January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on…
January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on…
Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the…
January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news.…
January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three…
January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15…
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for…
January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the…
January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished.…
January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power…
January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal.…
January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district…
January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine…
Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign…
January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and…
January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging…
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to estimates based on wastewater analysis, the actual circulation of COVID-19 is two to 19 times higher than the number of reported cases, Maria van Kerkhove, the interim director of WHO responsible for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a special briefing in Geneva. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She also expressed concerns regarding the emergence of post-COVID conditions (also called "long COVID") affecting multiple organs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">While there has been a drastic reduction in COVID-related deaths since the peak, around 10,000 deaths per month are still reported from 50 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Van Kerkhove expressed concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the COVID-19 JN.1 variant representing around 57 percent of global sequences analyzed by the WHO. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Defined by specific criteria, including symptoms like severe fatigue, lung impairments, neurologic issues, and cardiac impairments persisting for four to 12 months or longer after the acute phase of the disease, the post-COVID condition is a matter of concern, she said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Estimates suggest that one in ten infections could lead to post-COVID conditions, including severe cases. "No treatments are available yet because it's still so new," van Kerkhove said. "There is insufficient attention and funding dedicated to this area," she added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> She also warned of the rapid increase in the number of influenza infections in the northern hemisphere, with influenza positivity standing at around 20-21 percent in week 51 of 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expert also emphasized the need for simultaneous flu and COVID vaccination to mitigate the burden on healthcare systems. She also called for more booster vaccination, which is at a low level globally, with only 55 percent of older adults (over 75 or 80) having received a dose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">By the end of December 2023, more than 7 million people had been reported to the WHO as having died from COVID-19. -- Xinhua/RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19702', 'image' => '20240114110800_WHO.jpg.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 11:07:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19974', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Drug Ltd to Produce 20 Additional Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 14: Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This initiative comes in response to the Prime Minister's directive to mobilize resources and enhance trade activities. The Ministry for Industry and Commerce has also entered into an agreement to support the commercial sustainability and capacity building of NDL.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Historically, the company has produced 146 types of medicines, but over time, the variety declined to nine, and currently, it only manufactures CETAMOL. In an effort to revitalize the company, there is an emphasis on investment and diversification of production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Despite facing challenges in market competition and technological limitations, General Manager Paneru is optimistic. He believes that following the Prime Minister's guidance and implementing a robust work plan will help the company compete effectively. Paneru stressed the need for capacity building to expand production capabilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Assuring the quality of medicines, Paneru mentioned that the drugs would be sold and distributed in collaboration with all local levels across the country. The company has witnessed an increase in production and sales, achieving a notable milestone of selling drugs worth Rs 10.5 million in the previous month alone.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NDL Chairperson Yagya Prasad Neupane shared the company's objective to produce 98 types of drugs for government distribution. Additionally, the company plans to leverage its land for income generation, intending to establish a commercial medical hub and expand production capacity to enhance competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre, the import of medicine-related products amounted to Rs 16.80 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2080/81). (RSS)</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19701', 'image' => '20240114072912_collage (10).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 07:26:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19973', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 50 Countries go to the Polls in 2024', 'sub_title' => 'The year will test even the most robust democracies ', 'summary' => 'January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. The year looks set to test even the most robust democracies and to strengthen the hands of leaders with authoritarian leanings. </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"">From Russia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom to India, El Salvador and South Africa, the presidential and legislative contests have huge implications for human rights, economies, international relations and prospects for peace in a volatile world. </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"">In some countries, the balloting will be neither free nor fair. And in many, curbs on opposition candidates, weary electorates and the potential for manipulation and disinformation have made the fate of democracy a front-and-center campaign issue. </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"">A possible rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump looms large in the election calendar; a Trump victory in November is perhaps the greatest global wildcard. Yet high-stakes votes before then also will gauge the “mood of dissatisfaction, impatience, uneasiness” among far-flung electorates, said Bronwen Maddox, director of the London-based think-tank Chatham House. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">VOTES WITH GLOBAL IMPACT </span></strong></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"">Taiwan’s elections for president and the 113-member legislature take place Saturday under intense pressure from China, which makes the outcome important to much of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the U.S. </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"">Beijing has renewed its threat to use military force to annex the self-governing island it regards as its own territory, and described the elections as a choice between war and peace. None of the three leading presidential candidates has indicated a desire to try China's resolve by declaring Taiwan's independence. </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"">That said, front-runner William Lai, who is currently Taiwan’s vice president, has promised to strengthen the island's defense, and a victory by him could heighten cross-strait tensions. The opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, is more amenable to Beijing than Lai's Democratic People’s Party. </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"">Taiwan’s 23 million people overwhelmingly favor maintaining the island’s de facto independence through self-rule. Domestic issues such as housing and health care therefore are likely to play a deciding role in the presidential race. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">LEADERS LOOK TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIPS </span></strong></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"">Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term Monday in an election that opposition parties boycotted and preceded by violence. Hasina's Awami League party was reelected on a low turnout of 40%, and the stifling of dissent risks triggering political turmoil. </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"">India, the world’s most populous country, is due to hold a general election by mid-2024 that is likely to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party a third consecutive term. </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"">To his supporters, Modi is a political outsider who has cleaned up after decades of corruption and made India an emerging global power. Critics say assaults on the press and free speech, as well as attacks on religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, have grown brazen on his watch. </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"">Another leader seeking to retain power is El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has won widespread support since using emergency powers for an aggressive crackdown on ultra-violent street gangs. </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"">A Supreme Court filled by his party’s appointees cleared Bukele to run on Feb. 4 despite a constitutional ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms. While foreign governments have criticized the suspension of some civil rights, Bukele is not expected to face serious competition. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">MILESTONES — AND MORE OF THE SAME </span></strong></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"">Mexico is poised to elect its first female president on June 2 -- either former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, a protégé of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or a former opposition senator, Xóchitl Gálvez. The winner will govern a country with daunting drug-related violence and an increasingly influential military. </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"">Voters in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, are choosing a successor to President Joko Widodo on Feb. 14. Opinion polls indicate a close race between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a right-wing nationalist, and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, the governing party’s candidate. </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"">Subianto's running mate is outgoing leader Widodo's son, prompting speculation of a dynasty in the making. Either winner, though, would mark a continuation of the corruption-tainted politics that have dominated Indonesia since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998. </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"">Pakistan's Feb. 8 parliamentary election also is being contested by well-established politicians, under the eye of the country's powerful military. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a popular opposition figure, is imprisoned, and election officials blocked him from running. </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"">His rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, was allowed on the ballot after his corruption convictions were overturned. Also running is the Pakistan Peoples Party led by former Foreign Minister Bulawal Bhutto Zardari. </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"">Analysts say the election is likely to produce a shaky government. The vote may be postponed amid plummeting relations with Taliban-controlled neighbor Afghanistan and deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">HAS POPULISM PEAKED ? </span></strong></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"">Populism gained ground in Europe as the continent experienced economic instability and mass migration from elsewhere. June elections for the parliament of the 27-nation European Union will be a sign of whether traditional parties can see off populist rivals, many of which are skeptical of military support for Ukraine. </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"">Last year's national elections produced mixed signals: Slovakia elected pro-Russia populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, but voters in Poland replaced a conservative government with a coalition led by centrist Donald Tusk. </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"">Mujtaba Rahman of political consultancy Eurasia Group predicted that the upcoming European Parliament races won't produce a populist majority but “the center will lose ground compared to the last vote" in 2019. </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"">In former EU member Britain, populism found expression in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the turbulent term of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A U.K. general election this year will pit the governing Conservatives against the center-left Labour Party, which is firmly ahead in opinion polls as it seeks to regain power after 14 years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGES IN AFRICA </span></strong></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"">Climate change, disrupted grain supplies from the Ukraine war, and increasing attention from China and Russia are among the forces reshaping Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent. </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"">Eight West African countries have had military coups since 2020, including Niger and Gabon in 2023. </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"">Senegal is regarded as a bastion of stability in the region. Now that President Macky Sall is stepping down, his country's Feb. 25 election is seen as an indicator of the country’s political resilience. </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"">Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko accuse the government of trying to stop him running with a series of legal cases that have sparked deadly protests. The presidential election could “mark a return to the norms of previous years or signal a lasting shift towards more volatile politics,” said Eurasia group analyst Tochi Eni-Kalu. </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"">In South Africa, a legislative election due between May and August has a struggling economy, crippling power blackouts and an unemployment rate of nearly 32% as the political backdrop. Overcoming voter disillusionment will be a challenge for the long-dominant African National Congress. </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 ANC has held the presidency and a majority in parliament since the end of the country’s racist apartheid system in 1994, but the previously revered organization won less than half the vote in 2021 local elections. </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"">If its support drops below 50%, the party will need to form a coalition to ensure that lawmakers reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa. </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"">South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, plans to hold its long-delayed first elections in December. The balloting would represent a key milestone but could be rife with danger and vulnerable to failure under current conditions. </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"">Nicholas Haysom, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, told the Security Council last month that voter registration details, a security plan and a way to resolve disputes are among the missing elements needed to ensure free elections that are "deemed credible and acceptable to South Sudanese citizens.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">RUBBER-STAMP EXERCISES</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> <br /> There’s little doubt about who will win Russia's presidential election in March. President Vladimir Putin faces only token opposition in his bid for a fifth term. His main rivals are in prison, in exile or dead, and a politician calling for peace in Ukraine was disqualified. </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’s a similar story in Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko. On Feb. 25, the country is expected to hold its first parliamentary election since Lukashenko's government crushed protests against the Putin ally's disputed 2020 reelection. Thousands of opponents are in prison or have fled the country. </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"">Still, for all its problems, the democratic ideal retains widespread appeal, even for authoritarian leaders, Maddox said. </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 fact that they choose to hold elections shows that they see the value of claiming to have a free vote,” she said. – AP/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19700', 'image' => '20240113113505_Getty_Vote_Ballot_Election.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:33:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19972', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Kathmandu Valley Folks to get Water Supply from Melamchi in Three Days ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days. The water supply, which was obstructed due to flood and landslide, is all set to resume from January 15. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Water is already being channeled to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening after repair and maintenance works. Senior Divisional Engineer at the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Padam Bahadur Kunwar, told RSS that water has been diverted to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening as per the agreement between the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee and the construction company on December 19 to send the water to Kathmandu Valley within 28 days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The Melamchi water will reach Sundarijal-based water treatment plant within a few days as half of the 27-kilometer tunnel is already filled with water," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, preparations were underway to distribute water from Melamchi to the Kathmandu Valley folks from January 15. Around 170 million litres of drinking water will be supplied to Kathmandu on a daily basis, according to project director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Zakki Ahmad Ansari. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19699', 'image' => '20240113113318_melamchi rss (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:30:25', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19971', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contractor of Narayangadh-Butwal Road Project Pledges to Complete the Work in 15 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The work remains incomplete even after the extension of the deadline twice.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The project directorate under the Department of Roads and the Asian Development Bank held a press conference on Thursday and provided this information amid public scrutiny and pressure from political parties.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala said that the the concerned authorities are working at a war footing to complete the project on time. He also said that the work has gained momentum recently due to constant pressure on the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Minister Jwala said that the road expansion was delayed due to the problem related to electricity poles, forest clearance, drinking water, extraction of construction materials and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jwala said, "Since the problems have been identified, the work will be completed by coordinating with all sides." </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Arguing that all the roads should not be demolished at once, he said, "We will first build a two-lane road on one side of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section and take the responsibility of demolishing the other lane."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Director of the Project Directorate Chudaraj Dhakal said that the lack of construction materials is major problem followed by problems related to electricity poles and site clearance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Dhakal, the contractors have been given repeated letters and warnings to complete the work on time or face action including revoking of contract.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the directorate sent letters to the builders seeking answers to reasons for the delay in completing the work and also their plans to complete the work on time.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He added that only a few days ago, the contractors submitted a plan with a commitment to complete the work in the next 15 months.</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 114 kilometres of road stretch was divided in two sections while awarding the contract through a global bidding process. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited had won the tender bids of both sections considering its proposal to construct the road section at the minimum base rate. </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 was expected to be completed in August 7, 2022. However, as the contract agreement ended on August 7, the government extended the deadline for one more year at the request of the construction company.</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 is being developed with nearly Rs 17 billion in loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19698', 'image' => '20240112050206_20220926014301_road.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 17:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19970', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEA Board of Directors Decides to Reconnect Power Supply', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">January 12: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The 960th meeting of the NEA Board of Directors held under chairmanship of Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation today decided to reconnect the electricity of the industries as per the decision of the cabinet meeting. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The NEA had disconnected the power supply to 24 industries that had to pay more than Rs 50 million tariff. The NEA Board of Directors had directed the NEA management to resume the power supply to such industries until the report submitted by a probe commission formed by the government and a decision taken by the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday had formed the probe commission under coordination of former justice of the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, to recommend for the resolution of power tariff dispute surfaced between the NEA and industrialists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and irrigation, and Industry Secretary are the members of the commission. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting through the Energy Ministry had directed the NEA to reconnect the power supply until the next decision of the government. The Ministry had on Thursday sent a letter to implement the directive. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly held on Thursday, NEA Deputy Executive Director Manoj Silwal had mentioned to resume power supply after making decision from the meeting of NEA Board of Directors as per the government's directive. (RSS) </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19697', 'image' => '20240112035550_collage (17).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 15:52:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19968', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SSF gets ISSA Membership', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world. The application sent by the Social Security Fund for ISSA membership was approved on June </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">26</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the fund said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ISSA is a leading international body of organizations established in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1927</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> in the context of social security in various countries. So far, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">320</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> organizations from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">160</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> countries have gained its membership.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">SSF’s membership of ISSA is expected to make Nepal's social security fund stronger at the international level and will also get an important platform for learning.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The scope of the social security fund in Nepal has expanded in recent months and includes workers from the formal and informal sectors as well as those in foreign employment, and self-employment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19695', 'image' => '20240112022230_SSF (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:21:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19967', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ten Life Insurance Companies yet to Meet the Paid-up Capital Requirement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. The board, now renamed as Nepal Insurance Authority, had instructed life insurance companies to maintain a paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion and a non-life insurance company of Rs 2.5 billion in March/April 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The authority had set a deadline of mid-July 2023 for the insurance companies to maintain the paid-up capital. Even after five months of the deadline, most of the companies have not been able to maintain the paid-up capital limit set by the authority.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sambharaj Lamichhane, head of the legal department of the authority, said that although the deadline for capital increase has passed, no action has been taken against the companies. He says that since the deadline was given until mid-July of last year, the companies should be exempted until the annual general meeting. He said that some companies are in the process of raising their capital as the merger and acquisition and issuance of the initial public offering (IPO) are still underway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among life insurance companies, 13 companies other than Metlife had to maintain the paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion. However, only three of these companies have fulfilled the condition so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The companies opted for merger and acquisition to raise the capital and then took the measure of issuing bonus shares and rights shares when the funds were insufficient.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the ten companies, Rastriya Jeevan Bima Company (former Rastriya Bima Sansthan) has the lowest paid-up capital. This company needs an additional capital of Rs 2.97 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The National Insurance Company has put forward a plan to raise its capital by Rs 3.5 billion through institutional shareholders and Rs 1.5 billion by issuing IPO to the general public.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Apart from this, Reliable Nepal Life Insurance Company plans to add Rs 640 million of capital by issuing 16 per cent bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suryajyoti Life Insurance, which requires a capital of Rs 454.4 million, has not yet announced any plans to increase its capital. The company, which opted for merger, is likely to issue bonus shares or equity as a means of capital increment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prabhu Mahalakshmi Life Insurance Company will issue 17 per cent right shares to raise the insufficient fund. Similarly, Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) will collect an additional capital of Rs 2.34 billion through rights shares. The company has already submitted an application to the Securities Board of Nepal for this purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Citizen Life Insurance Company, which needs an additional capital of Rs 1.25 billion, is raising Rs 187.5 million through 5 per cent bonus shares. Even after issuing the bonus shares, Citizen Life will need an additional capital of more than Rs 1.06 billion. The company has yet to decide on raising the said capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sun Nepal Life, IME Life, Sanima Reliance Life and Asian Life will also have to raise their capital to meet the requirement set by the NIA. Asian Life needs to raise Rs 1.84 billion, Sun Nepal Life Rs 1.80 billion, Sanima Reliance Life Rs 81.6 million, and IME Life needs to raise Rs 1 billion. These companies have not officially decided to issue bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19694', 'image' => '20240112022107_Life Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:20:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19966', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Setikhola Hydropower Project begins Power Generation ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project with the capacity of 3.5 megawatt has also started its test transmission, completing the entire development works in five years. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project’s canal headwork is based at Beulibas of Paiyun Rural Municipality-2 while the powerhouse is located at Ghangre of Bihadi Rural Municipality-6. The water has been supplied to Ghangre through a 3,600 metres long pipe line from Beulibas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">China's Asia Pacific Project carried out the electromechanical job of the project while K and K Builders from Biratnagar performed the pipeline works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The secretary of the project, Dr Shiva Shankar Basyal, said that The Brothers Builders Kathmandu was assigned to build the civil construction of the project. It is said that the total cost of the project has exceeded Rs 1.1 billion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Basyal shared that the power generated from the project will be supplied to the national grid of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in two weeks adding that the power purchase agreement (PPA) has already been signed with the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Siddhartha Bank Limited and Garima Development Bank invested in the project. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19693', 'image' => '20240112013741_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 13:36:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19965', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Valley Traffic Police Start Using AI and ANPRC Technologies to Monitor Hit-and-Run Cases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. This is also because of the negligible use of technology to monitor traffic on the roads and highways throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Realising this, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, with support from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has introduced a new technology in the Valley that allows the police to monitor the vehicles plying in the roads in the Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Valley Traffic Police Office has started using high-tech cameras called 'automatic number plate recognition camera (ANPRC)' that can read the vehicle number plate and the drivers' activities behind the wheel. Police believe that this technology will mainly help them monitor the drivers' activities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The use of these advanced cameras will help the traffic police find out whether the person driving the vehicle has fastened seat belt or not, or is smoking, or talking on his/her mobile phone. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said this technology will provide immense help in traffic policing as these devices read the number plate of vehicle, capture photos of the activities up to the driver's seat and send the information to the server. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"For instance, when a vehicle is involved in a hit-and-run incident and we only know the colour of that vehicle and not its number plate, the cameras installed overhead the road read the number plate of the vehicles passing by that road and send information to the server. By scrutinizing the information in the server, we can know the number plate of all vehicles of that colour passing through the road. In this way, we can track the vehicle owner by coordinating with the Department of Transport Management," he explained. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This ANPR camera will contribute to providing fact-based information surrounding the incident. When verbal statements may be unreliable, technology and evidences will provide the facts, according to SSP Mainali. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, ANPR cameras have been placed in Munibhairabh, New Bus Park, and Maharajgunj areas. These advanced cameras boast the capability to accurately read number plates in the Nepali script and embossed formats, capturing and transmitting details promptly to the Kathmandu Valley's police control room. Munibhairav has four cameras, Maharajgunj has four, and the bus park area has two. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The police expect these cameras will significantly help in identifying details in 'hit and run' cases, where traditional investigations are often marred by challenges in identifying drivers and vehicles involved. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Metropolis has supported the installations of such cameras. The Kathmandu Valley Police realizes the need to expand the system to other areas as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Other local governments have also assured to support the Valley Police to fix such cameras.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It plans to install them along the transit points to the Kathmandu within the current fiscal year. Such cameras remain functional during nights as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The authorities are planning to fix 170 cameras in the Valley including face recognition cameras in 10 locations, ANPR cameras in 10 locations and AI technology- based camera at 150 locations. The Valley Police is getting technical assistance from the Synergy IT Solutions to implement this technology. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19692', 'image' => '20240112124009_KTM eight by six - Copy - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 12:39:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19964', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAN Suspends Star Cricketer Lamichhane after Rape Conviction', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Issuing a press statement on Thursday, CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand confirmed that Lamichhane has been suspended from playing national and international matches for the country as the District Court, Kathmandu has found him guilty in a rape case. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The District Court, Kathmandu on Wednesday had slapped an eight-year jail sentence to Lamichhane along with a fine of Rs 500,000. A single bench of District Court Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal issued the verdict. The court had declared Lamichhane guilty on December 29, 2023 but the sentence was announced only on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022 after a complaint was filed against him for allegedly raping a minor on September 6, 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The twenty-three-year-old left arm spinner is a former captain of the Nepali national cricket team. He raised quite a few eyebrows when he made his debut in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 as a teenager. He also has the experience of playing in Australia’s Big Bash and other major leagues worldwide. He is also the highest ODI wicket-taker for Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19691', 'image' => '20240112114309_sandeeppppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:42:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19963', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Another Nepali Youth Dies in Russia-Ukraine War ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The deceased has been identified as Sonu Sunar of Kathebar of Pyuthan Municipality-4.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state news agency RSS, Sunar’s friend, who was injured in the war, informed the family back home about the tragic news. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sunar, who was working in Qatar for two years, had left for Russia some months ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Khageshwar Thapa, a neighbour of the deceased Sunar, confirmed to RSS that another Nepali youth who sustained injuries in the war informed Sunar's family about the latter's passing away in Russia. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Mayor of Pyuthan Municipality, Bishnu Yogi, said that the folks in Pyuthan have been saddened by the news of the demise of Sunar and added that further details would be provided to the Sunar family on Friday. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, Thapa said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the incident. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This puts the death toll of Nepalis serving in the Russian army at 11 although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far confirmed only ten casualties.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the ministry, those killed in the war have been identified as Sandeep Thapaliya of Gorkha, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Gangaraj Moktan, Kundan Singh Nagal of Ilam district, Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja district, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali and Raj Kumar Giri of Dhading. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) recently decided not to issue work permits to Nepali nationals aspiring to work in war-torn Russia and Ukraine. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government body took such measure as increasing number of Nepali nationals were found to have joined the Russian army illegally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged Russia not to recruit Nepali citizens in its military rank and file and to send back any Nepali citizen who is currently serving in the army. The ministry has also sought information from Russia about the number of Nepalis who have joined the Russian Army, in addition to the injured ones and their condition. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier on August 1, the government issued a notice stating that the government has no policy of approving the recruitment of any Nepali citizens in foreign military forces expect in the national army of a few friendly nations in accordance with the long-standing agreement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Foreign Ministry has also urged all Nepalis to compulsorily receive no objection certificates (NOC) from the Nepali embassies and consulates in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Saudi Arab, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain if they are traveling to Russia via those countries. Earlier, the NOC was issued only from Consular Service Department under the Foreign Ministry for those going to Russia for other reasons except for government assignment, study purpose in Russian scholarship and businesses. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ministry has also urged Nepalis not to get recruited in the military service of the war-ravaged nations on the basis of false information or other's temptation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19690', 'image' => '20240112111355_20220719459a988fb97e63ab3ae.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:13:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19962', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Economic Indicators Show Positive Growth', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the year-on-year consumer price inflation moderated to 4.95 percent in mid-December 2023 compared to 7.38 percent a year ago.</span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> In the review period, merchandise imports decreased 3.4 percent to Rs 642.21 billion compared to a decrease of 20.7 percent a year ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Destination-wise, imports from India and other countries decreased 1.3 percent and 28.4 percent respectively while imports from China increased 32.8 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> Imports of readymade garments, M.S. wire rod, bars, and coils, electrical equipment, textiles, aircraft spareparts, among others increased whereas imports of gold, crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, petroleum products, rice/paddy, among others decreased. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The total trade deficit decreased 3.1 percent to Rs 579 billion during the review period. Such a deficit had decreased 18.8 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> The export-import ratio decreased to 9.8 percent in the review period from 10.1 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year, the NRB stated in its report. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the period, the remittance inflow recorded a robust growth of 27.6 percent to Rs 613.25 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 23.0 percent in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the balance of payment has remained at a surplus of Rs 210.59 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year which was at a surplus of Rs 45.87 billion in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank stated that the gross foreign exchange reserves increased 14.8 percent to Rs 1767.04 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1539.36 billion in mid-July 2023. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Of the total foreign exchange reserves, reserves held by NRB increased 15.6 percent to Rs 1556.25 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1345.78 billion in mid-July 2023. (RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19689', 'image' => '20240112063433_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 06:32:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19961', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal has Adopted a Liberal, Market-Oriented Economic Policy since the Early 90s: Minister Mahat', 'sub_title' => 'Finance Minister urges Foreigners to Invest in Energy, Tourism and Agriculture', 'summary' => 'January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. Minister Mahat has also urged them to invest in energy, tourism and agriculture sectors of Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the heads of state, ministers and investors of various countries during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2024 held in Gujarat, India, Minister Mahat invited them to the conference, according to the Personal Secretariat of the Finance Minister.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the conference, Minister Mahat said, "Investment conference is being held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. I invite investors from other countries along with India through this program. I hope that your innovative business ideas and investment decisions will be a new milestone for the development of Nepal."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Minister of Finance stated that there are great opportunities for investment in energy, tourism, agribusiness and information technology in Nepal and informed that there are other potential areas of investment such as health, education, manufacturing, construction and transportation, mining, banking and financial services. He added that this global forum for professional networking, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships to promote sustainable and inclusive growth is now a forum for all.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Appreciating the Vibrant Gujarat concept envisioned by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, he said, "The Vibrant Gujarat development model being followed nationwide has been a source of inspiration for many countries including Nepal to manage financial resources and technical knowledge to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of this time."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minisher Mahat said, "I have a fresh memory of what Mr Modi said in the Parliament of Nepal in 2014. He especially emphasized on HIT, that is highway, information and transmission line. I am pleased to say that we are working together to improve connectivity in all these areas, strengthening market linkages and reducing transaction costs. Recently, a long-term power purchase agreement has been signed between Nepal and India to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India over a period of 10 years. This will open a great opportunity for investment in hydropower in Nepal. This will help to achieve the green energy transition target not only in Nepal but also in India."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minister Mahat informed that Nepal, situated between two global economic powers, has adopted a liberal, market-oriented economic policy since the early 90s and is a member of many international organizations and multilateral agencies. He added, "We are implementing trade and investment policies and regulations according to international standards.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19688', 'image' => '20240111025609_20230402035731_1680390939.prakash sharan mahat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:55:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19959', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Complicated Process of VAT Rebate on Packaging Materials Discourages use of Domestic Products', 'sub_title' => 'Import of monobox worth billions puts domestic industry in crisis', 'summary' => 'January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry. However, none of these industries have purchased monoboxes produced in the country.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The government made this arrangement through the budget of the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the industries which are getting VAT exemption on monobox import at the customs point did not show interest in purchasing monoboxes from the domestic industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the government policy, the VAT paid when purchasing monomoxes from the domestic industry will be refunded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rabindra Kumar Baranwal, president of Printo Pack Industries of Birgunj, argues that the industries can import monoboxes by paying only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and therefore the industries are not interested in purchasing such products from the domestic market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Industries have to pay VAT and seek refund from the government when buying packaging materials from the domestic industries. So they opt for an easy option for importing monoboxes to save cost and time incurred in the process here,” said Barnawal, adding, 'Industrialists have not shown interest in purchasing domestic monoboxes because the time and process required to get back the tax paid to the government is very lengthy and complicated.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries that produces packaging materials pay </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">13</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent value-added tax to import paper, which is used as raw material to make monoboxes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, pharmaceutical companies and tea industries have to pay only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty to import ready-made monoboxes from abroad.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jugal Dhanawat, chairman of Archi Offset Printers, said that the customs duty levied on imported paper by the packaging industry is high. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“There should be at least one level of difference in the tariffs for the import of raw materials and finished goods. The packaging industry of the country is in crisis due to the high rate of customs duty which increases the cost of production,” Dhanawat said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries complain that they have not been able to benefit from the policy adopted by the government as the process of VAT exemption given by the government to the domestic industries is complicated. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Most of the monoboxes used in Nepal are imported from India. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> dozen pharmaceutical industries in Nepal import monoboxes from India. Industrialist Dhanawat estimates that such industries in the country import monoboxes worth around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion every year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Due to the import of such products worth billions of rupees from India, the domestic packaging industry is facing crisis because they cannot compete with Indian products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19687', 'image' => '20240111020205_monobox.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19975', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WHO Warns of Persistent Threats from COVID-19 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to estimates based on wastewater analysis, the actual circulation of COVID-19 is two to 19 times higher than the number of reported cases, Maria van Kerkhove, the interim director of WHO responsible for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a special briefing in Geneva. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She also expressed concerns regarding the emergence of post-COVID conditions (also called "long COVID") affecting multiple organs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">While there has been a drastic reduction in COVID-related deaths since the peak, around 10,000 deaths per month are still reported from 50 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Van Kerkhove expressed concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the COVID-19 JN.1 variant representing around 57 percent of global sequences analyzed by the WHO. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Defined by specific criteria, including symptoms like severe fatigue, lung impairments, neurologic issues, and cardiac impairments persisting for four to 12 months or longer after the acute phase of the disease, the post-COVID condition is a matter of concern, she said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Estimates suggest that one in ten infections could lead to post-COVID conditions, including severe cases. "No treatments are available yet because it's still so new," van Kerkhove said. "There is insufficient attention and funding dedicated to this area," she added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> She also warned of the rapid increase in the number of influenza infections in the northern hemisphere, with influenza positivity standing at around 20-21 percent in week 51 of 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expert also emphasized the need for simultaneous flu and COVID vaccination to mitigate the burden on healthcare systems. She also called for more booster vaccination, which is at a low level globally, with only 55 percent of older adults (over 75 or 80) having received a dose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">By the end of December 2023, more than 7 million people had been reported to the WHO as having died from COVID-19. -- Xinhua/RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19702', 'image' => '20240114110800_WHO.jpg.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 11:07:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19974', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Drug Ltd to Produce 20 Additional Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 14: Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This initiative comes in response to the Prime Minister's directive to mobilize resources and enhance trade activities. The Ministry for Industry and Commerce has also entered into an agreement to support the commercial sustainability and capacity building of NDL.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Historically, the company has produced 146 types of medicines, but over time, the variety declined to nine, and currently, it only manufactures CETAMOL. In an effort to revitalize the company, there is an emphasis on investment and diversification of production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Despite facing challenges in market competition and technological limitations, General Manager Paneru is optimistic. He believes that following the Prime Minister's guidance and implementing a robust work plan will help the company compete effectively. Paneru stressed the need for capacity building to expand production capabilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Assuring the quality of medicines, Paneru mentioned that the drugs would be sold and distributed in collaboration with all local levels across the country. The company has witnessed an increase in production and sales, achieving a notable milestone of selling drugs worth Rs 10.5 million in the previous month alone.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NDL Chairperson Yagya Prasad Neupane shared the company's objective to produce 98 types of drugs for government distribution. Additionally, the company plans to leverage its land for income generation, intending to establish a commercial medical hub and expand production capacity to enhance competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre, the import of medicine-related products amounted to Rs 16.80 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2080/81). (RSS)</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19701', 'image' => '20240114072912_collage (10).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 07:26:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19973', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 50 Countries go to the Polls in 2024', 'sub_title' => 'The year will test even the most robust democracies ', 'summary' => 'January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. The year looks set to test even the most robust democracies and to strengthen the hands of leaders with authoritarian leanings. </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"">From Russia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom to India, El Salvador and South Africa, the presidential and legislative contests have huge implications for human rights, economies, international relations and prospects for peace in a volatile world. </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"">In some countries, the balloting will be neither free nor fair. And in many, curbs on opposition candidates, weary electorates and the potential for manipulation and disinformation have made the fate of democracy a front-and-center campaign issue. </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"">A possible rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump looms large in the election calendar; a Trump victory in November is perhaps the greatest global wildcard. Yet high-stakes votes before then also will gauge the “mood of dissatisfaction, impatience, uneasiness” among far-flung electorates, said Bronwen Maddox, director of the London-based think-tank Chatham House. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">VOTES WITH GLOBAL IMPACT </span></strong></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"">Taiwan’s elections for president and the 113-member legislature take place Saturday under intense pressure from China, which makes the outcome important to much of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the U.S. </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"">Beijing has renewed its threat to use military force to annex the self-governing island it regards as its own territory, and described the elections as a choice between war and peace. None of the three leading presidential candidates has indicated a desire to try China's resolve by declaring Taiwan's independence. </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"">That said, front-runner William Lai, who is currently Taiwan’s vice president, has promised to strengthen the island's defense, and a victory by him could heighten cross-strait tensions. The opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, is more amenable to Beijing than Lai's Democratic People’s Party. </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"">Taiwan’s 23 million people overwhelmingly favor maintaining the island’s de facto independence through self-rule. Domestic issues such as housing and health care therefore are likely to play a deciding role in the presidential race. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">LEADERS LOOK TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIPS </span></strong></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"">Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term Monday in an election that opposition parties boycotted and preceded by violence. Hasina's Awami League party was reelected on a low turnout of 40%, and the stifling of dissent risks triggering political turmoil. </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"">India, the world’s most populous country, is due to hold a general election by mid-2024 that is likely to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party a third consecutive term. </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"">To his supporters, Modi is a political outsider who has cleaned up after decades of corruption and made India an emerging global power. Critics say assaults on the press and free speech, as well as attacks on religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, have grown brazen on his watch. </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"">Another leader seeking to retain power is El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has won widespread support since using emergency powers for an aggressive crackdown on ultra-violent street gangs. </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"">A Supreme Court filled by his party’s appointees cleared Bukele to run on Feb. 4 despite a constitutional ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms. While foreign governments have criticized the suspension of some civil rights, Bukele is not expected to face serious competition. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">MILESTONES — AND MORE OF THE SAME </span></strong></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"">Mexico is poised to elect its first female president on June 2 -- either former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, a protégé of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or a former opposition senator, Xóchitl Gálvez. The winner will govern a country with daunting drug-related violence and an increasingly influential military. </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"">Voters in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, are choosing a successor to President Joko Widodo on Feb. 14. Opinion polls indicate a close race between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a right-wing nationalist, and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, the governing party’s candidate. </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"">Subianto's running mate is outgoing leader Widodo's son, prompting speculation of a dynasty in the making. Either winner, though, would mark a continuation of the corruption-tainted politics that have dominated Indonesia since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998. </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"">Pakistan's Feb. 8 parliamentary election also is being contested by well-established politicians, under the eye of the country's powerful military. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a popular opposition figure, is imprisoned, and election officials blocked him from running. </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"">His rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, was allowed on the ballot after his corruption convictions were overturned. Also running is the Pakistan Peoples Party led by former Foreign Minister Bulawal Bhutto Zardari. </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"">Analysts say the election is likely to produce a shaky government. The vote may be postponed amid plummeting relations with Taliban-controlled neighbor Afghanistan and deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">HAS POPULISM PEAKED ? </span></strong></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"">Populism gained ground in Europe as the continent experienced economic instability and mass migration from elsewhere. June elections for the parliament of the 27-nation European Union will be a sign of whether traditional parties can see off populist rivals, many of which are skeptical of military support for Ukraine. </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"">Last year's national elections produced mixed signals: Slovakia elected pro-Russia populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, but voters in Poland replaced a conservative government with a coalition led by centrist Donald Tusk. </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"">Mujtaba Rahman of political consultancy Eurasia Group predicted that the upcoming European Parliament races won't produce a populist majority but “the center will lose ground compared to the last vote" in 2019. </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"">In former EU member Britain, populism found expression in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the turbulent term of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A U.K. general election this year will pit the governing Conservatives against the center-left Labour Party, which is firmly ahead in opinion polls as it seeks to regain power after 14 years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGES IN AFRICA </span></strong></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"">Climate change, disrupted grain supplies from the Ukraine war, and increasing attention from China and Russia are among the forces reshaping Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent. </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"">Eight West African countries have had military coups since 2020, including Niger and Gabon in 2023. </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"">Senegal is regarded as a bastion of stability in the region. Now that President Macky Sall is stepping down, his country's Feb. 25 election is seen as an indicator of the country’s political resilience. </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"">Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko accuse the government of trying to stop him running with a series of legal cases that have sparked deadly protests. The presidential election could “mark a return to the norms of previous years or signal a lasting shift towards more volatile politics,” said Eurasia group analyst Tochi Eni-Kalu. </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"">In South Africa, a legislative election due between May and August has a struggling economy, crippling power blackouts and an unemployment rate of nearly 32% as the political backdrop. Overcoming voter disillusionment will be a challenge for the long-dominant African National Congress. </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 ANC has held the presidency and a majority in parliament since the end of the country’s racist apartheid system in 1994, but the previously revered organization won less than half the vote in 2021 local elections. </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"">If its support drops below 50%, the party will need to form a coalition to ensure that lawmakers reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa. </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"">South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, plans to hold its long-delayed first elections in December. The balloting would represent a key milestone but could be rife with danger and vulnerable to failure under current conditions. </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"">Nicholas Haysom, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, told the Security Council last month that voter registration details, a security plan and a way to resolve disputes are among the missing elements needed to ensure free elections that are "deemed credible and acceptable to South Sudanese citizens.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">RUBBER-STAMP EXERCISES</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> <br /> There’s little doubt about who will win Russia's presidential election in March. President Vladimir Putin faces only token opposition in his bid for a fifth term. His main rivals are in prison, in exile or dead, and a politician calling for peace in Ukraine was disqualified. </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’s a similar story in Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko. On Feb. 25, the country is expected to hold its first parliamentary election since Lukashenko's government crushed protests against the Putin ally's disputed 2020 reelection. Thousands of opponents are in prison or have fled the country. </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"">Still, for all its problems, the democratic ideal retains widespread appeal, even for authoritarian leaders, Maddox said. </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 fact that they choose to hold elections shows that they see the value of claiming to have a free vote,” she said. – AP/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19700', 'image' => '20240113113505_Getty_Vote_Ballot_Election.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:33:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19972', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Kathmandu Valley Folks to get Water Supply from Melamchi in Three Days ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days. The water supply, which was obstructed due to flood and landslide, is all set to resume from January 15. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Water is already being channeled to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening after repair and maintenance works. Senior Divisional Engineer at the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Padam Bahadur Kunwar, told RSS that water has been diverted to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening as per the agreement between the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee and the construction company on December 19 to send the water to Kathmandu Valley within 28 days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The Melamchi water will reach Sundarijal-based water treatment plant within a few days as half of the 27-kilometer tunnel is already filled with water," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, preparations were underway to distribute water from Melamchi to the Kathmandu Valley folks from January 15. Around 170 million litres of drinking water will be supplied to Kathmandu on a daily basis, according to project director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Zakki Ahmad Ansari. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19699', 'image' => '20240113113318_melamchi rss (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:30:25', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19971', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contractor of Narayangadh-Butwal Road Project Pledges to Complete the Work in 15 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The work remains incomplete even after the extension of the deadline twice.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The project directorate under the Department of Roads and the Asian Development Bank held a press conference on Thursday and provided this information amid public scrutiny and pressure from political parties.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala said that the the concerned authorities are working at a war footing to complete the project on time. He also said that the work has gained momentum recently due to constant pressure on the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Minister Jwala said that the road expansion was delayed due to the problem related to electricity poles, forest clearance, drinking water, extraction of construction materials and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jwala said, "Since the problems have been identified, the work will be completed by coordinating with all sides." </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Arguing that all the roads should not be demolished at once, he said, "We will first build a two-lane road on one side of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section and take the responsibility of demolishing the other lane."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Director of the Project Directorate Chudaraj Dhakal said that the lack of construction materials is major problem followed by problems related to electricity poles and site clearance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Dhakal, the contractors have been given repeated letters and warnings to complete the work on time or face action including revoking of contract.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the directorate sent letters to the builders seeking answers to reasons for the delay in completing the work and also their plans to complete the work on time.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He added that only a few days ago, the contractors submitted a plan with a commitment to complete the work in the next 15 months.</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 114 kilometres of road stretch was divided in two sections while awarding the contract through a global bidding process. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited had won the tender bids of both sections considering its proposal to construct the road section at the minimum base rate. </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 was expected to be completed in August 7, 2022. However, as the contract agreement ended on August 7, the government extended the deadline for one more year at the request of the construction company.</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 is being developed with nearly Rs 17 billion in loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19698', 'image' => '20240112050206_20220926014301_road.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 17:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19970', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEA Board of Directors Decides to Reconnect Power Supply', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">January 12: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The 960th meeting of the NEA Board of Directors held under chairmanship of Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation today decided to reconnect the electricity of the industries as per the decision of the cabinet meeting. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The NEA had disconnected the power supply to 24 industries that had to pay more than Rs 50 million tariff. The NEA Board of Directors had directed the NEA management to resume the power supply to such industries until the report submitted by a probe commission formed by the government and a decision taken by the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday had formed the probe commission under coordination of former justice of the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, to recommend for the resolution of power tariff dispute surfaced between the NEA and industrialists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and irrigation, and Industry Secretary are the members of the commission. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting through the Energy Ministry had directed the NEA to reconnect the power supply until the next decision of the government. The Ministry had on Thursday sent a letter to implement the directive. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly held on Thursday, NEA Deputy Executive Director Manoj Silwal had mentioned to resume power supply after making decision from the meeting of NEA Board of Directors as per the government's directive. (RSS) </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19697', 'image' => '20240112035550_collage (17).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 15:52:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19968', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SSF gets ISSA Membership', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world. The application sent by the Social Security Fund for ISSA membership was approved on June </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">26</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the fund said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ISSA is a leading international body of organizations established in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1927</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> in the context of social security in various countries. So far, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">320</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> organizations from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">160</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> countries have gained its membership.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">SSF’s membership of ISSA is expected to make Nepal's social security fund stronger at the international level and will also get an important platform for learning.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The scope of the social security fund in Nepal has expanded in recent months and includes workers from the formal and informal sectors as well as those in foreign employment, and self-employment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19695', 'image' => '20240112022230_SSF (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:21:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19967', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ten Life Insurance Companies yet to Meet the Paid-up Capital Requirement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. The board, now renamed as Nepal Insurance Authority, had instructed life insurance companies to maintain a paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion and a non-life insurance company of Rs 2.5 billion in March/April 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The authority had set a deadline of mid-July 2023 for the insurance companies to maintain the paid-up capital. Even after five months of the deadline, most of the companies have not been able to maintain the paid-up capital limit set by the authority.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sambharaj Lamichhane, head of the legal department of the authority, said that although the deadline for capital increase has passed, no action has been taken against the companies. He says that since the deadline was given until mid-July of last year, the companies should be exempted until the annual general meeting. He said that some companies are in the process of raising their capital as the merger and acquisition and issuance of the initial public offering (IPO) are still underway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among life insurance companies, 13 companies other than Metlife had to maintain the paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion. However, only three of these companies have fulfilled the condition so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The companies opted for merger and acquisition to raise the capital and then took the measure of issuing bonus shares and rights shares when the funds were insufficient.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the ten companies, Rastriya Jeevan Bima Company (former Rastriya Bima Sansthan) has the lowest paid-up capital. This company needs an additional capital of Rs 2.97 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The National Insurance Company has put forward a plan to raise its capital by Rs 3.5 billion through institutional shareholders and Rs 1.5 billion by issuing IPO to the general public.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Apart from this, Reliable Nepal Life Insurance Company plans to add Rs 640 million of capital by issuing 16 per cent bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suryajyoti Life Insurance, which requires a capital of Rs 454.4 million, has not yet announced any plans to increase its capital. The company, which opted for merger, is likely to issue bonus shares or equity as a means of capital increment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prabhu Mahalakshmi Life Insurance Company will issue 17 per cent right shares to raise the insufficient fund. Similarly, Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) will collect an additional capital of Rs 2.34 billion through rights shares. The company has already submitted an application to the Securities Board of Nepal for this purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Citizen Life Insurance Company, which needs an additional capital of Rs 1.25 billion, is raising Rs 187.5 million through 5 per cent bonus shares. Even after issuing the bonus shares, Citizen Life will need an additional capital of more than Rs 1.06 billion. The company has yet to decide on raising the said capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sun Nepal Life, IME Life, Sanima Reliance Life and Asian Life will also have to raise their capital to meet the requirement set by the NIA. Asian Life needs to raise Rs 1.84 billion, Sun Nepal Life Rs 1.80 billion, Sanima Reliance Life Rs 81.6 million, and IME Life needs to raise Rs 1 billion. These companies have not officially decided to issue bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19694', 'image' => '20240112022107_Life Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:20:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19966', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Setikhola Hydropower Project begins Power Generation ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project with the capacity of 3.5 megawatt has also started its test transmission, completing the entire development works in five years. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project’s canal headwork is based at Beulibas of Paiyun Rural Municipality-2 while the powerhouse is located at Ghangre of Bihadi Rural Municipality-6. The water has been supplied to Ghangre through a 3,600 metres long pipe line from Beulibas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">China's Asia Pacific Project carried out the electromechanical job of the project while K and K Builders from Biratnagar performed the pipeline works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The secretary of the project, Dr Shiva Shankar Basyal, said that The Brothers Builders Kathmandu was assigned to build the civil construction of the project. It is said that the total cost of the project has exceeded Rs 1.1 billion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Basyal shared that the power generated from the project will be supplied to the national grid of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in two weeks adding that the power purchase agreement (PPA) has already been signed with the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Siddhartha Bank Limited and Garima Development Bank invested in the project. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19693', 'image' => '20240112013741_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 13:36:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19965', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Valley Traffic Police Start Using AI and ANPRC Technologies to Monitor Hit-and-Run Cases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. This is also because of the negligible use of technology to monitor traffic on the roads and highways throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Realising this, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, with support from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has introduced a new technology in the Valley that allows the police to monitor the vehicles plying in the roads in the Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Valley Traffic Police Office has started using high-tech cameras called 'automatic number plate recognition camera (ANPRC)' that can read the vehicle number plate and the drivers' activities behind the wheel. Police believe that this technology will mainly help them monitor the drivers' activities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The use of these advanced cameras will help the traffic police find out whether the person driving the vehicle has fastened seat belt or not, or is smoking, or talking on his/her mobile phone. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said this technology will provide immense help in traffic policing as these devices read the number plate of vehicle, capture photos of the activities up to the driver's seat and send the information to the server. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"For instance, when a vehicle is involved in a hit-and-run incident and we only know the colour of that vehicle and not its number plate, the cameras installed overhead the road read the number plate of the vehicles passing by that road and send information to the server. By scrutinizing the information in the server, we can know the number plate of all vehicles of that colour passing through the road. In this way, we can track the vehicle owner by coordinating with the Department of Transport Management," he explained. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This ANPR camera will contribute to providing fact-based information surrounding the incident. When verbal statements may be unreliable, technology and evidences will provide the facts, according to SSP Mainali. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, ANPR cameras have been placed in Munibhairabh, New Bus Park, and Maharajgunj areas. These advanced cameras boast the capability to accurately read number plates in the Nepali script and embossed formats, capturing and transmitting details promptly to the Kathmandu Valley's police control room. Munibhairav has four cameras, Maharajgunj has four, and the bus park area has two. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The police expect these cameras will significantly help in identifying details in 'hit and run' cases, where traditional investigations are often marred by challenges in identifying drivers and vehicles involved. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Metropolis has supported the installations of such cameras. The Kathmandu Valley Police realizes the need to expand the system to other areas as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Other local governments have also assured to support the Valley Police to fix such cameras.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It plans to install them along the transit points to the Kathmandu within the current fiscal year. Such cameras remain functional during nights as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The authorities are planning to fix 170 cameras in the Valley including face recognition cameras in 10 locations, ANPR cameras in 10 locations and AI technology- based camera at 150 locations. The Valley Police is getting technical assistance from the Synergy IT Solutions to implement this technology. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19692', 'image' => '20240112124009_KTM eight by six - Copy - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 12:39:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19964', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAN Suspends Star Cricketer Lamichhane after Rape Conviction', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Issuing a press statement on Thursday, CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand confirmed that Lamichhane has been suspended from playing national and international matches for the country as the District Court, Kathmandu has found him guilty in a rape case. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The District Court, Kathmandu on Wednesday had slapped an eight-year jail sentence to Lamichhane along with a fine of Rs 500,000. A single bench of District Court Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal issued the verdict. The court had declared Lamichhane guilty on December 29, 2023 but the sentence was announced only on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022 after a complaint was filed against him for allegedly raping a minor on September 6, 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The twenty-three-year-old left arm spinner is a former captain of the Nepali national cricket team. He raised quite a few eyebrows when he made his debut in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 as a teenager. He also has the experience of playing in Australia’s Big Bash and other major leagues worldwide. He is also the highest ODI wicket-taker for Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19691', 'image' => '20240112114309_sandeeppppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:42:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19963', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Another Nepali Youth Dies in Russia-Ukraine War ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The deceased has been identified as Sonu Sunar of Kathebar of Pyuthan Municipality-4.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state news agency RSS, Sunar’s friend, who was injured in the war, informed the family back home about the tragic news. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sunar, who was working in Qatar for two years, had left for Russia some months ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Khageshwar Thapa, a neighbour of the deceased Sunar, confirmed to RSS that another Nepali youth who sustained injuries in the war informed Sunar's family about the latter's passing away in Russia. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Mayor of Pyuthan Municipality, Bishnu Yogi, said that the folks in Pyuthan have been saddened by the news of the demise of Sunar and added that further details would be provided to the Sunar family on Friday. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, Thapa said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the incident. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This puts the death toll of Nepalis serving in the Russian army at 11 although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far confirmed only ten casualties.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the ministry, those killed in the war have been identified as Sandeep Thapaliya of Gorkha, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Gangaraj Moktan, Kundan Singh Nagal of Ilam district, Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja district, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali and Raj Kumar Giri of Dhading. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) recently decided not to issue work permits to Nepali nationals aspiring to work in war-torn Russia and Ukraine. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government body took such measure as increasing number of Nepali nationals were found to have joined the Russian army illegally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged Russia not to recruit Nepali citizens in its military rank and file and to send back any Nepali citizen who is currently serving in the army. The ministry has also sought information from Russia about the number of Nepalis who have joined the Russian Army, in addition to the injured ones and their condition. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier on August 1, the government issued a notice stating that the government has no policy of approving the recruitment of any Nepali citizens in foreign military forces expect in the national army of a few friendly nations in accordance with the long-standing agreement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Foreign Ministry has also urged all Nepalis to compulsorily receive no objection certificates (NOC) from the Nepali embassies and consulates in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Saudi Arab, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain if they are traveling to Russia via those countries. Earlier, the NOC was issued only from Consular Service Department under the Foreign Ministry for those going to Russia for other reasons except for government assignment, study purpose in Russian scholarship and businesses. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ministry has also urged Nepalis not to get recruited in the military service of the war-ravaged nations on the basis of false information or other's temptation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19690', 'image' => '20240112111355_20220719459a988fb97e63ab3ae.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:13:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19962', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Economic Indicators Show Positive Growth', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the year-on-year consumer price inflation moderated to 4.95 percent in mid-December 2023 compared to 7.38 percent a year ago.</span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> In the review period, merchandise imports decreased 3.4 percent to Rs 642.21 billion compared to a decrease of 20.7 percent a year ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Destination-wise, imports from India and other countries decreased 1.3 percent and 28.4 percent respectively while imports from China increased 32.8 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> Imports of readymade garments, M.S. wire rod, bars, and coils, electrical equipment, textiles, aircraft spareparts, among others increased whereas imports of gold, crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, petroleum products, rice/paddy, among others decreased. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The total trade deficit decreased 3.1 percent to Rs 579 billion during the review period. Such a deficit had decreased 18.8 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> The export-import ratio decreased to 9.8 percent in the review period from 10.1 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year, the NRB stated in its report. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the period, the remittance inflow recorded a robust growth of 27.6 percent to Rs 613.25 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 23.0 percent in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the balance of payment has remained at a surplus of Rs 210.59 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year which was at a surplus of Rs 45.87 billion in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank stated that the gross foreign exchange reserves increased 14.8 percent to Rs 1767.04 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1539.36 billion in mid-July 2023. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Of the total foreign exchange reserves, reserves held by NRB increased 15.6 percent to Rs 1556.25 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1345.78 billion in mid-July 2023. (RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19689', 'image' => '20240112063433_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 06:32:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19961', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal has Adopted a Liberal, Market-Oriented Economic Policy since the Early 90s: Minister Mahat', 'sub_title' => 'Finance Minister urges Foreigners to Invest in Energy, Tourism and Agriculture', 'summary' => 'January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. Minister Mahat has also urged them to invest in energy, tourism and agriculture sectors of Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the heads of state, ministers and investors of various countries during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2024 held in Gujarat, India, Minister Mahat invited them to the conference, according to the Personal Secretariat of the Finance Minister.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the conference, Minister Mahat said, "Investment conference is being held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. I invite investors from other countries along with India through this program. I hope that your innovative business ideas and investment decisions will be a new milestone for the development of Nepal."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Minister of Finance stated that there are great opportunities for investment in energy, tourism, agribusiness and information technology in Nepal and informed that there are other potential areas of investment such as health, education, manufacturing, construction and transportation, mining, banking and financial services. He added that this global forum for professional networking, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships to promote sustainable and inclusive growth is now a forum for all.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Appreciating the Vibrant Gujarat concept envisioned by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, he said, "The Vibrant Gujarat development model being followed nationwide has been a source of inspiration for many countries including Nepal to manage financial resources and technical knowledge to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of this time."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minisher Mahat said, "I have a fresh memory of what Mr Modi said in the Parliament of Nepal in 2014. He especially emphasized on HIT, that is highway, information and transmission line. I am pleased to say that we are working together to improve connectivity in all these areas, strengthening market linkages and reducing transaction costs. Recently, a long-term power purchase agreement has been signed between Nepal and India to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India over a period of 10 years. This will open a great opportunity for investment in hydropower in Nepal. This will help to achieve the green energy transition target not only in Nepal but also in India."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minister Mahat informed that Nepal, situated between two global economic powers, has adopted a liberal, market-oriented economic policy since the early 90s and is a member of many international organizations and multilateral agencies. He added, "We are implementing trade and investment policies and regulations according to international standards.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19688', 'image' => '20240111025609_20230402035731_1680390939.prakash sharan mahat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:55:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19959', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Complicated Process of VAT Rebate on Packaging Materials Discourages use of Domestic Products', 'sub_title' => 'Import of monobox worth billions puts domestic industry in crisis', 'summary' => 'January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry. However, none of these industries have purchased monoboxes produced in the country.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The government made this arrangement through the budget of the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the industries which are getting VAT exemption on monobox import at the customs point did not show interest in purchasing monoboxes from the domestic industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the government policy, the VAT paid when purchasing monomoxes from the domestic industry will be refunded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rabindra Kumar Baranwal, president of Printo Pack Industries of Birgunj, argues that the industries can import monoboxes by paying only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and therefore the industries are not interested in purchasing such products from the domestic market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Industries have to pay VAT and seek refund from the government when buying packaging materials from the domestic industries. So they opt for an easy option for importing monoboxes to save cost and time incurred in the process here,” said Barnawal, adding, 'Industrialists have not shown interest in purchasing domestic monoboxes because the time and process required to get back the tax paid to the government is very lengthy and complicated.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries that produces packaging materials pay </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">13</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent value-added tax to import paper, which is used as raw material to make monoboxes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, pharmaceutical companies and tea industries have to pay only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty to import ready-made monoboxes from abroad.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jugal Dhanawat, chairman of Archi Offset Printers, said that the customs duty levied on imported paper by the packaging industry is high. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“There should be at least one level of difference in the tariffs for the import of raw materials and finished goods. The packaging industry of the country is in crisis due to the high rate of customs duty which increases the cost of production,” Dhanawat said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries complain that they have not been able to benefit from the policy adopted by the government as the process of VAT exemption given by the government to the domestic industries is complicated. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Most of the monoboxes used in Nepal are imported from India. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> dozen pharmaceutical industries in Nepal import monoboxes from India. Industrialist Dhanawat estimates that such industries in the country import monoboxes worth around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion every year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Due to the import of such products worth billions of rupees from India, the domestic packaging industry is facing crisis because they cannot compete with Indian products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19687', 'image' => '20240111020205_monobox.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19975', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'WHO Warns of Persistent Threats from COVID-19 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to estimates based on wastewater analysis, the actual circulation of COVID-19 is two to 19 times higher than the number of reported cases, Maria van Kerkhove, the interim director of WHO responsible for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a special briefing in Geneva. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She also expressed concerns regarding the emergence of post-COVID conditions (also called "long COVID") affecting multiple organs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">While there has been a drastic reduction in COVID-related deaths since the peak, around 10,000 deaths per month are still reported from 50 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Van Kerkhove expressed concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the COVID-19 JN.1 variant representing around 57 percent of global sequences analyzed by the WHO. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Defined by specific criteria, including symptoms like severe fatigue, lung impairments, neurologic issues, and cardiac impairments persisting for four to 12 months or longer after the acute phase of the disease, the post-COVID condition is a matter of concern, she said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Estimates suggest that one in ten infections could lead to post-COVID conditions, including severe cases. "No treatments are available yet because it's still so new," van Kerkhove said. "There is insufficient attention and funding dedicated to this area," she added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> She also warned of the rapid increase in the number of influenza infections in the northern hemisphere, with influenza positivity standing at around 20-21 percent in week 51 of 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expert also emphasized the need for simultaneous flu and COVID vaccination to mitigate the burden on healthcare systems. She also called for more booster vaccination, which is at a low level globally, with only 55 percent of older adults (over 75 or 80) having received a dose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">By the end of December 2023, more than 7 million people had been reported to the WHO as having died from COVID-19. -- Xinhua/RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19702', 'image' => '20240114110800_WHO.jpg.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 11:07:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19974', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Drug Ltd to Produce 20 Additional Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 14: Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This initiative comes in response to the Prime Minister's directive to mobilize resources and enhance trade activities. The Ministry for Industry and Commerce has also entered into an agreement to support the commercial sustainability and capacity building of NDL.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Historically, the company has produced 146 types of medicines, but over time, the variety declined to nine, and currently, it only manufactures CETAMOL. In an effort to revitalize the company, there is an emphasis on investment and diversification of production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Despite facing challenges in market competition and technological limitations, General Manager Paneru is optimistic. He believes that following the Prime Minister's guidance and implementing a robust work plan will help the company compete effectively. Paneru stressed the need for capacity building to expand production capabilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Assuring the quality of medicines, Paneru mentioned that the drugs would be sold and distributed in collaboration with all local levels across the country. The company has witnessed an increase in production and sales, achieving a notable milestone of selling drugs worth Rs 10.5 million in the previous month alone.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NDL Chairperson Yagya Prasad Neupane shared the company's objective to produce 98 types of drugs for government distribution. Additionally, the company plans to leverage its land for income generation, intending to establish a commercial medical hub and expand production capacity to enhance competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre, the import of medicine-related products amounted to Rs 16.80 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2080/81). (RSS)</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19701', 'image' => '20240114072912_collage (10).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 07:26:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19973', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 50 Countries go to the Polls in 2024', 'sub_title' => 'The year will test even the most robust democracies ', 'summary' => 'January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. The year looks set to test even the most robust democracies and to strengthen the hands of leaders with authoritarian leanings. </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"">From Russia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom to India, El Salvador and South Africa, the presidential and legislative contests have huge implications for human rights, economies, international relations and prospects for peace in a volatile world. </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"">In some countries, the balloting will be neither free nor fair. And in many, curbs on opposition candidates, weary electorates and the potential for manipulation and disinformation have made the fate of democracy a front-and-center campaign issue. </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"">A possible rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump looms large in the election calendar; a Trump victory in November is perhaps the greatest global wildcard. Yet high-stakes votes before then also will gauge the “mood of dissatisfaction, impatience, uneasiness” among far-flung electorates, said Bronwen Maddox, director of the London-based think-tank Chatham House. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">VOTES WITH GLOBAL IMPACT </span></strong></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"">Taiwan’s elections for president and the 113-member legislature take place Saturday under intense pressure from China, which makes the outcome important to much of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the U.S. </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"">Beijing has renewed its threat to use military force to annex the self-governing island it regards as its own territory, and described the elections as a choice between war and peace. None of the three leading presidential candidates has indicated a desire to try China's resolve by declaring Taiwan's independence. </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"">That said, front-runner William Lai, who is currently Taiwan’s vice president, has promised to strengthen the island's defense, and a victory by him could heighten cross-strait tensions. The opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, is more amenable to Beijing than Lai's Democratic People’s Party. </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"">Taiwan’s 23 million people overwhelmingly favor maintaining the island’s de facto independence through self-rule. Domestic issues such as housing and health care therefore are likely to play a deciding role in the presidential race. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">LEADERS LOOK TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIPS </span></strong></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"">Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term Monday in an election that opposition parties boycotted and preceded by violence. Hasina's Awami League party was reelected on a low turnout of 40%, and the stifling of dissent risks triggering political turmoil. </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"">India, the world’s most populous country, is due to hold a general election by mid-2024 that is likely to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party a third consecutive term. </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"">To his supporters, Modi is a political outsider who has cleaned up after decades of corruption and made India an emerging global power. Critics say assaults on the press and free speech, as well as attacks on religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, have grown brazen on his watch. </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"">Another leader seeking to retain power is El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has won widespread support since using emergency powers for an aggressive crackdown on ultra-violent street gangs. </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"">A Supreme Court filled by his party’s appointees cleared Bukele to run on Feb. 4 despite a constitutional ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms. While foreign governments have criticized the suspension of some civil rights, Bukele is not expected to face serious competition. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">MILESTONES — AND MORE OF THE SAME </span></strong></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"">Mexico is poised to elect its first female president on June 2 -- either former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, a protégé of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or a former opposition senator, Xóchitl Gálvez. The winner will govern a country with daunting drug-related violence and an increasingly influential military. </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"">Voters in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, are choosing a successor to President Joko Widodo on Feb. 14. Opinion polls indicate a close race between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a right-wing nationalist, and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, the governing party’s candidate. </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"">Subianto's running mate is outgoing leader Widodo's son, prompting speculation of a dynasty in the making. Either winner, though, would mark a continuation of the corruption-tainted politics that have dominated Indonesia since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998. </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"">Pakistan's Feb. 8 parliamentary election also is being contested by well-established politicians, under the eye of the country's powerful military. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a popular opposition figure, is imprisoned, and election officials blocked him from running. </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"">His rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, was allowed on the ballot after his corruption convictions were overturned. Also running is the Pakistan Peoples Party led by former Foreign Minister Bulawal Bhutto Zardari. </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"">Analysts say the election is likely to produce a shaky government. The vote may be postponed amid plummeting relations with Taliban-controlled neighbor Afghanistan and deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">HAS POPULISM PEAKED ? </span></strong></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"">Populism gained ground in Europe as the continent experienced economic instability and mass migration from elsewhere. June elections for the parliament of the 27-nation European Union will be a sign of whether traditional parties can see off populist rivals, many of which are skeptical of military support for Ukraine. </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"">Last year's national elections produced mixed signals: Slovakia elected pro-Russia populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, but voters in Poland replaced a conservative government with a coalition led by centrist Donald Tusk. </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"">Mujtaba Rahman of political consultancy Eurasia Group predicted that the upcoming European Parliament races won't produce a populist majority but “the center will lose ground compared to the last vote" in 2019. </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"">In former EU member Britain, populism found expression in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the turbulent term of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A U.K. general election this year will pit the governing Conservatives against the center-left Labour Party, which is firmly ahead in opinion polls as it seeks to regain power after 14 years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGES IN AFRICA </span></strong></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"">Climate change, disrupted grain supplies from the Ukraine war, and increasing attention from China and Russia are among the forces reshaping Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent. </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"">Eight West African countries have had military coups since 2020, including Niger and Gabon in 2023. </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"">Senegal is regarded as a bastion of stability in the region. Now that President Macky Sall is stepping down, his country's Feb. 25 election is seen as an indicator of the country’s political resilience. </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"">Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko accuse the government of trying to stop him running with a series of legal cases that have sparked deadly protests. The presidential election could “mark a return to the norms of previous years or signal a lasting shift towards more volatile politics,” said Eurasia group analyst Tochi Eni-Kalu. </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"">In South Africa, a legislative election due between May and August has a struggling economy, crippling power blackouts and an unemployment rate of nearly 32% as the political backdrop. Overcoming voter disillusionment will be a challenge for the long-dominant African National Congress. </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 ANC has held the presidency and a majority in parliament since the end of the country’s racist apartheid system in 1994, but the previously revered organization won less than half the vote in 2021 local elections. </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"">If its support drops below 50%, the party will need to form a coalition to ensure that lawmakers reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa. </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"">South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, plans to hold its long-delayed first elections in December. The balloting would represent a key milestone but could be rife with danger and vulnerable to failure under current conditions. </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"">Nicholas Haysom, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, told the Security Council last month that voter registration details, a security plan and a way to resolve disputes are among the missing elements needed to ensure free elections that are "deemed credible and acceptable to South Sudanese citizens.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">RUBBER-STAMP EXERCISES</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> <br /> There’s little doubt about who will win Russia's presidential election in March. President Vladimir Putin faces only token opposition in his bid for a fifth term. His main rivals are in prison, in exile or dead, and a politician calling for peace in Ukraine was disqualified. </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’s a similar story in Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko. On Feb. 25, the country is expected to hold its first parliamentary election since Lukashenko's government crushed protests against the Putin ally's disputed 2020 reelection. Thousands of opponents are in prison or have fled the country. </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"">Still, for all its problems, the democratic ideal retains widespread appeal, even for authoritarian leaders, Maddox said. </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 fact that they choose to hold elections shows that they see the value of claiming to have a free vote,” she said. – AP/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19700', 'image' => '20240113113505_Getty_Vote_Ballot_Election.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:33:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19972', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Kathmandu Valley Folks to get Water Supply from Melamchi in Three Days ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days. The water supply, which was obstructed due to flood and landslide, is all set to resume from January 15. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Water is already being channeled to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening after repair and maintenance works. Senior Divisional Engineer at the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Padam Bahadur Kunwar, told RSS that water has been diverted to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening as per the agreement between the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee and the construction company on December 19 to send the water to Kathmandu Valley within 28 days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The Melamchi water will reach Sundarijal-based water treatment plant within a few days as half of the 27-kilometer tunnel is already filled with water," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, preparations were underway to distribute water from Melamchi to the Kathmandu Valley folks from January 15. Around 170 million litres of drinking water will be supplied to Kathmandu on a daily basis, according to project director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Zakki Ahmad Ansari. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19699', 'image' => '20240113113318_melamchi rss (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:30:25', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19971', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contractor of Narayangadh-Butwal Road Project Pledges to Complete the Work in 15 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The work remains incomplete even after the extension of the deadline twice.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The project directorate under the Department of Roads and the Asian Development Bank held a press conference on Thursday and provided this information amid public scrutiny and pressure from political parties.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala said that the the concerned authorities are working at a war footing to complete the project on time. He also said that the work has gained momentum recently due to constant pressure on the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Minister Jwala said that the road expansion was delayed due to the problem related to electricity poles, forest clearance, drinking water, extraction of construction materials and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jwala said, "Since the problems have been identified, the work will be completed by coordinating with all sides." </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Arguing that all the roads should not be demolished at once, he said, "We will first build a two-lane road on one side of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section and take the responsibility of demolishing the other lane."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Director of the Project Directorate Chudaraj Dhakal said that the lack of construction materials is major problem followed by problems related to electricity poles and site clearance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Dhakal, the contractors have been given repeated letters and warnings to complete the work on time or face action including revoking of contract.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the directorate sent letters to the builders seeking answers to reasons for the delay in completing the work and also their plans to complete the work on time.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He added that only a few days ago, the contractors submitted a plan with a commitment to complete the work in the next 15 months.</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 114 kilometres of road stretch was divided in two sections while awarding the contract through a global bidding process. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited had won the tender bids of both sections considering its proposal to construct the road section at the minimum base rate. </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 was expected to be completed in August 7, 2022. However, as the contract agreement ended on August 7, the government extended the deadline for one more year at the request of the construction company.</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 is being developed with nearly Rs 17 billion in loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19698', 'image' => '20240112050206_20220926014301_road.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 17:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19970', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEA Board of Directors Decides to Reconnect Power Supply', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">January 12: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The 960th meeting of the NEA Board of Directors held under chairmanship of Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation today decided to reconnect the electricity of the industries as per the decision of the cabinet meeting. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The NEA had disconnected the power supply to 24 industries that had to pay more than Rs 50 million tariff. The NEA Board of Directors had directed the NEA management to resume the power supply to such industries until the report submitted by a probe commission formed by the government and a decision taken by the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday had formed the probe commission under coordination of former justice of the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, to recommend for the resolution of power tariff dispute surfaced between the NEA and industrialists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and irrigation, and Industry Secretary are the members of the commission. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting through the Energy Ministry had directed the NEA to reconnect the power supply until the next decision of the government. The Ministry had on Thursday sent a letter to implement the directive. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly held on Thursday, NEA Deputy Executive Director Manoj Silwal had mentioned to resume power supply after making decision from the meeting of NEA Board of Directors as per the government's directive. (RSS) </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19697', 'image' => '20240112035550_collage (17).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 15:52:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19968', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SSF gets ISSA Membership', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world. The application sent by the Social Security Fund for ISSA membership was approved on June </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">26</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the fund said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ISSA is a leading international body of organizations established in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1927</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> in the context of social security in various countries. So far, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">320</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> organizations from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">160</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> countries have gained its membership.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">SSF’s membership of ISSA is expected to make Nepal's social security fund stronger at the international level and will also get an important platform for learning.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The scope of the social security fund in Nepal has expanded in recent months and includes workers from the formal and informal sectors as well as those in foreign employment, and self-employment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19695', 'image' => '20240112022230_SSF (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:21:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19967', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ten Life Insurance Companies yet to Meet the Paid-up Capital Requirement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. The board, now renamed as Nepal Insurance Authority, had instructed life insurance companies to maintain a paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion and a non-life insurance company of Rs 2.5 billion in March/April 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The authority had set a deadline of mid-July 2023 for the insurance companies to maintain the paid-up capital. Even after five months of the deadline, most of the companies have not been able to maintain the paid-up capital limit set by the authority.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sambharaj Lamichhane, head of the legal department of the authority, said that although the deadline for capital increase has passed, no action has been taken against the companies. He says that since the deadline was given until mid-July of last year, the companies should be exempted until the annual general meeting. He said that some companies are in the process of raising their capital as the merger and acquisition and issuance of the initial public offering (IPO) are still underway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among life insurance companies, 13 companies other than Metlife had to maintain the paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion. However, only three of these companies have fulfilled the condition so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The companies opted for merger and acquisition to raise the capital and then took the measure of issuing bonus shares and rights shares when the funds were insufficient.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the ten companies, Rastriya Jeevan Bima Company (former Rastriya Bima Sansthan) has the lowest paid-up capital. This company needs an additional capital of Rs 2.97 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The National Insurance Company has put forward a plan to raise its capital by Rs 3.5 billion through institutional shareholders and Rs 1.5 billion by issuing IPO to the general public.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Apart from this, Reliable Nepal Life Insurance Company plans to add Rs 640 million of capital by issuing 16 per cent bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suryajyoti Life Insurance, which requires a capital of Rs 454.4 million, has not yet announced any plans to increase its capital. The company, which opted for merger, is likely to issue bonus shares or equity as a means of capital increment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prabhu Mahalakshmi Life Insurance Company will issue 17 per cent right shares to raise the insufficient fund. Similarly, Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) will collect an additional capital of Rs 2.34 billion through rights shares. The company has already submitted an application to the Securities Board of Nepal for this purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Citizen Life Insurance Company, which needs an additional capital of Rs 1.25 billion, is raising Rs 187.5 million through 5 per cent bonus shares. Even after issuing the bonus shares, Citizen Life will need an additional capital of more than Rs 1.06 billion. The company has yet to decide on raising the said capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sun Nepal Life, IME Life, Sanima Reliance Life and Asian Life will also have to raise their capital to meet the requirement set by the NIA. Asian Life needs to raise Rs 1.84 billion, Sun Nepal Life Rs 1.80 billion, Sanima Reliance Life Rs 81.6 million, and IME Life needs to raise Rs 1 billion. These companies have not officially decided to issue bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19694', 'image' => '20240112022107_Life Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:20:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19966', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Setikhola Hydropower Project begins Power Generation ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project with the capacity of 3.5 megawatt has also started its test transmission, completing the entire development works in five years. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project’s canal headwork is based at Beulibas of Paiyun Rural Municipality-2 while the powerhouse is located at Ghangre of Bihadi Rural Municipality-6. The water has been supplied to Ghangre through a 3,600 metres long pipe line from Beulibas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">China's Asia Pacific Project carried out the electromechanical job of the project while K and K Builders from Biratnagar performed the pipeline works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The secretary of the project, Dr Shiva Shankar Basyal, said that The Brothers Builders Kathmandu was assigned to build the civil construction of the project. It is said that the total cost of the project has exceeded Rs 1.1 billion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Basyal shared that the power generated from the project will be supplied to the national grid of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in two weeks adding that the power purchase agreement (PPA) has already been signed with the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Siddhartha Bank Limited and Garima Development Bank invested in the project. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19693', 'image' => '20240112013741_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 13:36:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19965', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Valley Traffic Police Start Using AI and ANPRC Technologies to Monitor Hit-and-Run Cases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. This is also because of the negligible use of technology to monitor traffic on the roads and highways throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Realising this, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, with support from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has introduced a new technology in the Valley that allows the police to monitor the vehicles plying in the roads in the Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Valley Traffic Police Office has started using high-tech cameras called 'automatic number plate recognition camera (ANPRC)' that can read the vehicle number plate and the drivers' activities behind the wheel. Police believe that this technology will mainly help them monitor the drivers' activities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The use of these advanced cameras will help the traffic police find out whether the person driving the vehicle has fastened seat belt or not, or is smoking, or talking on his/her mobile phone. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said this technology will provide immense help in traffic policing as these devices read the number plate of vehicle, capture photos of the activities up to the driver's seat and send the information to the server. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"For instance, when a vehicle is involved in a hit-and-run incident and we only know the colour of that vehicle and not its number plate, the cameras installed overhead the road read the number plate of the vehicles passing by that road and send information to the server. By scrutinizing the information in the server, we can know the number plate of all vehicles of that colour passing through the road. In this way, we can track the vehicle owner by coordinating with the Department of Transport Management," he explained. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This ANPR camera will contribute to providing fact-based information surrounding the incident. When verbal statements may be unreliable, technology and evidences will provide the facts, according to SSP Mainali. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, ANPR cameras have been placed in Munibhairabh, New Bus Park, and Maharajgunj areas. These advanced cameras boast the capability to accurately read number plates in the Nepali script and embossed formats, capturing and transmitting details promptly to the Kathmandu Valley's police control room. Munibhairav has four cameras, Maharajgunj has four, and the bus park area has two. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The police expect these cameras will significantly help in identifying details in 'hit and run' cases, where traditional investigations are often marred by challenges in identifying drivers and vehicles involved. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Metropolis has supported the installations of such cameras. The Kathmandu Valley Police realizes the need to expand the system to other areas as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Other local governments have also assured to support the Valley Police to fix such cameras.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It plans to install them along the transit points to the Kathmandu within the current fiscal year. Such cameras remain functional during nights as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The authorities are planning to fix 170 cameras in the Valley including face recognition cameras in 10 locations, ANPR cameras in 10 locations and AI technology- based camera at 150 locations. The Valley Police is getting technical assistance from the Synergy IT Solutions to implement this technology. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19692', 'image' => '20240112124009_KTM eight by six - Copy - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 12:39:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19964', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAN Suspends Star Cricketer Lamichhane after Rape Conviction', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Issuing a press statement on Thursday, CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand confirmed that Lamichhane has been suspended from playing national and international matches for the country as the District Court, Kathmandu has found him guilty in a rape case. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The District Court, Kathmandu on Wednesday had slapped an eight-year jail sentence to Lamichhane along with a fine of Rs 500,000. A single bench of District Court Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal issued the verdict. The court had declared Lamichhane guilty on December 29, 2023 but the sentence was announced only on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022 after a complaint was filed against him for allegedly raping a minor on September 6, 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The twenty-three-year-old left arm spinner is a former captain of the Nepali national cricket team. He raised quite a few eyebrows when he made his debut in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 as a teenager. He also has the experience of playing in Australia’s Big Bash and other major leagues worldwide. He is also the highest ODI wicket-taker for Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19691', 'image' => '20240112114309_sandeeppppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:42:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19963', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Another Nepali Youth Dies in Russia-Ukraine War ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The deceased has been identified as Sonu Sunar of Kathebar of Pyuthan Municipality-4.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state news agency RSS, Sunar’s friend, who was injured in the war, informed the family back home about the tragic news. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sunar, who was working in Qatar for two years, had left for Russia some months ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Khageshwar Thapa, a neighbour of the deceased Sunar, confirmed to RSS that another Nepali youth who sustained injuries in the war informed Sunar's family about the latter's passing away in Russia. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Mayor of Pyuthan Municipality, Bishnu Yogi, said that the folks in Pyuthan have been saddened by the news of the demise of Sunar and added that further details would be provided to the Sunar family on Friday. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, Thapa said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the incident. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This puts the death toll of Nepalis serving in the Russian army at 11 although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far confirmed only ten casualties.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the ministry, those killed in the war have been identified as Sandeep Thapaliya of Gorkha, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Gangaraj Moktan, Kundan Singh Nagal of Ilam district, Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja district, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali and Raj Kumar Giri of Dhading. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) recently decided not to issue work permits to Nepali nationals aspiring to work in war-torn Russia and Ukraine. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government body took such measure as increasing number of Nepali nationals were found to have joined the Russian army illegally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged Russia not to recruit Nepali citizens in its military rank and file and to send back any Nepali citizen who is currently serving in the army. The ministry has also sought information from Russia about the number of Nepalis who have joined the Russian Army, in addition to the injured ones and their condition. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier on August 1, the government issued a notice stating that the government has no policy of approving the recruitment of any Nepali citizens in foreign military forces expect in the national army of a few friendly nations in accordance with the long-standing agreement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Foreign Ministry has also urged all Nepalis to compulsorily receive no objection certificates (NOC) from the Nepali embassies and consulates in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Saudi Arab, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain if they are traveling to Russia via those countries. Earlier, the NOC was issued only from Consular Service Department under the Foreign Ministry for those going to Russia for other reasons except for government assignment, study purpose in Russian scholarship and businesses. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ministry has also urged Nepalis not to get recruited in the military service of the war-ravaged nations on the basis of false information or other's temptation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19690', 'image' => '20240112111355_20220719459a988fb97e63ab3ae.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:13:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19962', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Economic Indicators Show Positive Growth', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the year-on-year consumer price inflation moderated to 4.95 percent in mid-December 2023 compared to 7.38 percent a year ago.</span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> In the review period, merchandise imports decreased 3.4 percent to Rs 642.21 billion compared to a decrease of 20.7 percent a year ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Destination-wise, imports from India and other countries decreased 1.3 percent and 28.4 percent respectively while imports from China increased 32.8 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> Imports of readymade garments, M.S. wire rod, bars, and coils, electrical equipment, textiles, aircraft spareparts, among others increased whereas imports of gold, crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, petroleum products, rice/paddy, among others decreased. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The total trade deficit decreased 3.1 percent to Rs 579 billion during the review period. Such a deficit had decreased 18.8 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> The export-import ratio decreased to 9.8 percent in the review period from 10.1 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year, the NRB stated in its report. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the period, the remittance inflow recorded a robust growth of 27.6 percent to Rs 613.25 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 23.0 percent in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the balance of payment has remained at a surplus of Rs 210.59 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year which was at a surplus of Rs 45.87 billion in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank stated that the gross foreign exchange reserves increased 14.8 percent to Rs 1767.04 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1539.36 billion in mid-July 2023. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Of the total foreign exchange reserves, reserves held by NRB increased 15.6 percent to Rs 1556.25 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1345.78 billion in mid-July 2023. (RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19689', 'image' => '20240112063433_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 06:32:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19961', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal has Adopted a Liberal, Market-Oriented Economic Policy since the Early 90s: Minister Mahat', 'sub_title' => 'Finance Minister urges Foreigners to Invest in Energy, Tourism and Agriculture', 'summary' => 'January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. Minister Mahat has also urged them to invest in energy, tourism and agriculture sectors of Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the heads of state, ministers and investors of various countries during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2024 held in Gujarat, India, Minister Mahat invited them to the conference, according to the Personal Secretariat of the Finance Minister.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the conference, Minister Mahat said, "Investment conference is being held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. I invite investors from other countries along with India through this program. I hope that your innovative business ideas and investment decisions will be a new milestone for the development of Nepal."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Minister of Finance stated that there are great opportunities for investment in energy, tourism, agribusiness and information technology in Nepal and informed that there are other potential areas of investment such as health, education, manufacturing, construction and transportation, mining, banking and financial services. He added that this global forum for professional networking, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships to promote sustainable and inclusive growth is now a forum for all.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Appreciating the Vibrant Gujarat concept envisioned by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, he said, "The Vibrant Gujarat development model being followed nationwide has been a source of inspiration for many countries including Nepal to manage financial resources and technical knowledge to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of this time."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minisher Mahat said, "I have a fresh memory of what Mr Modi said in the Parliament of Nepal in 2014. He especially emphasized on HIT, that is highway, information and transmission line. I am pleased to say that we are working together to improve connectivity in all these areas, strengthening market linkages and reducing transaction costs. Recently, a long-term power purchase agreement has been signed between Nepal and India to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India over a period of 10 years. This will open a great opportunity for investment in hydropower in Nepal. This will help to achieve the green energy transition target not only in Nepal but also in India."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minister Mahat informed that Nepal, situated between two global economic powers, has adopted a liberal, market-oriented economic policy since the early 90s and is a member of many international organizations and multilateral agencies. He added, "We are implementing trade and investment policies and regulations according to international standards.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19688', 'image' => '20240111025609_20230402035731_1680390939.prakash sharan mahat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:55:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19959', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Complicated Process of VAT Rebate on Packaging Materials Discourages use of Domestic Products', 'sub_title' => 'Import of monobox worth billions puts domestic industry in crisis', 'summary' => 'January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry. However, none of these industries have purchased monoboxes produced in the country.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The government made this arrangement through the budget of the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the industries which are getting VAT exemption on monobox import at the customs point did not show interest in purchasing monoboxes from the domestic industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the government policy, the VAT paid when purchasing monomoxes from the domestic industry will be refunded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rabindra Kumar Baranwal, president of Printo Pack Industries of Birgunj, argues that the industries can import monoboxes by paying only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and therefore the industries are not interested in purchasing such products from the domestic market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Industries have to pay VAT and seek refund from the government when buying packaging materials from the domestic industries. So they opt for an easy option for importing monoboxes to save cost and time incurred in the process here,” said Barnawal, adding, 'Industrialists have not shown interest in purchasing domestic monoboxes because the time and process required to get back the tax paid to the government is very lengthy and complicated.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries that produces packaging materials pay </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">13</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent value-added tax to import paper, which is used as raw material to make monoboxes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, pharmaceutical companies and tea industries have to pay only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty to import ready-made monoboxes from abroad.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jugal Dhanawat, chairman of Archi Offset Printers, said that the customs duty levied on imported paper by the packaging industry is high. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“There should be at least one level of difference in the tariffs for the import of raw materials and finished goods. The packaging industry of the country is in crisis due to the high rate of customs duty which increases the cost of production,” Dhanawat said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries complain that they have not been able to benefit from the policy adopted by the government as the process of VAT exemption given by the government to the domestic industries is complicated. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Most of the monoboxes used in Nepal are imported from India. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> dozen pharmaceutical industries in Nepal import monoboxes from India. Industrialist Dhanawat estimates that such industries in the country import monoboxes worth around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion every year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Due to the import of such products worth billions of rupees from India, the domestic packaging industry is facing crisis because they cannot compete with Indian products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19687', 'image' => '20240111020205_monobox.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 14: The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to estimates based on wastewater analysis, the actual circulation of COVID-19 is two to 19 times higher than the number of reported cases, Maria van Kerkhove, the interim director of WHO responsible for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a special briefing in Geneva. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She also expressed concerns regarding the emergence of post-COVID conditions (also called "long COVID") affecting multiple organs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">While there has been a drastic reduction in COVID-related deaths since the peak, around 10,000 deaths per month are still reported from 50 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Van Kerkhove expressed concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the COVID-19 JN.1 variant representing around 57 percent of global sequences analyzed by the WHO. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Defined by specific criteria, including symptoms like severe fatigue, lung impairments, neurologic issues, and cardiac impairments persisting for four to 12 months or longer after the acute phase of the disease, the post-COVID condition is a matter of concern, she said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Estimates suggest that one in ten infections could lead to post-COVID conditions, including severe cases. "No treatments are available yet because it's still so new," van Kerkhove said. "There is insufficient attention and funding dedicated to this area," she added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> She also warned of the rapid increase in the number of influenza infections in the northern hemisphere, with influenza positivity standing at around 20-21 percent in week 51 of 2023. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expert also emphasized the need for simultaneous flu and COVID vaccination to mitigate the burden on healthcare systems. She also called for more booster vaccination, which is at a low level globally, with only 55 percent of older adults (over 75 or 80) having received a dose. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">By the end of December 2023, more than 7 million people had been reported to the WHO as having died from COVID-19. -- Xinhua/RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19702', 'image' => '20240114110800_WHO.jpg.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 11:07:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19974', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Drug Ltd to Produce 20 Additional Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 14: Nepal Drug Limited (NDL) is set to boost its pharmaceutical production by introducing 20 additional medicines, covering 98 different drug categories, for free distribution to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">General Manager Kailash Kumar Paneru revealed that the NDL plans to independently manufacture these medicines and supply them to the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This initiative comes in response to the Prime Minister's directive to mobilize resources and enhance trade activities. The Ministry for Industry and Commerce has also entered into an agreement to support the commercial sustainability and capacity building of NDL.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Historically, the company has produced 146 types of medicines, but over time, the variety declined to nine, and currently, it only manufactures CETAMOL. In an effort to revitalize the company, there is an emphasis on investment and diversification of production.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Despite facing challenges in market competition and technological limitations, General Manager Paneru is optimistic. He believes that following the Prime Minister's guidance and implementing a robust work plan will help the company compete effectively. Paneru stressed the need for capacity building to expand production capabilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Assuring the quality of medicines, Paneru mentioned that the drugs would be sold and distributed in collaboration with all local levels across the country. The company has witnessed an increase in production and sales, achieving a notable milestone of selling drugs worth Rs 10.5 million in the previous month alone.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NDL Chairperson Yagya Prasad Neupane shared the company's objective to produce 98 types of drugs for government distribution. Additionally, the company plans to leverage its land for income generation, intending to establish a commercial medical hub and expand production capacity to enhance competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre, the import of medicine-related products amounted to Rs 16.80 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2080/81). (RSS)</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-14', 'modified' => '2024-01-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19701', 'image' => '20240114072912_collage (10).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-14 07:26:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19973', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 50 Countries go to the Polls in 2024', 'sub_title' => 'The year will test even the most robust democracies ', 'summary' => 'January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: More than 50 countries that are home to half the planet's population are due to hold national elections in 2024, but the number of citizens exercising the right to vote is not unalloyed good news. The year looks set to test even the most robust democracies and to strengthen the hands of leaders with authoritarian leanings. </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"">From Russia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom to India, El Salvador and South Africa, the presidential and legislative contests have huge implications for human rights, economies, international relations and prospects for peace in a volatile world. </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"">In some countries, the balloting will be neither free nor fair. And in many, curbs on opposition candidates, weary electorates and the potential for manipulation and disinformation have made the fate of democracy a front-and-center campaign issue. </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"">A possible rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump looms large in the election calendar; a Trump victory in November is perhaps the greatest global wildcard. Yet high-stakes votes before then also will gauge the “mood of dissatisfaction, impatience, uneasiness” among far-flung electorates, said Bronwen Maddox, director of the London-based think-tank Chatham House. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">VOTES WITH GLOBAL IMPACT </span></strong></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"">Taiwan’s elections for president and the 113-member legislature take place Saturday under intense pressure from China, which makes the outcome important to much of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the U.S. </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"">Beijing has renewed its threat to use military force to annex the self-governing island it regards as its own territory, and described the elections as a choice between war and peace. None of the three leading presidential candidates has indicated a desire to try China's resolve by declaring Taiwan's independence. </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"">That said, front-runner William Lai, who is currently Taiwan’s vice president, has promised to strengthen the island's defense, and a victory by him could heighten cross-strait tensions. The opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, is more amenable to Beijing than Lai's Democratic People’s Party. </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"">Taiwan’s 23 million people overwhelmingly favor maintaining the island’s de facto independence through self-rule. Domestic issues such as housing and health care therefore are likely to play a deciding role in the presidential race. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">LEADERS LOOK TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIPS </span></strong></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"">Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term Monday in an election that opposition parties boycotted and preceded by violence. Hasina's Awami League party was reelected on a low turnout of 40%, and the stifling of dissent risks triggering political turmoil. </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"">India, the world’s most populous country, is due to hold a general election by mid-2024 that is likely to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party a third consecutive term. </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"">To his supporters, Modi is a political outsider who has cleaned up after decades of corruption and made India an emerging global power. Critics say assaults on the press and free speech, as well as attacks on religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, have grown brazen on his watch. </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"">Another leader seeking to retain power is El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has won widespread support since using emergency powers for an aggressive crackdown on ultra-violent street gangs. </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"">A Supreme Court filled by his party’s appointees cleared Bukele to run on Feb. 4 despite a constitutional ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms. While foreign governments have criticized the suspension of some civil rights, Bukele is not expected to face serious competition. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">MILESTONES — AND MORE OF THE SAME </span></strong></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"">Mexico is poised to elect its first female president on June 2 -- either former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, a protégé of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or a former opposition senator, Xóchitl Gálvez. The winner will govern a country with daunting drug-related violence and an increasingly influential military. </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"">Voters in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, are choosing a successor to President Joko Widodo on Feb. 14. Opinion polls indicate a close race between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a right-wing nationalist, and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, the governing party’s candidate. </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"">Subianto's running mate is outgoing leader Widodo's son, prompting speculation of a dynasty in the making. Either winner, though, would mark a continuation of the corruption-tainted politics that have dominated Indonesia since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998. </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"">Pakistan's Feb. 8 parliamentary election also is being contested by well-established politicians, under the eye of the country's powerful military. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a popular opposition figure, is imprisoned, and election officials blocked him from running. </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"">His rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, was allowed on the ballot after his corruption convictions were overturned. Also running is the Pakistan Peoples Party led by former Foreign Minister Bulawal Bhutto Zardari. </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"">Analysts say the election is likely to produce a shaky government. The vote may be postponed amid plummeting relations with Taliban-controlled neighbor Afghanistan and deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">HAS POPULISM PEAKED ? </span></strong></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"">Populism gained ground in Europe as the continent experienced economic instability and mass migration from elsewhere. June elections for the parliament of the 27-nation European Union will be a sign of whether traditional parties can see off populist rivals, many of which are skeptical of military support for Ukraine. </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"">Last year's national elections produced mixed signals: Slovakia elected pro-Russia populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, but voters in Poland replaced a conservative government with a coalition led by centrist Donald Tusk. </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"">Mujtaba Rahman of political consultancy Eurasia Group predicted that the upcoming European Parliament races won't produce a populist majority but “the center will lose ground compared to the last vote" in 2019. </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"">In former EU member Britain, populism found expression in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the turbulent term of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A U.K. general election this year will pit the governing Conservatives against the center-left Labour Party, which is firmly ahead in opinion polls as it seeks to regain power after 14 years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGES IN AFRICA </span></strong></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"">Climate change, disrupted grain supplies from the Ukraine war, and increasing attention from China and Russia are among the forces reshaping Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent. </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"">Eight West African countries have had military coups since 2020, including Niger and Gabon in 2023. </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"">Senegal is regarded as a bastion of stability in the region. Now that President Macky Sall is stepping down, his country's Feb. 25 election is seen as an indicator of the country’s political resilience. </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"">Supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko accuse the government of trying to stop him running with a series of legal cases that have sparked deadly protests. The presidential election could “mark a return to the norms of previous years or signal a lasting shift towards more volatile politics,” said Eurasia group analyst Tochi Eni-Kalu. </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"">In South Africa, a legislative election due between May and August has a struggling economy, crippling power blackouts and an unemployment rate of nearly 32% as the political backdrop. Overcoming voter disillusionment will be a challenge for the long-dominant African National Congress. </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 ANC has held the presidency and a majority in parliament since the end of the country’s racist apartheid system in 1994, but the previously revered organization won less than half the vote in 2021 local elections. </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"">If its support drops below 50%, the party will need to form a coalition to ensure that lawmakers reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa. </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"">South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, plans to hold its long-delayed first elections in December. The balloting would represent a key milestone but could be rife with danger and vulnerable to failure under current conditions. </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"">Nicholas Haysom, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, told the Security Council last month that voter registration details, a security plan and a way to resolve disputes are among the missing elements needed to ensure free elections that are "deemed credible and acceptable to South Sudanese citizens.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">RUBBER-STAMP EXERCISES</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> <br /> There’s little doubt about who will win Russia's presidential election in March. President Vladimir Putin faces only token opposition in his bid for a fifth term. His main rivals are in prison, in exile or dead, and a politician calling for peace in Ukraine was disqualified. </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’s a similar story in Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko. On Feb. 25, the country is expected to hold its first parliamentary election since Lukashenko's government crushed protests against the Putin ally's disputed 2020 reelection. Thousands of opponents are in prison or have fled the country. </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"">Still, for all its problems, the democratic ideal retains widespread appeal, even for authoritarian leaders, Maddox said. </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 fact that they choose to hold elections shows that they see the value of claiming to have a free vote,” she said. – AP/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19700', 'image' => '20240113113505_Getty_Vote_Ballot_Election.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:33:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19972', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Kathmandu Valley Folks to get Water Supply from Melamchi in Three Days ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 13: Kathmandu Valley denizens will get water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project within the next three days. The water supply, which was obstructed due to flood and landslide, is all set to resume from January 15. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Water is already being channeled to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening after repair and maintenance works. Senior Divisional Engineer at the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Padam Bahadur Kunwar, told RSS that water has been diverted to Kathmandu from Wednesday evening as per the agreement between the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee and the construction company on December 19 to send the water to Kathmandu Valley within 28 days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The Melamchi water will reach Sundarijal-based water treatment plant within a few days as half of the 27-kilometer tunnel is already filled with water," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, preparations were underway to distribute water from Melamchi to the Kathmandu Valley folks from January 15. Around 170 million litres of drinking water will be supplied to Kathmandu on a daily basis, according to project director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, Zakki Ahmad Ansari. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-13', 'modified' => '2024-01-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19699', 'image' => '20240113113318_melamchi rss (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-13 11:30:25', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19971', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Contractor of Narayangadh-Butwal Road Project Pledges to Complete the Work in 15 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The Chinese company associated with the construction of Narayangadh-Butwal road has expressed its commitment to complete its work along a section of the East-West Highway in 15 months.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The work remains incomplete even after the extension of the deadline twice.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The project directorate under the Department of Roads and the Asian Development Bank held a press conference on Thursday and provided this information amid public scrutiny and pressure from political parties.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala said that the the concerned authorities are working at a war footing to complete the project on time. He also said that the work has gained momentum recently due to constant pressure on the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Minister Jwala said that the road expansion was delayed due to the problem related to electricity poles, forest clearance, drinking water, extraction of construction materials and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jwala said, "Since the problems have been identified, the work will be completed by coordinating with all sides." </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Arguing that all the roads should not be demolished at once, he said, "We will first build a two-lane road on one side of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section and take the responsibility of demolishing the other lane."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Director of the Project Directorate Chudaraj Dhakal said that the lack of construction materials is major problem followed by problems related to electricity poles and site clearance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Dhakal, the contractors have been given repeated letters and warnings to complete the work on time or face action including revoking of contract.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the directorate sent letters to the builders seeking answers to reasons for the delay in completing the work and also their plans to complete the work on time.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He added that only a few days ago, the contractors submitted a plan with a commitment to complete the work in the next 15 months.</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 114 kilometres of road stretch was divided in two sections while awarding the contract through a global bidding process. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited had won the tender bids of both sections considering its proposal to construct the road section at the minimum base rate. </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 was expected to be completed in August 7, 2022. However, as the contract agreement ended on August 7, the government extended the deadline for one more year at the request of the construction company.</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 is being developed with nearly Rs 17 billion in loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19698', 'image' => '20240112050206_20220926014301_road.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 17:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19970', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEA Board of Directors Decides to Reconnect Power Supply', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">January 12: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to resume power supply to the consumers who have used electricity from dedicated feeder and trunk line in the past but have not paid premium charge for that.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The 960th meeting of the NEA Board of Directors held under chairmanship of Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation today decided to reconnect the electricity of the industries as per the decision of the cabinet meeting. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The NEA had disconnected the power supply to 24 industries that had to pay more than Rs 50 million tariff. The NEA Board of Directors had directed the NEA management to resume the power supply to such industries until the report submitted by a probe commission formed by the government and a decision taken by the government.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday had formed the probe commission under coordination of former justice of the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, to recommend for the resolution of power tariff dispute surfaced between the NEA and industrialists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and irrigation, and Industry Secretary are the members of the commission. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting through the Energy Ministry had directed the NEA to reconnect the power supply until the next decision of the government. The Ministry had on Thursday sent a letter to implement the directive. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly held on Thursday, NEA Deputy Executive Director Manoj Silwal had mentioned to resume power supply after making decision from the meeting of NEA Board of Directors as per the government's directive. (RSS) </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19697', 'image' => '20240112035550_collage (17).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 15:52:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19968', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SSF gets ISSA Membership', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 12: The Social Security Fund has joined the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the umbrella organization for social security programs in the world. The application sent by the Social Security Fund for ISSA membership was approved on June </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">26</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2023</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the fund said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ISSA is a leading international body of organizations established in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1927</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> in the context of social security in various countries. So far, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">320</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> organizations from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">160</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> countries have gained its membership.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">SSF’s membership of ISSA is expected to make Nepal's social security fund stronger at the international level and will also get an important platform for learning.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The scope of the social security fund in Nepal has expanded in recent months and includes workers from the formal and informal sectors as well as those in foreign employment, and self-employment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19695', 'image' => '20240112022230_SSF (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:21:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19967', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ten Life Insurance Companies yet to Meet the Paid-up Capital Requirement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">January 12: The campaign initiated by the then Insurance Board of Nepal to raise the paid-up capital of insurance companies is yet to be accomplished. The board, now renamed as Nepal Insurance Authority, had instructed life insurance companies to maintain a paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion and a non-life insurance company of Rs 2.5 billion in March/April 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The authority had set a deadline of mid-July 2023 for the insurance companies to maintain the paid-up capital. Even after five months of the deadline, most of the companies have not been able to maintain the paid-up capital limit set by the authority.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sambharaj Lamichhane, head of the legal department of the authority, said that although the deadline for capital increase has passed, no action has been taken against the companies. He says that since the deadline was given until mid-July of last year, the companies should be exempted until the annual general meeting. He said that some companies are in the process of raising their capital as the merger and acquisition and issuance of the initial public offering (IPO) are still underway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among life insurance companies, 13 companies other than Metlife had to maintain the paid-up capital of Rs 5 billion. However, only three of these companies have fulfilled the condition so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The companies opted for merger and acquisition to raise the capital and then took the measure of issuing bonus shares and rights shares when the funds were insufficient.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the ten companies, Rastriya Jeevan Bima Company (former Rastriya Bima Sansthan) has the lowest paid-up capital. This company needs an additional capital of Rs 2.97 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The National Insurance Company has put forward a plan to raise its capital by Rs 3.5 billion through institutional shareholders and Rs 1.5 billion by issuing IPO to the general public.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Apart from this, Reliable Nepal Life Insurance Company plans to add Rs 640 million of capital by issuing 16 per cent bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suryajyoti Life Insurance, which requires a capital of Rs 454.4 million, has not yet announced any plans to increase its capital. The company, which opted for merger, is likely to issue bonus shares or equity as a means of capital increment.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prabhu Mahalakshmi Life Insurance Company will issue 17 per cent right shares to raise the insufficient fund. Similarly, Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) will collect an additional capital of Rs 2.34 billion through rights shares. The company has already submitted an application to the Securities Board of Nepal for this purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Citizen Life Insurance Company, which needs an additional capital of Rs 1.25 billion, is raising Rs 187.5 million through 5 per cent bonus shares. Even after issuing the bonus shares, Citizen Life will need an additional capital of more than Rs 1.06 billion. The company has yet to decide on raising the said capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sun Nepal Life, IME Life, Sanima Reliance Life and Asian Life will also have to raise their capital to meet the requirement set by the NIA. Asian Life needs to raise Rs 1.84 billion, Sun Nepal Life Rs 1.80 billion, Sanima Reliance Life Rs 81.6 million, and IME Life needs to raise Rs 1 billion. These companies have not officially decided to issue bonus shares.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19694', 'image' => '20240112022107_Life Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 14:20:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19966', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Setikhola Hydropower Project begins Power Generation ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: The Setikhola Hydropower Project in Parbat district has started power generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project with the capacity of 3.5 megawatt has also started its test transmission, completing the entire development works in five years. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The project’s canal headwork is based at Beulibas of Paiyun Rural Municipality-2 while the powerhouse is located at Ghangre of Bihadi Rural Municipality-6. The water has been supplied to Ghangre through a 3,600 metres long pipe line from Beulibas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">China's Asia Pacific Project carried out the electromechanical job of the project while K and K Builders from Biratnagar performed the pipeline works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The secretary of the project, Dr Shiva Shankar Basyal, said that The Brothers Builders Kathmandu was assigned to build the civil construction of the project. It is said that the total cost of the project has exceeded Rs 1.1 billion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Basyal shared that the power generated from the project will be supplied to the national grid of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in two weeks adding that the power purchase agreement (PPA) has already been signed with the NEA. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Siddhartha Bank Limited and Garima Development Bank invested in the project. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19693', 'image' => '20240112013741_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 13:36:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19965', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Valley Traffic Police Start Using AI and ANPRC Technologies to Monitor Hit-and-Run Cases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">January 12: Hit-and-run cases have become a frequent headache for the traffic police in Nepal. This is also because of the negligible use of technology to monitor traffic on the roads and highways throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Realising this, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, with support from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has introduced a new technology in the Valley that allows the police to monitor the vehicles plying in the roads in the Valley. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Valley Traffic Police Office has started using high-tech cameras called 'automatic number plate recognition camera (ANPRC)' that can read the vehicle number plate and the drivers' activities behind the wheel. Police believe that this technology will mainly help them monitor the drivers' activities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The use of these advanced cameras will help the traffic police find out whether the person driving the vehicle has fastened seat belt or not, or is smoking, or talking on his/her mobile phone. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said this technology will provide immense help in traffic policing as these devices read the number plate of vehicle, capture photos of the activities up to the driver's seat and send the information to the server. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"For instance, when a vehicle is involved in a hit-and-run incident and we only know the colour of that vehicle and not its number plate, the cameras installed overhead the road read the number plate of the vehicles passing by that road and send information to the server. By scrutinizing the information in the server, we can know the number plate of all vehicles of that colour passing through the road. In this way, we can track the vehicle owner by coordinating with the Department of Transport Management," he explained. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">This ANPR camera will contribute to providing fact-based information surrounding the incident. When verbal statements may be unreliable, technology and evidences will provide the facts, according to SSP Mainali. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, ANPR cameras have been placed in Munibhairabh, New Bus Park, and Maharajgunj areas. These advanced cameras boast the capability to accurately read number plates in the Nepali script and embossed formats, capturing and transmitting details promptly to the Kathmandu Valley's police control room. Munibhairav has four cameras, Maharajgunj has four, and the bus park area has two. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The police expect these cameras will significantly help in identifying details in 'hit and run' cases, where traditional investigations are often marred by challenges in identifying drivers and vehicles involved. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Kathmandu Metropolis has supported the installations of such cameras. The Kathmandu Valley Police realizes the need to expand the system to other areas as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Other local governments have also assured to support the Valley Police to fix such cameras.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">It plans to install them along the transit points to the Kathmandu within the current fiscal year. Such cameras remain functional during nights as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The authorities are planning to fix 170 cameras in the Valley including face recognition cameras in 10 locations, ANPR cameras in 10 locations and AI technology- based camera at 150 locations. The Valley Police is getting technical assistance from the Synergy IT Solutions to implement this technology. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19692', 'image' => '20240112124009_KTM eight by six - Copy - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 12:39:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19964', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAN Suspends Star Cricketer Lamichhane after Rape Conviction', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 12: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended former captain of the Nepali national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane after he was convicted of rape by the district court. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Issuing a press statement on Thursday, CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand confirmed that Lamichhane has been suspended from playing national and international matches for the country as the District Court, Kathmandu has found him guilty in a rape case. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The District Court, Kathmandu on Wednesday had slapped an eight-year jail sentence to Lamichhane along with a fine of Rs 500,000. A single bench of District Court Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal issued the verdict. The court had declared Lamichhane guilty on December 29, 2023 but the sentence was announced only on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022 after a complaint was filed against him for allegedly raping a minor on September 6, 2022. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The twenty-three-year-old left arm spinner is a former captain of the Nepali national cricket team. He raised quite a few eyebrows when he made his debut in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 as a teenager. He also has the experience of playing in Australia’s Big Bash and other major leagues worldwide. He is also the highest ODI wicket-taker for Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19691', 'image' => '20240112114309_sandeeppppp.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:42:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19963', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Another Nepali Youth Dies in Russia-Ukraine War ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: A youth from Pyuthan district, who was serving the Russian Army, has reportedly died in the Russia-Ukraine war. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The deceased has been identified as Sonu Sunar of Kathebar of Pyuthan Municipality-4.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state news agency RSS, Sunar’s friend, who was injured in the war, informed the family back home about the tragic news. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sunar, who was working in Qatar for two years, had left for Russia some months ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Khageshwar Thapa, a neighbour of the deceased Sunar, confirmed to RSS that another Nepali youth who sustained injuries in the war informed Sunar's family about the latter's passing away in Russia. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Mayor of Pyuthan Municipality, Bishnu Yogi, said that the folks in Pyuthan have been saddened by the news of the demise of Sunar and added that further details would be provided to the Sunar family on Friday. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, Thapa said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the incident. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This puts the death toll of Nepalis serving in the Russian army at 11 although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far confirmed only ten casualties.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the ministry, those killed in the war have been identified as Sandeep Thapaliya of Gorkha, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Gangaraj Moktan, Kundan Singh Nagal of Ilam district, Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja district, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali and Raj Kumar Giri of Dhading. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) recently decided not to issue work permits to Nepali nationals aspiring to work in war-torn Russia and Ukraine. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government body took such measure as increasing number of Nepali nationals were found to have joined the Russian army illegally.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged Russia not to recruit Nepali citizens in its military rank and file and to send back any Nepali citizen who is currently serving in the army. The ministry has also sought information from Russia about the number of Nepalis who have joined the Russian Army, in addition to the injured ones and their condition. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Earlier on August 1, the government issued a notice stating that the government has no policy of approving the recruitment of any Nepali citizens in foreign military forces expect in the national army of a few friendly nations in accordance with the long-standing agreement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Foreign Ministry has also urged all Nepalis to compulsorily receive no objection certificates (NOC) from the Nepali embassies and consulates in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Saudi Arab, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain if they are traveling to Russia via those countries. Earlier, the NOC was issued only from Consular Service Department under the Foreign Ministry for those going to Russia for other reasons except for government assignment, study purpose in Russian scholarship and businesses. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The ministry has also urged Nepalis not to get recruited in the military service of the war-ravaged nations on the basis of false information or other's temptation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19690', 'image' => '20240112111355_20220719459a988fb97e63ab3ae.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 11:13:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19962', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Economic Indicators Show Positive Growth', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">January 12: Most of the indicators of the country's economy have shown positive growth during the first five months of the current fiscal year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the country's current macroeconomic and financial situation of the first five months released by the central bank on Thursday, most of the economic indicators have emerged positive as inflation has decreased and the country has shown robust remittance inflows and foreign reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the year-on-year consumer price inflation moderated to 4.95 percent in mid-December 2023 compared to 7.38 percent a year ago.</span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> In the review period, merchandise imports decreased 3.4 percent to Rs 642.21 billion compared to a decrease of 20.7 percent a year ago. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Destination-wise, imports from India and other countries decreased 1.3 percent and 28.4 percent respectively while imports from China increased 32.8 percent.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> Imports of readymade garments, M.S. wire rod, bars, and coils, electrical equipment, textiles, aircraft spareparts, among others increased whereas imports of gold, crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, petroleum products, rice/paddy, among others decreased. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The total trade deficit decreased 3.1 percent to Rs 579 billion during the review period. Such a deficit had decreased 18.8 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> The export-import ratio decreased to 9.8 percent in the review period from 10.1 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year, the NRB stated in its report. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the period, the remittance inflow recorded a robust growth of 27.6 percent to Rs 613.25 billion in the review period compared to an increase of 23.0 percent in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Similarly, the balance of payment has remained at a surplus of Rs 210.59 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year which was at a surplus of Rs 45.87 billion in the same period of the previous year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The central bank stated that the gross foreign exchange reserves increased 14.8 percent to Rs 1767.04 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1539.36 billion in mid-July 2023. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Of the total foreign exchange reserves, reserves held by NRB increased 15.6 percent to Rs 1556.25 billion in mid-December 2023 from Rs 1345.78 billion in mid-July 2023. (RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-12', 'modified' => '2024-01-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19689', 'image' => '20240112063433_collage (9).jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-12 06:32:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19961', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal has Adopted a Liberal, Market-Oriented Economic Policy since the Early 90s: Minister Mahat', 'sub_title' => 'Finance Minister urges Foreigners to Invest in Energy, Tourism and Agriculture', 'summary' => 'January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">January 11: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has urged investors from India and other countries to attend the investment summit to be held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. Minister Mahat has also urged them to invest in energy, tourism and agriculture sectors of Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the heads of state, ministers and investors of various countries during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2024 held in Gujarat, India, Minister Mahat invited them to the conference, according to the Personal Secretariat of the Finance Minister.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Addressing the conference, Minister Mahat said, "Investment conference is being held in Nepal on April 28 and 29. I invite investors from other countries along with India through this program. I hope that your innovative business ideas and investment decisions will be a new milestone for the development of Nepal."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Minister of Finance stated that there are great opportunities for investment in energy, tourism, agribusiness and information technology in Nepal and informed that there are other potential areas of investment such as health, education, manufacturing, construction and transportation, mining, banking and financial services. He added that this global forum for professional networking, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships to promote sustainable and inclusive growth is now a forum for all.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Appreciating the Vibrant Gujarat concept envisioned by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, he said, "The Vibrant Gujarat development model being followed nationwide has been a source of inspiration for many countries including Nepal to manage financial resources and technical knowledge to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of this time."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minisher Mahat said, "I have a fresh memory of what Mr Modi said in the Parliament of Nepal in 2014. He especially emphasized on HIT, that is highway, information and transmission line. I am pleased to say that we are working together to improve connectivity in all these areas, strengthening market linkages and reducing transaction costs. Recently, a long-term power purchase agreement has been signed between Nepal and India to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India over a period of 10 years. This will open a great opportunity for investment in hydropower in Nepal. This will help to achieve the green energy transition target not only in Nepal but also in India."</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Minister Mahat informed that Nepal, situated between two global economic powers, has adopted a liberal, market-oriented economic policy since the early 90s and is a member of many international organizations and multilateral agencies. He added, "We are implementing trade and investment policies and regulations according to international standards.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19688', 'image' => '20240111025609_20230402035731_1680390939.prakash sharan mahat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:55:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19959', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Complicated Process of VAT Rebate on Packaging Materials Discourages use of Domestic Products', 'sub_title' => 'Import of monobox worth billions puts domestic industry in crisis', 'summary' => 'January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 11: It has been three and a half years since the government announced to refund the value added tax (VAT) on the packaging material (monobox) purchased by the local pharmaceutical companies and tea industry from the domestic packaging industry. However, none of these industries have purchased monoboxes produced in the country.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The government made this arrangement through the budget of the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the industries which are getting VAT exemption on monobox import at the customs point did not show interest in purchasing monoboxes from the domestic industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the government policy, the VAT paid when purchasing monomoxes from the domestic industry will be refunded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rabindra Kumar Baranwal, president of Printo Pack Industries of Birgunj, argues that the industries can import monoboxes by paying only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and therefore the industries are not interested in purchasing such products from the domestic market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Industries have to pay VAT and seek refund from the government when buying packaging materials from the domestic industries. So they opt for an easy option for importing monoboxes to save cost and time incurred in the process here,” said Barnawal, adding, 'Industrialists have not shown interest in purchasing domestic monoboxes because the time and process required to get back the tax paid to the government is very lengthy and complicated.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries that produces packaging materials pay </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">13</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent value-added tax to import paper, which is used as raw material to make monoboxes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, pharmaceutical companies and tea industries have to pay only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent customs duty to import ready-made monoboxes from abroad.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jugal Dhanawat, chairman of Archi Offset Printers, said that the customs duty levied on imported paper by the packaging industry is high. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“There should be at least one level of difference in the tariffs for the import of raw materials and finished goods. The packaging industry of the country is in crisis due to the high rate of customs duty which increases the cost of production,” Dhanawat said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The domestic industries complain that they have not been able to benefit from the policy adopted by the government as the process of VAT exemption given by the government to the domestic industries is complicated. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Most of the monoboxes used in Nepal are imported from India. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> dozen pharmaceutical industries in Nepal import monoboxes from India. Industrialist Dhanawat estimates that such industries in the country import monoboxes worth around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion every year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Due to the import of such products worth billions of rupees from India, the domestic packaging industry is facing crisis because they cannot compete with Indian products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2024-01-11', 'modified' => '2024-01-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19687', 'image' => '20240111020205_monobox.jpg', 'article_date' => '2024-01-11 14:01:18', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
