs complained that banks have not abided by the government directive.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Banks have allegedly deducted the installment amount unilaterally from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts and charged interest on loans arguing that the relief package announced by the government was unacceptable to them. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Following this, the entrepreneurs said that the governments relief package was just for the sake of announcement.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodha Kumar Gupta, president of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Pulses and Oil Industry, informed New Business that the banks have deducted installments of loan from the entrepreneurs’ bank accounts without any prior notice.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The relief package allocated by the government was meaningless, as the banks have not accepted the directives,” he said.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He additionally informed that the banks have misinterpreted the relief package and misused their authority.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the bankers clarified that they have deducted the installment amounts only from the debtors having fund in their accounts. </span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We are not forcing anyone to pay their installments, we are only deducting the amount from the debtors who already have funds in their accounts,” informed a banker in Birgunj requesting anonymity. </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><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11701', 'image' => '20200419015315_bank-malware.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 13:52:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11951', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nations Debate Easing Lockdown as Economic Hardship Grows', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 19: Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet, governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news agency, mandatory lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus, which has so far infected more than 2.2 million people and for which there is no vaccine, have brought widespread hardship across the globe.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In a joint statement Saturday, a group of 13 countries including Canada, Brazil, Italy and Germany called for global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic, the news report published by AP further says.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">“It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods,” AP quoted the leaders as saying in the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The group, which also includes Britain, France Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey, said it was committed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">This includes maintaining “air, land and marine transportation links” to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travelers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In the United States, the debate has taken on partisan tones ahead of this fall's presidential elections. Republican President Donald Trump urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors, tweeting the kind of rhetoric some have used to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work, AP further said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working, with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe in response to the lockdowns there.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">In France and Spain, some field hospitals were starting to be dismantled, while Germany said the number of people infected by each person with COVID-19 fell below one for the first time this week.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Still, most governments and public health officials remain cautious about relaxing the shutdowns, despite the mounting economic toll.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">According to the news report, health experts have advised that any easing must be gradual in the country affected by the pandemic.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Meanwhile, some Asian nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control, including Singapore and Japan, reported a fresh surge in cases Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Iran, hard hit by the virus and international sanctions, allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran’s grand bazaar will remain closed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">Top leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party called for deficit spending and a more flexible monetary policy after the economy shrank 6.8% in the first three months of the year, AP reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">South Korea's health minister, Kim Gang-lip, said Saturday that new guidelines could be issued soon that officials have said would allow people to engage in “certain levels of economic and social activity.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">While most of those sickened by the virus recover, the outbreak has killed at least 160,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times">The official death toll in the US has topped 35,000, with more than 700,000 confirmed infections, which is the highest in the world. Globally, 2.3 million people have been infected with the deadly virus, that is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan, the capital of its central province Hubei, in late December last year.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11700', 'image' => '20200419021602_maxresdefault 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 14:15:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11949', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Employers ‘Not in a Condition’ to Pay Full Salary to Workers', 'sub_title' => 'The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. ', 'summary' => 'April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: Most of the industries and enterprises have stopped operation since the government imposed a lockdown on March 24 to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Private businesses as well as government office have remained shut due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the first phase of relief announced by the government, it had clearly instructed the employers of the private sector to pay the salary of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) to the workers. However, the employers say have not been able to pay the salary of their staffers due to the extension of lockdown, which has affected their business. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Umbrella organisations of the private sector are currently discussing how to address this problem. They are expected to come up with a solution by today (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">However, the credibility of established companies have been put into question for their reluctance to pay the staffers at time of crisis. The law does not allow the companies from pay cuts just because their business have been affected for a few months. But the companies are considering paying certain amount of salary instead of full pay, arguing that their business have come to a complete halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Government employees get paid even if their office is opened or not. But the private sector employers argue that they can pay only by generating income. They say it is natural for them to struggle to pay the workers at a time when their businesses have come to a grinding halt.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Nepal Chamber of Commerce are weighing various options regarding payment of workers. The umbrella bodies of the private sector have been discussing this issue since a week and are expected to finalize the modality of payment by Sunday (April 19).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Vice President of NCC Rajendra Malla said that none of the businesses and industries are currently in a position to pay full salary to their staffers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“We have tentatively decided to deduct the salary of workers depending on their pay. Those who earn low salary will see less deduction while those who make good income will be dealth accordingly,” said Malla.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11699', 'image' => '20200419101954_2016-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 10:19:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11948', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Penalty on Electricity Tariffs if Dues Cleared by May 20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 19: The government has said that no one will be obliged to pay penalty on electricity tariffs if the consumers clear the dues of previous three months by May 20. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising said that a cabinet meeting held recently decided to waive off the penalty of previous three months if they pay the tariffs within the given date. The deadline could again be extended if the current lockdown order is extended to fight against COVID-19. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">To implement the cabinet decision taken on March 29, a meeting of the Board of Directors of NEA presided over by Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun took a decision to waive off the penalty. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Minister Pun has also urged the public to clear the dues through online system and help in financial risk reduction of the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, the NEA has decided to exempt two percent if the tariff of previous two months is cleared by May 19. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11698', 'image' => '20200419093559_20181218024309_nea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:35:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11947', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'One More Tests Positive in Udayapur ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 19: The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 19: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The number of people infected with COVID-19 has reached 31 in Nepal. One more person living in a mosque in Udayapur has tested positive, taking the total confirmed cases to 31, said Director of the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division Dr Basudev Pandey. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It may be noted that 12 persons, all Indian nationals, living in the Udayapur mosque had tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive case to 13 in the mosque alone. The latest is a man of 65 years old. His nationality is not yet known. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The latest case was confirmed at the Koshi Hospital, joint spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Sameer Adhikari said. Contact tracing of the infected ones has already begun. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-19', 'modified' => '2020-04-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11697', 'image' => '20200419093051_548_12722_111 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-19 09:30:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11946', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hotel Industry Faces Loss of Rs 9 Billion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The hotel industry of Nepal of Nepal has recorded loss of more than Rs 9 billion in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. This sector has been the worst hit by the crisis, which emerged in late December last year from China and has now spread to 210 countries across the globe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial"> Hotel entrepreneurs say that they had to bear the loss due to the cancellation of bookings as the number of tourists arriving in Nepal started decline with the growing impact of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry of Nepal witnessed large number of booking cancellation between January to March, which is considered the peak season for tourism.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A preliminary study conducted by the Hotel Association of Nepal, the umbrella body of hotel entrepreneurs in the country, states that the hotel industry has been badly affected by the lack of tourists due to the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the governments across the world, including Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The hotel industry had invested heavily in the recent past as the country prepared to welcome a large number of tourists during the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. New star-rated hotels in the capital and outside were emerging, targeting the government campaign. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Kathmandu Marriott by MS Group, Vivanta by Chaudhary Group, Akama Hotel by Sanima Group are already in operation. Similarly, Hilton Hotel by Shanker Group and Sheraton Hotel by Non- Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) are under construction. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the existing hotels had also upgraded their services keeping in mind the VNY 2020 campaign.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the crisis of coronavirus came out of the blue at a time when this sector was witnessing heavy investment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the hotel entrepreneurs, this situation is more challenging than the 10-year Maoist insurgency, earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade imposed by India. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Managing fixed cost like employee’s salary and payment of bank loan despite the zero arrival of tourists has been one of the biggest challenges for the hotel sector. The entrepreneurs say that uncertainty on the normalcy have made them more worried. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Pravin Bahadur Pandey, executive director of Shangri-la hotel, it may take around one year to get back to normal business even after the outbreak comes under control. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The entrepreneurs say that five-star hotels have been bearing loss of around Rs 100 million every month. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We are facing loss of around Rs 100 million per month,” said Pandey. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Also, refunding of the bookings is another challenge entrepreneurs are currently facing. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">“We need to refund 100 percent for the bookings made for September and October, which is the peak tourism season,” said the entrepreneurs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Shashikant Agarwal of Marriott Hotel said that although all the hotel are facing problems, the ones which have taken high amount of loan targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020 for infrastructure development are in trouble.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Binayak Shah, vice-president of HAN, said that the government should bring a concrete plan to revive the tourism sector in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to HAN, government needs to give one year’s time to pay the interest on loan, provide them subsidized loan, arrange relief for rent of six months and manage the payroll of one million employees and workers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, Agarwal of Marriott said that as it will take time to bounce back from the crisis, the government should address the concerns of the hotel and tourism sectors.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11696', 'image' => '20200417125326_1587074003.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:52:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11944', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Lockdown Prevents 2 Companies from Issuing IPOs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two companies that had acquired permission to issue the Initial Public Offering (IPO) have not been able to issue them due to the extension of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited, a company promoted by the Non Residential Nepalis (NRNs) and NIC Asia Microfinance Company have not been able to issue their IPO due to the ongoing lockdown. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Sanima Capital, which has been assigned to issue the IPOs of both the companies, has not been able to do so owing to the current crisis.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Mandeep Luitel, investment banking chief of Sanima Capital, confirmed that the company has not been able to issue the IPOs because of the lockdown. According to him, NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited was due to issue the IPOs on April 10 while NIC Asia Microfinance was scheduled to issue the IPOs on April 14. But the process has been halted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) had approved the issuance of 33,98,046 units of IPO of NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited. The issued capital of the company is Rs 1.13 billion, out of which 30 percent share was to be opened for the general public. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, NIC Asia Microfinance was set to issue IPOs worth Rs 470 million. Both the companies had received the approval more than a month ago.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11695', 'image' => '20200417122239_1587081992.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:21:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11943', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Board Directs Stakeholders to Issue COVID-19 Insurance Coverage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 17: The Insurance Board has directed all stakeholder companies to issue coronavirus insurance scheme amid rising threats from the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Till date, none of the insurance companies have any scheme to cover the risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Insurance Board issued a circular on Thursday stating that the new insurance policy will be categorized into two groups.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the first category, any person availing the insurance policy has to pay a premium of Rs 1000 for coverage up to Rs 100,000. Likewise, the insurance premium charge has been set up at Rs 600 if all members of the family subscribe to the insurance scheme.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">In the second category, the board has introduced another insurance scheme worth Rs 50,000 per person. To register for the scheme, an individual has to pay a premium of Rs 500 per person or Rs 300 for each member of the family.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The scheme aims to cover people with low income affected by COVID-19, according to the board’s executive director Raju Raman Poudel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">“Our aim is to provide insurance facility to people from low income grout. Therefore, this scheme has to be available in every village,” Poudel told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/insurence_notice.jpg" style="height:1554px; width:1216px" /></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11694', 'image' => '20200417105653_Beema-Samiti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 10:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11942', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Government to Rescue Migrant Workers at Risk ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries.', 'content' => '<p><em>Flowers blooming on the premises of the Supreme Court in this recent picture. Photo Courtesy: Rss</em></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government to rescue Nepali citizens living in vulnerable condition in foreign countries, the state-run 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 RSS, a single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla on Thursday (April 16) directed the government to rescue the migrant workers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court reportedly also asked the government to immediately prepare a report on the health status of the Nepali migrant workers in different countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"No matter where Nepalis are it is the duty of a legitimate government to address their health, security and other needs," RSS reported citing the order. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The state cannot ignore a situation where the Nepali migrant workers, who have a significant contribution to the country's economy, lie in a very poor, unsafe and unhealthy situation after losing their job, reads the order. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The bench further said that immediate and effective additional measures are warranted in the case of the citizens in foreign employment in the present situation of global crisis. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order comes in response to a writ petition filed on Wednesday by advocate Som Prasad Luintel, seeking court intervention to save the Nepali migrant workers from the possible risk of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11693', 'image' => '20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:47:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11945', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'No Case Filed against Sulav Agarwal at DAO yet', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">April 17: No case has yet been filed against Sulav Agrawal, director of Shankar Group, even though he was arrested more than a week ago for misusing his diplomatic number plate car for black marketing of infrared thermometers.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has already submitted an investigation report to the District Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu. The report suggests the government to punish Agrawal for misusing his diplomatic privilege despite, a police source informed New Business Age.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, no charge has been filed against Agarwal at the District Administration Office at a time when the courts are closed.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Agrawal was arrested by an undercover team of the Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police from Baluwatar on April 7 for attempting to sell the thermal guns at inflated price by misusing his diplomatic privilege. He was arrested red-handed from the car with diplomatic number plate.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The District Administration Office had remanded Agarwal in custody for 12 days for investigation. The detention period is expiring on Saturday, April 18.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Advocate of the District Attorney’s Office, Shrijan Dhakal, informed New Business Age that the case has not yet been registered in the DAO because the investigation has not concluded.</span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The police can keep an accused in custody for a maximum of 25 days in accordance to the law.</span></span></h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11692', 'image' => '20200417123741_20200408111456_1586272608.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 12:36:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11941', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Aircraft with Medical Supplies Arrive from Guangzhou ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 17: Two wide-body A-330 aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation have landed in Kathmandu with essential medical supplies for the fight against COVID-19. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A source at the Tribhuvan International Airport said the two chartered aircraft landed at the airport on Friday morning. The quantity and type of medical supplies that have been brought from Guangzhou are yet to be known</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The aircraft of the national flag-carrier NAC had flown to China’s Guangzhou on Thursday night to bring the medical kits and supplies. Two business groups had chartered the aircraft. Medical supplies were brought from Guangzhou on March 29 and April 2 as well. --RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-17', 'modified' => '2020-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11691', 'image' => '20200417094021_733_20180727021334_2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-17 09:39:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '20' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '11939', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Warns of “Great Recession”', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">April 16: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of great recession in a century and a dire outlook for the world economy ravaged by coronavirus in its latest report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to Aljazeera, the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF on Tuesday paints a bleak picture of world economy and the manifold financial challenges facing low-income countries.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF said that the world economy’s contraction and recovery would be worse than anticipated if the coronavirus lingers, Bloomberg reported.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"For low-income countries, the challenges of this crisis are manifold," IMF Chief Economist Geeta Gopinath reportedly said at a video conference briefing where she presented the report. "They have to deal with health crises with health systems that are just not as strong."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Titled The Great Lockdown, the IMF's latest report on the global economy described the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis "like no other" and predicted that world economic output will shrink by three percent this year, before experiencing a partial rebound next year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is very likely that this year, the global economy will experience its worst recession since the Great Depression, surpassing that seen during the financial crisis a decade ago," Aljazeera quoted IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath as saying.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">IMF warned that there is extreme uncertainty around the global growth forecast. The economic fallout depends on factors that interact in ways that are hard to predict, the report said citing the pathway of the pandemic, the efficacy of containment measures, the intensity of supply chain disruptions, credit market freezes, commodity price impacts and changes in consumer behaviour.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">Under the IMF’s best-case scenario, the world is likely to lose a cumulative $9 trillion in output over two years - greater than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of Germany and Japan, said Gopinath.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">The IMF's forecasts assume that outbreaks of the novel coronavirus will peak in most countries during the second quarter and fade in the second half of the year, with business closures and other containment measures gradually unwound.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">A longer pandemic that lasts through the third quarter could cause a further three percent contraction in 2020 and a slower recovery in 2021, due to the "scarring" effects of bankruptcies and prolonged unemployment, the report said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">Aljazeera further reported citing the IMF that emerging and developing economies face a litany of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from underfunded healthcare systems and burdensome debt loads to high rates of unemployment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report said that developing economies that are highly dependent on tourism will be hit particularly hard, while low-income countries where large portions of the working population depend on daily wages to survive require immediate intervention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"It is important to do whatever it takes and that includes cash transfers, digital payment systems to reach those working for daily wages," Gopinath stressed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">For low-income countries with high levels of debt, Gopinath stressed the importance for creditors to stand up and provide debt relief.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Arial">"This crisis is a truly exogenous shock," she said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-04-16', 'modified' => '2020-04-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '11690', 'image' => '20200416014023_c4736bc8fadd413b8b56f3bb4c53323a_18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-04-16 13:39:45', '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