January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial…
January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial…
January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System…
January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January…
January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance.…
January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on…
January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red…
January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance…
January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 in order to change the budget…
January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through…
January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded 300,000.…
January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing…
January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement…
January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade.…
January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased.…
January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by…
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In the previous year (FY 2078/79), the capacity utilization of the industries was 52.2 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank's report also backs a recent report released by the private sector organization’s Confederation of Nepalese Industries. The report published by the confederation in early January of stated that there has not been any improvement in the country’s overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report mentioned that the investors’ morale was down due to decline in the overall demand and turnover of the industries, prompting the investors to stop making new investments.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank has shown that the capacity utilization of the electricity generating industry was the highest at 86.2 percent last year. The capacity utilization of vegetable ghee production industry was the lowest (2.6 percent). Similarly, despite the cement industries of Nepal starting export to India, the capacity utilization of the cement industry declined due to the slowdown in the domestic construction sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The slowdown in the business of the construction industry has resulted in the decline in the capacity utilization of related industries that involve in production of construction materials like cement, iron rods, polythene pipes, steel, electric wires, GI pipes, etc. The capacity utilization of the cement industry, which was 46.06 percent in the year 2078/79, decreased to 44.44 percent in the last fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhurba Thapa, president of Nepal Cement Producers Association, the umbrella organization of cement industries, said that the capacity utilization has decreased due to the stalled construction work and the inability of the government to spend the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Last year there was a 75 percent reduction in development and construction works," said Thapa, adding, "Due to this, the capacity utilization of all industries involved in producing construction materials decreased. This situation should not be repeated in the current year."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The effect of India's ban on wheat exports has affected the production capacity of Nepal's food industry. The impact of the Indian policy has also been seen in the industries producing vegetable ghee/oil. The capacity utilization of wheat flour industry, which was 50.74 percent in 2078/79, dropped to 38.46 percent in 2079/80.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">India's reduction in the customs duty imposed on the import of palm and soybean oil has resulted in a significant decrease in the export of refined oil from Nepal to India. In the last two years, due to the rapid decrease in the export of refined oil, the capacity utilization of soybean oil as well as vegetable ghee industry has been badly affected. The capacity utilization of soybean oil industry, which was 82.33 percent in the year 2078/79, dropped to 47.61 percent in the last fiscal year. Similarly, the report shows that the capacity utilization of vegetable ghee industry was limited to 2.59 percent last year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the average capacity utilization of industries in Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces has increased, while the average capacity utilization of industries in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces has decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank shows an increase in the capacity utilization of industries that produce mustard oil, processed milk, rice, biscuits, sugar, processed tea, soft drinks, synthetic fabrics, garments, jute products, paper, capsules, ointments, dry syrup, plastic goods, bricks, GI wire, household metal wares, footwear and electronic goods.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, there has been a decline in capacity utilization of industries that produce vegetable ghee, soybean oil, wheat flour, chocolate, animal feed, noodles, beer, cigarettes, yarn, raw hide, wood, plywood, rosin, dyes, tablet medicine, soap, iron bars and sheets, steel products, GI pipes, polythene pipes, bricks, electric wires, tires and tubes, textile and shoes.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the Central Bank has suggested all stakeholders to reduce the cost of establishment and operation of the latest industries, and to effectively manage and expand the industrial zones/corridors and special economic zones. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report also points out the need to increase the production and consumption of domestic industrial raw materials and make the industrial supply chain effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report has pointed out the need to attract foreign investment in the industrial sector. It also suggested developing minimum infrastructure such as roads, electricity, communication, transfer of technology and enhancement of management capacity to create an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the report, there are still challenges in the industrial sector such as ensuring the availability of skilled labor by preventing the brain drain of semi-skilled and skilled manpower, and increasing investment in export-oriented industries with comparative advantage and competitive ability through the creation of an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19749', 'image' => '20240119022408_indus.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 14:23:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20021', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs Govt to Submit Papers Related to TERAMOCS ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Thursday directed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to submit the papers related to policy decision, purchase process, payment and rationale of implementation concerning MDMS and TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The House panel also decided to ask for the ministry-level investigation report on these topics and the court decisions related to the same. The committee meeting agreed to take further decision on the matter after consultation with experts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The committee took such decision after holding discussions with Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, Secretary Ram Krishna Subedi, among other officials of the ministry on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During the meeting, Minister Sharma shared that the ministry is studying the policy decisions made by the previous governments and the works carried out by the implementing bodies. She said the ministry will cooperate in the investigations to be carried out by the authorized agency into the topic of any irregularities in the implementation of these systems. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19748', 'image' => '20240119013006_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 13:29:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20020', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'TU to Provide Online Service to Issue Educational Certificates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Examination Controller Pushpa Raj Joshi said that the office will conduct online services related to educational certificates so that no one has to visit its Balkhu Office. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi shared that students can get different types of services including transcript, provisional certificate, re-totaling, copy of any educational certificate through online medium from January 29. The students need to fill a form to get the service by paying charge through e-payment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We will send educational certificates of students at the respective regional offices of the Office of the Controller of Examinations within a week. This will remove the student's compulsion to visit Balkhu office to get the certificates," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The educational certificates would be sent to the regional offices for the time being and it would be sent at the respective campuses from May within five days of filing the application. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi explained that around 1,000-2,000 people visit the Balkhu office every day for educational certificates. Student can fill the online form at the official website of the Office of the Controller of the Examination - www.tuexam.edu.np. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">TU has its regional offices in Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Attariya. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19747', 'image' => '20240119112909_Tribhuvan-University.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 11:28:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20018', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Wide-Body Aircraft Resumes Flights after Maintenance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. The aircraft had been grounded since last Monday but resumed its services on Thursday after undergoing necessary technical repairs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel the aircraft was grounded due to issues with the flight control sensor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The required aircraft spare parts were brought from Britain and installed on the plane. Following the maintenance, the aircraft departed for Dubai carrying 267 passengers at 4:00 pm on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NAC has two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft for international flights. However, one narrow-body aircraft is currently undergoing repair in Israel. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19746', 'image' => '20240119103633_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:35:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20019', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Paudel Issues Ordinance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. <br /> The president issued the ordinance in accordance with Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, according to the Office of the President. <br /> A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 to the president for amendment through an ordinance.<br /> The government plans to change the budget schedule through this ordinance at a time when there is no active session of parliament.<br /> The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament 15 days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.<br /> The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19745', 'image' => '20240119105203_20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:50:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20017', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WTO Head 'Less Optimistic' for World Trade due to Red Sea Strikes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The head of the international trade body said weaker global economic growth, "worsening geopolitical tensions, the new disruptions we see in the Red Sea, on the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal" meant "we are less optimistic".</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She was speaking to journalists at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos where political and economic elites are meeting to discuss global challenges.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Before the massive Hamas attack on Israel in October and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, the WTO had predicted trade would grow by 0.8 percent in 2023 and projected growth of 3.3 percent this year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But Okonjo-Iweala warned the figure for 2024 would now be lower in future forecasts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We think there are a lot of downside risks to the forecasts we had made last year of 3.3 percent of growth of merchandise volumes this year. So we expect weaker performance," she said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We will be revising estimates for this year, but they won't be ready for another month or so," Okonjo-Iweala added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A spate of attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping has disrupted the vital trade route while the worst drought in decades to hit the Panama Canal has forced authorities to slow transits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Yemen's Huthi rebels say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The attacks have, however, also caused shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the death of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 24,400 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since October 7, according to the Hamas government's Ministry of Health. – AFP/RSS</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19744', 'image' => '20240118032551_shipping-container-red-sea-01-epa-jef-231222_1703270751169_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 15:25:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Board Decides to Reduce OPD and Emergency Ticket Fees', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Information officer of the board, Om Kumari Kandel, said that keeping in mind the financial condition of the insured, they have decided to reduce the ticket fees charged for outpatient and emergency services at the hospitals. According to Kandel, the board has decided to maintain the ticket fee of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span> for OPD service and Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> for emergency service. She informed that the reduced fee will be applicable from January 22.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier, the OPD service fee was set at Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> and emergency service charge was Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400. </span>Similarly, the insurance board has decided to give a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal to the insured who have not taken any health facility. Information Officer Kandel said that the insured who renew their health insurance regularly without taking any benefits will be given a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">There is an arrangement that families with up to five members can get benefits of up to Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">000 </span>after paying an annual contribution of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">500</span>. So far, a total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">74</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">66</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">007 </span>people have joined the state-sponsored insurance scheme and out of them <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">34</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">76</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">778 </span>people have taken health services through the insurance program.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">48</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">59</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">515 </span>people have renewed the insurance scheme. Likewise, the board has decided to reduce the service start time after joining the health insurance scheme. According to Information Officer Kandel, it used to take three months to start the service after joining the health insurance program, but now it has been reduced to two months. The board has also decided to reimburse the health institutions that provide health services under the government’s insurance scheme in every two months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19743', 'image' => '20240118025956_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:59:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing to Change Budget Schedule through Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 in order to change the budget schedule.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> in order to change the budget schedule.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> to the president for amendment through an ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Government Spokesperson Rekha Sharma informed that the cabinet meeting has decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance. According to her, Clause (<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1) </span>of Article <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">124</span> of the Constitution of Nepal has provision for the government to introduce ordinances when the parliament is not in session. Accordingly, the government decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span> days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. According to the Ministry of Finance, the meeting of its resource committee has been set for mid-January to determine the ceiling of the budget. The amendment also includes the provision for the National Planning Commission to send the budget ceilings to the ministries in the third week of February.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">By amending Section <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14 (2) </span>of the same Act, the date of submission of the Economic Survey to the Federal Parliament has been specified as '<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> days' before the submission of revenue and expenditure estimates. Now the economic survey has to be submitted to the parliament on May <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">22. </span>This arrangement will come into effect after the president issues the ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been saying on public forums that he would bring reforms in the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission has made intensive preparations in line with the PM’s announcement. The commission has already prepared a draft action plan to implement the prime minister's announcement and sent it to the Council of Ministers.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19742', 'image' => '20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:42:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20014', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Awaiting for Permission to Operate Direct Flights between Kathmandu and Sydney', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore. The state-owned airline company has already prepared the flight schedule for Kathmandu-Singapore-Sydney flights with three flights a week. It is now waiting for the final approval to begin flights.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NAC informed New Business Age that it has completed all the procedures for the flights and is waiting for permission from the Australian regulatory body, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel said that they had proposed direct flights from Kathmandu to Sydney International Airport via Singapore in March <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>23<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“As soon as we receive flight permission from CASA, an Airbus-<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</span> aircraft of Nepal Airlines will fly tto Sydney,” said Paudel. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepal and Australia had signed a bilateral air service agreement in October <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>19<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">. </span>Even though it has been more than three years since the two countries signed the air service agreement, NAC is yet to begin flights to Australia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Felicity Volk, told New Business Age that it will take another <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> to <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12</span> months for the approval of direct flights between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span>The regulatory process for direct flights between Kathmandu and Sydney has progressed significantly," Volk said, "But the regulatory process may take another year due to discussions on flight safety between CASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)." Ambassador Volk said that the discussions in this regard are still ongoing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In recent years, Australia has become a preferred destination for Nepali students to pursue higher education as well as for work and other visits. According to the data of the Department of Immigration, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343</span> people went to Australia from Nepal for various purpose in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023. </span>According to the data of Nepal Tourism Board, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">799</span> Australian tourists arrived in Nepal in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023.</span> The data of the Nepal Tourism Board shows that the number of Australian tourists coming to Nepal has gradually increased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The number of tourists arriving in Nepal from Australia and the number of people traveling to Australia from Nepal makes up a significant number. NAC has concluded that operating flights on this route is viable from market perspective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ambassador Volk said that the number of Australian tourists will increase if Nepal can be promoted and branded as a tourist destination.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She has already visited <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span> districts of Nepal for various programs and said, “I am very active in promoting Nepali culture and tourism.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She also pointed out that since Nepal is a beautiful country, it is possible to bring many Australian tourists.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She urged her countrymen to visit Nepal to experience the natural and spiritual beauty and other unique experiences in Nepal. Similarly, she said that Nepal should work on other segments of tourism such as culinary tourism (food related tourism), health meditation, yoga etc for which “publicity is necessary”. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"My suggestion to the government is that since Nepal is a country with potential for tourism, start a big promotional campaign," said Ambassador Volk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19741', 'image' => '20240118014315_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 13:41:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 350,000 Nepalis Opt for Foreign Employment in Six Months this Year', 'sub_title' => 'Nepali citizens continue visiting Israel despite the ongoing war', 'summary' => 'January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded 300,000. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>00,000. According to the data released by the Department of Foreign Employment on Wednesday, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343,405</span> people received work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January of the current fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Labor permits issued by the department has decreased by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</span> percent this year compared to the first six months of last year. Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">414</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">546</span> Nepalis acquired work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January last year. A total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">771</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">327</span> labor permits were issued last year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The maximum number of Nepalis visiting foreign countries for employment in the last one month (mid-December to mid-January) were from Dhanusha, Siraha and Rupandehi districts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Only a handful of people from the mountainous districts of Manang opted for foreign employment during this period.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The statistics of the government show that a large number of Nepalis who go for foreign employment are unskilled workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The data of the department shows Nepalis have recently started going to European countries for foreign employment, a shift from the tradition of visiting the Gulf countries and Malaysia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58</span> Nepalis visited Romania in a one month period from mid-December to mid-January followed by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">558</span> people who went to Croatia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">357</span> people to Cyprus, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">263</span> people to Malta, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">183</span> people to Poland, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">135</span> people to Serbia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">187</span> people to Britain, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">41</span> people to Slovakia and <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span> people to Turkey.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepali workers continue to go to Israel, which is considered an attractive destination for employment. In the first six months this year, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">317 </span>Nepalis went to Israel with work permits. Following to the Israel-Palestine war that erupted in October, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">254 </span>Nepalis returned home on a chartered plane sent by the government. The statistics show that Nepalis have not stopped visiting Israel even amid the ongoing war.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19740', 'image' => '20240118121412_20220329081003_labour.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 12:13:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Glacial Lakes in Manang Disappearing at Alarming Rate', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gangapurna Lake situated at 3,820 metres above the sea level is one among such lakes which is rapidly drying up, expressed Kalu Ghale, a local resident of Disyang rural municipality-5 in the district. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Recalling the colour and the natural look of the glacier stream that flowed by his house in the past, Ghale expressed his concern that many small glacial lakes in the district were either receding or drying up. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Contrary to his thought that the glacial lakes could attract tourists, he said such lakes are turning into bare grounds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">First brought to public's attention by Swiss geologist Dr Toni Hagen in 1957, the Gangapurna glacier spanning around nine kilometres in length has been the basis for studying geological formations and climate change, according to Ghale. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research has already conducted research on the flow of the glacier that is shrinking every year. One of the researchers of the group Shalikram Sigdel warned that there was a threat of disappearance of glacial lakes due to global warming triggered by climate change, unexpected avalanche and rainfall. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Amidst the risk and fear of losing glacial lakes such as Gangapurna, the Disyang rural municipality is moving ahead with a plan to bring Gangapurna Lake to its original form. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sonam Gurung, chairperson of ward no 6 of Disyang, informed that they had allocated over Rs 30 million to revive the receding Lake.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gurung shared, "Tender has been called for this. We are preparing to excavate soil and sand from the lake that is filled with such substances." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They plan to protect Gangapurna Lake spread across an area of 21.8 hectares of land by constructing a 3.5 metres high and 193 metres long dam. Gurung assured that the visitors would get to see the lake regaining its old glory next year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, Phurwa Lama, campaigner of Visit Manang, opined that conservation of old glacial lakes should be a top priority although new glacial lakes were forming lately. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19739', 'image' => '20240118112703_lake-around-Manang.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 11:26:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Signs Agreement to Receive Loan of Rs 21 Billion from ADB', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Puskar and Country Director of ADB for Nepal, Arnaud Cauchois signed the agreement amid a function held at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project would be implemented in Pokhara metropolitan city, Janakpurdham sub-metropolitan city, Lumbini municipality, Devdaha municipality, Sainamaina municipality, Siddhartha Nagar municipality, and Tilottama municipality. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Following the signing ceremony, Finance Secretary Puskar said the local levels where the project will be implemented will have positive impacts on finance and the entire ecosystem. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It would also contribute to socioeconomic status of women and marginalized communities and help foster internship, skill and local art, he added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, ADB Country Director Cauchois said the project is expected to benefit the infrastructure development and tourism recovery of the concerned municipalities.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“Even the economic activities are expected to thrive, thereby contributing to revenue increase, digital transformation and capacity building,” he said. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19738', 'image' => '20240118105449_GEC4A5gXwAA8NCC.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 10:44:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Company Operating 'Illegally' at Dry Port', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. The companies, which are beyond the jurisdiction of Nepal’s rules and regulations, are doing business worth millions of rupees every year. The concerned authorities seem to be unaware of this.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This was clearly seen in the transportation of chemical fertilizers paid by the state-owned Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited. Kisan Traders of India, Motihari, which is not registered with any government body in Nepal, is transporting the fertilizer from the dry port unchecked.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">High-ranking officials of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation are aware of this but they have turned a blind eye to this illegal business. Fertilizer, which is imported by the government through global tender, reaches the dry port through various ports in India. The fertilizer unloaded there is transported by local transporters to the warehouse of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Two other Nepalese companies also transport fertilizers from the dry port. These companies pay value added tax to the government in addition to income tax as per the rules. Kisan Traders does not pay any such tax. Since it is not registered with the government agency, the relevant government agency neither recognizes that company nor can it bring the company under the scope of its regulation. This company, which is not in the records of any body, is running uninterrupted business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Kisan Traders is the local cargo transporter of Indian Potash Limited (IPL), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying fertilizer to the government through a global tender. The owner of Kisan Traders, Shivpujan Gupta, is an Indian citizen. This company is also the local distributor and agent of IPL for Motihari region of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Amoj Lamichhane, head of the Salt Trading Corporation’s Regional Office in Birgunj, says that since IPL has been entrusted with the responsibility of transporting the fertilizers to the warehouses, it is not our concern who transports the fertilizer from the dry port. The supplier is responsible for shipping it to our warehouse. "Whoever works in the middle is not our concern," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Rajendra Bahadur Karki, head of the procurement department of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, says that since IPL has taken over the supply, he does not know any company other than IPL. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Kisan Traders is only a representative for delivery of goods. This has been the practice since before. We are not aware of corruption in this regard,” he said.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19735', 'image' => '20240117033932_20220819045658_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:38:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government, Diary Industry Lack Reliable Data on Stock of Milk Products', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. Dairy industries have not paid the farmers for the milk as the produced milk products are stored in warehouses and have not been sold. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The dairy industry operators are worried that the stored products might deteriorate. However, both the government and the industry do not have the actual data of the stock of milk products available and their price. Both the government and the dairy induatry blame each other for the lack of reliable data. The National Dairy Development Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had said four months ago that there were about 400,000 metric tons of milk powder and butter worth Rs 6 billion in stock after milk consumption decreased due to economic recession. Less than a month later, the board said that dairy products worth Rs 9.41 billion were available. The industrialists are saying that they have stock of powdered milk and butter worth Rs 5 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stakeholders have admitted that neither the government nor the industrialists have the exact details of the real data of the stock of dairy products. Acting Executive Director of the Board Balak Chaudhary admits that the board does not have reliable data because the dairy industry did not provide them with reliable data.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“We provide the same data that the entrepreneurs give us. Since the board does not produce powdered milk and butter itself, we do not know how much stock is available in the industry. In the meantime, it is also possible that the data has decreased due to the sale of stocked items,'' Chaudhary told New Business Age, adding, “But according to the industrialists, the sale of dairy products has not increased so the data might have changed marginally.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sumit Kedia, the former president of Nepal Dairy Association, said that because the consumption of milk in the market has decreased, the stock may have increased rather than decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to him, both the private sector and government organizations have stock of powdered milk and butter worth about Rs 5 billion. "Since the consumption of milk has decreased by 15 to 20 percent, there is a possibility that the amount of stock may increase further. If we don't find a solution to it in time, the stock might possibly deteriorate," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Regarding the non-uniformity in the data, he said that the government should be serious about this as it is the government’s responsibility to keep accurate data. He added that the board is preparing to publish a new data within a few days in coordination with the industrialists, so there will be no errors in the upcoming data. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">About 6.2 million liters of milk is produced in Nepal every day. Out of that, 3.1 million liters of milk is supplied to the market daily. The private sector has invested Rs 45 billion in Nepal's dairy industry. They pay an annual revenue of Rs 2 billion to the government. About 600, 000 people have got direct employment in this sector.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19734', 'image' => '20240117031926_20221011010319_milk.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Harmful Chemicals Found in Personal Care Products: Study', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A study conducted by the Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion (CPHEP) made this startling revelation. According to the organization, 43.85 micrograms of butyl paraben and 1039.3 micrograms of methyl paraben were found respectively in Kodomo kids mouthwash and Kodomo toothpaste imported, distributed and used in Nepal. According to Ram Charitra Sah, an environment scientist and executive director of the center, this is a high level and is harmful for health.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Similarly, Sah informed that 660.1 micrograms per gram of triclosan was found in handwash and 1.11 milligrams per gram of triclosan in deodorants used in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">"Our study found 0.03 micrograms per gram in feminine wash and 0.04 micrograms per gram of triclocarbon in handwash, which can cause disturbances in hormone production," he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Sah says the revelation that children’s products contain paraben, a chemical that can disrupt hormone production, has put children at double risk of harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Earlier studies have already established that children's toys contain harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium. In addition to this, Sah said that paints used in homes and schools contain high levels of lead.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The center said that it joined hands with other 11 non-governmental organizations from eight countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia under the 'EDC Free Asia II' regional initiative with the support of South Korea's Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Korea Financial Industry Foundation, South Korea to conduct the study. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Twelve non-governmental organizations from eight countries participated in this campaign. The Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion from Nepal, CAP from Malaysia, CGFED from Vietnam, IDIS from the Philippines, Ban Toxics and Eco Waste Coalition-EWC, Toxic Links and Prithvi Innovation from India, CEJ from Sri Lanka, Ecotone from Indonesia, Gita Pertivi and ESDO from Bangladesh contributed to the study.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study included 362 samples of personal care products collected from eight countries. Among them, 116 were child products. According to the organization, they analyzed mainly eight types of these samples. They included protective materials like anti-virus wipes, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, feminine wash, hand wash and mouth wash. The sample included 30 personal care products purchased from supermarkets, departmental stores and drug stores in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Out of the total 116 samples of child products analyzed, 7.76 percent were from Nepal. According to Sah, a total of 11 chemicals including nine types of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon, which are commonly-used chemicals in personal care products, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in these samples.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The high level of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon found on products used in the countries that took part in the study have led to concerns that these chemicals can have serious implications in human health by causing disturbances in hormone production.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study report also mentions that unlabeled materials were found in eight countries including Nepal. Country-wise, non-compliance with labeling was 3.3 percent in Nepal, 9.4 percent in Malaysia, 13.3 percent in Vietnam, 7.7 percent in the Philippines, 8.8 percent in India, 10 percent in Sri Lanka, 6 percent in Indonesia and 13.3 percent in Bangladesh. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">During the study, erroneous labeling was identified in all the participating countries including Nepal. There were 269 samples that did not have a separate label about the harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon in the product. Among the samples analysed, harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon were found in 22.3 percent of the samples. This means that they are incorrectly labeled.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Among the 30 personal protective material samples included in the study from Nepal, methyl paraben was found in 40 percent of the samples, propyl paraben in 10 percent, butyl paraben in 3.3 percent, triclosan in 6.7 percent, and triclocarbon in 6.7 percent. The organization has emphasized on the effective implementation of laws, regulations and other mandatory standards to protect the general public and especially children from these harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19733', 'image' => '20240117023714_170734-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 14:36:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20022', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Capacity Utilization of Industries Declines: NRB Report', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The production capacity of industries that produce food, oil, ghee, cement and steel among others are found to have declined.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The recently published 'Economic Activity Study Annual Report' of Nepal Rastra Bank has shown that the average capacity utilization of Nepal's industries in the last fiscal year (FY) 2079/80 was limited to 49.8 percent. In the previous year (FY 2078/79), the capacity utilization of the industries was 52.2 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank's report also backs a recent report released by the private sector organization’s Confederation of Nepalese Industries. The report published by the confederation in early January of stated that there has not been any improvement in the country’s overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report mentioned that the investors’ morale was down due to decline in the overall demand and turnover of the industries, prompting the investors to stop making new investments.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank has shown that the capacity utilization of the electricity generating industry was the highest at 86.2 percent last year. The capacity utilization of vegetable ghee production industry was the lowest (2.6 percent). Similarly, despite the cement industries of Nepal starting export to India, the capacity utilization of the cement industry declined due to the slowdown in the domestic construction sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The slowdown in the business of the construction industry has resulted in the decline in the capacity utilization of related industries that involve in production of construction materials like cement, iron rods, polythene pipes, steel, electric wires, GI pipes, etc. The capacity utilization of the cement industry, which was 46.06 percent in the year 2078/79, decreased to 44.44 percent in the last fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhurba Thapa, president of Nepal Cement Producers Association, the umbrella organization of cement industries, said that the capacity utilization has decreased due to the stalled construction work and the inability of the government to spend the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Last year there was a 75 percent reduction in development and construction works," said Thapa, adding, "Due to this, the capacity utilization of all industries involved in producing construction materials decreased. This situation should not be repeated in the current year."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The effect of India's ban on wheat exports has affected the production capacity of Nepal's food industry. The impact of the Indian policy has also been seen in the industries producing vegetable ghee/oil. The capacity utilization of wheat flour industry, which was 50.74 percent in 2078/79, dropped to 38.46 percent in 2079/80.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">India's reduction in the customs duty imposed on the import of palm and soybean oil has resulted in a significant decrease in the export of refined oil from Nepal to India. In the last two years, due to the rapid decrease in the export of refined oil, the capacity utilization of soybean oil as well as vegetable ghee industry has been badly affected. The capacity utilization of soybean oil industry, which was 82.33 percent in the year 2078/79, dropped to 47.61 percent in the last fiscal year. Similarly, the report shows that the capacity utilization of vegetable ghee industry was limited to 2.59 percent last year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the average capacity utilization of industries in Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces has increased, while the average capacity utilization of industries in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces has decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank shows an increase in the capacity utilization of industries that produce mustard oil, processed milk, rice, biscuits, sugar, processed tea, soft drinks, synthetic fabrics, garments, jute products, paper, capsules, ointments, dry syrup, plastic goods, bricks, GI wire, household metal wares, footwear and electronic goods.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, there has been a decline in capacity utilization of industries that produce vegetable ghee, soybean oil, wheat flour, chocolate, animal feed, noodles, beer, cigarettes, yarn, raw hide, wood, plywood, rosin, dyes, tablet medicine, soap, iron bars and sheets, steel products, GI pipes, polythene pipes, bricks, electric wires, tires and tubes, textile and shoes.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the Central Bank has suggested all stakeholders to reduce the cost of establishment and operation of the latest industries, and to effectively manage and expand the industrial zones/corridors and special economic zones. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report also points out the need to increase the production and consumption of domestic industrial raw materials and make the industrial supply chain effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report has pointed out the need to attract foreign investment in the industrial sector. It also suggested developing minimum infrastructure such as roads, electricity, communication, transfer of technology and enhancement of management capacity to create an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the report, there are still challenges in the industrial sector such as ensuring the availability of skilled labor by preventing the brain drain of semi-skilled and skilled manpower, and increasing investment in export-oriented industries with comparative advantage and competitive ability through the creation of an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19749', 'image' => '20240119022408_indus.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 14:23:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20021', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs Govt to Submit Papers Related to TERAMOCS ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Thursday directed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to submit the papers related to policy decision, purchase process, payment and rationale of implementation concerning MDMS and TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The House panel also decided to ask for the ministry-level investigation report on these topics and the court decisions related to the same. The committee meeting agreed to take further decision on the matter after consultation with experts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The committee took such decision after holding discussions with Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, Secretary Ram Krishna Subedi, among other officials of the ministry on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During the meeting, Minister Sharma shared that the ministry is studying the policy decisions made by the previous governments and the works carried out by the implementing bodies. She said the ministry will cooperate in the investigations to be carried out by the authorized agency into the topic of any irregularities in the implementation of these systems. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19748', 'image' => '20240119013006_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 13:29:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20020', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'TU to Provide Online Service to Issue Educational Certificates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Examination Controller Pushpa Raj Joshi said that the office will conduct online services related to educational certificates so that no one has to visit its Balkhu Office. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi shared that students can get different types of services including transcript, provisional certificate, re-totaling, copy of any educational certificate through online medium from January 29. The students need to fill a form to get the service by paying charge through e-payment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We will send educational certificates of students at the respective regional offices of the Office of the Controller of Examinations within a week. This will remove the student's compulsion to visit Balkhu office to get the certificates," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The educational certificates would be sent to the regional offices for the time being and it would be sent at the respective campuses from May within five days of filing the application. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi explained that around 1,000-2,000 people visit the Balkhu office every day for educational certificates. Student can fill the online form at the official website of the Office of the Controller of the Examination - www.tuexam.edu.np. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">TU has its regional offices in Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Attariya. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19747', 'image' => '20240119112909_Tribhuvan-University.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 11:28:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20018', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Wide-Body Aircraft Resumes Flights after Maintenance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. The aircraft had been grounded since last Monday but resumed its services on Thursday after undergoing necessary technical repairs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel the aircraft was grounded due to issues with the flight control sensor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The required aircraft spare parts were brought from Britain and installed on the plane. Following the maintenance, the aircraft departed for Dubai carrying 267 passengers at 4:00 pm on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NAC has two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft for international flights. However, one narrow-body aircraft is currently undergoing repair in Israel. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19746', 'image' => '20240119103633_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:35:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20019', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Paudel Issues Ordinance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. <br /> The president issued the ordinance in accordance with Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, according to the Office of the President. <br /> A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 to the president for amendment through an ordinance.<br /> The government plans to change the budget schedule through this ordinance at a time when there is no active session of parliament.<br /> The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament 15 days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.<br /> The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19745', 'image' => '20240119105203_20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:50:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20017', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WTO Head 'Less Optimistic' for World Trade due to Red Sea Strikes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The head of the international trade body said weaker global economic growth, "worsening geopolitical tensions, the new disruptions we see in the Red Sea, on the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal" meant "we are less optimistic".</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She was speaking to journalists at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos where political and economic elites are meeting to discuss global challenges.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Before the massive Hamas attack on Israel in October and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, the WTO had predicted trade would grow by 0.8 percent in 2023 and projected growth of 3.3 percent this year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But Okonjo-Iweala warned the figure for 2024 would now be lower in future forecasts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We think there are a lot of downside risks to the forecasts we had made last year of 3.3 percent of growth of merchandise volumes this year. So we expect weaker performance," she said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We will be revising estimates for this year, but they won't be ready for another month or so," Okonjo-Iweala added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A spate of attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping has disrupted the vital trade route while the worst drought in decades to hit the Panama Canal has forced authorities to slow transits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Yemen's Huthi rebels say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The attacks have, however, also caused shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the death of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 24,400 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since October 7, according to the Hamas government's Ministry of Health. – AFP/RSS</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19744', 'image' => '20240118032551_shipping-container-red-sea-01-epa-jef-231222_1703270751169_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 15:25:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Board Decides to Reduce OPD and Emergency Ticket Fees', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Information officer of the board, Om Kumari Kandel, said that keeping in mind the financial condition of the insured, they have decided to reduce the ticket fees charged for outpatient and emergency services at the hospitals. According to Kandel, the board has decided to maintain the ticket fee of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span> for OPD service and Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> for emergency service. She informed that the reduced fee will be applicable from January 22.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier, the OPD service fee was set at Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> and emergency service charge was Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400. </span>Similarly, the insurance board has decided to give a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal to the insured who have not taken any health facility. Information Officer Kandel said that the insured who renew their health insurance regularly without taking any benefits will be given a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">There is an arrangement that families with up to five members can get benefits of up to Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">000 </span>after paying an annual contribution of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">500</span>. So far, a total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">74</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">66</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">007 </span>people have joined the state-sponsored insurance scheme and out of them <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">34</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">76</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">778 </span>people have taken health services through the insurance program.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">48</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">59</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">515 </span>people have renewed the insurance scheme. Likewise, the board has decided to reduce the service start time after joining the health insurance scheme. According to Information Officer Kandel, it used to take three months to start the service after joining the health insurance program, but now it has been reduced to two months. The board has also decided to reimburse the health institutions that provide health services under the government’s insurance scheme in every two months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19743', 'image' => '20240118025956_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:59:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing to Change Budget Schedule through Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 in order to change the budget schedule.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> in order to change the budget schedule.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> to the president for amendment through an ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Government Spokesperson Rekha Sharma informed that the cabinet meeting has decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance. According to her, Clause (<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1) </span>of Article <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">124</span> of the Constitution of Nepal has provision for the government to introduce ordinances when the parliament is not in session. Accordingly, the government decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span> days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. According to the Ministry of Finance, the meeting of its resource committee has been set for mid-January to determine the ceiling of the budget. The amendment also includes the provision for the National Planning Commission to send the budget ceilings to the ministries in the third week of February.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">By amending Section <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14 (2) </span>of the same Act, the date of submission of the Economic Survey to the Federal Parliament has been specified as '<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> days' before the submission of revenue and expenditure estimates. Now the economic survey has to be submitted to the parliament on May <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">22. </span>This arrangement will come into effect after the president issues the ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been saying on public forums that he would bring reforms in the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission has made intensive preparations in line with the PM’s announcement. The commission has already prepared a draft action plan to implement the prime minister's announcement and sent it to the Council of Ministers.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19742', 'image' => '20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:42:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20014', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Awaiting for Permission to Operate Direct Flights between Kathmandu and Sydney', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore. The state-owned airline company has already prepared the flight schedule for Kathmandu-Singapore-Sydney flights with three flights a week. It is now waiting for the final approval to begin flights.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NAC informed New Business Age that it has completed all the procedures for the flights and is waiting for permission from the Australian regulatory body, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel said that they had proposed direct flights from Kathmandu to Sydney International Airport via Singapore in March <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>23<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“As soon as we receive flight permission from CASA, an Airbus-<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</span> aircraft of Nepal Airlines will fly tto Sydney,” said Paudel. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepal and Australia had signed a bilateral air service agreement in October <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>19<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">. </span>Even though it has been more than three years since the two countries signed the air service agreement, NAC is yet to begin flights to Australia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Felicity Volk, told New Business Age that it will take another <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> to <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12</span> months for the approval of direct flights between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span>The regulatory process for direct flights between Kathmandu and Sydney has progressed significantly," Volk said, "But the regulatory process may take another year due to discussions on flight safety between CASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)." Ambassador Volk said that the discussions in this regard are still ongoing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In recent years, Australia has become a preferred destination for Nepali students to pursue higher education as well as for work and other visits. According to the data of the Department of Immigration, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343</span> people went to Australia from Nepal for various purpose in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023. </span>According to the data of Nepal Tourism Board, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">799</span> Australian tourists arrived in Nepal in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023.</span> The data of the Nepal Tourism Board shows that the number of Australian tourists coming to Nepal has gradually increased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The number of tourists arriving in Nepal from Australia and the number of people traveling to Australia from Nepal makes up a significant number. NAC has concluded that operating flights on this route is viable from market perspective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ambassador Volk said that the number of Australian tourists will increase if Nepal can be promoted and branded as a tourist destination.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She has already visited <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span> districts of Nepal for various programs and said, “I am very active in promoting Nepali culture and tourism.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She also pointed out that since Nepal is a beautiful country, it is possible to bring many Australian tourists.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She urged her countrymen to visit Nepal to experience the natural and spiritual beauty and other unique experiences in Nepal. Similarly, she said that Nepal should work on other segments of tourism such as culinary tourism (food related tourism), health meditation, yoga etc for which “publicity is necessary”. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"My suggestion to the government is that since Nepal is a country with potential for tourism, start a big promotional campaign," said Ambassador Volk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19741', 'image' => '20240118014315_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 13:41:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 350,000 Nepalis Opt for Foreign Employment in Six Months this Year', 'sub_title' => 'Nepali citizens continue visiting Israel despite the ongoing war', 'summary' => 'January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded 300,000. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>00,000. According to the data released by the Department of Foreign Employment on Wednesday, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343,405</span> people received work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January of the current fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Labor permits issued by the department has decreased by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</span> percent this year compared to the first six months of last year. Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">414</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">546</span> Nepalis acquired work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January last year. A total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">771</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">327</span> labor permits were issued last year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The maximum number of Nepalis visiting foreign countries for employment in the last one month (mid-December to mid-January) were from Dhanusha, Siraha and Rupandehi districts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Only a handful of people from the mountainous districts of Manang opted for foreign employment during this period.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The statistics of the government show that a large number of Nepalis who go for foreign employment are unskilled workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The data of the department shows Nepalis have recently started going to European countries for foreign employment, a shift from the tradition of visiting the Gulf countries and Malaysia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58</span> Nepalis visited Romania in a one month period from mid-December to mid-January followed by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">558</span> people who went to Croatia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">357</span> people to Cyprus, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">263</span> people to Malta, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">183</span> people to Poland, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">135</span> people to Serbia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">187</span> people to Britain, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">41</span> people to Slovakia and <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span> people to Turkey.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepali workers continue to go to Israel, which is considered an attractive destination for employment. In the first six months this year, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">317 </span>Nepalis went to Israel with work permits. Following to the Israel-Palestine war that erupted in October, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">254 </span>Nepalis returned home on a chartered plane sent by the government. The statistics show that Nepalis have not stopped visiting Israel even amid the ongoing war.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19740', 'image' => '20240118121412_20220329081003_labour.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 12:13:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Glacial Lakes in Manang Disappearing at Alarming Rate', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gangapurna Lake situated at 3,820 metres above the sea level is one among such lakes which is rapidly drying up, expressed Kalu Ghale, a local resident of Disyang rural municipality-5 in the district. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Recalling the colour and the natural look of the glacier stream that flowed by his house in the past, Ghale expressed his concern that many small glacial lakes in the district were either receding or drying up. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Contrary to his thought that the glacial lakes could attract tourists, he said such lakes are turning into bare grounds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">First brought to public's attention by Swiss geologist Dr Toni Hagen in 1957, the Gangapurna glacier spanning around nine kilometres in length has been the basis for studying geological formations and climate change, according to Ghale. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research has already conducted research on the flow of the glacier that is shrinking every year. One of the researchers of the group Shalikram Sigdel warned that there was a threat of disappearance of glacial lakes due to global warming triggered by climate change, unexpected avalanche and rainfall. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Amidst the risk and fear of losing glacial lakes such as Gangapurna, the Disyang rural municipality is moving ahead with a plan to bring Gangapurna Lake to its original form. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sonam Gurung, chairperson of ward no 6 of Disyang, informed that they had allocated over Rs 30 million to revive the receding Lake.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gurung shared, "Tender has been called for this. We are preparing to excavate soil and sand from the lake that is filled with such substances." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They plan to protect Gangapurna Lake spread across an area of 21.8 hectares of land by constructing a 3.5 metres high and 193 metres long dam. Gurung assured that the visitors would get to see the lake regaining its old glory next year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, Phurwa Lama, campaigner of Visit Manang, opined that conservation of old glacial lakes should be a top priority although new glacial lakes were forming lately. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19739', 'image' => '20240118112703_lake-around-Manang.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 11:26:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Signs Agreement to Receive Loan of Rs 21 Billion from ADB', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Puskar and Country Director of ADB for Nepal, Arnaud Cauchois signed the agreement amid a function held at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project would be implemented in Pokhara metropolitan city, Janakpurdham sub-metropolitan city, Lumbini municipality, Devdaha municipality, Sainamaina municipality, Siddhartha Nagar municipality, and Tilottama municipality. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Following the signing ceremony, Finance Secretary Puskar said the local levels where the project will be implemented will have positive impacts on finance and the entire ecosystem. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It would also contribute to socioeconomic status of women and marginalized communities and help foster internship, skill and local art, he added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, ADB Country Director Cauchois said the project is expected to benefit the infrastructure development and tourism recovery of the concerned municipalities.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“Even the economic activities are expected to thrive, thereby contributing to revenue increase, digital transformation and capacity building,” he said. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19738', 'image' => '20240118105449_GEC4A5gXwAA8NCC.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 10:44:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Company Operating 'Illegally' at Dry Port', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. The companies, which are beyond the jurisdiction of Nepal’s rules and regulations, are doing business worth millions of rupees every year. The concerned authorities seem to be unaware of this.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This was clearly seen in the transportation of chemical fertilizers paid by the state-owned Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited. Kisan Traders of India, Motihari, which is not registered with any government body in Nepal, is transporting the fertilizer from the dry port unchecked.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">High-ranking officials of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation are aware of this but they have turned a blind eye to this illegal business. Fertilizer, which is imported by the government through global tender, reaches the dry port through various ports in India. The fertilizer unloaded there is transported by local transporters to the warehouse of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Two other Nepalese companies also transport fertilizers from the dry port. These companies pay value added tax to the government in addition to income tax as per the rules. Kisan Traders does not pay any such tax. Since it is not registered with the government agency, the relevant government agency neither recognizes that company nor can it bring the company under the scope of its regulation. This company, which is not in the records of any body, is running uninterrupted business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Kisan Traders is the local cargo transporter of Indian Potash Limited (IPL), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying fertilizer to the government through a global tender. The owner of Kisan Traders, Shivpujan Gupta, is an Indian citizen. This company is also the local distributor and agent of IPL for Motihari region of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Amoj Lamichhane, head of the Salt Trading Corporation’s Regional Office in Birgunj, says that since IPL has been entrusted with the responsibility of transporting the fertilizers to the warehouses, it is not our concern who transports the fertilizer from the dry port. The supplier is responsible for shipping it to our warehouse. "Whoever works in the middle is not our concern," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Rajendra Bahadur Karki, head of the procurement department of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, says that since IPL has taken over the supply, he does not know any company other than IPL. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Kisan Traders is only a representative for delivery of goods. This has been the practice since before. We are not aware of corruption in this regard,” he said.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19735', 'image' => '20240117033932_20220819045658_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:38:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government, Diary Industry Lack Reliable Data on Stock of Milk Products', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. Dairy industries have not paid the farmers for the milk as the produced milk products are stored in warehouses and have not been sold. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The dairy industry operators are worried that the stored products might deteriorate. However, both the government and the industry do not have the actual data of the stock of milk products available and their price. Both the government and the dairy induatry blame each other for the lack of reliable data. The National Dairy Development Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had said four months ago that there were about 400,000 metric tons of milk powder and butter worth Rs 6 billion in stock after milk consumption decreased due to economic recession. Less than a month later, the board said that dairy products worth Rs 9.41 billion were available. The industrialists are saying that they have stock of powdered milk and butter worth Rs 5 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stakeholders have admitted that neither the government nor the industrialists have the exact details of the real data of the stock of dairy products. Acting Executive Director of the Board Balak Chaudhary admits that the board does not have reliable data because the dairy industry did not provide them with reliable data.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“We provide the same data that the entrepreneurs give us. Since the board does not produce powdered milk and butter itself, we do not know how much stock is available in the industry. In the meantime, it is also possible that the data has decreased due to the sale of stocked items,'' Chaudhary told New Business Age, adding, “But according to the industrialists, the sale of dairy products has not increased so the data might have changed marginally.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sumit Kedia, the former president of Nepal Dairy Association, said that because the consumption of milk in the market has decreased, the stock may have increased rather than decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to him, both the private sector and government organizations have stock of powdered milk and butter worth about Rs 5 billion. "Since the consumption of milk has decreased by 15 to 20 percent, there is a possibility that the amount of stock may increase further. If we don't find a solution to it in time, the stock might possibly deteriorate," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Regarding the non-uniformity in the data, he said that the government should be serious about this as it is the government’s responsibility to keep accurate data. He added that the board is preparing to publish a new data within a few days in coordination with the industrialists, so there will be no errors in the upcoming data. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">About 6.2 million liters of milk is produced in Nepal every day. Out of that, 3.1 million liters of milk is supplied to the market daily. The private sector has invested Rs 45 billion in Nepal's dairy industry. They pay an annual revenue of Rs 2 billion to the government. About 600, 000 people have got direct employment in this sector.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19734', 'image' => '20240117031926_20221011010319_milk.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Harmful Chemicals Found in Personal Care Products: Study', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A study conducted by the Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion (CPHEP) made this startling revelation. According to the organization, 43.85 micrograms of butyl paraben and 1039.3 micrograms of methyl paraben were found respectively in Kodomo kids mouthwash and Kodomo toothpaste imported, distributed and used in Nepal. According to Ram Charitra Sah, an environment scientist and executive director of the center, this is a high level and is harmful for health.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Similarly, Sah informed that 660.1 micrograms per gram of triclosan was found in handwash and 1.11 milligrams per gram of triclosan in deodorants used in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">"Our study found 0.03 micrograms per gram in feminine wash and 0.04 micrograms per gram of triclocarbon in handwash, which can cause disturbances in hormone production," he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Sah says the revelation that children’s products contain paraben, a chemical that can disrupt hormone production, has put children at double risk of harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Earlier studies have already established that children's toys contain harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium. In addition to this, Sah said that paints used in homes and schools contain high levels of lead.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The center said that it joined hands with other 11 non-governmental organizations from eight countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia under the 'EDC Free Asia II' regional initiative with the support of South Korea's Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Korea Financial Industry Foundation, South Korea to conduct the study. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Twelve non-governmental organizations from eight countries participated in this campaign. The Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion from Nepal, CAP from Malaysia, CGFED from Vietnam, IDIS from the Philippines, Ban Toxics and Eco Waste Coalition-EWC, Toxic Links and Prithvi Innovation from India, CEJ from Sri Lanka, Ecotone from Indonesia, Gita Pertivi and ESDO from Bangladesh contributed to the study.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study included 362 samples of personal care products collected from eight countries. Among them, 116 were child products. According to the organization, they analyzed mainly eight types of these samples. They included protective materials like anti-virus wipes, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, feminine wash, hand wash and mouth wash. The sample included 30 personal care products purchased from supermarkets, departmental stores and drug stores in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Out of the total 116 samples of child products analyzed, 7.76 percent were from Nepal. According to Sah, a total of 11 chemicals including nine types of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon, which are commonly-used chemicals in personal care products, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in these samples.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The high level of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon found on products used in the countries that took part in the study have led to concerns that these chemicals can have serious implications in human health by causing disturbances in hormone production.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study report also mentions that unlabeled materials were found in eight countries including Nepal. Country-wise, non-compliance with labeling was 3.3 percent in Nepal, 9.4 percent in Malaysia, 13.3 percent in Vietnam, 7.7 percent in the Philippines, 8.8 percent in India, 10 percent in Sri Lanka, 6 percent in Indonesia and 13.3 percent in Bangladesh. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">During the study, erroneous labeling was identified in all the participating countries including Nepal. There were 269 samples that did not have a separate label about the harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon in the product. Among the samples analysed, harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon were found in 22.3 percent of the samples. This means that they are incorrectly labeled.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Among the 30 personal protective material samples included in the study from Nepal, methyl paraben was found in 40 percent of the samples, propyl paraben in 10 percent, butyl paraben in 3.3 percent, triclosan in 6.7 percent, and triclocarbon in 6.7 percent. The organization has emphasized on the effective implementation of laws, regulations and other mandatory standards to protect the general public and especially children from these harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19733', 'image' => '20240117023714_170734-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 14:36:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20022', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Capacity Utilization of Industries Declines: NRB Report', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The production capacity of industries that produce food, oil, ghee, cement and steel among others are found to have declined.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The recently published 'Economic Activity Study Annual Report' of Nepal Rastra Bank has shown that the average capacity utilization of Nepal's industries in the last fiscal year (FY) 2079/80 was limited to 49.8 percent. In the previous year (FY 2078/79), the capacity utilization of the industries was 52.2 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank's report also backs a recent report released by the private sector organization’s Confederation of Nepalese Industries. The report published by the confederation in early January of stated that there has not been any improvement in the country’s overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report mentioned that the investors’ morale was down due to decline in the overall demand and turnover of the industries, prompting the investors to stop making new investments.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank has shown that the capacity utilization of the electricity generating industry was the highest at 86.2 percent last year. The capacity utilization of vegetable ghee production industry was the lowest (2.6 percent). Similarly, despite the cement industries of Nepal starting export to India, the capacity utilization of the cement industry declined due to the slowdown in the domestic construction sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The slowdown in the business of the construction industry has resulted in the decline in the capacity utilization of related industries that involve in production of construction materials like cement, iron rods, polythene pipes, steel, electric wires, GI pipes, etc. The capacity utilization of the cement industry, which was 46.06 percent in the year 2078/79, decreased to 44.44 percent in the last fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhurba Thapa, president of Nepal Cement Producers Association, the umbrella organization of cement industries, said that the capacity utilization has decreased due to the stalled construction work and the inability of the government to spend the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Last year there was a 75 percent reduction in development and construction works," said Thapa, adding, "Due to this, the capacity utilization of all industries involved in producing construction materials decreased. This situation should not be repeated in the current year."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The effect of India's ban on wheat exports has affected the production capacity of Nepal's food industry. The impact of the Indian policy has also been seen in the industries producing vegetable ghee/oil. The capacity utilization of wheat flour industry, which was 50.74 percent in 2078/79, dropped to 38.46 percent in 2079/80.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">India's reduction in the customs duty imposed on the import of palm and soybean oil has resulted in a significant decrease in the export of refined oil from Nepal to India. In the last two years, due to the rapid decrease in the export of refined oil, the capacity utilization of soybean oil as well as vegetable ghee industry has been badly affected. The capacity utilization of soybean oil industry, which was 82.33 percent in the year 2078/79, dropped to 47.61 percent in the last fiscal year. Similarly, the report shows that the capacity utilization of vegetable ghee industry was limited to 2.59 percent last year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the average capacity utilization of industries in Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces has increased, while the average capacity utilization of industries in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces has decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank shows an increase in the capacity utilization of industries that produce mustard oil, processed milk, rice, biscuits, sugar, processed tea, soft drinks, synthetic fabrics, garments, jute products, paper, capsules, ointments, dry syrup, plastic goods, bricks, GI wire, household metal wares, footwear and electronic goods.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, there has been a decline in capacity utilization of industries that produce vegetable ghee, soybean oil, wheat flour, chocolate, animal feed, noodles, beer, cigarettes, yarn, raw hide, wood, plywood, rosin, dyes, tablet medicine, soap, iron bars and sheets, steel products, GI pipes, polythene pipes, bricks, electric wires, tires and tubes, textile and shoes.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the Central Bank has suggested all stakeholders to reduce the cost of establishment and operation of the latest industries, and to effectively manage and expand the industrial zones/corridors and special economic zones. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report also points out the need to increase the production and consumption of domestic industrial raw materials and make the industrial supply chain effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report has pointed out the need to attract foreign investment in the industrial sector. It also suggested developing minimum infrastructure such as roads, electricity, communication, transfer of technology and enhancement of management capacity to create an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the report, there are still challenges in the industrial sector such as ensuring the availability of skilled labor by preventing the brain drain of semi-skilled and skilled manpower, and increasing investment in export-oriented industries with comparative advantage and competitive ability through the creation of an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19749', 'image' => '20240119022408_indus.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 14:23:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20021', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs Govt to Submit Papers Related to TERAMOCS ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Thursday directed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to submit the papers related to policy decision, purchase process, payment and rationale of implementation concerning MDMS and TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The House panel also decided to ask for the ministry-level investigation report on these topics and the court decisions related to the same. The committee meeting agreed to take further decision on the matter after consultation with experts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The committee took such decision after holding discussions with Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, Secretary Ram Krishna Subedi, among other officials of the ministry on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During the meeting, Minister Sharma shared that the ministry is studying the policy decisions made by the previous governments and the works carried out by the implementing bodies. She said the ministry will cooperate in the investigations to be carried out by the authorized agency into the topic of any irregularities in the implementation of these systems. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19748', 'image' => '20240119013006_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 13:29:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20020', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'TU to Provide Online Service to Issue Educational Certificates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Examination Controller Pushpa Raj Joshi said that the office will conduct online services related to educational certificates so that no one has to visit its Balkhu Office. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi shared that students can get different types of services including transcript, provisional certificate, re-totaling, copy of any educational certificate through online medium from January 29. The students need to fill a form to get the service by paying charge through e-payment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We will send educational certificates of students at the respective regional offices of the Office of the Controller of Examinations within a week. This will remove the student's compulsion to visit Balkhu office to get the certificates," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The educational certificates would be sent to the regional offices for the time being and it would be sent at the respective campuses from May within five days of filing the application. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi explained that around 1,000-2,000 people visit the Balkhu office every day for educational certificates. Student can fill the online form at the official website of the Office of the Controller of the Examination - www.tuexam.edu.np. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">TU has its regional offices in Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Attariya. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19747', 'image' => '20240119112909_Tribhuvan-University.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 11:28:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20018', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Wide-Body Aircraft Resumes Flights after Maintenance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. The aircraft had been grounded since last Monday but resumed its services on Thursday after undergoing necessary technical repairs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel the aircraft was grounded due to issues with the flight control sensor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The required aircraft spare parts were brought from Britain and installed on the plane. Following the maintenance, the aircraft departed for Dubai carrying 267 passengers at 4:00 pm on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NAC has two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft for international flights. However, one narrow-body aircraft is currently undergoing repair in Israel. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19746', 'image' => '20240119103633_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:35:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20019', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Paudel Issues Ordinance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. <br /> The president issued the ordinance in accordance with Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, according to the Office of the President. <br /> A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 to the president for amendment through an ordinance.<br /> The government plans to change the budget schedule through this ordinance at a time when there is no active session of parliament.<br /> The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament 15 days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.<br /> The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19745', 'image' => '20240119105203_20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:50:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20017', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WTO Head 'Less Optimistic' for World Trade due to Red Sea Strikes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The head of the international trade body said weaker global economic growth, "worsening geopolitical tensions, the new disruptions we see in the Red Sea, on the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal" meant "we are less optimistic".</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She was speaking to journalists at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos where political and economic elites are meeting to discuss global challenges.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Before the massive Hamas attack on Israel in October and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, the WTO had predicted trade would grow by 0.8 percent in 2023 and projected growth of 3.3 percent this year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But Okonjo-Iweala warned the figure for 2024 would now be lower in future forecasts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We think there are a lot of downside risks to the forecasts we had made last year of 3.3 percent of growth of merchandise volumes this year. So we expect weaker performance," she said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We will be revising estimates for this year, but they won't be ready for another month or so," Okonjo-Iweala added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A spate of attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping has disrupted the vital trade route while the worst drought in decades to hit the Panama Canal has forced authorities to slow transits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Yemen's Huthi rebels say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The attacks have, however, also caused shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the death of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 24,400 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since October 7, according to the Hamas government's Ministry of Health. – AFP/RSS</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19744', 'image' => '20240118032551_shipping-container-red-sea-01-epa-jef-231222_1703270751169_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 15:25:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Board Decides to Reduce OPD and Emergency Ticket Fees', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Information officer of the board, Om Kumari Kandel, said that keeping in mind the financial condition of the insured, they have decided to reduce the ticket fees charged for outpatient and emergency services at the hospitals. According to Kandel, the board has decided to maintain the ticket fee of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span> for OPD service and Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> for emergency service. She informed that the reduced fee will be applicable from January 22.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier, the OPD service fee was set at Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> and emergency service charge was Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400. </span>Similarly, the insurance board has decided to give a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal to the insured who have not taken any health facility. Information Officer Kandel said that the insured who renew their health insurance regularly without taking any benefits will be given a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">There is an arrangement that families with up to five members can get benefits of up to Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">000 </span>after paying an annual contribution of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">500</span>. So far, a total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">74</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">66</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">007 </span>people have joined the state-sponsored insurance scheme and out of them <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">34</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">76</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">778 </span>people have taken health services through the insurance program.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">48</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">59</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">515 </span>people have renewed the insurance scheme. Likewise, the board has decided to reduce the service start time after joining the health insurance scheme. According to Information Officer Kandel, it used to take three months to start the service after joining the health insurance program, but now it has been reduced to two months. The board has also decided to reimburse the health institutions that provide health services under the government’s insurance scheme in every two months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19743', 'image' => '20240118025956_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:59:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing to Change Budget Schedule through Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 in order to change the budget schedule.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> in order to change the budget schedule.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> to the president for amendment through an ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Government Spokesperson Rekha Sharma informed that the cabinet meeting has decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance. According to her, Clause (<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1) </span>of Article <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">124</span> of the Constitution of Nepal has provision for the government to introduce ordinances when the parliament is not in session. Accordingly, the government decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span> days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. According to the Ministry of Finance, the meeting of its resource committee has been set for mid-January to determine the ceiling of the budget. The amendment also includes the provision for the National Planning Commission to send the budget ceilings to the ministries in the third week of February.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">By amending Section <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14 (2) </span>of the same Act, the date of submission of the Economic Survey to the Federal Parliament has been specified as '<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> days' before the submission of revenue and expenditure estimates. Now the economic survey has to be submitted to the parliament on May <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">22. </span>This arrangement will come into effect after the president issues the ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been saying on public forums that he would bring reforms in the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission has made intensive preparations in line with the PM’s announcement. The commission has already prepared a draft action plan to implement the prime minister's announcement and sent it to the Council of Ministers.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19742', 'image' => '20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:42:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20014', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Awaiting for Permission to Operate Direct Flights between Kathmandu and Sydney', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore. The state-owned airline company has already prepared the flight schedule for Kathmandu-Singapore-Sydney flights with three flights a week. It is now waiting for the final approval to begin flights.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NAC informed New Business Age that it has completed all the procedures for the flights and is waiting for permission from the Australian regulatory body, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel said that they had proposed direct flights from Kathmandu to Sydney International Airport via Singapore in March <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>23<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“As soon as we receive flight permission from CASA, an Airbus-<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</span> aircraft of Nepal Airlines will fly tto Sydney,” said Paudel. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepal and Australia had signed a bilateral air service agreement in October <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>19<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">. </span>Even though it has been more than three years since the two countries signed the air service agreement, NAC is yet to begin flights to Australia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Felicity Volk, told New Business Age that it will take another <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> to <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12</span> months for the approval of direct flights between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span>The regulatory process for direct flights between Kathmandu and Sydney has progressed significantly," Volk said, "But the regulatory process may take another year due to discussions on flight safety between CASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)." Ambassador Volk said that the discussions in this regard are still ongoing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In recent years, Australia has become a preferred destination for Nepali students to pursue higher education as well as for work and other visits. According to the data of the Department of Immigration, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343</span> people went to Australia from Nepal for various purpose in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023. </span>According to the data of Nepal Tourism Board, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">799</span> Australian tourists arrived in Nepal in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023.</span> The data of the Nepal Tourism Board shows that the number of Australian tourists coming to Nepal has gradually increased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The number of tourists arriving in Nepal from Australia and the number of people traveling to Australia from Nepal makes up a significant number. NAC has concluded that operating flights on this route is viable from market perspective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ambassador Volk said that the number of Australian tourists will increase if Nepal can be promoted and branded as a tourist destination.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She has already visited <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span> districts of Nepal for various programs and said, “I am very active in promoting Nepali culture and tourism.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She also pointed out that since Nepal is a beautiful country, it is possible to bring many Australian tourists.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She urged her countrymen to visit Nepal to experience the natural and spiritual beauty and other unique experiences in Nepal. Similarly, she said that Nepal should work on other segments of tourism such as culinary tourism (food related tourism), health meditation, yoga etc for which “publicity is necessary”. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"My suggestion to the government is that since Nepal is a country with potential for tourism, start a big promotional campaign," said Ambassador Volk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19741', 'image' => '20240118014315_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 13:41:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 350,000 Nepalis Opt for Foreign Employment in Six Months this Year', 'sub_title' => 'Nepali citizens continue visiting Israel despite the ongoing war', 'summary' => 'January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded 300,000. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>00,000. According to the data released by the Department of Foreign Employment on Wednesday, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343,405</span> people received work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January of the current fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Labor permits issued by the department has decreased by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</span> percent this year compared to the first six months of last year. Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">414</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">546</span> Nepalis acquired work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January last year. A total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">771</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">327</span> labor permits were issued last year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The maximum number of Nepalis visiting foreign countries for employment in the last one month (mid-December to mid-January) were from Dhanusha, Siraha and Rupandehi districts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Only a handful of people from the mountainous districts of Manang opted for foreign employment during this period.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The statistics of the government show that a large number of Nepalis who go for foreign employment are unskilled workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The data of the department shows Nepalis have recently started going to European countries for foreign employment, a shift from the tradition of visiting the Gulf countries and Malaysia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58</span> Nepalis visited Romania in a one month period from mid-December to mid-January followed by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">558</span> people who went to Croatia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">357</span> people to Cyprus, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">263</span> people to Malta, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">183</span> people to Poland, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">135</span> people to Serbia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">187</span> people to Britain, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">41</span> people to Slovakia and <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span> people to Turkey.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepali workers continue to go to Israel, which is considered an attractive destination for employment. In the first six months this year, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">317 </span>Nepalis went to Israel with work permits. Following to the Israel-Palestine war that erupted in October, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">254 </span>Nepalis returned home on a chartered plane sent by the government. The statistics show that Nepalis have not stopped visiting Israel even amid the ongoing war.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19740', 'image' => '20240118121412_20220329081003_labour.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 12:13:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Glacial Lakes in Manang Disappearing at Alarming Rate', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gangapurna Lake situated at 3,820 metres above the sea level is one among such lakes which is rapidly drying up, expressed Kalu Ghale, a local resident of Disyang rural municipality-5 in the district. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Recalling the colour and the natural look of the glacier stream that flowed by his house in the past, Ghale expressed his concern that many small glacial lakes in the district were either receding or drying up. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Contrary to his thought that the glacial lakes could attract tourists, he said such lakes are turning into bare grounds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">First brought to public's attention by Swiss geologist Dr Toni Hagen in 1957, the Gangapurna glacier spanning around nine kilometres in length has been the basis for studying geological formations and climate change, according to Ghale. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research has already conducted research on the flow of the glacier that is shrinking every year. One of the researchers of the group Shalikram Sigdel warned that there was a threat of disappearance of glacial lakes due to global warming triggered by climate change, unexpected avalanche and rainfall. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Amidst the risk and fear of losing glacial lakes such as Gangapurna, the Disyang rural municipality is moving ahead with a plan to bring Gangapurna Lake to its original form. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sonam Gurung, chairperson of ward no 6 of Disyang, informed that they had allocated over Rs 30 million to revive the receding Lake.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gurung shared, "Tender has been called for this. We are preparing to excavate soil and sand from the lake that is filled with such substances." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They plan to protect Gangapurna Lake spread across an area of 21.8 hectares of land by constructing a 3.5 metres high and 193 metres long dam. Gurung assured that the visitors would get to see the lake regaining its old glory next year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, Phurwa Lama, campaigner of Visit Manang, opined that conservation of old glacial lakes should be a top priority although new glacial lakes were forming lately. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19739', 'image' => '20240118112703_lake-around-Manang.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 11:26:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Signs Agreement to Receive Loan of Rs 21 Billion from ADB', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Puskar and Country Director of ADB for Nepal, Arnaud Cauchois signed the agreement amid a function held at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project would be implemented in Pokhara metropolitan city, Janakpurdham sub-metropolitan city, Lumbini municipality, Devdaha municipality, Sainamaina municipality, Siddhartha Nagar municipality, and Tilottama municipality. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Following the signing ceremony, Finance Secretary Puskar said the local levels where the project will be implemented will have positive impacts on finance and the entire ecosystem. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It would also contribute to socioeconomic status of women and marginalized communities and help foster internship, skill and local art, he added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, ADB Country Director Cauchois said the project is expected to benefit the infrastructure development and tourism recovery of the concerned municipalities.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“Even the economic activities are expected to thrive, thereby contributing to revenue increase, digital transformation and capacity building,” he said. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19738', 'image' => '20240118105449_GEC4A5gXwAA8NCC.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 10:44:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Company Operating 'Illegally' at Dry Port', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. The companies, which are beyond the jurisdiction of Nepal’s rules and regulations, are doing business worth millions of rupees every year. The concerned authorities seem to be unaware of this.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This was clearly seen in the transportation of chemical fertilizers paid by the state-owned Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited. Kisan Traders of India, Motihari, which is not registered with any government body in Nepal, is transporting the fertilizer from the dry port unchecked.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">High-ranking officials of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation are aware of this but they have turned a blind eye to this illegal business. Fertilizer, which is imported by the government through global tender, reaches the dry port through various ports in India. The fertilizer unloaded there is transported by local transporters to the warehouse of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Two other Nepalese companies also transport fertilizers from the dry port. These companies pay value added tax to the government in addition to income tax as per the rules. Kisan Traders does not pay any such tax. Since it is not registered with the government agency, the relevant government agency neither recognizes that company nor can it bring the company under the scope of its regulation. This company, which is not in the records of any body, is running uninterrupted business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Kisan Traders is the local cargo transporter of Indian Potash Limited (IPL), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying fertilizer to the government through a global tender. The owner of Kisan Traders, Shivpujan Gupta, is an Indian citizen. This company is also the local distributor and agent of IPL for Motihari region of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Amoj Lamichhane, head of the Salt Trading Corporation’s Regional Office in Birgunj, says that since IPL has been entrusted with the responsibility of transporting the fertilizers to the warehouses, it is not our concern who transports the fertilizer from the dry port. The supplier is responsible for shipping it to our warehouse. "Whoever works in the middle is not our concern," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Rajendra Bahadur Karki, head of the procurement department of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, says that since IPL has taken over the supply, he does not know any company other than IPL. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Kisan Traders is only a representative for delivery of goods. This has been the practice since before. We are not aware of corruption in this regard,” he said.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19735', 'image' => '20240117033932_20220819045658_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:38:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government, Diary Industry Lack Reliable Data on Stock of Milk Products', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. Dairy industries have not paid the farmers for the milk as the produced milk products are stored in warehouses and have not been sold. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The dairy industry operators are worried that the stored products might deteriorate. However, both the government and the industry do not have the actual data of the stock of milk products available and their price. Both the government and the dairy induatry blame each other for the lack of reliable data. The National Dairy Development Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had said four months ago that there were about 400,000 metric tons of milk powder and butter worth Rs 6 billion in stock after milk consumption decreased due to economic recession. Less than a month later, the board said that dairy products worth Rs 9.41 billion were available. The industrialists are saying that they have stock of powdered milk and butter worth Rs 5 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stakeholders have admitted that neither the government nor the industrialists have the exact details of the real data of the stock of dairy products. Acting Executive Director of the Board Balak Chaudhary admits that the board does not have reliable data because the dairy industry did not provide them with reliable data.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“We provide the same data that the entrepreneurs give us. Since the board does not produce powdered milk and butter itself, we do not know how much stock is available in the industry. In the meantime, it is also possible that the data has decreased due to the sale of stocked items,'' Chaudhary told New Business Age, adding, “But according to the industrialists, the sale of dairy products has not increased so the data might have changed marginally.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sumit Kedia, the former president of Nepal Dairy Association, said that because the consumption of milk in the market has decreased, the stock may have increased rather than decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to him, both the private sector and government organizations have stock of powdered milk and butter worth about Rs 5 billion. "Since the consumption of milk has decreased by 15 to 20 percent, there is a possibility that the amount of stock may increase further. If we don't find a solution to it in time, the stock might possibly deteriorate," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Regarding the non-uniformity in the data, he said that the government should be serious about this as it is the government’s responsibility to keep accurate data. He added that the board is preparing to publish a new data within a few days in coordination with the industrialists, so there will be no errors in the upcoming data. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">About 6.2 million liters of milk is produced in Nepal every day. Out of that, 3.1 million liters of milk is supplied to the market daily. The private sector has invested Rs 45 billion in Nepal's dairy industry. They pay an annual revenue of Rs 2 billion to the government. About 600, 000 people have got direct employment in this sector.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19734', 'image' => '20240117031926_20221011010319_milk.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Harmful Chemicals Found in Personal Care Products: Study', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A study conducted by the Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion (CPHEP) made this startling revelation. According to the organization, 43.85 micrograms of butyl paraben and 1039.3 micrograms of methyl paraben were found respectively in Kodomo kids mouthwash and Kodomo toothpaste imported, distributed and used in Nepal. According to Ram Charitra Sah, an environment scientist and executive director of the center, this is a high level and is harmful for health.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Similarly, Sah informed that 660.1 micrograms per gram of triclosan was found in handwash and 1.11 milligrams per gram of triclosan in deodorants used in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">"Our study found 0.03 micrograms per gram in feminine wash and 0.04 micrograms per gram of triclocarbon in handwash, which can cause disturbances in hormone production," he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Sah says the revelation that children’s products contain paraben, a chemical that can disrupt hormone production, has put children at double risk of harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Earlier studies have already established that children's toys contain harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium. In addition to this, Sah said that paints used in homes and schools contain high levels of lead.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The center said that it joined hands with other 11 non-governmental organizations from eight countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia under the 'EDC Free Asia II' regional initiative with the support of South Korea's Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Korea Financial Industry Foundation, South Korea to conduct the study. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Twelve non-governmental organizations from eight countries participated in this campaign. The Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion from Nepal, CAP from Malaysia, CGFED from Vietnam, IDIS from the Philippines, Ban Toxics and Eco Waste Coalition-EWC, Toxic Links and Prithvi Innovation from India, CEJ from Sri Lanka, Ecotone from Indonesia, Gita Pertivi and ESDO from Bangladesh contributed to the study.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study included 362 samples of personal care products collected from eight countries. Among them, 116 were child products. According to the organization, they analyzed mainly eight types of these samples. They included protective materials like anti-virus wipes, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, feminine wash, hand wash and mouth wash. The sample included 30 personal care products purchased from supermarkets, departmental stores and drug stores in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Out of the total 116 samples of child products analyzed, 7.76 percent were from Nepal. According to Sah, a total of 11 chemicals including nine types of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon, which are commonly-used chemicals in personal care products, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in these samples.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The high level of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon found on products used in the countries that took part in the study have led to concerns that these chemicals can have serious implications in human health by causing disturbances in hormone production.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study report also mentions that unlabeled materials were found in eight countries including Nepal. Country-wise, non-compliance with labeling was 3.3 percent in Nepal, 9.4 percent in Malaysia, 13.3 percent in Vietnam, 7.7 percent in the Philippines, 8.8 percent in India, 10 percent in Sri Lanka, 6 percent in Indonesia and 13.3 percent in Bangladesh. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">During the study, erroneous labeling was identified in all the participating countries including Nepal. There were 269 samples that did not have a separate label about the harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon in the product. Among the samples analysed, harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon were found in 22.3 percent of the samples. This means that they are incorrectly labeled.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Among the 30 personal protective material samples included in the study from Nepal, methyl paraben was found in 40 percent of the samples, propyl paraben in 10 percent, butyl paraben in 3.3 percent, triclosan in 6.7 percent, and triclocarbon in 6.7 percent. The organization has emphasized on the effective implementation of laws, regulations and other mandatory standards to protect the general public and especially children from these harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19733', 'image' => '20240117023714_170734-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 14:36:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20022', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Capacity Utilization of Industries Declines: NRB Report', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 19: The industries of Nepal are reeling under the effects of economic recession, interest rate instability, falling demand in the domestic market and price hike of raw materials, resulting in a decline in industrial production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The production capacity of industries that produce food, oil, ghee, cement and steel among others are found to have declined.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The recently published 'Economic Activity Study Annual Report' of Nepal Rastra Bank has shown that the average capacity utilization of Nepal's industries in the last fiscal year (FY) 2079/80 was limited to 49.8 percent. In the previous year (FY 2078/79), the capacity utilization of the industries was 52.2 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank's report also backs a recent report released by the private sector organization’s Confederation of Nepalese Industries. The report published by the confederation in early January of stated that there has not been any improvement in the country’s overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report mentioned that the investors’ morale was down due to decline in the overall demand and turnover of the industries, prompting the investors to stop making new investments.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank has shown that the capacity utilization of the electricity generating industry was the highest at 86.2 percent last year. The capacity utilization of vegetable ghee production industry was the lowest (2.6 percent). Similarly, despite the cement industries of Nepal starting export to India, the capacity utilization of the cement industry declined due to the slowdown in the domestic construction sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The slowdown in the business of the construction industry has resulted in the decline in the capacity utilization of related industries that involve in production of construction materials like cement, iron rods, polythene pipes, steel, electric wires, GI pipes, etc. The capacity utilization of the cement industry, which was 46.06 percent in the year 2078/79, decreased to 44.44 percent in the last fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhurba Thapa, president of Nepal Cement Producers Association, the umbrella organization of cement industries, said that the capacity utilization has decreased due to the stalled construction work and the inability of the government to spend the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Last year there was a 75 percent reduction in development and construction works," said Thapa, adding, "Due to this, the capacity utilization of all industries involved in producing construction materials decreased. This situation should not be repeated in the current year."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The effect of India's ban on wheat exports has affected the production capacity of Nepal's food industry. The impact of the Indian policy has also been seen in the industries producing vegetable ghee/oil. The capacity utilization of wheat flour industry, which was 50.74 percent in 2078/79, dropped to 38.46 percent in 2079/80.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">India's reduction in the customs duty imposed on the import of palm and soybean oil has resulted in a significant decrease in the export of refined oil from Nepal to India. In the last two years, due to the rapid decrease in the export of refined oil, the capacity utilization of soybean oil as well as vegetable ghee industry has been badly affected. The capacity utilization of soybean oil industry, which was 82.33 percent in the year 2078/79, dropped to 47.61 percent in the last fiscal year. Similarly, the report shows that the capacity utilization of vegetable ghee industry was limited to 2.59 percent last year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the average capacity utilization of industries in Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces has increased, while the average capacity utilization of industries in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces has decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the central bank shows an increase in the capacity utilization of industries that produce mustard oil, processed milk, rice, biscuits, sugar, processed tea, soft drinks, synthetic fabrics, garments, jute products, paper, capsules, ointments, dry syrup, plastic goods, bricks, GI wire, household metal wares, footwear and electronic goods.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, there has been a decline in capacity utilization of industries that produce vegetable ghee, soybean oil, wheat flour, chocolate, animal feed, noodles, beer, cigarettes, yarn, raw hide, wood, plywood, rosin, dyes, tablet medicine, soap, iron bars and sheets, steel products, GI pipes, polythene pipes, bricks, electric wires, tires and tubes, textile and shoes.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report of the Central Bank has suggested all stakeholders to reduce the cost of establishment and operation of the latest industries, and to effectively manage and expand the industrial zones/corridors and special economic zones. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report also points out the need to increase the production and consumption of domestic industrial raw materials and make the industrial supply chain effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The report has pointed out the need to attract foreign investment in the industrial sector. It also suggested developing minimum infrastructure such as roads, electricity, communication, transfer of technology and enhancement of management capacity to create an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the report, there are still challenges in the industrial sector such as ensuring the availability of skilled labor by preventing the brain drain of semi-skilled and skilled manpower, and increasing investment in export-oriented industries with comparative advantage and competitive ability through the creation of an investment-friendly environment.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19749', 'image' => '20240119022408_indus.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 14:23:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20021', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs Govt to Submit Papers Related to TERAMOCS ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to submit documents related to the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS). </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Thursday directed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to submit the papers related to policy decision, purchase process, payment and rationale of implementation concerning MDMS and TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The House panel also decided to ask for the ministry-level investigation report on these topics and the court decisions related to the same. The committee meeting agreed to take further decision on the matter after consultation with experts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The committee took such decision after holding discussions with Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, Secretary Ram Krishna Subedi, among other officials of the ministry on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During the meeting, Minister Sharma shared that the ministry is studying the policy decisions made by the previous governments and the works carried out by the implementing bodies. She said the ministry will cooperate in the investigations to be carried out by the authorized agency into the topic of any irregularities in the implementation of these systems. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19748', 'image' => '20240119013006_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 13:29:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20020', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'TU to Provide Online Service to Issue Educational Certificates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: Balkhu-based Office of the Controller of Examinations under Tribhuvan University is preparing to provide online services related to distribution of educational certificates from January 29.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Examination Controller Pushpa Raj Joshi said that the office will conduct online services related to educational certificates so that no one has to visit its Balkhu Office. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi shared that students can get different types of services including transcript, provisional certificate, re-totaling, copy of any educational certificate through online medium from January 29. The students need to fill a form to get the service by paying charge through e-payment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We will send educational certificates of students at the respective regional offices of the Office of the Controller of Examinations within a week. This will remove the student's compulsion to visit Balkhu office to get the certificates," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The educational certificates would be sent to the regional offices for the time being and it would be sent at the respective campuses from May within five days of filing the application. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Joshi explained that around 1,000-2,000 people visit the Balkhu office every day for educational certificates. Student can fill the online form at the official website of the Office of the Controller of the Examination - www.tuexam.edu.np. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">TU has its regional offices in Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Attariya. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19747', 'image' => '20240119112909_Tribhuvan-University.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 11:28:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20018', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NAC Wide-Body Aircraft Resumes Flights after Maintenance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 19: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed regular operations following maintenance. The aircraft had been grounded since last Monday but resumed its services on Thursday after undergoing necessary technical repairs. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel the aircraft was grounded due to issues with the flight control sensor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The required aircraft spare parts were brought from Britain and installed on the plane. Following the maintenance, the aircraft departed for Dubai carrying 267 passengers at 4:00 pm on Thursday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NAC has two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft for international flights. However, one narrow-body aircraft is currently undergoing repair in Israel. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19746', 'image' => '20240119103633_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:35:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20019', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Paudel Issues Ordinance ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">January 19: President Ramchandra Paudel has issued Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 on Thursday. <br /> The president issued the ordinance in accordance with Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, according to the Office of the President. <br /> A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 to the president for amendment through an ordinance.<br /> The government plans to change the budget schedule through this ordinance at a time when there is no active session of parliament.<br /> The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament 15 days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.<br /> The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-19', 'modified' => '2024-01-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19745', 'image' => '20240119105203_20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-19 10:50:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20017', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WTO Head 'Less Optimistic' for World Trade due to Red Sea Strikes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The World Trade Organization's chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday said she was "less optimistic" about world trade in 2024, pointing to tensions in the Red Sea.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The head of the international trade body said weaker global economic growth, "worsening geopolitical tensions, the new disruptions we see in the Red Sea, on the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal" meant "we are less optimistic".</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She was speaking to journalists at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos where political and economic elites are meeting to discuss global challenges.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Before the massive Hamas attack on Israel in October and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, the WTO had predicted trade would grow by 0.8 percent in 2023 and projected growth of 3.3 percent this year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But Okonjo-Iweala warned the figure for 2024 would now be lower in future forecasts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We think there are a lot of downside risks to the forecasts we had made last year of 3.3 percent of growth of merchandise volumes this year. So we expect weaker performance," she said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"We will be revising estimates for this year, but they won't be ready for another month or so," Okonjo-Iweala added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A spate of attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping has disrupted the vital trade route while the worst drought in decades to hit the Panama Canal has forced authorities to slow transits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Yemen's Huthi rebels say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The attacks have, however, also caused shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the death of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 24,400 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since October 7, according to the Hamas government's Ministry of Health. – AFP/RSS</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19744', 'image' => '20240118032551_shipping-container-red-sea-01-epa-jef-231222_1703270751169_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 15:25:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20016', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Board Decides to Reduce OPD and Emergency Ticket Fees', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The Health Insurance Board has decided to reduce the fee charged on the out-patient-department and emergency service tickets under its health insurance scheme.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Information officer of the board, Om Kumari Kandel, said that keeping in mind the financial condition of the insured, they have decided to reduce the ticket fees charged for outpatient and emergency services at the hospitals. According to Kandel, the board has decided to maintain the ticket fee of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span> for OPD service and Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> for emergency service. She informed that the reduced fee will be applicable from January 22.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier, the OPD service fee was set at Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span> and emergency service charge was Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400. </span>Similarly, the insurance board has decided to give a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal to the insured who have not taken any health facility. Information Officer Kandel said that the insured who renew their health insurance regularly without taking any benefits will be given a <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span> percent discount on renewal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">There is an arrangement that families with up to five members can get benefits of up to Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">100</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">000 </span>after paying an annual contribution of Rs <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">500</span>. So far, a total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">74</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">66</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">007 </span>people have joined the state-sponsored insurance scheme and out of them <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">34</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">76</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">778 </span>people have taken health services through the insurance program.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">48</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">59</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">515 </span>people have renewed the insurance scheme. Likewise, the board has decided to reduce the service start time after joining the health insurance scheme. According to Information Officer Kandel, it used to take three months to start the service after joining the health insurance program, but now it has been reduced to two months. The board has also decided to reimburse the health institutions that provide health services under the government’s insurance scheme in every two months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19743', 'image' => '20240118025956_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:59:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20015', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing to Change Budget Schedule through Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act 2076 in order to change the budget schedule.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: Amid questions being raised over the government’s preparation for announcing next fiscal year’s budget, the Council of Ministers has recommended the president to issue an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> in order to change the budget schedule.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to send the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> to the president for amendment through an ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Government Spokesperson Rekha Sharma informed that the cabinet meeting has decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance. According to her, Clause (<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1) </span>of Article <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">124</span> of the Constitution of Nepal has provision for the government to introduce ordinances when the parliament is not in session. Accordingly, the government decided to recommend the president to issue the ordinance to amend the Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability Act <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076</span> mentions that the Finance Minister shall present the government's policies and programs included in the appropriation bill in the federal parliament <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span> days before the presentation of the appropriation bill.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ordinance proposes revising this date to 'mid-March. Other schedules of the budget will also be amended accordingly. According to the Ministry of Finance, the meeting of its resource committee has been set for mid-January to determine the ceiling of the budget. The amendment also includes the provision for the National Planning Commission to send the budget ceilings to the ministries in the third week of February.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">By amending Section <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14 (2) </span>of the same Act, the date of submission of the Economic Survey to the Federal Parliament has been specified as '<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> days' before the submission of revenue and expenditure estimates. Now the economic survey has to be submitted to the parliament on May <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">22. </span>This arrangement will come into effect after the president issues the ordinance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been saying on public forums that he would bring reforms in the budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The National Planning Commission has made intensive preparations in line with the PM’s announcement. The commission has already prepared a draft action plan to implement the prime minister's announcement and sent it to the Council of Ministers.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19742', 'image' => '20240118024334_budgetttttt.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 14:42:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20014', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Awaiting for Permission to Operate Direct Flights between Kathmandu and Sydney', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: It has been almost one year since Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) started preparations for direct flights to Sydney, Australia via a transit through Singapore. The state-owned airline company has already prepared the flight schedule for Kathmandu-Singapore-Sydney flights with three flights a week. It is now waiting for the final approval to begin flights.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NAC informed New Business Age that it has completed all the procedures for the flights and is waiting for permission from the Australian regulatory body, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Paudel said that they had proposed direct flights from Kathmandu to Sydney International Airport via Singapore in March <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>23<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“As soon as we receive flight permission from CASA, an Airbus-<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</span> aircraft of Nepal Airlines will fly tto Sydney,” said Paudel. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepal and Australia had signed a bilateral air service agreement in October <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span>19<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">. </span>Even though it has been more than three years since the two countries signed the air service agreement, NAC is yet to begin flights to Australia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Felicity Volk, told New Business Age that it will take another <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span> to <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12</span> months for the approval of direct flights between the two countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span>The regulatory process for direct flights between Kathmandu and Sydney has progressed significantly," Volk said, "But the regulatory process may take another year due to discussions on flight safety between CASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)." Ambassador Volk said that the discussions in this regard are still ongoing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In recent years, Australia has become a preferred destination for Nepali students to pursue higher education as well as for work and other visits. According to the data of the Department of Immigration, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343</span> people went to Australia from Nepal for various purpose in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023. </span>According to the data of Nepal Tourism Board, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">799</span> Australian tourists arrived in Nepal in <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023.</span> The data of the Nepal Tourism Board shows that the number of Australian tourists coming to Nepal has gradually increased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The number of tourists arriving in Nepal from Australia and the number of people traveling to Australia from Nepal makes up a significant number. NAC has concluded that operating flights on this route is viable from market perspective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ambassador Volk said that the number of Australian tourists will increase if Nepal can be promoted and branded as a tourist destination.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She has already visited <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">38</span> districts of Nepal for various programs and said, “I am very active in promoting Nepali culture and tourism.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She also pointed out that since Nepal is a beautiful country, it is possible to bring many Australian tourists.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">She urged her countrymen to visit Nepal to experience the natural and spiritual beauty and other unique experiences in Nepal. Similarly, she said that Nepal should work on other segments of tourism such as culinary tourism (food related tourism), health meditation, yoga etc for which “publicity is necessary”. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"My suggestion to the government is that since Nepal is a country with potential for tourism, start a big promotional campaign," said Ambassador Volk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19741', 'image' => '20240118014315_naccccc.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 13:41:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20013', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Almost 350,000 Nepalis Opt for Foreign Employment in Six Months this Year', 'sub_title' => 'Nepali citizens continue visiting Israel despite the ongoing war', 'summary' => 'January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded 300,000. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 18: The number of Nepali nationals who took permits for foreign employment in the first six months of the current fiscal year (FY) has exceeded <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span>00,000. According to the data released by the Department of Foreign Employment on Wednesday, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">343,405</span> people received work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January of the current fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Labor permits issued by the department has decreased by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</span> percent this year compared to the first six months of last year. Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">414</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">546</span> Nepalis acquired work permits for foreign employment from mid-July to mid-January last year. A total of <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">771</span>,<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">327</span> labor permits were issued last year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The maximum number of Nepalis visiting foreign countries for employment in the last one month (mid-December to mid-January) were from Dhanusha, Siraha and Rupandehi districts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Only a handful of people from the mountainous districts of Manang opted for foreign employment during this period.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The statistics of the government show that a large number of Nepalis who go for foreign employment are unskilled workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The data of the department shows Nepalis have recently started going to European countries for foreign employment, a shift from the tradition of visiting the Gulf countries and Malaysia.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Altogether <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span>0<span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58</span> Nepalis visited Romania in a one month period from mid-December to mid-January followed by <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">558</span> people who went to Croatia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">357</span> people to Cyprus, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">263</span> people to Malta, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">183</span> people to Poland, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">135</span> people to Serbia, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">187</span> people to Britain, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">41</span> people to Slovakia and <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</span> people to Turkey.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Nepali workers continue to go to Israel, which is considered an attractive destination for employment. In the first six months this year, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">317 </span>Nepalis went to Israel with work permits. Following to the Israel-Palestine war that erupted in October, <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">254 </span>Nepalis returned home on a chartered plane sent by the government. The statistics show that Nepalis have not stopped visiting Israel even amid the ongoing war.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19740', 'image' => '20240118121412_20220329081003_labour.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 12:13:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20012', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Glacial Lakes in Manang Disappearing at Alarming Rate', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: Many of the glacial lakes in Manang district are limited to pictures at present whereas in reality they are disappearing alarmingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gangapurna Lake situated at 3,820 metres above the sea level is one among such lakes which is rapidly drying up, expressed Kalu Ghale, a local resident of Disyang rural municipality-5 in the district. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Recalling the colour and the natural look of the glacier stream that flowed by his house in the past, Ghale expressed his concern that many small glacial lakes in the district were either receding or drying up. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Contrary to his thought that the glacial lakes could attract tourists, he said such lakes are turning into bare grounds. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">First brought to public's attention by Swiss geologist Dr Toni Hagen in 1957, the Gangapurna glacier spanning around nine kilometres in length has been the basis for studying geological formations and climate change, according to Ghale. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research has already conducted research on the flow of the glacier that is shrinking every year. One of the researchers of the group Shalikram Sigdel warned that there was a threat of disappearance of glacial lakes due to global warming triggered by climate change, unexpected avalanche and rainfall. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Amidst the risk and fear of losing glacial lakes such as Gangapurna, the Disyang rural municipality is moving ahead with a plan to bring Gangapurna Lake to its original form. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sonam Gurung, chairperson of ward no 6 of Disyang, informed that they had allocated over Rs 30 million to revive the receding Lake.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gurung shared, "Tender has been called for this. We are preparing to excavate soil and sand from the lake that is filled with such substances." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They plan to protect Gangapurna Lake spread across an area of 21.8 hectares of land by constructing a 3.5 metres high and 193 metres long dam. Gurung assured that the visitors would get to see the lake regaining its old glory next year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, Phurwa Lama, campaigner of Visit Manang, opined that conservation of old glacial lakes should be a top priority although new glacial lakes were forming lately. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19739', 'image' => '20240118112703_lake-around-Manang.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 11:26:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20011', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Govt Signs Agreement to Receive Loan of Rs 21 Billion from ADB', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 18: The government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to receive concessional loan of Rs 21 billion and grants of Rs 700 million for the implementation of the 'Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project'.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Puskar and Country Director of ADB for Nepal, Arnaud Cauchois signed the agreement amid a function held at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project would be implemented in Pokhara metropolitan city, Janakpurdham sub-metropolitan city, Lumbini municipality, Devdaha municipality, Sainamaina municipality, Siddhartha Nagar municipality, and Tilottama municipality. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Following the signing ceremony, Finance Secretary Puskar said the local levels where the project will be implemented will have positive impacts on finance and the entire ecosystem. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It would also contribute to socioeconomic status of women and marginalized communities and help foster internship, skill and local art, he added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, ADB Country Director Cauchois said the project is expected to benefit the infrastructure development and tourism recovery of the concerned municipalities.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“Even the economic activities are expected to thrive, thereby contributing to revenue increase, digital transformation and capacity building,” he said. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-18', 'modified' => '2024-01-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19738', 'image' => '20240118105449_GEC4A5gXwAA8NCC.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-18 10:44:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20008', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Company Operating 'Illegally' at Dry Port', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Indian companies have been involved in the transport of goods from Birgunj Dry Port for about a decade. The companies, which are beyond the jurisdiction of Nepal’s rules and regulations, are doing business worth millions of rupees every year. The concerned authorities seem to be unaware of this.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This was clearly seen in the transportation of chemical fertilizers paid by the state-owned Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited. Kisan Traders of India, Motihari, which is not registered with any government body in Nepal, is transporting the fertilizer from the dry port unchecked.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">High-ranking officials of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation are aware of this but they have turned a blind eye to this illegal business. Fertilizer, which is imported by the government through global tender, reaches the dry port through various ports in India. The fertilizer unloaded there is transported by local transporters to the warehouse of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Two other Nepalese companies also transport fertilizers from the dry port. These companies pay value added tax to the government in addition to income tax as per the rules. Kisan Traders does not pay any such tax. Since it is not registered with the government agency, the relevant government agency neither recognizes that company nor can it bring the company under the scope of its regulation. This company, which is not in the records of any body, is running uninterrupted business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Kisan Traders is the local cargo transporter of Indian Potash Limited (IPL), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying fertilizer to the government through a global tender. The owner of Kisan Traders, Shivpujan Gupta, is an Indian citizen. This company is also the local distributor and agent of IPL for Motihari region of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Amoj Lamichhane, head of the Salt Trading Corporation’s Regional Office in Birgunj, says that since IPL has been entrusted with the responsibility of transporting the fertilizers to the warehouses, it is not our concern who transports the fertilizer from the dry port. The supplier is responsible for shipping it to our warehouse. "Whoever works in the middle is not our concern," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Rajendra Bahadur Karki, head of the procurement department of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, says that since IPL has taken over the supply, he does not know any company other than IPL. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"Kisan Traders is only a representative for delivery of goods. This has been the practice since before. We are not aware of corruption in this regard,” he said.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19735', 'image' => '20240117033932_20220819045658_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:38:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20007', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government, Diary Industry Lack Reliable Data on Stock of Milk Products', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 17: Due to the decline in consumption of dairy products in the market, the stock of powdered milk and butter has increased. Dairy industries have not paid the farmers for the milk as the produced milk products are stored in warehouses and have not been sold. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The dairy industry operators are worried that the stored products might deteriorate. However, both the government and the industry do not have the actual data of the stock of milk products available and their price. Both the government and the dairy induatry blame each other for the lack of reliable data. The National Dairy Development Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had said four months ago that there were about 400,000 metric tons of milk powder and butter worth Rs 6 billion in stock after milk consumption decreased due to economic recession. Less than a month later, the board said that dairy products worth Rs 9.41 billion were available. The industrialists are saying that they have stock of powdered milk and butter worth Rs 5 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stakeholders have admitted that neither the government nor the industrialists have the exact details of the real data of the stock of dairy products. Acting Executive Director of the Board Balak Chaudhary admits that the board does not have reliable data because the dairy industry did not provide them with reliable data.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“We provide the same data that the entrepreneurs give us. Since the board does not produce powdered milk and butter itself, we do not know how much stock is available in the industry. In the meantime, it is also possible that the data has decreased due to the sale of stocked items,'' Chaudhary told New Business Age, adding, “But according to the industrialists, the sale of dairy products has not increased so the data might have changed marginally.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sumit Kedia, the former president of Nepal Dairy Association, said that because the consumption of milk in the market has decreased, the stock may have increased rather than decreased.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to him, both the private sector and government organizations have stock of powdered milk and butter worth about Rs 5 billion. "Since the consumption of milk has decreased by 15 to 20 percent, there is a possibility that the amount of stock may increase further. If we don't find a solution to it in time, the stock might possibly deteriorate," he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Regarding the non-uniformity in the data, he said that the government should be serious about this as it is the government’s responsibility to keep accurate data. He added that the board is preparing to publish a new data within a few days in coordination with the industrialists, so there will be no errors in the upcoming data. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">About 6.2 million liters of milk is produced in Nepal every day. Out of that, 3.1 million liters of milk is supplied to the market daily. The private sector has invested Rs 45 billion in Nepal's dairy industry. They pay an annual revenue of Rs 2 billion to the government. About 600, 000 people have got direct employment in this sector.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19734', 'image' => '20240117031926_20221011010319_milk.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 15:16:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '20006', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Harmful Chemicals Found in Personal Care Products: Study', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 17: Harmful levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals have been found in the personal care products being imported, distributed and used in Nepal, especially among the products used by children.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A study conducted by the Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion (CPHEP) made this startling revelation. According to the organization, 43.85 micrograms of butyl paraben and 1039.3 micrograms of methyl paraben were found respectively in Kodomo kids mouthwash and Kodomo toothpaste imported, distributed and used in Nepal. According to Ram Charitra Sah, an environment scientist and executive director of the center, this is a high level and is harmful for health.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Similarly, Sah informed that 660.1 micrograms per gram of triclosan was found in handwash and 1.11 milligrams per gram of triclosan in deodorants used in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">"Our study found 0.03 micrograms per gram in feminine wash and 0.04 micrograms per gram of triclocarbon in handwash, which can cause disturbances in hormone production," he said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Sah says the revelation that children’s products contain paraben, a chemical that can disrupt hormone production, has put children at double risk of harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Earlier studies have already established that children's toys contain harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium. In addition to this, Sah said that paints used in homes and schools contain high levels of lead.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The center said that it joined hands with other 11 non-governmental organizations from eight countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia under the 'EDC Free Asia II' regional initiative with the support of South Korea's Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Korea Financial Industry Foundation, South Korea to conduct the study. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Twelve non-governmental organizations from eight countries participated in this campaign. The Center for Public Health and Environment Promotion from Nepal, CAP from Malaysia, CGFED from Vietnam, IDIS from the Philippines, Ban Toxics and Eco Waste Coalition-EWC, Toxic Links and Prithvi Innovation from India, CEJ from Sri Lanka, Ecotone from Indonesia, Gita Pertivi and ESDO from Bangladesh contributed to the study.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study included 362 samples of personal care products collected from eight countries. Among them, 116 were child products. According to the organization, they analyzed mainly eight types of these samples. They included protective materials like anti-virus wipes, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, feminine wash, hand wash and mouth wash. The sample included 30 personal care products purchased from supermarkets, departmental stores and drug stores in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Out of the total 116 samples of child products analyzed, 7.76 percent were from Nepal. According to Sah, a total of 11 chemicals including nine types of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon, which are commonly-used chemicals in personal care products, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in these samples.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The high level of paraben, triclosan and triclocarbon found on products used in the countries that took part in the study have led to concerns that these chemicals can have serious implications in human health by causing disturbances in hormone production.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The study report also mentions that unlabeled materials were found in eight countries including Nepal. Country-wise, non-compliance with labeling was 3.3 percent in Nepal, 9.4 percent in Malaysia, 13.3 percent in Vietnam, 7.7 percent in the Philippines, 8.8 percent in India, 10 percent in Sri Lanka, 6 percent in Indonesia and 13.3 percent in Bangladesh. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">During the study, erroneous labeling was identified in all the participating countries including Nepal. There were 269 samples that did not have a separate label about the harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon in the product. Among the samples analysed, harmful chemicals such as paraben, triclosan, triclocarbon were found in 22.3 percent of the samples. This means that they are incorrectly labeled.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Among the 30 personal protective material samples included in the study from Nepal, methyl paraben was found in 40 percent of the samples, propyl paraben in 10 percent, butyl paraben in 3.3 percent, triclosan in 6.7 percent, and triclocarbon in 6.7 percent. The organization has emphasized on the effective implementation of laws, regulations and other mandatory standards to protect the general public and especially children from these harmful chemicals.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-17', 'modified' => '2024-01-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19733', 'image' => '20240117023714_170734-1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-17 14:36:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
