December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal…
December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal…
December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase…
December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province.…
December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment.…
December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion…
December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the…
December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda…
December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the…
December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance.…
December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working…
December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now.…
December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban…
December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD)…
December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this…
December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice.…
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19839', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fuel Imports Account for Half of Government’s Revenue', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal year.', '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"">December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal 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"">According to the Birgunj Customs Office, it collected </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">46.96</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue up to mid-December in the current FY from the import of petroleum products. According to Birgunj Customs Office, fuel import has increased in recent months.</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"">Information officer of Birgunj Customs, Ram Chandra Dhakal, said that the fuel imports accounted for </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">53.90</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue collected from mid-November to mid-December.</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"">Birgunj is the main entry point for petroleum products. Fuel is imported from this checkpoint using the Motihari-Amlekhagunj petroleum pipeline as well as land route. </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 Birgunj Customs, a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">379</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"">92</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of diesel, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">162</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of petrol, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">682</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of aviation turbine fuel, and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">114</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"">47</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million kg of cooking gas have been imported through this border point in the first five months of the current fiscal 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"">According to customs office, the contribution of vehicles to the total revenue stands at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. Customs officials said that the import of vehicles has decreased due to the high interest rates and low market demand. </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"">Four wheelers including jeeps, cars, vans, trucks and bus chassis as well as motorcycles, vehicle parts, and electric vehicles are imported through this customs point. Customs data show that the import of unassembled motorcycles has increased recently. Such imports have increased due to the opening of the motorcycle assembly industry 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"">Both the import volume and revenue from Birgunj customs have declined this year. In the first five</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">months of the current fiscal year, this customs point recorded foreign trade (import and export) equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">255</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"">26 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, the trade volume from this customs stood at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">310</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"">80 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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 trade deficit from this customs point has alone reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">229</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"">89 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion.</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"">Data show that even though the government has lifted all kinds of import restrictions, there has been no improvement in foreign trade. </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 decline in imports, Birgunj Customs has not been able to meet its revenue collection target. Birgunj customs was given a target to collect Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">98.56 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion till mid-December. Information Officer Dhakal said that the customs office has been able to collect only Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion during this period. The revenue collection of Birgunj Customs is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62.91 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of the target. During the same period last year, the revenue was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">63</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"">45 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19566', 'image' => '20231228111410_petroo - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 11:13:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19838', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs CIAA to Initiate Probe into TERAMOCS Purchase Deal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Wednesday asked the CIAA to submit the progress details to the committee within 30 days after conducting a study on TERAMOCS purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PAC Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel shared that the committee also directed the government to immediately stop the process of implementing TERAMOCS system.</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 meeting has directed the government, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Nepal Telecommunications Authority not to enforce the technology and not to make additional payment," said Pokharel. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee held on October 13 had asked the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to provide all the documents regarding the purchase of TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The study carried out after receiving the documents from Nepal Telecommunications Authority and extensive discussion in the committee concluded that the existing laws and policy-level arrangements were violated in course of buying the TERAMOCS. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19565', 'image' => '20231228100642_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 10:05:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19837', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases Detected among India-Returnees in Sudurpaschim Province ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. The infection rate was nil until last week, but eight cases have been detected this week. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Ganesh Saud, an Auxiliary Health Worker stationed at the Health Desk in Gauriphanta along the Nepal-India border said that symptoms were observed among some India-returnees. Eight positive cases were confirmed through antigen tests. Four samples of the infected have been sent to Kathmandu through the province-based lab to identify the disease variant. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the border have been advised to observe home- isolation and those having severe symptoms are advised to visit hospitals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Saud, the World Health Organisation recently warned against the detection of a new variant of the disease. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19564', 'image' => '20231228090325_coronaaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 09:01:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19833', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Companies Fail to Diversify Investment, Focus on Fixed Deposits of Banks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. However, it has been found that the investment of insurance companies is limited to term deposits of banks and financial institutions (BFIs).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the authority's data, the total investment of life insurance companies stands at Rs 600 billion and that of non-life insurance companies is 60 billion as of mid-October of the current fiscal year (FY). Out of that amount, life insurance companies have kept 77 percent of the amount in fixed deposits of BFIs while non-life insurance companies have invested 79 percent in term deposits.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The insurance companies have mostly invested in fixed deposits of commercial banks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After insurance companies complained that they were not able to diversify their investments, the then Insurance Board of Nepal (now the Nepal Insurance Authority) revised the 2075 Investment Guidelines and opened the door for the insurance companies to invest in infrastructure and productive sectors such as real estate business, water resources, agriculture, tourism, in addition to fixed deposits and shares. However, even after 5 years of the changes in the guidelines, it seems that the insurance companies have not been able to invest in the new sectors. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the guidelines, insurance companies can invest a minimum of 40 percent of their total technical reserves in commercial banks, a minimum of 40 percent in fixed deposits of infrastructure development banks, a maximum of 20 percent in development banks and a maximum of 10 percent in finance companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, they can invest up to 5 percent in government’s bonds, up to 40 percent in the fixed deposit accounts of infrastructure development banks, up to 5 percent in real estate business, up to 10 percent in ordinary shares of listed companies and up to 20 percent in preference shares. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">There is a provision to invest up to 20 percent in bonds of listed companies, up to 20 percent in infrastructure including agriculture, tourism and water resources, and up to 5 percent in Citizens Investment Trust and mutual funds.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the companies have not been able to diversify their investments according to the provisions of the guidelines. Most of their investments are concentrated in fixed deposits of BFIs followed by bonds and the stock market.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19560', 'image' => '20231227031626_Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 15:15:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19832', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Banke National Park Steps up Tourism Promotion Activities ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign. Established as the tenth national park of Nepal on July 12, 2010, the national park is currently preparing strategies for tourism promotion. According to Manoj Kumar Shah, senior conservation officer of the park, plans are underway to build a new track and decorate the park premises.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“We aim to attract more and more tourists to the national park. For this, we are building a new road in the park,” said Shah.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that a detailed plan is being made for tourism promotion, Senior Conservation Officer Shah said that it will be implemented in this month itself. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">To attract foreign and domestic tourists, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) organized a jungle safari with tourists from Bardiya and Banke on Monday in collaboration with the national park.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sriram Sigdel, coordinator of NATTA, said that all three levels of government need to be concerned about the national park. “There are many tourist spots within the national park. It is important to pay attention to the development of all of them," he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The park is spread over an area of 650 sq km. The park stretches 72 km from the east to the west.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The national park, established to protect tiger habitats and biodiversity, is connected to Bardiya, Dang and Salyan. The government has put the national park on the list of 100 tourist destinations.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19559', 'image' => '20231227025343_barnke-national-park-975x540.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 14:52:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19831', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Promote Sports Tourism', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of the completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal said that the success achieved by Nepali athletes has laid the foundation for sports tourism in the country. This needs to be coupled with necessary infrastructure. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Nepali cricket players made it to the World Cup without a well-equipped sports ground. Now every possible effort will be made for proper preparation for the World Cup,” he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal also said that the cricket grounds of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, in Mulpani of Kathmandu, the Phapla cricket ground in Kailali, and the cricket ground in Biratnagar and Gautam Buddha Cricket Stadium in Chitwan will be upgraded and developed as a project of national pride in coordination with all three levels of government. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also shared that 252 athletes who won medals in South Asian and Asian Games have been provided with monthly allowances, while the victorious cricket team members were honoured with cash prizes. "Along with these incentives, the government's focus is now on building sports infrastructure." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government will leave no stone unturned to achieve the potential of sports tourism by developing sports and sports infrastructure from the grassroots level. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19558', 'image' => '20231227111347_20230114031921_Clipboard16.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:13:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19830', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals of Laljhadi Forced to Pay Money to Cross Doda River', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the absence of a concrete bridge to cross the river, local folks have been bearing the cost for commuting through the temporary wooden bridge, the state-owned RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prema Rana, a local of Shuklaphanta municipality-11, Dekhatbhuli is a teacher of Siddhabaijanath Secondary School in Laljhadi-2. Rana told RSS that she has been paying money for using the wooden bridge to cross the river. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We have been using the wooden bridge for years to cross the river. Now the state of bridge is also deteriorating," she said, adding, "It is very risky to cross the river in the rainy season." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The residents of Laljhadi, who have been relying on the wooden bridge for the years, are also compelled to make a risky journey using inflated rubber tubes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Years have elapsed since the promise was made for the construction of a concrete bridge. When will the work get completed? There seems no preparation for this at all," RSS quoted Dhoke Rana, a local of Laljhadi-5, as saying. "We are compelled to cross the river by paying money in absence of concrete bridge," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The local residents have been paying Rs 10 for using cycle and Rs 20 for motorbike to cross the river. The local government has handed the Doda river to a contractor to generate income. The contractor has been taking advantage of the situation by charging money to the hapless locals. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19557', 'image' => '20231227111152_GJ-Bedkot-Kanchanpur.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:11:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19829', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers to Get Subsidy Based on Production: PM Dahal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of completion of a year of the incumbent government on Tuesday, he said the state has been continuously investing in agriculture but it has not increased productivity. "Subsidy and distribution of fertilizer will be made on the basis of the classification of farmers from next fiscal year so that the genuine farmers will not be deprived of such facilities including subsidized agriculture loan.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sharing that the production-based subsidy system will be implemented for key food and vegetable items, PM Dahal pledged to make due payment to the milk farmers by mid-April. "But, such reforms will not be sufficient for leap forward in the agriculture sector," the PM admitted. He further said that 401,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers were ensured for the farmers on time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, he shared that irrigation facility was provided to an additional 21,168 hectares of land through surface and underground projects in the review year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As many as 296 deep tube well and 3,244 shallow tube well irrigation systems were installed, the PM claimed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to declare 2081-91 as the decade of investment in agriculture to spur investment in agriculture sector. The government expects the private sector, development partners and cooperatives to join hands with the government for the transformation of the agriculture sector in Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The construction of integrated agriculture and livestock centers with 30 labs will be completed by the mid-July 2024," he said, adding, "Measures will be introduced to reduce the effects of rising import and climate change". </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal expressed his commitment to initiate canal development system for agriculture productivity. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19556', 'image' => '20231227111057_agri maize.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:10:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19828', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Plan to Expand Scope of Health Insurance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. In his address to the nation upon completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the insurance scheme has not proceeded according to the spirit of the National Health Insurance Act introduced during his previous tenure in 2074. But the current government will improve it to realize the constitutional right of citizens to health with top priority, he 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"">For this, PM Dahal said that the government will ensure policy and procedural reforms for the effective implementation of insurance, capacity building of the insurance board, strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and to increase the scope of insurance coverage and comprehensive improvement in the structure and quality of services.</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 prime minister also expressed his commitment to increase the current ceiling of insurance coverage, while all the free health programs will be included in the health insurance in an integrated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“With a focus on health insurance, the health system will be developed according to the integrated health infrastructure development standards,” he said. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19555', 'image' => '20231227110944_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19827', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Dahal Admits Government’s Unsatisfactory Performance', 'sub_title' => 'PM vows to amend government’s working style', 'summary' => 'December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the government has not been able to do anything extraordinary, other than its regular job, for the welfare of the people Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday announced a shift in the ongoing working style of the government from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Addressing the nation on Tuesday to unveil his government's achievements made in the past one year, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the traditional style of policy and programmes could not bring about expected results. He added that the government will embrace a new working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal argued that the traditional way of budget making has failed to allocate budget to the priority sectors and make true estimates on expenditure, leading to direct impact on capital expenditure. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I plan to move ahead in a new style by changing the system of policy making and budget preparation," the state-owned RSS quoted him as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal also shared that the principles and priorities of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year would be made public in February and the feedback from the people's representatives and general public would be taken. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He stated that policy, structural and legal measures would be taken with the target to obtain double-digit economic growth, RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister was of the view that the government is making the best possible efforts even though the journey to development and prosperity so far has not been satisfactory. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address, the prime minister said that he would not make claim about the complete success of his government but announced that he would change the government's working style. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the prime minister announced that he would not attend any public events except for some prescheduled and compulsory ones and added that his focus would be on new policy and programme, budget preparation, and to resolve the issues in the areas of development and good-governance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will be a departure from the government's current working style. I am making changes to the structure of the Office of the Prime Minister this week," Dahal reportedly said. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19554', 'image' => '20231227103256_RS_KTM_20231226172741_RATL5047(1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 10:32:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19826', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Study Underway to Declare Pokhara as Tourism Capital', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. The issue has come into rigorous discussion after the Gandaki province government formed a study committee last month to declare its capital city as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Gandaki Provincial Government and Pokhara Metropolitan City have repeatedly proposed to the federal government to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital. The provincial government took the initiative to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital after the federal government didn't give any positive response. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The 11-member study committee formed under the chairmanship of Krishna Chandra Devkota, vice president of Gandaki State Policy and Planning Commission, is preparing to finalize its study report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The study committee with tourism experts was assigned the task of identifying the necessary infrastructure and standards for declaring the tourism capital, increasing the quality of services, identifying the process of declaration and coordinating with the central government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The first meeting of the committee has prepared a draft of the declaration of the tourism capital and also a study report," said Devkota, chairman of the study committee.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the report prepared by the committee will be submitted to the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on January 11. "The tourism minister, secretary and other officials of the ministry are also engaged in this work. Suggestions from tourism sector experts and stakeholders have been included in the report," Devkota added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, the committee has started studies to implement the provincial government's policy of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal by identifying and promoting new tourist destinations and developing and diversifying tourism infrastructure. In order to promote Pokhara as the tourism capital, the committee conducted further study based on the concept paper previously prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the province. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Industry, Tourism, Forest and Information Minister Dipendra Bahadur Thapa said the provincial government will focus on the necessary infrastructure for the announcement of the tourism capital based on recommendation made by the study report. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The declaration will be made in coordination with the federal government after completing the necessary works of infrastructure development and maintaining standards required for the proposed tourism capital," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been years since Pokhara's tourism-based organizations and businessmen started demanding the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that since Pokhara is a well-developed tourist destination, they have been demanding the government to declare it as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Experts in the tourism sector shared that Pokhara can be declared as the toruism capital taking into consideration its tourism activities, easy accessibility, tourist-friendly facilities, and a tourism-friendly legal structures.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19553', 'image' => '20231226033640_20220327062910_lakeside (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:35:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19825', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Expresses Concern over 'Empty Villages' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking at a function organized to mark the 65th anniversary of Thamel-based Saraswoti Multiple Campus on Tuesday, the head of the state urged one and all to seek ways to address the situation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He said villages face depopulation despite advancements in education, communications, road, health and electricity after the advent of democracy. Villages experience a population decline despite development, said the president. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president advised authorities to formulate education policies and programmes capable of producing globally competitive human resources in order to stop the brain drain. "Combined efforts are necessary towards this end and academic institutions should take this initiative." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He urged policymakers and concerned authorities to concentrate on finding solutions to address the issue and highlighted the need of promoting job opportunities and vocational education to prevent the widespread migrations of youths in search of careers abroad. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The President who was once a student of this college said he had given his prime time to the movement of democracy as the college student. According to him, the college atmosphere had played a role to further enhance his political awakening and thus his political career. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">President Paudel mentioned that Saraswoti Campus has become the source of inspiration for Nepal's education sector as it had provided opportunity for pursuing higher education in easy and accessible manner in those days when it was very difficult for Nepalese youths to get education. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Established on Poush 10, 2016 BS, Saraswoti Multiple Campus has around 7,000 students. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19552', 'image' => '20231226031716_1703575595.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:16:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19824', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Industrialists Ready to Pay Electricity Bill if NEA Provides TOD Meter Data', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter', '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"">December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter to get information about the change in electricity rates during peak hours and off hours in a day. The NEA officials say that they cannot provide such data.</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 federation held a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday and made it clear that the industries will pay the electricity tariff fixed by the NEA on condition that the state-run electricity utility provides data of the TOD meter.</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 industrialists claimed that the NEA charged them bills even after load shedding ended on May 14, 2018.</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"">During the press conference, CNI President Rajesh Kumar Agarwal said that the industrialists have been paying the fees for their regular hours and not paying the extra fees for the disputed hours.</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"">"Our major concern is the fee charged after the end of load shedding. The NEA prepared the bill before the Electricity Regulatory Commission fixed the premium rates for the dedicated feeder and trunk line," Chairman Agarwal said, adding, "We have not paid the bill for the disputed period from 2072 to 2075. We requested for the TOD meter data from the authority at that time, but the authority did not provide it.”</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"">Shashikant Agarwal, owner of Reliance Spinning Mills, said that the authority has acted immaturely by cutting the line of the industries. He alleged that the authority sent fake bills and demanded for fees. </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"">“If we pay the bills within seven days after receiving it from the authority, we get a two percent concession. Industrialists are properly utilizing this facility. Therefore, no industrialist has any remaining amount to pay to the authority," he said, adding, "If there is any remaining amount, why is the authority afraid to submit TOD meter data?"</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"">As per the law, the Nepal Electricity Authority has to download and keep the bill recorded in the TOD meter every month and submit the data when there is a dispute related to electricity tariff, but the authority does not have such data.</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"">Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, information officer of the authority, said that they cannot provide the TOD meter data. Although the authority prepared the bill using the TOD meter, the data cannot be provided right now. Sometimes we can miss the meter reading. We don't have such data,'' he told New Business Age, “Therefore the industrialists should also keep the data safe with themselves. How will the authority provide the date after all these years?”</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 authority has stopped power supply to nine big industries since Friday. The industrialists are complaining that they have incurred losses of millions of rupees due to this move of the authority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19551', 'image' => '20231226022800_1703559400.1605049113.Clipboard04.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 14:27:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19823', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Global Dengue Surge Sparks Concern as Cases Top 5 Million this Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, Diana Rojas Alvarez, the health agency's team lead on arboviruses, disclosed at the UN weekly briefing in Geneva during the weekend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said climate change was partly to blame as it led to higher rainfall, humidity and temperature, enabling mosquitoes to thrive. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Although 4 billion people are at risk from dengue, most of those infected are symptom-free and usually recover within one to two weeks," the WHO said. Severe dengue infections are marked by shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to medical care can lower mortality rates in severe cases. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UN agency said reported cases skyrocketed to a record 5.2 million in 2019, a tenfold rise over 2000, across 129 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said the threat required "the maximal attention and response from all levels" of the agency to support countries in controlling current dengue outbreaks and preparing for the upcoming dengue season. – Xinhua/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19550', 'image' => '20231226012012_WHO.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 13:19:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19822', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Area of Wheat Cultivation Declining in Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'The Government does not have any Plan to Increase Production', 'summary' => 'December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. ', '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"">December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. However, the area of wheat production in Nepal has been continuously declining in recent years due to the trend of leaving the land fallow after rice cultivation. </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"">Although the area of wheat cultivation has decreased, wheat production has increased to some extent. However, the current production is not sufficient to meet the market demand of Nepal.</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 does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the area of land under wheat cultivation in Nepal has continuously decreased in the last </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> years. </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"">In the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2069/70</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat cultivation was done on </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">759</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"">843</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Nepal. By the time of FY </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, such area decreased by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">42</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"">865</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">716</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"">978</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. Nevertheless, wheat production is reported to have increased to some extent during this period.</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"">During this period, wheat production increased from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">18</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"">82</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"">220</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">21</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"">44</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"">568</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons. However, even though production has increased, it is not enough to meet the country’s demand.</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 Rajendra Prasad Mishra, joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal needs to produce more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2.5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million metric tons of wheat to meet its domestic demand. However, the country has not been able to increase wheat production to meet the demand due to the lack of adequate irrigation, advanced varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers and technology, he 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 Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Irrigation facility, improved variety of seeds and technology help greatly in increasing production. However, as we are unable to provide such facilities to the farmers on time, the production has not increased. On top of that, the campaign to increase the production of any item and to reach a state of self-sufficiency is a very long process. Apart from the campaigns that were conducted in the past, the ministry does not have a big plan for now," he told New Business Age. </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"">For the past few years, the government has been implementing a programme under the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project to increase wheat production by declaring three zones and one super-zone for wheat cultivation.</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, this program seems to be implemented just for the sake of showing that the government has been promoting wheat production.</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"">Under this programme, wheat cultivation is done in only </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"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">121</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land. This programme produces only about </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat annually.</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"">Uddhav Adhikari, coordinator of Agriculture Campaign for Food, says that the government should take special initiatives to increase wheat production. He said that farmers can be attracted to wheat farming only if the government takes steps to provide high subsidies for wheat, expand the pocket area of wheat farming, facilitate access to equipment and make fertilizers and advanced varieties of seeds readily available. He said that although there is a lot of potential for wheat production in Nepal, it is unfortunate that government has no proper plan for it.</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"">As the government does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production, it is not possible for the domestic production to meet the market demand. </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"">As a result, the country has to import wheat in large quantities every year. According to the data of the Department of Customs, Nepal imported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">201</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat worth Rs </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"">.</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion in the fiscal year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2075/76. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076/77</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the country imported a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">240</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"">745</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8</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"">19</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat import seems to have decreased due to India's ban on wheat exports. That year, only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24,700</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth more than Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.16</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion was imported into Nepal.</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 information provided by the Wheat Flour Industry Association, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">36 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">mills in Nepal utilize </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.5 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million tons of wheat annually. About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">70 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of wheat required for industrial purposes is obtained from domestic production. The remaining </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent is imported from other countries including India. Apart from India, wheat is also imported to Nepal from Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, the UK and Bangladesh. According to a report published by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2020/21</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, Nepal is the second major wheat exporting country for India. It is recorded that India exported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</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"">700 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">tons of wheat to Nepal during the review year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19549', 'image' => '20231226122800_Wheat_photo-cred-Adobe-stock_E-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 12:27:07', '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' => '19839', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fuel Imports Account for Half of Government’s Revenue', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal year.', '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"">December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal 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"">According to the Birgunj Customs Office, it collected </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">46.96</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue up to mid-December in the current FY from the import of petroleum products. According to Birgunj Customs Office, fuel import has increased in recent months.</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"">Information officer of Birgunj Customs, Ram Chandra Dhakal, said that the fuel imports accounted for </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">53.90</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue collected from mid-November to mid-December.</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"">Birgunj is the main entry point for petroleum products. Fuel is imported from this checkpoint using the Motihari-Amlekhagunj petroleum pipeline as well as land route. </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 Birgunj Customs, a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">379</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"">92</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of diesel, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">162</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of petrol, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">682</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of aviation turbine fuel, and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">114</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"">47</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million kg of cooking gas have been imported through this border point in the first five months of the current fiscal 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"">According to customs office, the contribution of vehicles to the total revenue stands at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. Customs officials said that the import of vehicles has decreased due to the high interest rates and low market demand. </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"">Four wheelers including jeeps, cars, vans, trucks and bus chassis as well as motorcycles, vehicle parts, and electric vehicles are imported through this customs point. Customs data show that the import of unassembled motorcycles has increased recently. Such imports have increased due to the opening of the motorcycle assembly industry 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"">Both the import volume and revenue from Birgunj customs have declined this year. In the first five</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">months of the current fiscal year, this customs point recorded foreign trade (import and export) equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">255</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"">26 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, the trade volume from this customs stood at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">310</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"">80 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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 trade deficit from this customs point has alone reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">229</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"">89 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion.</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"">Data show that even though the government has lifted all kinds of import restrictions, there has been no improvement in foreign trade. </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 decline in imports, Birgunj Customs has not been able to meet its revenue collection target. Birgunj customs was given a target to collect Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">98.56 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion till mid-December. Information Officer Dhakal said that the customs office has been able to collect only Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion during this period. The revenue collection of Birgunj Customs is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62.91 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of the target. During the same period last year, the revenue was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">63</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"">45 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19566', 'image' => '20231228111410_petroo - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 11:13:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19838', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs CIAA to Initiate Probe into TERAMOCS Purchase Deal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Wednesday asked the CIAA to submit the progress details to the committee within 30 days after conducting a study on TERAMOCS purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PAC Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel shared that the committee also directed the government to immediately stop the process of implementing TERAMOCS system.</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 meeting has directed the government, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Nepal Telecommunications Authority not to enforce the technology and not to make additional payment," said Pokharel. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee held on October 13 had asked the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to provide all the documents regarding the purchase of TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The study carried out after receiving the documents from Nepal Telecommunications Authority and extensive discussion in the committee concluded that the existing laws and policy-level arrangements were violated in course of buying the TERAMOCS. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19565', 'image' => '20231228100642_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 10:05:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19837', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases Detected among India-Returnees in Sudurpaschim Province ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. The infection rate was nil until last week, but eight cases have been detected this week. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Ganesh Saud, an Auxiliary Health Worker stationed at the Health Desk in Gauriphanta along the Nepal-India border said that symptoms were observed among some India-returnees. Eight positive cases were confirmed through antigen tests. Four samples of the infected have been sent to Kathmandu through the province-based lab to identify the disease variant. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the border have been advised to observe home- isolation and those having severe symptoms are advised to visit hospitals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Saud, the World Health Organisation recently warned against the detection of a new variant of the disease. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19564', 'image' => '20231228090325_coronaaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 09:01:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19833', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Companies Fail to Diversify Investment, Focus on Fixed Deposits of Banks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. However, it has been found that the investment of insurance companies is limited to term deposits of banks and financial institutions (BFIs).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the authority's data, the total investment of life insurance companies stands at Rs 600 billion and that of non-life insurance companies is 60 billion as of mid-October of the current fiscal year (FY). Out of that amount, life insurance companies have kept 77 percent of the amount in fixed deposits of BFIs while non-life insurance companies have invested 79 percent in term deposits.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The insurance companies have mostly invested in fixed deposits of commercial banks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After insurance companies complained that they were not able to diversify their investments, the then Insurance Board of Nepal (now the Nepal Insurance Authority) revised the 2075 Investment Guidelines and opened the door for the insurance companies to invest in infrastructure and productive sectors such as real estate business, water resources, agriculture, tourism, in addition to fixed deposits and shares. However, even after 5 years of the changes in the guidelines, it seems that the insurance companies have not been able to invest in the new sectors. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the guidelines, insurance companies can invest a minimum of 40 percent of their total technical reserves in commercial banks, a minimum of 40 percent in fixed deposits of infrastructure development banks, a maximum of 20 percent in development banks and a maximum of 10 percent in finance companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, they can invest up to 5 percent in government’s bonds, up to 40 percent in the fixed deposit accounts of infrastructure development banks, up to 5 percent in real estate business, up to 10 percent in ordinary shares of listed companies and up to 20 percent in preference shares. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">There is a provision to invest up to 20 percent in bonds of listed companies, up to 20 percent in infrastructure including agriculture, tourism and water resources, and up to 5 percent in Citizens Investment Trust and mutual funds.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the companies have not been able to diversify their investments according to the provisions of the guidelines. Most of their investments are concentrated in fixed deposits of BFIs followed by bonds and the stock market.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19560', 'image' => '20231227031626_Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 15:15:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19832', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Banke National Park Steps up Tourism Promotion Activities ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign. Established as the tenth national park of Nepal on July 12, 2010, the national park is currently preparing strategies for tourism promotion. According to Manoj Kumar Shah, senior conservation officer of the park, plans are underway to build a new track and decorate the park premises.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“We aim to attract more and more tourists to the national park. For this, we are building a new road in the park,” said Shah.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that a detailed plan is being made for tourism promotion, Senior Conservation Officer Shah said that it will be implemented in this month itself. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">To attract foreign and domestic tourists, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) organized a jungle safari with tourists from Bardiya and Banke on Monday in collaboration with the national park.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sriram Sigdel, coordinator of NATTA, said that all three levels of government need to be concerned about the national park. “There are many tourist spots within the national park. It is important to pay attention to the development of all of them," he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The park is spread over an area of 650 sq km. The park stretches 72 km from the east to the west.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The national park, established to protect tiger habitats and biodiversity, is connected to Bardiya, Dang and Salyan. The government has put the national park on the list of 100 tourist destinations.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19559', 'image' => '20231227025343_barnke-national-park-975x540.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 14:52:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19831', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Promote Sports Tourism', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of the completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal said that the success achieved by Nepali athletes has laid the foundation for sports tourism in the country. This needs to be coupled with necessary infrastructure. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Nepali cricket players made it to the World Cup without a well-equipped sports ground. Now every possible effort will be made for proper preparation for the World Cup,” he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal also said that the cricket grounds of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, in Mulpani of Kathmandu, the Phapla cricket ground in Kailali, and the cricket ground in Biratnagar and Gautam Buddha Cricket Stadium in Chitwan will be upgraded and developed as a project of national pride in coordination with all three levels of government. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also shared that 252 athletes who won medals in South Asian and Asian Games have been provided with monthly allowances, while the victorious cricket team members were honoured with cash prizes. "Along with these incentives, the government's focus is now on building sports infrastructure." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government will leave no stone unturned to achieve the potential of sports tourism by developing sports and sports infrastructure from the grassroots level. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19558', 'image' => '20231227111347_20230114031921_Clipboard16.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:13:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19830', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals of Laljhadi Forced to Pay Money to Cross Doda River', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the absence of a concrete bridge to cross the river, local folks have been bearing the cost for commuting through the temporary wooden bridge, the state-owned RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prema Rana, a local of Shuklaphanta municipality-11, Dekhatbhuli is a teacher of Siddhabaijanath Secondary School in Laljhadi-2. Rana told RSS that she has been paying money for using the wooden bridge to cross the river. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We have been using the wooden bridge for years to cross the river. Now the state of bridge is also deteriorating," she said, adding, "It is very risky to cross the river in the rainy season." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The residents of Laljhadi, who have been relying on the wooden bridge for the years, are also compelled to make a risky journey using inflated rubber tubes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Years have elapsed since the promise was made for the construction of a concrete bridge. When will the work get completed? There seems no preparation for this at all," RSS quoted Dhoke Rana, a local of Laljhadi-5, as saying. "We are compelled to cross the river by paying money in absence of concrete bridge," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The local residents have been paying Rs 10 for using cycle and Rs 20 for motorbike to cross the river. The local government has handed the Doda river to a contractor to generate income. The contractor has been taking advantage of the situation by charging money to the hapless locals. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19557', 'image' => '20231227111152_GJ-Bedkot-Kanchanpur.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:11:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19829', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers to Get Subsidy Based on Production: PM Dahal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of completion of a year of the incumbent government on Tuesday, he said the state has been continuously investing in agriculture but it has not increased productivity. "Subsidy and distribution of fertilizer will be made on the basis of the classification of farmers from next fiscal year so that the genuine farmers will not be deprived of such facilities including subsidized agriculture loan.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sharing that the production-based subsidy system will be implemented for key food and vegetable items, PM Dahal pledged to make due payment to the milk farmers by mid-April. "But, such reforms will not be sufficient for leap forward in the agriculture sector," the PM admitted. He further said that 401,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers were ensured for the farmers on time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, he shared that irrigation facility was provided to an additional 21,168 hectares of land through surface and underground projects in the review year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As many as 296 deep tube well and 3,244 shallow tube well irrigation systems were installed, the PM claimed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to declare 2081-91 as the decade of investment in agriculture to spur investment in agriculture sector. The government expects the private sector, development partners and cooperatives to join hands with the government for the transformation of the agriculture sector in Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The construction of integrated agriculture and livestock centers with 30 labs will be completed by the mid-July 2024," he said, adding, "Measures will be introduced to reduce the effects of rising import and climate change". </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal expressed his commitment to initiate canal development system for agriculture productivity. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19556', 'image' => '20231227111057_agri maize.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:10:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19828', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Plan to Expand Scope of Health Insurance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. In his address to the nation upon completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the insurance scheme has not proceeded according to the spirit of the National Health Insurance Act introduced during his previous tenure in 2074. But the current government will improve it to realize the constitutional right of citizens to health with top priority, he 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"">For this, PM Dahal said that the government will ensure policy and procedural reforms for the effective implementation of insurance, capacity building of the insurance board, strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and to increase the scope of insurance coverage and comprehensive improvement in the structure and quality of services.</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 prime minister also expressed his commitment to increase the current ceiling of insurance coverage, while all the free health programs will be included in the health insurance in an integrated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“With a focus on health insurance, the health system will be developed according to the integrated health infrastructure development standards,” he said. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19555', 'image' => '20231227110944_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19827', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Dahal Admits Government’s Unsatisfactory Performance', 'sub_title' => 'PM vows to amend government’s working style', 'summary' => 'December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the government has not been able to do anything extraordinary, other than its regular job, for the welfare of the people Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday announced a shift in the ongoing working style of the government from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Addressing the nation on Tuesday to unveil his government's achievements made in the past one year, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the traditional style of policy and programmes could not bring about expected results. He added that the government will embrace a new working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal argued that the traditional way of budget making has failed to allocate budget to the priority sectors and make true estimates on expenditure, leading to direct impact on capital expenditure. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I plan to move ahead in a new style by changing the system of policy making and budget preparation," the state-owned RSS quoted him as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal also shared that the principles and priorities of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year would be made public in February and the feedback from the people's representatives and general public would be taken. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He stated that policy, structural and legal measures would be taken with the target to obtain double-digit economic growth, RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister was of the view that the government is making the best possible efforts even though the journey to development and prosperity so far has not been satisfactory. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address, the prime minister said that he would not make claim about the complete success of his government but announced that he would change the government's working style. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the prime minister announced that he would not attend any public events except for some prescheduled and compulsory ones and added that his focus would be on new policy and programme, budget preparation, and to resolve the issues in the areas of development and good-governance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will be a departure from the government's current working style. I am making changes to the structure of the Office of the Prime Minister this week," Dahal reportedly said. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19554', 'image' => '20231227103256_RS_KTM_20231226172741_RATL5047(1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 10:32:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19826', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Study Underway to Declare Pokhara as Tourism Capital', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. The issue has come into rigorous discussion after the Gandaki province government formed a study committee last month to declare its capital city as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Gandaki Provincial Government and Pokhara Metropolitan City have repeatedly proposed to the federal government to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital. The provincial government took the initiative to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital after the federal government didn't give any positive response. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The 11-member study committee formed under the chairmanship of Krishna Chandra Devkota, vice president of Gandaki State Policy and Planning Commission, is preparing to finalize its study report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The study committee with tourism experts was assigned the task of identifying the necessary infrastructure and standards for declaring the tourism capital, increasing the quality of services, identifying the process of declaration and coordinating with the central government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The first meeting of the committee has prepared a draft of the declaration of the tourism capital and also a study report," said Devkota, chairman of the study committee.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the report prepared by the committee will be submitted to the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on January 11. "The tourism minister, secretary and other officials of the ministry are also engaged in this work. Suggestions from tourism sector experts and stakeholders have been included in the report," Devkota added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, the committee has started studies to implement the provincial government's policy of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal by identifying and promoting new tourist destinations and developing and diversifying tourism infrastructure. In order to promote Pokhara as the tourism capital, the committee conducted further study based on the concept paper previously prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the province. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Industry, Tourism, Forest and Information Minister Dipendra Bahadur Thapa said the provincial government will focus on the necessary infrastructure for the announcement of the tourism capital based on recommendation made by the study report. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The declaration will be made in coordination with the federal government after completing the necessary works of infrastructure development and maintaining standards required for the proposed tourism capital," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been years since Pokhara's tourism-based organizations and businessmen started demanding the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that since Pokhara is a well-developed tourist destination, they have been demanding the government to declare it as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Experts in the tourism sector shared that Pokhara can be declared as the toruism capital taking into consideration its tourism activities, easy accessibility, tourist-friendly facilities, and a tourism-friendly legal structures.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19553', 'image' => '20231226033640_20220327062910_lakeside (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:35:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19825', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Expresses Concern over 'Empty Villages' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking at a function organized to mark the 65th anniversary of Thamel-based Saraswoti Multiple Campus on Tuesday, the head of the state urged one and all to seek ways to address the situation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He said villages face depopulation despite advancements in education, communications, road, health and electricity after the advent of democracy. Villages experience a population decline despite development, said the president. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president advised authorities to formulate education policies and programmes capable of producing globally competitive human resources in order to stop the brain drain. "Combined efforts are necessary towards this end and academic institutions should take this initiative." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He urged policymakers and concerned authorities to concentrate on finding solutions to address the issue and highlighted the need of promoting job opportunities and vocational education to prevent the widespread migrations of youths in search of careers abroad. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The President who was once a student of this college said he had given his prime time to the movement of democracy as the college student. According to him, the college atmosphere had played a role to further enhance his political awakening and thus his political career. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">President Paudel mentioned that Saraswoti Campus has become the source of inspiration for Nepal's education sector as it had provided opportunity for pursuing higher education in easy and accessible manner in those days when it was very difficult for Nepalese youths to get education. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Established on Poush 10, 2016 BS, Saraswoti Multiple Campus has around 7,000 students. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19552', 'image' => '20231226031716_1703575595.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:16:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19824', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Industrialists Ready to Pay Electricity Bill if NEA Provides TOD Meter Data', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter', '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"">December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter to get information about the change in electricity rates during peak hours and off hours in a day. The NEA officials say that they cannot provide such data.</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 federation held a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday and made it clear that the industries will pay the electricity tariff fixed by the NEA on condition that the state-run electricity utility provides data of the TOD meter.</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 industrialists claimed that the NEA charged them bills even after load shedding ended on May 14, 2018.</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"">During the press conference, CNI President Rajesh Kumar Agarwal said that the industrialists have been paying the fees for their regular hours and not paying the extra fees for the disputed hours.</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"">"Our major concern is the fee charged after the end of load shedding. The NEA prepared the bill before the Electricity Regulatory Commission fixed the premium rates for the dedicated feeder and trunk line," Chairman Agarwal said, adding, "We have not paid the bill for the disputed period from 2072 to 2075. We requested for the TOD meter data from the authority at that time, but the authority did not provide it.”</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"">Shashikant Agarwal, owner of Reliance Spinning Mills, said that the authority has acted immaturely by cutting the line of the industries. He alleged that the authority sent fake bills and demanded for fees. </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"">“If we pay the bills within seven days after receiving it from the authority, we get a two percent concession. Industrialists are properly utilizing this facility. Therefore, no industrialist has any remaining amount to pay to the authority," he said, adding, "If there is any remaining amount, why is the authority afraid to submit TOD meter data?"</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"">As per the law, the Nepal Electricity Authority has to download and keep the bill recorded in the TOD meter every month and submit the data when there is a dispute related to electricity tariff, but the authority does not have such data.</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"">Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, information officer of the authority, said that they cannot provide the TOD meter data. Although the authority prepared the bill using the TOD meter, the data cannot be provided right now. Sometimes we can miss the meter reading. We don't have such data,'' he told New Business Age, “Therefore the industrialists should also keep the data safe with themselves. How will the authority provide the date after all these years?”</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 authority has stopped power supply to nine big industries since Friday. The industrialists are complaining that they have incurred losses of millions of rupees due to this move of the authority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19551', 'image' => '20231226022800_1703559400.1605049113.Clipboard04.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 14:27:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19823', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Global Dengue Surge Sparks Concern as Cases Top 5 Million this Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, Diana Rojas Alvarez, the health agency's team lead on arboviruses, disclosed at the UN weekly briefing in Geneva during the weekend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said climate change was partly to blame as it led to higher rainfall, humidity and temperature, enabling mosquitoes to thrive. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Although 4 billion people are at risk from dengue, most of those infected are symptom-free and usually recover within one to two weeks," the WHO said. Severe dengue infections are marked by shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to medical care can lower mortality rates in severe cases. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UN agency said reported cases skyrocketed to a record 5.2 million in 2019, a tenfold rise over 2000, across 129 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said the threat required "the maximal attention and response from all levels" of the agency to support countries in controlling current dengue outbreaks and preparing for the upcoming dengue season. – Xinhua/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19550', 'image' => '20231226012012_WHO.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 13:19:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19822', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Area of Wheat Cultivation Declining in Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'The Government does not have any Plan to Increase Production', 'summary' => 'December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. ', '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"">December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. However, the area of wheat production in Nepal has been continuously declining in recent years due to the trend of leaving the land fallow after rice cultivation. </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"">Although the area of wheat cultivation has decreased, wheat production has increased to some extent. However, the current production is not sufficient to meet the market demand of Nepal.</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 does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the area of land under wheat cultivation in Nepal has continuously decreased in the last </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> years. </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"">In the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2069/70</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat cultivation was done on </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">759</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"">843</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Nepal. By the time of FY </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, such area decreased by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">42</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"">865</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">716</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"">978</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. Nevertheless, wheat production is reported to have increased to some extent during this period.</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"">During this period, wheat production increased from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">18</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"">82</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"">220</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">21</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"">44</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"">568</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons. However, even though production has increased, it is not enough to meet the country’s demand.</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 Rajendra Prasad Mishra, joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal needs to produce more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2.5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million metric tons of wheat to meet its domestic demand. However, the country has not been able to increase wheat production to meet the demand due to the lack of adequate irrigation, advanced varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers and technology, he 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 Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Irrigation facility, improved variety of seeds and technology help greatly in increasing production. However, as we are unable to provide such facilities to the farmers on time, the production has not increased. On top of that, the campaign to increase the production of any item and to reach a state of self-sufficiency is a very long process. Apart from the campaigns that were conducted in the past, the ministry does not have a big plan for now," he told New Business Age. </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"">For the past few years, the government has been implementing a programme under the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project to increase wheat production by declaring three zones and one super-zone for wheat cultivation.</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, this program seems to be implemented just for the sake of showing that the government has been promoting wheat production.</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"">Under this programme, wheat cultivation is done in only </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"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">121</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land. This programme produces only about </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat annually.</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"">Uddhav Adhikari, coordinator of Agriculture Campaign for Food, says that the government should take special initiatives to increase wheat production. He said that farmers can be attracted to wheat farming only if the government takes steps to provide high subsidies for wheat, expand the pocket area of wheat farming, facilitate access to equipment and make fertilizers and advanced varieties of seeds readily available. He said that although there is a lot of potential for wheat production in Nepal, it is unfortunate that government has no proper plan for it.</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"">As the government does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production, it is not possible for the domestic production to meet the market demand. </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"">As a result, the country has to import wheat in large quantities every year. According to the data of the Department of Customs, Nepal imported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">201</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat worth Rs </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"">.</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion in the fiscal year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2075/76. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076/77</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the country imported a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">240</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"">745</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8</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"">19</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat import seems to have decreased due to India's ban on wheat exports. That year, only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24,700</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth more than Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.16</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion was imported into Nepal.</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 information provided by the Wheat Flour Industry Association, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">36 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">mills in Nepal utilize </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.5 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million tons of wheat annually. About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">70 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of wheat required for industrial purposes is obtained from domestic production. The remaining </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent is imported from other countries including India. Apart from India, wheat is also imported to Nepal from Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, the UK and Bangladesh. According to a report published by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2020/21</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, Nepal is the second major wheat exporting country for India. It is recorded that India exported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</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"">700 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">tons of wheat to Nepal during the review year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19549', 'image' => '20231226122800_Wheat_photo-cred-Adobe-stock_E-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 12:27:07', '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' => '19839', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fuel Imports Account for Half of Government’s Revenue', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal year.', '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"">December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal 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"">According to the Birgunj Customs Office, it collected </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">46.96</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue up to mid-December in the current FY from the import of petroleum products. According to Birgunj Customs Office, fuel import has increased in recent months.</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"">Information officer of Birgunj Customs, Ram Chandra Dhakal, said that the fuel imports accounted for </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">53.90</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue collected from mid-November to mid-December.</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"">Birgunj is the main entry point for petroleum products. Fuel is imported from this checkpoint using the Motihari-Amlekhagunj petroleum pipeline as well as land route. </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 Birgunj Customs, a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">379</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"">92</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of diesel, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">162</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of petrol, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">682</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of aviation turbine fuel, and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">114</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"">47</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million kg of cooking gas have been imported through this border point in the first five months of the current fiscal 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"">According to customs office, the contribution of vehicles to the total revenue stands at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. Customs officials said that the import of vehicles has decreased due to the high interest rates and low market demand. </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"">Four wheelers including jeeps, cars, vans, trucks and bus chassis as well as motorcycles, vehicle parts, and electric vehicles are imported through this customs point. Customs data show that the import of unassembled motorcycles has increased recently. Such imports have increased due to the opening of the motorcycle assembly industry 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"">Both the import volume and revenue from Birgunj customs have declined this year. In the first five</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">months of the current fiscal year, this customs point recorded foreign trade (import and export) equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">255</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"">26 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, the trade volume from this customs stood at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">310</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"">80 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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 trade deficit from this customs point has alone reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">229</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"">89 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion.</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"">Data show that even though the government has lifted all kinds of import restrictions, there has been no improvement in foreign trade. </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 decline in imports, Birgunj Customs has not been able to meet its revenue collection target. Birgunj customs was given a target to collect Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">98.56 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion till mid-December. Information Officer Dhakal said that the customs office has been able to collect only Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion during this period. The revenue collection of Birgunj Customs is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62.91 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of the target. During the same period last year, the revenue was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">63</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"">45 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19566', 'image' => '20231228111410_petroo - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 11:13:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19838', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs CIAA to Initiate Probe into TERAMOCS Purchase Deal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Wednesday asked the CIAA to submit the progress details to the committee within 30 days after conducting a study on TERAMOCS purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PAC Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel shared that the committee also directed the government to immediately stop the process of implementing TERAMOCS system.</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 meeting has directed the government, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Nepal Telecommunications Authority not to enforce the technology and not to make additional payment," said Pokharel. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee held on October 13 had asked the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to provide all the documents regarding the purchase of TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The study carried out after receiving the documents from Nepal Telecommunications Authority and extensive discussion in the committee concluded that the existing laws and policy-level arrangements were violated in course of buying the TERAMOCS. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19565', 'image' => '20231228100642_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 10:05:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19837', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases Detected among India-Returnees in Sudurpaschim Province ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. The infection rate was nil until last week, but eight cases have been detected this week. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Ganesh Saud, an Auxiliary Health Worker stationed at the Health Desk in Gauriphanta along the Nepal-India border said that symptoms were observed among some India-returnees. Eight positive cases were confirmed through antigen tests. Four samples of the infected have been sent to Kathmandu through the province-based lab to identify the disease variant. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the border have been advised to observe home- isolation and those having severe symptoms are advised to visit hospitals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Saud, the World Health Organisation recently warned against the detection of a new variant of the disease. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19564', 'image' => '20231228090325_coronaaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 09:01:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19833', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Companies Fail to Diversify Investment, Focus on Fixed Deposits of Banks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. However, it has been found that the investment of insurance companies is limited to term deposits of banks and financial institutions (BFIs).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the authority's data, the total investment of life insurance companies stands at Rs 600 billion and that of non-life insurance companies is 60 billion as of mid-October of the current fiscal year (FY). Out of that amount, life insurance companies have kept 77 percent of the amount in fixed deposits of BFIs while non-life insurance companies have invested 79 percent in term deposits.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The insurance companies have mostly invested in fixed deposits of commercial banks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After insurance companies complained that they were not able to diversify their investments, the then Insurance Board of Nepal (now the Nepal Insurance Authority) revised the 2075 Investment Guidelines and opened the door for the insurance companies to invest in infrastructure and productive sectors such as real estate business, water resources, agriculture, tourism, in addition to fixed deposits and shares. However, even after 5 years of the changes in the guidelines, it seems that the insurance companies have not been able to invest in the new sectors. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the guidelines, insurance companies can invest a minimum of 40 percent of their total technical reserves in commercial banks, a minimum of 40 percent in fixed deposits of infrastructure development banks, a maximum of 20 percent in development banks and a maximum of 10 percent in finance companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, they can invest up to 5 percent in government’s bonds, up to 40 percent in the fixed deposit accounts of infrastructure development banks, up to 5 percent in real estate business, up to 10 percent in ordinary shares of listed companies and up to 20 percent in preference shares. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">There is a provision to invest up to 20 percent in bonds of listed companies, up to 20 percent in infrastructure including agriculture, tourism and water resources, and up to 5 percent in Citizens Investment Trust and mutual funds.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the companies have not been able to diversify their investments according to the provisions of the guidelines. Most of their investments are concentrated in fixed deposits of BFIs followed by bonds and the stock market.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19560', 'image' => '20231227031626_Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 15:15:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19832', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Banke National Park Steps up Tourism Promotion Activities ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign. Established as the tenth national park of Nepal on July 12, 2010, the national park is currently preparing strategies for tourism promotion. According to Manoj Kumar Shah, senior conservation officer of the park, plans are underway to build a new track and decorate the park premises.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“We aim to attract more and more tourists to the national park. For this, we are building a new road in the park,” said Shah.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that a detailed plan is being made for tourism promotion, Senior Conservation Officer Shah said that it will be implemented in this month itself. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">To attract foreign and domestic tourists, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) organized a jungle safari with tourists from Bardiya and Banke on Monday in collaboration with the national park.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sriram Sigdel, coordinator of NATTA, said that all three levels of government need to be concerned about the national park. “There are many tourist spots within the national park. It is important to pay attention to the development of all of them," he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The park is spread over an area of 650 sq km. The park stretches 72 km from the east to the west.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The national park, established to protect tiger habitats and biodiversity, is connected to Bardiya, Dang and Salyan. The government has put the national park on the list of 100 tourist destinations.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19559', 'image' => '20231227025343_barnke-national-park-975x540.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 14:52:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19831', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Promote Sports Tourism', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of the completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal said that the success achieved by Nepali athletes has laid the foundation for sports tourism in the country. This needs to be coupled with necessary infrastructure. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Nepali cricket players made it to the World Cup without a well-equipped sports ground. Now every possible effort will be made for proper preparation for the World Cup,” he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal also said that the cricket grounds of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, in Mulpani of Kathmandu, the Phapla cricket ground in Kailali, and the cricket ground in Biratnagar and Gautam Buddha Cricket Stadium in Chitwan will be upgraded and developed as a project of national pride in coordination with all three levels of government. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also shared that 252 athletes who won medals in South Asian and Asian Games have been provided with monthly allowances, while the victorious cricket team members were honoured with cash prizes. "Along with these incentives, the government's focus is now on building sports infrastructure." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government will leave no stone unturned to achieve the potential of sports tourism by developing sports and sports infrastructure from the grassroots level. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19558', 'image' => '20231227111347_20230114031921_Clipboard16.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:13:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19830', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals of Laljhadi Forced to Pay Money to Cross Doda River', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the absence of a concrete bridge to cross the river, local folks have been bearing the cost for commuting through the temporary wooden bridge, the state-owned RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prema Rana, a local of Shuklaphanta municipality-11, Dekhatbhuli is a teacher of Siddhabaijanath Secondary School in Laljhadi-2. Rana told RSS that she has been paying money for using the wooden bridge to cross the river. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We have been using the wooden bridge for years to cross the river. Now the state of bridge is also deteriorating," she said, adding, "It is very risky to cross the river in the rainy season." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The residents of Laljhadi, who have been relying on the wooden bridge for the years, are also compelled to make a risky journey using inflated rubber tubes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Years have elapsed since the promise was made for the construction of a concrete bridge. When will the work get completed? There seems no preparation for this at all," RSS quoted Dhoke Rana, a local of Laljhadi-5, as saying. "We are compelled to cross the river by paying money in absence of concrete bridge," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The local residents have been paying Rs 10 for using cycle and Rs 20 for motorbike to cross the river. The local government has handed the Doda river to a contractor to generate income. The contractor has been taking advantage of the situation by charging money to the hapless locals. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19557', 'image' => '20231227111152_GJ-Bedkot-Kanchanpur.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:11:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19829', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers to Get Subsidy Based on Production: PM Dahal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of completion of a year of the incumbent government on Tuesday, he said the state has been continuously investing in agriculture but it has not increased productivity. "Subsidy and distribution of fertilizer will be made on the basis of the classification of farmers from next fiscal year so that the genuine farmers will not be deprived of such facilities including subsidized agriculture loan.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sharing that the production-based subsidy system will be implemented for key food and vegetable items, PM Dahal pledged to make due payment to the milk farmers by mid-April. "But, such reforms will not be sufficient for leap forward in the agriculture sector," the PM admitted. He further said that 401,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers were ensured for the farmers on time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, he shared that irrigation facility was provided to an additional 21,168 hectares of land through surface and underground projects in the review year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As many as 296 deep tube well and 3,244 shallow tube well irrigation systems were installed, the PM claimed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to declare 2081-91 as the decade of investment in agriculture to spur investment in agriculture sector. The government expects the private sector, development partners and cooperatives to join hands with the government for the transformation of the agriculture sector in Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The construction of integrated agriculture and livestock centers with 30 labs will be completed by the mid-July 2024," he said, adding, "Measures will be introduced to reduce the effects of rising import and climate change". </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal expressed his commitment to initiate canal development system for agriculture productivity. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19556', 'image' => '20231227111057_agri maize.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:10:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19828', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Plan to Expand Scope of Health Insurance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. In his address to the nation upon completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the insurance scheme has not proceeded according to the spirit of the National Health Insurance Act introduced during his previous tenure in 2074. But the current government will improve it to realize the constitutional right of citizens to health with top priority, he 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"">For this, PM Dahal said that the government will ensure policy and procedural reforms for the effective implementation of insurance, capacity building of the insurance board, strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and to increase the scope of insurance coverage and comprehensive improvement in the structure and quality of services.</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 prime minister also expressed his commitment to increase the current ceiling of insurance coverage, while all the free health programs will be included in the health insurance in an integrated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“With a focus on health insurance, the health system will be developed according to the integrated health infrastructure development standards,” he said. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19555', 'image' => '20231227110944_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19827', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Dahal Admits Government’s Unsatisfactory Performance', 'sub_title' => 'PM vows to amend government’s working style', 'summary' => 'December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the government has not been able to do anything extraordinary, other than its regular job, for the welfare of the people Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday announced a shift in the ongoing working style of the government from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Addressing the nation on Tuesday to unveil his government's achievements made in the past one year, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the traditional style of policy and programmes could not bring about expected results. He added that the government will embrace a new working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal argued that the traditional way of budget making has failed to allocate budget to the priority sectors and make true estimates on expenditure, leading to direct impact on capital expenditure. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I plan to move ahead in a new style by changing the system of policy making and budget preparation," the state-owned RSS quoted him as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal also shared that the principles and priorities of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year would be made public in February and the feedback from the people's representatives and general public would be taken. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He stated that policy, structural and legal measures would be taken with the target to obtain double-digit economic growth, RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister was of the view that the government is making the best possible efforts even though the journey to development and prosperity so far has not been satisfactory. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address, the prime minister said that he would not make claim about the complete success of his government but announced that he would change the government's working style. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the prime minister announced that he would not attend any public events except for some prescheduled and compulsory ones and added that his focus would be on new policy and programme, budget preparation, and to resolve the issues in the areas of development and good-governance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will be a departure from the government's current working style. I am making changes to the structure of the Office of the Prime Minister this week," Dahal reportedly said. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19554', 'image' => '20231227103256_RS_KTM_20231226172741_RATL5047(1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 10:32:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19826', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Study Underway to Declare Pokhara as Tourism Capital', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. The issue has come into rigorous discussion after the Gandaki province government formed a study committee last month to declare its capital city as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Gandaki Provincial Government and Pokhara Metropolitan City have repeatedly proposed to the federal government to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital. The provincial government took the initiative to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital after the federal government didn't give any positive response. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The 11-member study committee formed under the chairmanship of Krishna Chandra Devkota, vice president of Gandaki State Policy and Planning Commission, is preparing to finalize its study report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The study committee with tourism experts was assigned the task of identifying the necessary infrastructure and standards for declaring the tourism capital, increasing the quality of services, identifying the process of declaration and coordinating with the central government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The first meeting of the committee has prepared a draft of the declaration of the tourism capital and also a study report," said Devkota, chairman of the study committee.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the report prepared by the committee will be submitted to the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on January 11. "The tourism minister, secretary and other officials of the ministry are also engaged in this work. Suggestions from tourism sector experts and stakeholders have been included in the report," Devkota added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, the committee has started studies to implement the provincial government's policy of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal by identifying and promoting new tourist destinations and developing and diversifying tourism infrastructure. In order to promote Pokhara as the tourism capital, the committee conducted further study based on the concept paper previously prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the province. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Industry, Tourism, Forest and Information Minister Dipendra Bahadur Thapa said the provincial government will focus on the necessary infrastructure for the announcement of the tourism capital based on recommendation made by the study report. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The declaration will be made in coordination with the federal government after completing the necessary works of infrastructure development and maintaining standards required for the proposed tourism capital," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been years since Pokhara's tourism-based organizations and businessmen started demanding the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that since Pokhara is a well-developed tourist destination, they have been demanding the government to declare it as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Experts in the tourism sector shared that Pokhara can be declared as the toruism capital taking into consideration its tourism activities, easy accessibility, tourist-friendly facilities, and a tourism-friendly legal structures.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19553', 'image' => '20231226033640_20220327062910_lakeside (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:35:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19825', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Expresses Concern over 'Empty Villages' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking at a function organized to mark the 65th anniversary of Thamel-based Saraswoti Multiple Campus on Tuesday, the head of the state urged one and all to seek ways to address the situation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He said villages face depopulation despite advancements in education, communications, road, health and electricity after the advent of democracy. Villages experience a population decline despite development, said the president. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president advised authorities to formulate education policies and programmes capable of producing globally competitive human resources in order to stop the brain drain. "Combined efforts are necessary towards this end and academic institutions should take this initiative." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He urged policymakers and concerned authorities to concentrate on finding solutions to address the issue and highlighted the need of promoting job opportunities and vocational education to prevent the widespread migrations of youths in search of careers abroad. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The President who was once a student of this college said he had given his prime time to the movement of democracy as the college student. According to him, the college atmosphere had played a role to further enhance his political awakening and thus his political career. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">President Paudel mentioned that Saraswoti Campus has become the source of inspiration for Nepal's education sector as it had provided opportunity for pursuing higher education in easy and accessible manner in those days when it was very difficult for Nepalese youths to get education. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Established on Poush 10, 2016 BS, Saraswoti Multiple Campus has around 7,000 students. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19552', 'image' => '20231226031716_1703575595.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:16:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19824', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Industrialists Ready to Pay Electricity Bill if NEA Provides TOD Meter Data', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter', '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"">December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter to get information about the change in electricity rates during peak hours and off hours in a day. The NEA officials say that they cannot provide such data.</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 federation held a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday and made it clear that the industries will pay the electricity tariff fixed by the NEA on condition that the state-run electricity utility provides data of the TOD meter.</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 industrialists claimed that the NEA charged them bills even after load shedding ended on May 14, 2018.</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"">During the press conference, CNI President Rajesh Kumar Agarwal said that the industrialists have been paying the fees for their regular hours and not paying the extra fees for the disputed hours.</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"">"Our major concern is the fee charged after the end of load shedding. The NEA prepared the bill before the Electricity Regulatory Commission fixed the premium rates for the dedicated feeder and trunk line," Chairman Agarwal said, adding, "We have not paid the bill for the disputed period from 2072 to 2075. We requested for the TOD meter data from the authority at that time, but the authority did not provide it.”</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"">Shashikant Agarwal, owner of Reliance Spinning Mills, said that the authority has acted immaturely by cutting the line of the industries. He alleged that the authority sent fake bills and demanded for fees. </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"">“If we pay the bills within seven days after receiving it from the authority, we get a two percent concession. Industrialists are properly utilizing this facility. Therefore, no industrialist has any remaining amount to pay to the authority," he said, adding, "If there is any remaining amount, why is the authority afraid to submit TOD meter data?"</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"">As per the law, the Nepal Electricity Authority has to download and keep the bill recorded in the TOD meter every month and submit the data when there is a dispute related to electricity tariff, but the authority does not have such data.</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"">Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, information officer of the authority, said that they cannot provide the TOD meter data. Although the authority prepared the bill using the TOD meter, the data cannot be provided right now. Sometimes we can miss the meter reading. We don't have such data,'' he told New Business Age, “Therefore the industrialists should also keep the data safe with themselves. How will the authority provide the date after all these years?”</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 authority has stopped power supply to nine big industries since Friday. The industrialists are complaining that they have incurred losses of millions of rupees due to this move of the authority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19551', 'image' => '20231226022800_1703559400.1605049113.Clipboard04.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 14:27:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19823', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Global Dengue Surge Sparks Concern as Cases Top 5 Million this Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, Diana Rojas Alvarez, the health agency's team lead on arboviruses, disclosed at the UN weekly briefing in Geneva during the weekend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said climate change was partly to blame as it led to higher rainfall, humidity and temperature, enabling mosquitoes to thrive. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Although 4 billion people are at risk from dengue, most of those infected are symptom-free and usually recover within one to two weeks," the WHO said. Severe dengue infections are marked by shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to medical care can lower mortality rates in severe cases. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UN agency said reported cases skyrocketed to a record 5.2 million in 2019, a tenfold rise over 2000, across 129 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said the threat required "the maximal attention and response from all levels" of the agency to support countries in controlling current dengue outbreaks and preparing for the upcoming dengue season. – Xinhua/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19550', 'image' => '20231226012012_WHO.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 13:19:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19822', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Area of Wheat Cultivation Declining in Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'The Government does not have any Plan to Increase Production', 'summary' => 'December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. ', '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"">December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. However, the area of wheat production in Nepal has been continuously declining in recent years due to the trend of leaving the land fallow after rice cultivation. </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"">Although the area of wheat cultivation has decreased, wheat production has increased to some extent. However, the current production is not sufficient to meet the market demand of Nepal.</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 does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the area of land under wheat cultivation in Nepal has continuously decreased in the last </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> years. </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"">In the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2069/70</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat cultivation was done on </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">759</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"">843</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Nepal. By the time of FY </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, such area decreased by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">42</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"">865</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">716</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"">978</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. Nevertheless, wheat production is reported to have increased to some extent during this period.</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"">During this period, wheat production increased from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">18</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"">82</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"">220</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">21</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"">44</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"">568</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons. However, even though production has increased, it is not enough to meet the country’s demand.</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 Rajendra Prasad Mishra, joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal needs to produce more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2.5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million metric tons of wheat to meet its domestic demand. However, the country has not been able to increase wheat production to meet the demand due to the lack of adequate irrigation, advanced varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers and technology, he 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 Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Irrigation facility, improved variety of seeds and technology help greatly in increasing production. However, as we are unable to provide such facilities to the farmers on time, the production has not increased. On top of that, the campaign to increase the production of any item and to reach a state of self-sufficiency is a very long process. Apart from the campaigns that were conducted in the past, the ministry does not have a big plan for now," he told New Business Age. </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"">For the past few years, the government has been implementing a programme under the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project to increase wheat production by declaring three zones and one super-zone for wheat cultivation.</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, this program seems to be implemented just for the sake of showing that the government has been promoting wheat production.</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"">Under this programme, wheat cultivation is done in only </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"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">121</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land. This programme produces only about </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat annually.</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"">Uddhav Adhikari, coordinator of Agriculture Campaign for Food, says that the government should take special initiatives to increase wheat production. He said that farmers can be attracted to wheat farming only if the government takes steps to provide high subsidies for wheat, expand the pocket area of wheat farming, facilitate access to equipment and make fertilizers and advanced varieties of seeds readily available. He said that although there is a lot of potential for wheat production in Nepal, it is unfortunate that government has no proper plan for it.</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"">As the government does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production, it is not possible for the domestic production to meet the market demand. </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"">As a result, the country has to import wheat in large quantities every year. According to the data of the Department of Customs, Nepal imported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">201</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat worth Rs </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"">.</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion in the fiscal year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2075/76. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076/77</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the country imported a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">240</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"">745</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8</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"">19</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat import seems to have decreased due to India's ban on wheat exports. That year, only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24,700</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth more than Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.16</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion was imported into Nepal.</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 information provided by the Wheat Flour Industry Association, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">36 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">mills in Nepal utilize </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.5 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million tons of wheat annually. About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">70 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of wheat required for industrial purposes is obtained from domestic production. The remaining </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent is imported from other countries including India. Apart from India, wheat is also imported to Nepal from Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, the UK and Bangladesh. According to a report published by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2020/21</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, Nepal is the second major wheat exporting country for India. It is recorded that India exported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</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"">700 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">tons of wheat to Nepal during the review year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19549', 'image' => '20231226122800_Wheat_photo-cred-Adobe-stock_E-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 12:27:07', '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
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19839', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fuel Imports Account for Half of Government’s Revenue', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal year.', '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"">December 28: Fuel import accounted for half of the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs in the current fiscal 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"">According to the Birgunj Customs Office, it collected </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">46.96</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue up to mid-December in the current FY from the import of petroleum products. According to Birgunj Customs Office, fuel import has increased in recent months.</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"">Information officer of Birgunj Customs, Ram Chandra Dhakal, said that the fuel imports accounted for </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">53.90</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent of the total revenue collected from mid-November to mid-December.</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"">Birgunj is the main entry point for petroleum products. Fuel is imported from this checkpoint using the Motihari-Amlekhagunj petroleum pipeline as well as land route. </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 Birgunj Customs, a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">379</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"">92</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of diesel, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">162</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of petrol, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">682</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"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million liters of aviation turbine fuel, and </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">114</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"">47</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million kg of cooking gas have been imported through this border point in the first five months of the current fiscal 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"">According to customs office, the contribution of vehicles to the total revenue stands at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. Customs officials said that the import of vehicles has decreased due to the high interest rates and low market demand. </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"">Four wheelers including jeeps, cars, vans, trucks and bus chassis as well as motorcycles, vehicle parts, and electric vehicles are imported through this customs point. Customs data show that the import of unassembled motorcycles has increased recently. Such imports have increased due to the opening of the motorcycle assembly industry 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"">Both the import volume and revenue from Birgunj customs have declined this year. In the first five</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">months of the current fiscal year, this customs point recorded foreign trade (import and export) equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">255</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"">26 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, the trade volume from this customs stood at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">310</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"">80 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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 trade deficit from this customs point has alone reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">229</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"">89 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion.</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"">Data show that even though the government has lifted all kinds of import restrictions, there has been no improvement in foreign trade. </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 decline in imports, Birgunj Customs has not been able to meet its revenue collection target. Birgunj customs was given a target to collect Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">98.56 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion till mid-December. Information Officer Dhakal said that the customs office has been able to collect only Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion during this period. The revenue collection of Birgunj Customs is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">62.91 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of the target. During the same period last year, the revenue was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">63</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"">45 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19566', 'image' => '20231228111410_petroo - Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 11:13:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19838', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Committee Directs CIAA to Initiate Probe into TERAMOCS Purchase Deal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to take action after carrying out investigation on the issue of Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOCS) purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the committee held on Wednesday asked the CIAA to submit the progress details to the committee within 30 days after conducting a study on TERAMOCS purchase deal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PAC Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel shared that the committee also directed the government to immediately stop the process of implementing TERAMOCS system.</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 meeting has directed the government, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Nepal Telecommunications Authority not to enforce the technology and not to make additional payment," said Pokharel. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee held on October 13 had asked the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to provide all the documents regarding the purchase of TERAMOCS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The study carried out after receiving the documents from Nepal Telecommunications Authority and extensive discussion in the committee concluded that the existing laws and policy-level arrangements were violated in course of buying the TERAMOCS. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19565', 'image' => '20231228100642_Parliament.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 10:05:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19837', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'COVID-19 Cases Detected among India-Returnees in Sudurpaschim Province ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 28: Cases of COVID-19 have again emerged in Sudurpaschim Province. The infection rate was nil until last week, but eight cases have been detected this week. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Ganesh Saud, an Auxiliary Health Worker stationed at the Health Desk in Gauriphanta along the Nepal-India border said that symptoms were observed among some India-returnees. Eight positive cases were confirmed through antigen tests. Four samples of the infected have been sent to Kathmandu through the province-based lab to identify the disease variant. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the border have been advised to observe home- isolation and those having severe symptoms are advised to visit hospitals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Saud, the World Health Organisation recently warned against the detection of a new variant of the disease. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-28', 'modified' => '2023-12-28', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19564', 'image' => '20231228090325_coronaaaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-28 09:01:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19833', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Insurance Companies Fail to Diversify Investment, Focus on Fixed Deposits of Banks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has made arrangements for insurance companies to diversify their investment. However, it has been found that the investment of insurance companies is limited to term deposits of banks and financial institutions (BFIs).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the authority's data, the total investment of life insurance companies stands at Rs 600 billion and that of non-life insurance companies is 60 billion as of mid-October of the current fiscal year (FY). Out of that amount, life insurance companies have kept 77 percent of the amount in fixed deposits of BFIs while non-life insurance companies have invested 79 percent in term deposits.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The insurance companies have mostly invested in fixed deposits of commercial banks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After insurance companies complained that they were not able to diversify their investments, the then Insurance Board of Nepal (now the Nepal Insurance Authority) revised the 2075 Investment Guidelines and opened the door for the insurance companies to invest in infrastructure and productive sectors such as real estate business, water resources, agriculture, tourism, in addition to fixed deposits and shares. However, even after 5 years of the changes in the guidelines, it seems that the insurance companies have not been able to invest in the new sectors. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the guidelines, insurance companies can invest a minimum of 40 percent of their total technical reserves in commercial banks, a minimum of 40 percent in fixed deposits of infrastructure development banks, a maximum of 20 percent in development banks and a maximum of 10 percent in finance companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, they can invest up to 5 percent in government’s bonds, up to 40 percent in the fixed deposit accounts of infrastructure development banks, up to 5 percent in real estate business, up to 10 percent in ordinary shares of listed companies and up to 20 percent in preference shares. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">There is a provision to invest up to 20 percent in bonds of listed companies, up to 20 percent in infrastructure including agriculture, tourism and water resources, and up to 5 percent in Citizens Investment Trust and mutual funds.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the companies have not been able to diversify their investments according to the provisions of the guidelines. Most of their investments are concentrated in fixed deposits of BFIs followed by bonds and the stock market.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19560', 'image' => '20231227031626_Insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 15:15:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19832', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Banke National Park Steps up Tourism Promotion Activities ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 27: Banke National Park, the youngest national park of the country, has entered its 12th year and is engaged in a tourism promotion campaign. Established as the tenth national park of Nepal on July 12, 2010, the national park is currently preparing strategies for tourism promotion. According to Manoj Kumar Shah, senior conservation officer of the park, plans are underway to build a new track and decorate the park premises.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“We aim to attract more and more tourists to the national park. For this, we are building a new road in the park,” said Shah.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that a detailed plan is being made for tourism promotion, Senior Conservation Officer Shah said that it will be implemented in this month itself. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">To attract foreign and domestic tourists, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) organized a jungle safari with tourists from Bardiya and Banke on Monday in collaboration with the national park.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Sriram Sigdel, coordinator of NATTA, said that all three levels of government need to be concerned about the national park. “There are many tourist spots within the national park. It is important to pay attention to the development of all of them," he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The park is spread over an area of 650 sq km. The park stretches 72 km from the east to the west.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The national park, established to protect tiger habitats and biodiversity, is connected to Bardiya, Dang and Salyan. The government has put the national park on the list of 100 tourist destinations.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19559', 'image' => '20231227025343_barnke-national-park-975x540.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 14:52:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19831', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Promote Sports Tourism', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to develop sports tourism in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of the completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal said that the success achieved by Nepali athletes has laid the foundation for sports tourism in the country. This needs to be coupled with necessary infrastructure. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Nepali cricket players made it to the World Cup without a well-equipped sports ground. Now every possible effort will be made for proper preparation for the World Cup,” he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal also said that the cricket grounds of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, in Mulpani of Kathmandu, the Phapla cricket ground in Kailali, and the cricket ground in Biratnagar and Gautam Buddha Cricket Stadium in Chitwan will be upgraded and developed as a project of national pride in coordination with all three levels of government. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also shared that 252 athletes who won medals in South Asian and Asian Games have been provided with monthly allowances, while the victorious cricket team members were honoured with cash prizes. "Along with these incentives, the government's focus is now on building sports infrastructure." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government will leave no stone unturned to achieve the potential of sports tourism by developing sports and sports infrastructure from the grassroots level. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19558', 'image' => '20231227111347_20230114031921_Clipboard16.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:13:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19830', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals of Laljhadi Forced to Pay Money to Cross Doda River', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The locals of Laljhadi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur have been compelled to pay money for using a wooden bridge to cross the Doda River. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the absence of a concrete bridge to cross the river, local folks have been bearing the cost for commuting through the temporary wooden bridge, the state-owned RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prema Rana, a local of Shuklaphanta municipality-11, Dekhatbhuli is a teacher of Siddhabaijanath Secondary School in Laljhadi-2. Rana told RSS that she has been paying money for using the wooden bridge to cross the river. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We have been using the wooden bridge for years to cross the river. Now the state of bridge is also deteriorating," she said, adding, "It is very risky to cross the river in the rainy season." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The residents of Laljhadi, who have been relying on the wooden bridge for the years, are also compelled to make a risky journey using inflated rubber tubes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Years have elapsed since the promise was made for the construction of a concrete bridge. When will the work get completed? There seems no preparation for this at all," RSS quoted Dhoke Rana, a local of Laljhadi-5, as saying. "We are compelled to cross the river by paying money in absence of concrete bridge," he added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The local residents have been paying Rs 10 for using cycle and Rs 20 for motorbike to cross the river. The local government has handed the Doda river to a contractor to generate income. The contractor has been taking advantage of the situation by charging money to the hapless locals. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19557', 'image' => '20231227111152_GJ-Bedkot-Kanchanpur.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:11:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19829', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers to Get Subsidy Based on Production: PM Dahal ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that that the government will soon implement production-based subsidy system in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address to the nation on the occasion of completion of a year of the incumbent government on Tuesday, he said the state has been continuously investing in agriculture but it has not increased productivity. "Subsidy and distribution of fertilizer will be made on the basis of the classification of farmers from next fiscal year so that the genuine farmers will not be deprived of such facilities including subsidized agriculture loan.” </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Sharing that the production-based subsidy system will be implemented for key food and vegetable items, PM Dahal pledged to make due payment to the milk farmers by mid-April. "But, such reforms will not be sufficient for leap forward in the agriculture sector," the PM admitted. He further said that 401,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers were ensured for the farmers on time. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, he shared that irrigation facility was provided to an additional 21,168 hectares of land through surface and underground projects in the review year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As many as 296 deep tube well and 3,244 shallow tube well irrigation systems were installed, the PM claimed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to declare 2081-91 as the decade of investment in agriculture to spur investment in agriculture sector. The government expects the private sector, development partners and cooperatives to join hands with the government for the transformation of the agriculture sector in Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"The construction of integrated agriculture and livestock centers with 30 labs will be completed by the mid-July 2024," he said, adding, "Measures will be introduced to reduce the effects of rising import and climate change". </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal expressed his commitment to initiate canal development system for agriculture productivity. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19556', 'image' => '20231227111057_agri maize.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:10:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19828', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Announces Plan to Expand Scope of Health Insurance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced the government’s plans to expand the scope of health insurance. In his address to the nation upon completion of one year of his government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the insurance scheme has not proceeded according to the spirit of the National Health Insurance Act introduced during his previous tenure in 2074. But the current government will improve it to realize the constitutional right of citizens to health with top priority, he 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"">For this, PM Dahal said that the government will ensure policy and procedural reforms for the effective implementation of insurance, capacity building of the insurance board, strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and to increase the scope of insurance coverage and comprehensive improvement in the structure and quality of services.</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 prime minister also expressed his commitment to increase the current ceiling of insurance coverage, while all the free health programs will be included in the health insurance in an integrated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“With a focus on health insurance, the health system will be developed according to the integrated health infrastructure development standards,” he said. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19555', 'image' => '20231227110944_health insurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 11:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19827', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Dahal Admits Government’s Unsatisfactory Performance', 'sub_title' => 'PM vows to amend government’s working style', 'summary' => 'December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 27: The incumbent government has admitted its shortcoming in its working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the government has not been able to do anything extraordinary, other than its regular job, for the welfare of the people Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday announced a shift in the ongoing working style of the government from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Addressing the nation on Tuesday to unveil his government's achievements made in the past one year, Prime Minister Dahal admitted that the traditional style of policy and programmes could not bring about expected results. He added that the government will embrace a new working style.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Dahal argued that the traditional way of budget making has failed to allocate budget to the priority sectors and make true estimates on expenditure, leading to direct impact on capital expenditure. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"I plan to move ahead in a new style by changing the system of policy making and budget preparation," the state-owned RSS quoted him as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Dahal also shared that the principles and priorities of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year would be made public in February and the feedback from the people's representatives and general public would be taken. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He stated that policy, structural and legal measures would be taken with the target to obtain double-digit economic growth, RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister was of the view that the government is making the best possible efforts even though the journey to development and prosperity so far has not been satisfactory. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In his address, the prime minister said that he would not make claim about the complete success of his government but announced that he would change the government's working style. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the prime minister announced that he would not attend any public events except for some prescheduled and compulsory ones and added that his focus would be on new policy and programme, budget preparation, and to resolve the issues in the areas of development and good-governance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will be a departure from the government's current working style. I am making changes to the structure of the Office of the Prime Minister this week," Dahal reportedly said. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-27', 'modified' => '2023-12-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19554', 'image' => '20231227103256_RS_KTM_20231226172741_RATL5047(1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-27 10:32:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19826', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Study Underway to Declare Pokhara as Tourism Capital', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">December 26: The topic of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal has been under discussion for a long time now. The issue has come into rigorous discussion after the Gandaki province government formed a study committee last month to declare its capital city as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Gandaki Provincial Government and Pokhara Metropolitan City have repeatedly proposed to the federal government to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital. The provincial government took the initiative to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital after the federal government didn't give any positive response. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The 11-member study committee formed under the chairmanship of Krishna Chandra Devkota, vice president of Gandaki State Policy and Planning Commission, is preparing to finalize its study report.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The study committee with tourism experts was assigned the task of identifying the necessary infrastructure and standards for declaring the tourism capital, increasing the quality of services, identifying the process of declaration and coordinating with the central government.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The first meeting of the committee has prepared a draft of the declaration of the tourism capital and also a study report," said Devkota, chairman of the study committee.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the report prepared by the committee will be submitted to the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on January 11. "The tourism minister, secretary and other officials of the ministry are also engaged in this work. Suggestions from tourism sector experts and stakeholders have been included in the report," Devkota added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, the committee has started studies to implement the provincial government's policy of declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal by identifying and promoting new tourist destinations and developing and diversifying tourism infrastructure. In order to promote Pokhara as the tourism capital, the committee conducted further study based on the concept paper previously prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the province. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Industry, Tourism, Forest and Information Minister Dipendra Bahadur Thapa said the provincial government will focus on the necessary infrastructure for the announcement of the tourism capital based on recommendation made by the study report. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"The declaration will be made in coordination with the federal government after completing the necessary works of infrastructure development and maintaining standards required for the proposed tourism capital," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been years since Pokhara's tourism-based organizations and businessmen started demanding the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that since Pokhara is a well-developed tourist destination, they have been demanding the government to declare it as the tourism capital.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Experts in the tourism sector shared that Pokhara can be declared as the toruism capital taking into consideration its tourism activities, easy accessibility, tourist-friendly facilities, and a tourism-friendly legal structures.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19553', 'image' => '20231226033640_20220327062910_lakeside (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:35:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19825', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Expresses Concern over 'Empty Villages' ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed concerns over villages turning 'empty' due to rampant migration to urban areas. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking at a function organized to mark the 65th anniversary of Thamel-based Saraswoti Multiple Campus on Tuesday, the head of the state urged one and all to seek ways to address the situation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He said villages face depopulation despite advancements in education, communications, road, health and electricity after the advent of democracy. Villages experience a population decline despite development, said the president. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president advised authorities to formulate education policies and programmes capable of producing globally competitive human resources in order to stop the brain drain. "Combined efforts are necessary towards this end and academic institutions should take this initiative." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He urged policymakers and concerned authorities to concentrate on finding solutions to address the issue and highlighted the need of promoting job opportunities and vocational education to prevent the widespread migrations of youths in search of careers abroad. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The President who was once a student of this college said he had given his prime time to the movement of democracy as the college student. According to him, the college atmosphere had played a role to further enhance his political awakening and thus his political career. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">President Paudel mentioned that Saraswoti Campus has become the source of inspiration for Nepal's education sector as it had provided opportunity for pursuing higher education in easy and accessible manner in those days when it was very difficult for Nepalese youths to get education. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Established on Poush 10, 2016 BS, Saraswoti Multiple Campus has around 7,000 students. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19552', 'image' => '20231226031716_1703575595.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 15:16:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19824', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Industrialists Ready to Pay Electricity Bill if NEA Provides TOD Meter Data', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter', '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"">December 26: After the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started cutting the lines of industries for defaulting the payment of electricity tariff for the dedicated feeder and trunk lines, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded the data of Time of Day (TOD) meter to get information about the change in electricity rates during peak hours and off hours in a day. The NEA officials say that they cannot provide such data.</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 federation held a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday and made it clear that the industries will pay the electricity tariff fixed by the NEA on condition that the state-run electricity utility provides data of the TOD meter.</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 industrialists claimed that the NEA charged them bills even after load shedding ended on May 14, 2018.</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"">During the press conference, CNI President Rajesh Kumar Agarwal said that the industrialists have been paying the fees for their regular hours and not paying the extra fees for the disputed hours.</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"">"Our major concern is the fee charged after the end of load shedding. The NEA prepared the bill before the Electricity Regulatory Commission fixed the premium rates for the dedicated feeder and trunk line," Chairman Agarwal said, adding, "We have not paid the bill for the disputed period from 2072 to 2075. We requested for the TOD meter data from the authority at that time, but the authority did not provide it.”</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"">Shashikant Agarwal, owner of Reliance Spinning Mills, said that the authority has acted immaturely by cutting the line of the industries. He alleged that the authority sent fake bills and demanded for fees. </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"">“If we pay the bills within seven days after receiving it from the authority, we get a two percent concession. Industrialists are properly utilizing this facility. Therefore, no industrialist has any remaining amount to pay to the authority," he said, adding, "If there is any remaining amount, why is the authority afraid to submit TOD meter data?"</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"">As per the law, the Nepal Electricity Authority has to download and keep the bill recorded in the TOD meter every month and submit the data when there is a dispute related to electricity tariff, but the authority does not have such data.</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"">Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, information officer of the authority, said that they cannot provide the TOD meter data. Although the authority prepared the bill using the TOD meter, the data cannot be provided right now. Sometimes we can miss the meter reading. We don't have such data,'' he told New Business Age, “Therefore the industrialists should also keep the data safe with themselves. How will the authority provide the date after all these years?”</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 authority has stopped power supply to nine big industries since Friday. The industrialists are complaining that they have incurred losses of millions of rupees due to this move of the authority.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19551', 'image' => '20231226022800_1703559400.1605049113.Clipboard04.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 14:27:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19823', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Global Dengue Surge Sparks Concern as Cases Top 5 Million this Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">December 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, Diana Rojas Alvarez, the health agency's team lead on arboviruses, disclosed at the UN weekly briefing in Geneva during the weekend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said climate change was partly to blame as it led to higher rainfall, humidity and temperature, enabling mosquitoes to thrive. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"Although 4 billion people are at risk from dengue, most of those infected are symptom-free and usually recover within one to two weeks," the WHO said. Severe dengue infections are marked by shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to medical care can lower mortality rates in severe cases. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The UN agency said reported cases skyrocketed to a record 5.2 million in 2019, a tenfold rise over 2000, across 129 countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Alvarez said the threat required "the maximal attention and response from all levels" of the agency to support countries in controlling current dengue outbreaks and preparing for the upcoming dengue season. – Xinhua/RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19550', 'image' => '20231226012012_WHO.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 13:19:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19822', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Area of Wheat Cultivation Declining in Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'The Government does not have any Plan to Increase Production', 'summary' => 'December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. ', '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"">December 26: Wheat is the second major staple crop of Nepal after rice. However, the area of wheat production in Nepal has been continuously declining in recent years due to the trend of leaving the land fallow after rice cultivation. </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"">Although the area of wheat cultivation has decreased, wheat production has increased to some extent. However, the current production is not sufficient to meet the market demand of Nepal.</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 does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the area of land under wheat cultivation in Nepal has continuously decreased in the last </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> years. </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"">In the fiscal year (FY) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2069/70</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat cultivation was done on </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">759</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"">843</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Nepal. By the time of FY </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, such area decreased by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">42</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"">865</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">716</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"">978</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. Nevertheless, wheat production is reported to have increased to some extent during this period.</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"">During this period, wheat production increased from </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">18</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"">82</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"">220</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">21</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"">44</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"">568</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons. However, even though production has increased, it is not enough to meet the country’s demand.</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 Rajendra Prasad Mishra, joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal needs to produce more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2.5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> million metric tons of wheat to meet its domestic demand. However, the country has not been able to increase wheat production to meet the demand due to the lack of adequate irrigation, advanced varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers and technology, he 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 Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Irrigation facility, improved variety of seeds and technology help greatly in increasing production. However, as we are unable to provide such facilities to the farmers on time, the production has not increased. On top of that, the campaign to increase the production of any item and to reach a state of self-sufficiency is a very long process. Apart from the campaigns that were conducted in the past, the ministry does not have a big plan for now," he told New Business Age. </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"">For the past few years, the government has been implementing a programme under the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project to increase wheat production by declaring three zones and one super-zone for wheat cultivation.</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, this program seems to be implemented just for the sake of showing that the government has been promoting wheat production.</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"">Under this programme, wheat cultivation is done in only </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"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">121</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land. This programme produces only about </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">14</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat annually.</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"">Uddhav Adhikari, coordinator of Agriculture Campaign for Food, says that the government should take special initiatives to increase wheat production. He said that farmers can be attracted to wheat farming only if the government takes steps to provide high subsidies for wheat, expand the pocket area of wheat farming, facilitate access to equipment and make fertilizers and advanced varieties of seeds readily available. He said that although there is a lot of potential for wheat production in Nepal, it is unfortunate that government has no proper plan for it.</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"">As the government does not have a concrete plan to increase wheat production, it is not possible for the domestic production to meet the market demand. </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"">As a result, the country has to import wheat in large quantities every year. According to the data of the Department of Customs, Nepal imported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">201</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"">000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">metric tons of wheat worth Rs </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"">.</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion in the fiscal year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2075/76. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2076/77</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the country imported a total of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">240</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"">745</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8</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"">19</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion. </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"">In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2078/79</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, wheat import seems to have decreased due to India's ban on wheat exports. That year, only </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">24,700</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> tons of wheat worth more than Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.16</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion was imported into Nepal.</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 information provided by the Wheat Flour Industry Association, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">36 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">mills in Nepal utilize </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.5 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">million tons of wheat annually. About </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">70 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent of wheat required for industrial purposes is obtained from domestic production. The remaining </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent is imported from other countries including India. Apart from India, wheat is also imported to Nepal from Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, the UK and Bangladesh. According to a report published by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2020/21</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, Nepal is the second major wheat exporting country for India. It is recorded that India exported </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">330</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"">700 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">tons of wheat to Nepal during the review year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-12-26', 'modified' => '2023-12-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '19549', 'image' => '20231226122800_Wheat_photo-cred-Adobe-stock_E-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-12-26 12:27:07', '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
