September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a…
September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a…
September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer.…
September 20: The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in…
September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand…
September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their…
In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in…
Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT…
September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide…
September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported…
September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more…
September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from…
September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the…
September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. …
In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and…
September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of…
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have stopped the construction for around three weeks demanding compensation for the land to be acquired for the approach road of the Arun III project site. As a result of the protest by the locals, the work of the power house of the project and the entrance route has come to a standstill. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Jani Kumar Rai, coordinator of the Arun Entrance Route Struggle Committee, said they were forced to take to the streets after the government did not address their demands.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have been demanding compensation for the land to be acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding Pukhuwa road. Four hundred fifty four ropanis of land are yet to be acquired from Chhyangkuti to Pukhuwa. The protesting locals have warned of continuing the protest until the compensation amount is deposited in the account of the district administration office. They have been protesting for the past seven years demanding compensation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the project development agreement reached with the Indian construction company, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which is constructing the project, the Government of Nepal has to bear Rs 80 million daily if the construction work is halted by the locals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On 9 May, 2023, the compensation determination committee formed to compensate the affected locals had decided to provide Rs 1.1 million in compensation per ropani of land acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding road for the project. But the affected people have yet to get the compensation. Upon completion of the project, Nepal will get 197 megawatts of electricity. The estimated cost of the project is said to be over Rs 115 billion. More than 3,000 workers are working in the project. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18771', 'image' => '20230920022143_20200917093410_Clipboard22.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 14:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19041', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ncell Announces Everyday Surprise Prize', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. The company says that the prize is guaranteed every day for 28 consecutive days under this offer. In addition, the customers will also receive a weekly bonus balance and a scooter as a bumper prize.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The company said that it introduced this scheme under the theme 'We are for you' on Sunday. Every customer who participates in it gets a gift. As informed by the company, customers have already started receiving gifts in the form of Ncell service, facility, and gift vouchers since Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under this scheme, which will be operational for 28 days, 1,000 customers will receive a surprise of Rs 100 bonus balance. At the end of the scheme, seven customers will win one scooter each as a bumper prize. The company said that customers should dial asterisk 17117 hash at least once a week to receive weekly and bumper prizes.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18770', 'image' => '20230920010524_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 13:04:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19040', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkish Brand Nishane Launches its X Collection Perfume in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">September 20: </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal. The brand was launched by "Ina Center", a renowned retailer of branded perfumes in the Nepali market last Friday.<br /> Nishane brand perfumes, lauded as the pinnacle of olfactory craftsmanship by perfume connoisseurs worldwide, are meticulously crafted in Turkey, reads a statement issued by Ina Centre. The retailer said it has successfully imported a diverse array of Nishane brand perfumes to Nepal.<br /> “For over 25 years, Ina Center has remained steadfast in its mission to import and offer internationally renowned perfume brands to the Nepali audience,” added the statement.<br /> Uddhav Bartaula, managing director of Ina Center, announced the availability of Nishane brand perfumes in various Ina Center outlets across Nepal. Ina Center currently showcases an exquisite collection of the world's top niche perfume brands, including Clive Christian, Liquids Imaginaries, Tiziana Terenzi, Essential, V Canto, Mancera, Montale, and many more.<br /> According to the company, Nishane stands out as Istanbul's premier niche perfume brand, celebrated globally for its unique approach to the art of scent creation. The brand's distinctiveness is underscored by the unparalleled aroma of its fragrances. <br /> “Nishane has taken a bold step forward by introducing The X Collection, an evolution of its five best-selling fragrances: Hacivat, Hundred Silent Ways, Ani, Fan Your Flames, and Wulong Cha. Each rendition in the X Collection is thoughtfully designed to accentuate and enhance the core characteristics of the original fragrances.”<br /> According to Ina Center, the new additions to the X Collection include:<br /> Hacivat X: A fresh interpretation of the globally acclaimed Hacivat (2017), celebrating the vibrancy of life with stimulating notes of pineapple, bergamot, complemented by woody undertones.<br /> Hundred Silent Ways X: A must-try for those who relish the juicy burst of mandarin and peach, leading to a heart of delicate gardenia, iris, jasmine, and heliotrope, finished with vanilla, leather, and patchouli for a sensual and warm character.<br /> Ani X: A fragrance deeply rooted in its heritage, inviting exploration beyond the boundaries of time and space. It opens with a richer burst of juicy citrus compared to the original Ani (2019), known for its exceptional vanilla scent.<br /> Wulong Cha X: A reimagination of Nishane's inaugural collection launched in 2015, Wulong Cha X is designed to sharpen the edges of the original formula. It opens with zesty citrus notes of bergamot, orange, mandarin, and yuzu, settling into heart notes of magnolia and yuzu for a fresh and revitalizing experience throughout the day.<br /> Fan Your Flames X: An evolution of the global sensation Fan Your Flames (2016), this newer version delicately enhances the fragrance with tropical flavors. Opening with a captivating blend of coconut, rum, and lentisque, it exudes sweet and tropical vibes, culminating in a rich and spicy aroma. Base notes of cedar, oak moss, and patchouli provide a woody and earthy finish to the fragrance, making it an ideal choice for those seeking warm and exotic scents.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18769', 'image' => '20230920121341_Nishane X collection.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 12:13:02', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19039', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Chocofun Starts New Advertising Campaign with the Slogan - Only Chocofun', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Issuing a recent statement, the company said this campaign will run throughout the nation in ‘multiple media’.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The advertisement campaign with the slogan “Only Chocofun'' has been initiated with a message that Chocofun will “complete” all the beautiful moments of childhood, added the statement. The company claimed that Chocofun has been the primary choice of children in Nepal for over 20 years and the advertising campaign aims to manifest the certainty of Chocofun adding more colors in the happy moments of the lives of children. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">According to the company, this advertisement will be broadcast in all the mediums like television, radio, digital media, social media and other publishing platforms. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“Only Chocofun touches the childhood memories of children. It gathers the different moments from their real life and present how they will be completed with the joy of Chocofun. It includes children interacting with each other, having the time of their life with the mouth melting Chocofun whereas some even claim Chocofun to be the savor of their success,” reads the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The statement further said that Chocofun is the most popular production of Sujal Foods Private Limited, an ISO 22000:2018 certified company which has been in operation for the last forty years. The company claimed that Chocofun is produced by qualified confectioners using the state-of-the-art technologies following all the necessary hygienic regulations and health standards. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“The excellent crispy and crunchy wafer stands impeccable in terms of quality and taste.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Sujal Food Private Limited believes Only Chocofun campaign will successfully gain the place in the heart of customers and consumers. In addition to that, company also believes this campaign will forever enriches the love people have for Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18768', 'image' => '20230920111410_Only-chocofun-for PR.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 11:12:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19038', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'OECD Forecasts 'Sub-Par' Global Growth due to High Interest Rates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The world economy is now expected to grow 3.0 percent this year, up from the 2.7 percent forecast in the June outlook of the OECD, reported AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">According to the French news agency, OECD said global growth was projected to remain "sub-par", slowing to 2.7 percent next year -- down from 2.9 percent in the previous forecast.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"After a stronger-than-expected start to 2023, helped by lower energy prices and the reopening of China, global growth is expected to moderate," AFP reported referring to a report published by the OECD.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"The impact of tighter monetary policy is becoming increasingly visible, business and consumer confidence have turned down, and the rebound in China has faded," it added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Central banks worldwide have sharply increased borrowing costs in an effort to tame consumer prices which soared in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, added AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"We are all seeing the tightening of monetary policy working its way through our economies. This is necessary to reduce inflation, but it is painful," OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli said at a press conference.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The European Central Bank raised a key interest rate to a record high last week but hinted this might be its last hike, while the US Federal Reserve is expected to pause its own campaign on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"Inflation is projected to moderate gradually over 2023 and 2024 but to remain above central bank objectives in most economies," the OECD said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18767', 'image' => '20230920105414_oecd-logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 10:53:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19037', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Investors Commit Rs 14.65 Billion to Nepal in First Two Months of FY 2023/2024', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">September 20: In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">This commitment came when the Department of Industry approved 111 plans of foreign investors in the months of Shrawan and Bhadra of FY 2023/2024. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to data released by the Department of Industry on Monday, a significant investment commitments were made in Shrawan. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While the number of approved plans in Shrawan stood at 60, the commitment for investment was Rs 11.93 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Even though there were 51 plans approved in Bhadra, the investment commitment was only Rs 2.72 billion. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Foreign investors can invest in various sectors, including production-based industries, energy, agriculture, tourism, minerals, services, telecommunications, and information technology in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Although investments can be made in eight sectors, the majority of investors seem to be interested in the service and tourism sectors. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">In the first two months of the fiscal year, 53 plans were approved in the tourism sector, and 44 in the service sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While there is only one plan approved for each of the production-based, energy, and agriculture sectors, two plans were approved for telecommunications and information technology.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to the department, these approved plans are expected to create 5,502 jobs in the country when they are implemented.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18766', 'image' => '20230920055204_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:49:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19036', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Honda Elevate Launched in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 20: Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Elevate comes with a 1.5-liter petrol engine, manual, and automatic gearbox options. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Nepal is offering an introductory offer with cash discounts and additional benefits for the first 10 customers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine generating 121 PS power and 145 Nm torque. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It features a bold exterior design, LED lights, and a ground clearance of 220mm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Inside, the new car offers a spacious interior with ample cargo space, a 7-inch TFT meter cluster, a 10.25-inch LCD touch-screen display, and a Wireless Smartphone Charger.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In terms of safety, the Elevate comes equipped with Honda SENSING's Advanced Driver Assistance System, ACE Body Structure, 6 Airbags, Lane Watch Camera, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, and more.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate will be available at authorized Honda dealerships across Nepal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18765', 'image' => '20230920053210_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:30:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19035', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMEC Corridor and Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project connecting the three continents is expected to greatly help in economic development. IMEC will speed up the current trade from India to Europe by about 40 percent. It is expected that the expenses incurred will be greatly reduced.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While the world leaders were making such far-reaching agreements in neighboring India, Nepal remained in a 'quiet' state as if it had not received the information. Although Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, it can still benefit from that project if Nepal uses through diplomatic initiative.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Perhaps, if successful diplomacy had been practiced, Nepal could have participated in the G-20 Conference in one way or another. For that, Nepal was not able to prove its need, nor could it convince the organizers with diplomatic assistance. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which holds a similar status to that of Nepal, got an opportunity to participate in the G-20 conference and is also participating in the IMEC project initiated by India. There are various reasons why Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, but the prime reason is Nepal's weak diplomatic ability. Therefore, besides focusing on developing Nepal's existing diplomatic capacity, it is necessary to emphasize on how to join the IMEC project. Nepal is becoming more and more dependent day by day. Therefore, it is beneficial for Nepal to fully participate in regional and international projects.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">This project is being initiated by India, Nepal's close neighbor, and it is more necessary for Nepal as it is also related to economic development. If Bangladesh can participate in the project that starts from Mumbai, which is known as the financial capital of India, it does not mean that Nepal cannot participate. Even now, goods are imported from Mumbai to Nepal. Geographically, connecting Nepal with Mumbai does not seem that difficult as Nepal has already decided to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is considered more complicated than IMEC. Even though Nepal has been a member of BRI for a long time, there is no visible progress, so there is no problem in becoming a member of IMEC. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Italy, which are members of IMEC, are also members of BRI. Therefore, Nepal needs to take care of what work and what decision is more beneficial.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If Nepal ignores IMEC because of ego, or not being able to participate in the G-20, there is a great danger that Nepal will be isolated from the integrated world. The countries that signed the MoU for the IMEC project are currently at the world's leading level. Only with the help of connectivity, Nepal can benefit from the economic, technical and other progress made by these countries. It is necessary for everyone to understand that the cooperation of developed countries is indispensable and lobbying to become a member of a project like IMEC should not be delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">What is IMEC?</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is a trade link starting from Mumbai, the financial capital of India, and will pass through Jabel Ali (UAE), Al Ghuwaifat (UAE), Haradh (Saudi Arabia), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Al Haditha (Saudi Arabia), Haifa (Israel), Jordan, Piraeus (Greece) to connect America and Europe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Initially, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States signed agreement for this project. It has prioritized sea and rail connectivity elsewhere.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18764', 'image' => '20230919035958_download.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:59:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19034', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Trade Deficit will End if Energy worth Rs 130 Billion is Exported: NRB Governor ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During a meeting with the office-bearers of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN), Governor Adhikari mentioned that power export would be the best medium to reduce the trade deficit. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Governor Adhikari assured that Nepal Rastra Bank will provide necessary facilitation in development of hydropower sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, IPPAN President Ganesh Karki urged Governor Adhikari to a make provision requiring banks and financial institutions to invest 20 per cent of their total investment in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN said around Rs 555 billion is needed within five years for developing projects to generate around 3700-megawatt electricity while around Rs 2,055 billion is needed in 10 years if power export agreement between Nepal-India is to be implemented and more than Rs 3,750 billion if additional 25,000-megawatt electricity is to be produced as per the declaration of Energy Decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As NRB is providing loan to projects with the capacity of producing more than 200 megawatts electricity by adding only one per cent to the base rate, the organisation requested to the central bank to implement this arrangement in all hydropower projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN further said banks and financial institutions have not shown interest to further invest in hydropower projects due to the directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank for banks and financial institutions. As per the directives, the interest income of the under-construction period could not be distributed as dividend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN also demanded the continuity of sharing of bonus for the interests generated during the construction phase. It has sought the government’s role for management of new financial instruments such as green bond or climate bond or sovereign bond from the international market. The private sector energy producers also want the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ensure refinancing facility for clean energy, citing high interest rates charged by financial institutions in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In response, the NRB governor said though the matters relating to bond falls under the jurisdictions of the Finance Ministry, the central bank is ready to facilitate towards that end. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has also requested the central bank to make provisions allowing banks and financial institutions to invest in energy production as capital. They also want rules and provisions related to investment, bonuses, and withdrawal of investments for international investors to be eased to achieve ambitious goal of generating 25,000 megawatts of electricity and exporting 15,000 megawatts in the next decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has urged revisions to the NRB’s unified directives regarding the risk weight of hydropower projects. They propose reducing the risk weight for operational projects from 100 to 50 percent and to 75 percent for under-construction projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the IPPAN delegation called on the NRB to develop progressive policy provisions that ensure interest grants, refinancing, interest capitalization, debt restructuring, and an extended moratorium period for rebuilding hydropower projects damaged by water-induced disasters. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present at the meeting were NRB Deputy Governor Bam Bahadur Mishra, executive directors Dr Gunakar Bhatta, and Dev Kumar Dhakal. The IPPAN delegation, led by President Karki, included Vice President Mohan Kumar Dangi and former President Shalendra Guragain, among others. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18763', 'image' => '20230919033923_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:38:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19033', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Interest Rates of Bank Loans Likely to Increase', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive.', '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"">September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive. As the banks have increased the interest rate on deposits, it is certain that the interest rate on loans will also increase due to the increase in cost of the banks.</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 data published by Nepal Rastra Bank, the average interest rate and base rate of deposits of commercial banks have increased in a one month period from mid-July to mid-August</span></span><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"">In mid-June to mid-July, the average interest rate on bank deposits was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7.86</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent, but it reached </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""> percent in mid-July to mid-August.</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"">Nepal Bankers Association has removed the practice of setting interest rates and banks have started fixing the interest rates on their own from mid-June. As the competition between the banks has started, the interest rate on deposits has started increasing. Eight banks have increased the interest on deposit starting from mid-September.</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"">Only six months ago, the interest rate of fix deposits of the commercial banks had dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9.99</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. It has now reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">11.358</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent.</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 instructions of the central bank, the BFIs should publish the interest rate on deposits applicable every month in the previous month. However, when setting the interest rate, there is a provision that banks can increase or decrease it by only </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""> percent compared to the interest rate of the previous month.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"There is a competition among banks to attract deposits,” said a CEO of one of the commercial banks.</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"">With the increase in the interest rate of deposits, the cost of banks is certain to increase and the base rate will subsequently increase. Due to this, there is high possibility for the interest on loans to increase.</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 mid-June to mid-July, the average base rate of commercial banks was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.03</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent, but it reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.11</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent a month later.</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"">Banks and financial institutions can set the base rate by adding </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">0.75</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent profit to the cost. Banks have to calculate the base rate monthly and submit it to the central bank within </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> days of the end of the month and publish it on the website.</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"">Former Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Trilochan Pangeni says that interest rates have increased due to the non-cooperation between the central bank and commercial banks. He commented that even though there is excess liquidity, the central bank is not mopping liquidity through the monetary instruments and the banks are also raising interest rates due to the fear of losing deposits. Therefore, the interest on loans is becoming more expensive.</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"">Banks can determine the loan interest rate by adding a certain percentage premium to the base rate of the last </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""> months. According to this arrangement, when the average base rate of the bank decreases every quarter, the interest rate of the loan automatically decreases. At present, commercial banks can add a maximum of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent premium to the base rate while determining the interest on loans. However, there is a provision that the premium specified in the loan agreement cannot be changed.</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 NRB report, the average interest on loan of banks has decreased in mid-July to mid-August compared to the previous month</span></span><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"">The average interest on loan, which was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-June has dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.24 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-July. Due to high interest rates, banks have been struggling to increase credit flow.</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, BFIs have excess liquidity of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400 </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 average credit to deposit ratio of banks is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">82.68 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent as of Saturday. Banks can provide loans by maintaining a CD ratio of up to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">90 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent. As of Saturday, banks and financial institutions have a total of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5726 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion deposits. The loan disbursement of banks has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4908 </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> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18762', 'image' => '20230919022059_1692647212.1689909254.2023-07-21 08.58.56.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 14:20:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19032', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Start Picking Apples in Mustang', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.', '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"">September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.</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"">Apple are grown in orchards of Marfa, Tukuche, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Zhong, Chusang, Chaile and other places in the district.</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 orchards of Marfa and Tukuche, which are also called the capital of apples, are full of apples at present.</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 farmers have started preparations to pick the apples and send them to the market as the apples have now ripened.</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"">Sushilbabu Thakali, a local of Mustang, said that apple picking has started in Mustang from Monday.</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"">Deep Lalchan, an apple farmer of Marfa, said that in the previous years, farmers used to start picking apples from the first week of September.</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"">This year, farmers were allowed to pick apples only in the third week of September after the apples ripened following complaints in the past that apples plucked before ripening were of poor quality.</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 local farmers said that traders from outside the district along with local traders have reached the apple orchards to buy apples. </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 order to buy the apples grown by the farmers of Mustang, the traders sign contract the owners of the entire apple orchard. Traders from Dhading, Kathmandu and other places came to Mustang to buy apples.</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"">Farmer Lalchan said that traders from Pokhara, Chiwatan and other places along with the neighboring district of Myagdi are coming to buy apples.</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 locals are involved in commercial farming of apples in more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1,200</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Mustang. The district produces around </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of apples 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"">Apples of different varieties including golden apples, royal apples and delicious red apples, and Fuji apples are produced in Mustang. High quality Italian varieties of apples are also being planted in Mustang.</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"">Apples produced in Mustang reach the Nepalese and foreign markets including Baglung, Kushma, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Narayangadh, Butwal and Bhairahawa through Benibazar, the headquarters of Myagdi.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18761', 'image' => '20230919012533_20220908022220_apple.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 13:24:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19031', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Price of Black Cardamom Up by More than Two Folds in Just One Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market.', '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"">September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market. This year, as the production of black cardamom is expected to decline, the price has skyrocketed all of a sudden. Last year, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg of black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, but this year the price of same quantity of cardamom has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.</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"">Last year, the market price of JJ quality (No 1</span></span><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"">black cardamom was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg. This year its price has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">as the production has declined. Last year, SD quality (No </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">25,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</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"">This year SD quality cardamom is being bought and sold at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><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"">Similarly, the No </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""> quality</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">23,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg last year, but this year the price has reached as much as Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">56,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the Federation of Nepal Cardamom Traders informed 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"">The vice president of the federation, Subas Bhattarai, says that drought followed by hailstorms and landslides damaged some black cardamom farms in the eastern hill district during the flowering period this year, and the production is certain to decrease. </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 him, it is estimated that production of black cardamom is likely to decrease by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent this year. According to data, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of black cardamom is produced in Nepal in an average a year. Recently, the area of production of black cardamom in Nepal is also decreasing.</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"">Black cardamom was cultivated in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</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"">880</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in the fiscal year (FY) </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"">After not getting a good price for the product, the farmers gradually reduced its cultivation in the following 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"">During 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 area of cardamom cultivation decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">16</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"">565</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, it further decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">668</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. 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"">, the area of cultivation of black cardamom seems to have increased somewhat. Black cardamom was cultivated in an area of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</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""> 015</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares that 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"">After the black cardamom produced in Nepal received the Halal certificate last year, it paved the way to export the produce to the Gulf countries.</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"">Prior to that, export of black cardamom produced in Nepal was limited to the markets of Pakistan and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Dinesh Adhikari, a cardamom businessman, even though the door of export to the Gulf countries has opened, there is a problem in exporting due to Nepal's landlocked nature. The exporters say it takes a long time for the products to reach the destination countries. Adhikari says Nepali businessmen have not been able to benefit from black cardamom exports because of this problem. Even now, Nepali businessmen export black cardamom to India and then the Indian businessmen export it to the Gulf countries, said Adhikari.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18760', 'image' => '20230919115111_BlackCardamom.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 11:50:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19030', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Naubise-Malekhu Road Section to Remain Closed in Night Time ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Officials said that the road section from Simle to Malekhu is being widened by cutting the rock cliffs. Therefore, vehicular movement will be suspended during the night hours for the road widening work. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chief District Officer of Dhading Badrinath Gaire said that construction works would be carried out from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am by stopping the vehicles at Khayarghari and Pokharekhola areas from September 21 to October 7. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the stakeholders held on Monday decided to fully halt public and private vehicles in the night time except for ambulances and vehicles of security agencies. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the officials have urged the passengers to travel only in the day time from September 21 to October 7. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18759', 'image' => '20230919104817_37725193_1587249488069563_1209879634309545984_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 10:47:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19029', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Spending Exceeds Revenue Collection in First Two Months of Current FY', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 19: In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Furthermore, financial management expenses reached Rs 35.51 billion during this period, constituting 11.49 percent of the annual target, which is set at Rs 307.45 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remarkably, revenue collection during this time period amounted to 10.47 percent of the total annual target. Of the targeted Rs 1,472 billion for the current fiscal year, the government collected Rs 154.23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government's total expenditure during the second month of the current fiscal year was Rs 131.14 billion. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It may be noted that the government's revenue collection surpassed its spending by nearly Rs 23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During these first two months, tax revenue amounted to Rs 127.95 billion, while non-tax revenue reached Rs 13.12 billion. (RSS)</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18758', 'image' => '20230919054218_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 05:40:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19028', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DDA Issues Directive not to Use 103 Antibiotic Drugs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Director General of the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) Narayan Prasad Dhakal said the directive has been issued to minimize, prevent and control use of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended not touse those drugs. Dhakal said there is no rationality for using these antibiotics. "The WHO has published a list of 103 types of antibiotics which should not be used. We will neither register these drugs nor give permission for using them," he added. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Dhakal, the DDA has already registered 13 of the 103 antibiotic drugs prior to the publication of the list by the WHO in 2021. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the DDA did not mention the specific names of the 103 antibiotics, the WHO has published the list of combination of commonly used antibiotics on its website which it has recommended not to use.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The use of the fixed-dose combinations of multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics is not evidence-based, nor recommended in high-quality international guidelines. WHO does not recommend their use in clinical practice.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The DDA said it has prepared a national plan of action to reduce the rate of illness, death rate and the economic consequences resulting from resistance to antibiotic, in line with the global action plan on antibiotic resistance. The plan is said to be in final stage of approval. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhakal, the DDA Director General, said directives have been issued to the concerned agencies not to register, renew the registration and import as well as use these antibiotics. This directive, he said, is issued in line with the recommendation of the Drugs Advisory Committee.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the WHO, improving use of antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship is one of the key interventions necessary to curb the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It is also important for ensuring appropriate treatment, WHO wrote on its website.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">For that reason, WHO in 2017 introduced the Access, Watch, Reserve (“AWaRe”) classification of antibiotics in its Essential Medicines List. The classification is a tool for antibiotic stewardship at local, national and global levels with the aim of reducing antimicrobial resistance.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Antibiotics are classified into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasize the importance of their appropriate use. The 2021 update of the AWaRe classification includes an additional 78 antibiotics not previously classified, bringing the total to 258. (With inputs from RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-18', 'modified' => '2023-09-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18757', 'image' => '20230918062908_20230903032259_anti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-18 18:28:39', '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' => '19042', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals Halt Construction of Power House of Arun III Hydropower Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have stopped the construction for around three weeks demanding compensation for the land to be acquired for the approach road of the Arun III project site. As a result of the protest by the locals, the work of the power house of the project and the entrance route has come to a standstill. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Jani Kumar Rai, coordinator of the Arun Entrance Route Struggle Committee, said they were forced to take to the streets after the government did not address their demands.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have been demanding compensation for the land to be acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding Pukhuwa road. Four hundred fifty four ropanis of land are yet to be acquired from Chhyangkuti to Pukhuwa. The protesting locals have warned of continuing the protest until the compensation amount is deposited in the account of the district administration office. They have been protesting for the past seven years demanding compensation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the project development agreement reached with the Indian construction company, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which is constructing the project, the Government of Nepal has to bear Rs 80 million daily if the construction work is halted by the locals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On 9 May, 2023, the compensation determination committee formed to compensate the affected locals had decided to provide Rs 1.1 million in compensation per ropani of land acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding road for the project. But the affected people have yet to get the compensation. Upon completion of the project, Nepal will get 197 megawatts of electricity. The estimated cost of the project is said to be over Rs 115 billion. More than 3,000 workers are working in the project. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18771', 'image' => '20230920022143_20200917093410_Clipboard22.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 14:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19041', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ncell Announces Everyday Surprise Prize', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. The company says that the prize is guaranteed every day for 28 consecutive days under this offer. In addition, the customers will also receive a weekly bonus balance and a scooter as a bumper prize.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The company said that it introduced this scheme under the theme 'We are for you' on Sunday. Every customer who participates in it gets a gift. As informed by the company, customers have already started receiving gifts in the form of Ncell service, facility, and gift vouchers since Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under this scheme, which will be operational for 28 days, 1,000 customers will receive a surprise of Rs 100 bonus balance. At the end of the scheme, seven customers will win one scooter each as a bumper prize. The company said that customers should dial asterisk 17117 hash at least once a week to receive weekly and bumper prizes.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18770', 'image' => '20230920010524_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 13:04:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19040', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkish Brand Nishane Launches its X Collection Perfume in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">September 20: </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal. The brand was launched by "Ina Center", a renowned retailer of branded perfumes in the Nepali market last Friday.<br /> Nishane brand perfumes, lauded as the pinnacle of olfactory craftsmanship by perfume connoisseurs worldwide, are meticulously crafted in Turkey, reads a statement issued by Ina Centre. The retailer said it has successfully imported a diverse array of Nishane brand perfumes to Nepal.<br /> “For over 25 years, Ina Center has remained steadfast in its mission to import and offer internationally renowned perfume brands to the Nepali audience,” added the statement.<br /> Uddhav Bartaula, managing director of Ina Center, announced the availability of Nishane brand perfumes in various Ina Center outlets across Nepal. Ina Center currently showcases an exquisite collection of the world's top niche perfume brands, including Clive Christian, Liquids Imaginaries, Tiziana Terenzi, Essential, V Canto, Mancera, Montale, and many more.<br /> According to the company, Nishane stands out as Istanbul's premier niche perfume brand, celebrated globally for its unique approach to the art of scent creation. The brand's distinctiveness is underscored by the unparalleled aroma of its fragrances. <br /> “Nishane has taken a bold step forward by introducing The X Collection, an evolution of its five best-selling fragrances: Hacivat, Hundred Silent Ways, Ani, Fan Your Flames, and Wulong Cha. Each rendition in the X Collection is thoughtfully designed to accentuate and enhance the core characteristics of the original fragrances.”<br /> According to Ina Center, the new additions to the X Collection include:<br /> Hacivat X: A fresh interpretation of the globally acclaimed Hacivat (2017), celebrating the vibrancy of life with stimulating notes of pineapple, bergamot, complemented by woody undertones.<br /> Hundred Silent Ways X: A must-try for those who relish the juicy burst of mandarin and peach, leading to a heart of delicate gardenia, iris, jasmine, and heliotrope, finished with vanilla, leather, and patchouli for a sensual and warm character.<br /> Ani X: A fragrance deeply rooted in its heritage, inviting exploration beyond the boundaries of time and space. It opens with a richer burst of juicy citrus compared to the original Ani (2019), known for its exceptional vanilla scent.<br /> Wulong Cha X: A reimagination of Nishane's inaugural collection launched in 2015, Wulong Cha X is designed to sharpen the edges of the original formula. It opens with zesty citrus notes of bergamot, orange, mandarin, and yuzu, settling into heart notes of magnolia and yuzu for a fresh and revitalizing experience throughout the day.<br /> Fan Your Flames X: An evolution of the global sensation Fan Your Flames (2016), this newer version delicately enhances the fragrance with tropical flavors. Opening with a captivating blend of coconut, rum, and lentisque, it exudes sweet and tropical vibes, culminating in a rich and spicy aroma. Base notes of cedar, oak moss, and patchouli provide a woody and earthy finish to the fragrance, making it an ideal choice for those seeking warm and exotic scents.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18769', 'image' => '20230920121341_Nishane X collection.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 12:13:02', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19039', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Chocofun Starts New Advertising Campaign with the Slogan - Only Chocofun', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Issuing a recent statement, the company said this campaign will run throughout the nation in ‘multiple media’.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The advertisement campaign with the slogan “Only Chocofun'' has been initiated with a message that Chocofun will “complete” all the beautiful moments of childhood, added the statement. The company claimed that Chocofun has been the primary choice of children in Nepal for over 20 years and the advertising campaign aims to manifest the certainty of Chocofun adding more colors in the happy moments of the lives of children. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">According to the company, this advertisement will be broadcast in all the mediums like television, radio, digital media, social media and other publishing platforms. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“Only Chocofun touches the childhood memories of children. It gathers the different moments from their real life and present how they will be completed with the joy of Chocofun. It includes children interacting with each other, having the time of their life with the mouth melting Chocofun whereas some even claim Chocofun to be the savor of their success,” reads the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The statement further said that Chocofun is the most popular production of Sujal Foods Private Limited, an ISO 22000:2018 certified company which has been in operation for the last forty years. The company claimed that Chocofun is produced by qualified confectioners using the state-of-the-art technologies following all the necessary hygienic regulations and health standards. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“The excellent crispy and crunchy wafer stands impeccable in terms of quality and taste.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Sujal Food Private Limited believes Only Chocofun campaign will successfully gain the place in the heart of customers and consumers. In addition to that, company also believes this campaign will forever enriches the love people have for Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18768', 'image' => '20230920111410_Only-chocofun-for PR.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 11:12:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19038', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'OECD Forecasts 'Sub-Par' Global Growth due to High Interest Rates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The world economy is now expected to grow 3.0 percent this year, up from the 2.7 percent forecast in the June outlook of the OECD, reported AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">According to the French news agency, OECD said global growth was projected to remain "sub-par", slowing to 2.7 percent next year -- down from 2.9 percent in the previous forecast.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"After a stronger-than-expected start to 2023, helped by lower energy prices and the reopening of China, global growth is expected to moderate," AFP reported referring to a report published by the OECD.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"The impact of tighter monetary policy is becoming increasingly visible, business and consumer confidence have turned down, and the rebound in China has faded," it added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Central banks worldwide have sharply increased borrowing costs in an effort to tame consumer prices which soared in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, added AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"We are all seeing the tightening of monetary policy working its way through our economies. This is necessary to reduce inflation, but it is painful," OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli said at a press conference.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The European Central Bank raised a key interest rate to a record high last week but hinted this might be its last hike, while the US Federal Reserve is expected to pause its own campaign on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"Inflation is projected to moderate gradually over 2023 and 2024 but to remain above central bank objectives in most economies," the OECD said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18767', 'image' => '20230920105414_oecd-logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 10:53:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19037', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Investors Commit Rs 14.65 Billion to Nepal in First Two Months of FY 2023/2024', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">September 20: In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">This commitment came when the Department of Industry approved 111 plans of foreign investors in the months of Shrawan and Bhadra of FY 2023/2024. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to data released by the Department of Industry on Monday, a significant investment commitments were made in Shrawan. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While the number of approved plans in Shrawan stood at 60, the commitment for investment was Rs 11.93 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Even though there were 51 plans approved in Bhadra, the investment commitment was only Rs 2.72 billion. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Foreign investors can invest in various sectors, including production-based industries, energy, agriculture, tourism, minerals, services, telecommunications, and information technology in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Although investments can be made in eight sectors, the majority of investors seem to be interested in the service and tourism sectors. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">In the first two months of the fiscal year, 53 plans were approved in the tourism sector, and 44 in the service sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While there is only one plan approved for each of the production-based, energy, and agriculture sectors, two plans were approved for telecommunications and information technology.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to the department, these approved plans are expected to create 5,502 jobs in the country when they are implemented.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18766', 'image' => '20230920055204_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:49:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19036', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Honda Elevate Launched in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 20: Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Elevate comes with a 1.5-liter petrol engine, manual, and automatic gearbox options. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Nepal is offering an introductory offer with cash discounts and additional benefits for the first 10 customers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine generating 121 PS power and 145 Nm torque. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It features a bold exterior design, LED lights, and a ground clearance of 220mm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Inside, the new car offers a spacious interior with ample cargo space, a 7-inch TFT meter cluster, a 10.25-inch LCD touch-screen display, and a Wireless Smartphone Charger.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In terms of safety, the Elevate comes equipped with Honda SENSING's Advanced Driver Assistance System, ACE Body Structure, 6 Airbags, Lane Watch Camera, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, and more.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate will be available at authorized Honda dealerships across Nepal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18765', 'image' => '20230920053210_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:30:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19035', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMEC Corridor and Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project connecting the three continents is expected to greatly help in economic development. IMEC will speed up the current trade from India to Europe by about 40 percent. It is expected that the expenses incurred will be greatly reduced.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While the world leaders were making such far-reaching agreements in neighboring India, Nepal remained in a 'quiet' state as if it had not received the information. Although Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, it can still benefit from that project if Nepal uses through diplomatic initiative.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Perhaps, if successful diplomacy had been practiced, Nepal could have participated in the G-20 Conference in one way or another. For that, Nepal was not able to prove its need, nor could it convince the organizers with diplomatic assistance. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which holds a similar status to that of Nepal, got an opportunity to participate in the G-20 conference and is also participating in the IMEC project initiated by India. There are various reasons why Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, but the prime reason is Nepal's weak diplomatic ability. Therefore, besides focusing on developing Nepal's existing diplomatic capacity, it is necessary to emphasize on how to join the IMEC project. Nepal is becoming more and more dependent day by day. Therefore, it is beneficial for Nepal to fully participate in regional and international projects.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">This project is being initiated by India, Nepal's close neighbor, and it is more necessary for Nepal as it is also related to economic development. If Bangladesh can participate in the project that starts from Mumbai, which is known as the financial capital of India, it does not mean that Nepal cannot participate. Even now, goods are imported from Mumbai to Nepal. Geographically, connecting Nepal with Mumbai does not seem that difficult as Nepal has already decided to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is considered more complicated than IMEC. Even though Nepal has been a member of BRI for a long time, there is no visible progress, so there is no problem in becoming a member of IMEC. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Italy, which are members of IMEC, are also members of BRI. Therefore, Nepal needs to take care of what work and what decision is more beneficial.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If Nepal ignores IMEC because of ego, or not being able to participate in the G-20, there is a great danger that Nepal will be isolated from the integrated world. The countries that signed the MoU for the IMEC project are currently at the world's leading level. Only with the help of connectivity, Nepal can benefit from the economic, technical and other progress made by these countries. It is necessary for everyone to understand that the cooperation of developed countries is indispensable and lobbying to become a member of a project like IMEC should not be delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">What is IMEC?</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is a trade link starting from Mumbai, the financial capital of India, and will pass through Jabel Ali (UAE), Al Ghuwaifat (UAE), Haradh (Saudi Arabia), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Al Haditha (Saudi Arabia), Haifa (Israel), Jordan, Piraeus (Greece) to connect America and Europe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Initially, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States signed agreement for this project. It has prioritized sea and rail connectivity elsewhere.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18764', 'image' => '20230919035958_download.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:59:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19034', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Trade Deficit will End if Energy worth Rs 130 Billion is Exported: NRB Governor ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During a meeting with the office-bearers of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN), Governor Adhikari mentioned that power export would be the best medium to reduce the trade deficit. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Governor Adhikari assured that Nepal Rastra Bank will provide necessary facilitation in development of hydropower sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, IPPAN President Ganesh Karki urged Governor Adhikari to a make provision requiring banks and financial institutions to invest 20 per cent of their total investment in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN said around Rs 555 billion is needed within five years for developing projects to generate around 3700-megawatt electricity while around Rs 2,055 billion is needed in 10 years if power export agreement between Nepal-India is to be implemented and more than Rs 3,750 billion if additional 25,000-megawatt electricity is to be produced as per the declaration of Energy Decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As NRB is providing loan to projects with the capacity of producing more than 200 megawatts electricity by adding only one per cent to the base rate, the organisation requested to the central bank to implement this arrangement in all hydropower projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN further said banks and financial institutions have not shown interest to further invest in hydropower projects due to the directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank for banks and financial institutions. As per the directives, the interest income of the under-construction period could not be distributed as dividend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN also demanded the continuity of sharing of bonus for the interests generated during the construction phase. It has sought the government’s role for management of new financial instruments such as green bond or climate bond or sovereign bond from the international market. The private sector energy producers also want the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ensure refinancing facility for clean energy, citing high interest rates charged by financial institutions in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In response, the NRB governor said though the matters relating to bond falls under the jurisdictions of the Finance Ministry, the central bank is ready to facilitate towards that end. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has also requested the central bank to make provisions allowing banks and financial institutions to invest in energy production as capital. They also want rules and provisions related to investment, bonuses, and withdrawal of investments for international investors to be eased to achieve ambitious goal of generating 25,000 megawatts of electricity and exporting 15,000 megawatts in the next decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has urged revisions to the NRB’s unified directives regarding the risk weight of hydropower projects. They propose reducing the risk weight for operational projects from 100 to 50 percent and to 75 percent for under-construction projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the IPPAN delegation called on the NRB to develop progressive policy provisions that ensure interest grants, refinancing, interest capitalization, debt restructuring, and an extended moratorium period for rebuilding hydropower projects damaged by water-induced disasters. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present at the meeting were NRB Deputy Governor Bam Bahadur Mishra, executive directors Dr Gunakar Bhatta, and Dev Kumar Dhakal. The IPPAN delegation, led by President Karki, included Vice President Mohan Kumar Dangi and former President Shalendra Guragain, among others. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18763', 'image' => '20230919033923_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:38:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19033', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Interest Rates of Bank Loans Likely to Increase', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive.', '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"">September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive. As the banks have increased the interest rate on deposits, it is certain that the interest rate on loans will also increase due to the increase in cost of the banks.</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 data published by Nepal Rastra Bank, the average interest rate and base rate of deposits of commercial banks have increased in a one month period from mid-July to mid-August</span></span><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"">In mid-June to mid-July, the average interest rate on bank deposits was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7.86</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent, but it reached </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""> percent in mid-July to mid-August.</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"">Nepal Bankers Association has removed the practice of setting interest rates and banks have started fixing the interest rates on their own from mid-June. As the competition between the banks has started, the interest rate on deposits has started increasing. Eight banks have increased the interest on deposit starting from mid-September.</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"">Only six months ago, the interest rate of fix deposits of the commercial banks had dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9.99</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. It has now reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">11.358</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent.</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 instructions of the central bank, the BFIs should publish the interest rate on deposits applicable every month in the previous month. However, when setting the interest rate, there is a provision that banks can increase or decrease it by only </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""> percent compared to the interest rate of the previous month.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"There is a competition among banks to attract deposits,” said a CEO of one of the commercial banks.</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"">With the increase in the interest rate of deposits, the cost of banks is certain to increase and the base rate will subsequently increase. Due to this, there is high possibility for the interest on loans to increase.</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 mid-June to mid-July, the average base rate of commercial banks was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.03</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent, but it reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.11</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent a month later.</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"">Banks and financial institutions can set the base rate by adding </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">0.75</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent profit to the cost. Banks have to calculate the base rate monthly and submit it to the central bank within </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> days of the end of the month and publish it on the website.</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"">Former Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Trilochan Pangeni says that interest rates have increased due to the non-cooperation between the central bank and commercial banks. He commented that even though there is excess liquidity, the central bank is not mopping liquidity through the monetary instruments and the banks are also raising interest rates due to the fear of losing deposits. Therefore, the interest on loans is becoming more expensive.</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"">Banks can determine the loan interest rate by adding a certain percentage premium to the base rate of the last </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""> months. According to this arrangement, when the average base rate of the bank decreases every quarter, the interest rate of the loan automatically decreases. At present, commercial banks can add a maximum of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent premium to the base rate while determining the interest on loans. However, there is a provision that the premium specified in the loan agreement cannot be changed.</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 NRB report, the average interest on loan of banks has decreased in mid-July to mid-August compared to the previous month</span></span><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"">The average interest on loan, which was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-June has dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.24 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-July. Due to high interest rates, banks have been struggling to increase credit flow.</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, BFIs have excess liquidity of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400 </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 average credit to deposit ratio of banks is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">82.68 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent as of Saturday. Banks can provide loans by maintaining a CD ratio of up to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">90 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent. As of Saturday, banks and financial institutions have a total of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5726 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion deposits. The loan disbursement of banks has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4908 </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> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18762', 'image' => '20230919022059_1692647212.1689909254.2023-07-21 08.58.56.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 14:20:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19032', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Start Picking Apples in Mustang', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.', '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"">September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.</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"">Apple are grown in orchards of Marfa, Tukuche, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Zhong, Chusang, Chaile and other places in the district.</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 orchards of Marfa and Tukuche, which are also called the capital of apples, are full of apples at present.</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 farmers have started preparations to pick the apples and send them to the market as the apples have now ripened.</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"">Sushilbabu Thakali, a local of Mustang, said that apple picking has started in Mustang from Monday.</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"">Deep Lalchan, an apple farmer of Marfa, said that in the previous years, farmers used to start picking apples from the first week of September.</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"">This year, farmers were allowed to pick apples only in the third week of September after the apples ripened following complaints in the past that apples plucked before ripening were of poor quality.</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 local farmers said that traders from outside the district along with local traders have reached the apple orchards to buy apples. </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 order to buy the apples grown by the farmers of Mustang, the traders sign contract the owners of the entire apple orchard. Traders from Dhading, Kathmandu and other places came to Mustang to buy apples.</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"">Farmer Lalchan said that traders from Pokhara, Chiwatan and other places along with the neighboring district of Myagdi are coming to buy apples.</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 locals are involved in commercial farming of apples in more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1,200</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Mustang. The district produces around </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of apples 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"">Apples of different varieties including golden apples, royal apples and delicious red apples, and Fuji apples are produced in Mustang. High quality Italian varieties of apples are also being planted in Mustang.</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"">Apples produced in Mustang reach the Nepalese and foreign markets including Baglung, Kushma, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Narayangadh, Butwal and Bhairahawa through Benibazar, the headquarters of Myagdi.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18761', 'image' => '20230919012533_20220908022220_apple.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 13:24:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19031', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Price of Black Cardamom Up by More than Two Folds in Just One Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market.', '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"">September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market. This year, as the production of black cardamom is expected to decline, the price has skyrocketed all of a sudden. Last year, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg of black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, but this year the price of same quantity of cardamom has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.</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"">Last year, the market price of JJ quality (No 1</span></span><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"">black cardamom was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg. This year its price has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">as the production has declined. Last year, SD quality (No </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">25,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</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"">This year SD quality cardamom is being bought and sold at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><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"">Similarly, the No </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""> quality</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">23,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg last year, but this year the price has reached as much as Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">56,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the Federation of Nepal Cardamom Traders informed 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"">The vice president of the federation, Subas Bhattarai, says that drought followed by hailstorms and landslides damaged some black cardamom farms in the eastern hill district during the flowering period this year, and the production is certain to decrease. </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 him, it is estimated that production of black cardamom is likely to decrease by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent this year. According to data, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of black cardamom is produced in Nepal in an average a year. Recently, the area of production of black cardamom in Nepal is also decreasing.</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"">Black cardamom was cultivated in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</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"">880</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in the fiscal year (FY) </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"">After not getting a good price for the product, the farmers gradually reduced its cultivation in the following 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"">During 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 area of cardamom cultivation decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">16</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"">565</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, it further decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">668</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. 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"">, the area of cultivation of black cardamom seems to have increased somewhat. Black cardamom was cultivated in an area of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</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""> 015</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares that 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"">After the black cardamom produced in Nepal received the Halal certificate last year, it paved the way to export the produce to the Gulf countries.</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"">Prior to that, export of black cardamom produced in Nepal was limited to the markets of Pakistan and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Dinesh Adhikari, a cardamom businessman, even though the door of export to the Gulf countries has opened, there is a problem in exporting due to Nepal's landlocked nature. The exporters say it takes a long time for the products to reach the destination countries. Adhikari says Nepali businessmen have not been able to benefit from black cardamom exports because of this problem. Even now, Nepali businessmen export black cardamom to India and then the Indian businessmen export it to the Gulf countries, said Adhikari.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18760', 'image' => '20230919115111_BlackCardamom.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 11:50:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19030', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Naubise-Malekhu Road Section to Remain Closed in Night Time ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Officials said that the road section from Simle to Malekhu is being widened by cutting the rock cliffs. Therefore, vehicular movement will be suspended during the night hours for the road widening work. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chief District Officer of Dhading Badrinath Gaire said that construction works would be carried out from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am by stopping the vehicles at Khayarghari and Pokharekhola areas from September 21 to October 7. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the stakeholders held on Monday decided to fully halt public and private vehicles in the night time except for ambulances and vehicles of security agencies. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the officials have urged the passengers to travel only in the day time from September 21 to October 7. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18759', 'image' => '20230919104817_37725193_1587249488069563_1209879634309545984_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 10:47:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19029', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Spending Exceeds Revenue Collection in First Two Months of Current FY', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 19: In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Furthermore, financial management expenses reached Rs 35.51 billion during this period, constituting 11.49 percent of the annual target, which is set at Rs 307.45 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remarkably, revenue collection during this time period amounted to 10.47 percent of the total annual target. Of the targeted Rs 1,472 billion for the current fiscal year, the government collected Rs 154.23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government's total expenditure during the second month of the current fiscal year was Rs 131.14 billion. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It may be noted that the government's revenue collection surpassed its spending by nearly Rs 23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During these first two months, tax revenue amounted to Rs 127.95 billion, while non-tax revenue reached Rs 13.12 billion. (RSS)</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18758', 'image' => '20230919054218_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 05:40:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19028', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DDA Issues Directive not to Use 103 Antibiotic Drugs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Director General of the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) Narayan Prasad Dhakal said the directive has been issued to minimize, prevent and control use of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended not touse those drugs. Dhakal said there is no rationality for using these antibiotics. "The WHO has published a list of 103 types of antibiotics which should not be used. We will neither register these drugs nor give permission for using them," he added. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Dhakal, the DDA has already registered 13 of the 103 antibiotic drugs prior to the publication of the list by the WHO in 2021. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the DDA did not mention the specific names of the 103 antibiotics, the WHO has published the list of combination of commonly used antibiotics on its website which it has recommended not to use.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The use of the fixed-dose combinations of multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics is not evidence-based, nor recommended in high-quality international guidelines. WHO does not recommend their use in clinical practice.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The DDA said it has prepared a national plan of action to reduce the rate of illness, death rate and the economic consequences resulting from resistance to antibiotic, in line with the global action plan on antibiotic resistance. The plan is said to be in final stage of approval. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhakal, the DDA Director General, said directives have been issued to the concerned agencies not to register, renew the registration and import as well as use these antibiotics. This directive, he said, is issued in line with the recommendation of the Drugs Advisory Committee.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the WHO, improving use of antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship is one of the key interventions necessary to curb the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It is also important for ensuring appropriate treatment, WHO wrote on its website.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">For that reason, WHO in 2017 introduced the Access, Watch, Reserve (“AWaRe”) classification of antibiotics in its Essential Medicines List. The classification is a tool for antibiotic stewardship at local, national and global levels with the aim of reducing antimicrobial resistance.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Antibiotics are classified into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasize the importance of their appropriate use. The 2021 update of the AWaRe classification includes an additional 78 antibiotics not previously classified, bringing the total to 258. (With inputs from RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-18', 'modified' => '2023-09-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18757', 'image' => '20230918062908_20230903032259_anti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-18 18:28:39', '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' => '19042', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals Halt Construction of Power House of Arun III Hydropower Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have stopped the construction for around three weeks demanding compensation for the land to be acquired for the approach road of the Arun III project site. As a result of the protest by the locals, the work of the power house of the project and the entrance route has come to a standstill. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Jani Kumar Rai, coordinator of the Arun Entrance Route Struggle Committee, said they were forced to take to the streets after the government did not address their demands.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have been demanding compensation for the land to be acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding Pukhuwa road. Four hundred fifty four ropanis of land are yet to be acquired from Chhyangkuti to Pukhuwa. The protesting locals have warned of continuing the protest until the compensation amount is deposited in the account of the district administration office. They have been protesting for the past seven years demanding compensation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the project development agreement reached with the Indian construction company, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which is constructing the project, the Government of Nepal has to bear Rs 80 million daily if the construction work is halted by the locals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On 9 May, 2023, the compensation determination committee formed to compensate the affected locals had decided to provide Rs 1.1 million in compensation per ropani of land acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding road for the project. But the affected people have yet to get the compensation. Upon completion of the project, Nepal will get 197 megawatts of electricity. The estimated cost of the project is said to be over Rs 115 billion. More than 3,000 workers are working in the project. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18771', 'image' => '20230920022143_20200917093410_Clipboard22.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 14:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19041', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ncell Announces Everyday Surprise Prize', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. The company says that the prize is guaranteed every day for 28 consecutive days under this offer. In addition, the customers will also receive a weekly bonus balance and a scooter as a bumper prize.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The company said that it introduced this scheme under the theme 'We are for you' on Sunday. Every customer who participates in it gets a gift. As informed by the company, customers have already started receiving gifts in the form of Ncell service, facility, and gift vouchers since Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under this scheme, which will be operational for 28 days, 1,000 customers will receive a surprise of Rs 100 bonus balance. At the end of the scheme, seven customers will win one scooter each as a bumper prize. The company said that customers should dial asterisk 17117 hash at least once a week to receive weekly and bumper prizes.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18770', 'image' => '20230920010524_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 13:04:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19040', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkish Brand Nishane Launches its X Collection Perfume in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">September 20: </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal. The brand was launched by "Ina Center", a renowned retailer of branded perfumes in the Nepali market last Friday.<br /> Nishane brand perfumes, lauded as the pinnacle of olfactory craftsmanship by perfume connoisseurs worldwide, are meticulously crafted in Turkey, reads a statement issued by Ina Centre. The retailer said it has successfully imported a diverse array of Nishane brand perfumes to Nepal.<br /> “For over 25 years, Ina Center has remained steadfast in its mission to import and offer internationally renowned perfume brands to the Nepali audience,” added the statement.<br /> Uddhav Bartaula, managing director of Ina Center, announced the availability of Nishane brand perfumes in various Ina Center outlets across Nepal. Ina Center currently showcases an exquisite collection of the world's top niche perfume brands, including Clive Christian, Liquids Imaginaries, Tiziana Terenzi, Essential, V Canto, Mancera, Montale, and many more.<br /> According to the company, Nishane stands out as Istanbul's premier niche perfume brand, celebrated globally for its unique approach to the art of scent creation. The brand's distinctiveness is underscored by the unparalleled aroma of its fragrances. <br /> “Nishane has taken a bold step forward by introducing The X Collection, an evolution of its five best-selling fragrances: Hacivat, Hundred Silent Ways, Ani, Fan Your Flames, and Wulong Cha. Each rendition in the X Collection is thoughtfully designed to accentuate and enhance the core characteristics of the original fragrances.”<br /> According to Ina Center, the new additions to the X Collection include:<br /> Hacivat X: A fresh interpretation of the globally acclaimed Hacivat (2017), celebrating the vibrancy of life with stimulating notes of pineapple, bergamot, complemented by woody undertones.<br /> Hundred Silent Ways X: A must-try for those who relish the juicy burst of mandarin and peach, leading to a heart of delicate gardenia, iris, jasmine, and heliotrope, finished with vanilla, leather, and patchouli for a sensual and warm character.<br /> Ani X: A fragrance deeply rooted in its heritage, inviting exploration beyond the boundaries of time and space. It opens with a richer burst of juicy citrus compared to the original Ani (2019), known for its exceptional vanilla scent.<br /> Wulong Cha X: A reimagination of Nishane's inaugural collection launched in 2015, Wulong Cha X is designed to sharpen the edges of the original formula. It opens with zesty citrus notes of bergamot, orange, mandarin, and yuzu, settling into heart notes of magnolia and yuzu for a fresh and revitalizing experience throughout the day.<br /> Fan Your Flames X: An evolution of the global sensation Fan Your Flames (2016), this newer version delicately enhances the fragrance with tropical flavors. Opening with a captivating blend of coconut, rum, and lentisque, it exudes sweet and tropical vibes, culminating in a rich and spicy aroma. Base notes of cedar, oak moss, and patchouli provide a woody and earthy finish to the fragrance, making it an ideal choice for those seeking warm and exotic scents.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18769', 'image' => '20230920121341_Nishane X collection.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 12:13:02', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19039', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Chocofun Starts New Advertising Campaign with the Slogan - Only Chocofun', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Issuing a recent statement, the company said this campaign will run throughout the nation in ‘multiple media’.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The advertisement campaign with the slogan “Only Chocofun'' has been initiated with a message that Chocofun will “complete” all the beautiful moments of childhood, added the statement. The company claimed that Chocofun has been the primary choice of children in Nepal for over 20 years and the advertising campaign aims to manifest the certainty of Chocofun adding more colors in the happy moments of the lives of children. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">According to the company, this advertisement will be broadcast in all the mediums like television, radio, digital media, social media and other publishing platforms. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“Only Chocofun touches the childhood memories of children. It gathers the different moments from their real life and present how they will be completed with the joy of Chocofun. It includes children interacting with each other, having the time of their life with the mouth melting Chocofun whereas some even claim Chocofun to be the savor of their success,” reads the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The statement further said that Chocofun is the most popular production of Sujal Foods Private Limited, an ISO 22000:2018 certified company which has been in operation for the last forty years. The company claimed that Chocofun is produced by qualified confectioners using the state-of-the-art technologies following all the necessary hygienic regulations and health standards. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“The excellent crispy and crunchy wafer stands impeccable in terms of quality and taste.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Sujal Food Private Limited believes Only Chocofun campaign will successfully gain the place in the heart of customers and consumers. In addition to that, company also believes this campaign will forever enriches the love people have for Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18768', 'image' => '20230920111410_Only-chocofun-for PR.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 11:12:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19038', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'OECD Forecasts 'Sub-Par' Global Growth due to High Interest Rates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The world economy is now expected to grow 3.0 percent this year, up from the 2.7 percent forecast in the June outlook of the OECD, reported AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">According to the French news agency, OECD said global growth was projected to remain "sub-par", slowing to 2.7 percent next year -- down from 2.9 percent in the previous forecast.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"After a stronger-than-expected start to 2023, helped by lower energy prices and the reopening of China, global growth is expected to moderate," AFP reported referring to a report published by the OECD.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"The impact of tighter monetary policy is becoming increasingly visible, business and consumer confidence have turned down, and the rebound in China has faded," it added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Central banks worldwide have sharply increased borrowing costs in an effort to tame consumer prices which soared in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, added AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"We are all seeing the tightening of monetary policy working its way through our economies. This is necessary to reduce inflation, but it is painful," OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli said at a press conference.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The European Central Bank raised a key interest rate to a record high last week but hinted this might be its last hike, while the US Federal Reserve is expected to pause its own campaign on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"Inflation is projected to moderate gradually over 2023 and 2024 but to remain above central bank objectives in most economies," the OECD said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18767', 'image' => '20230920105414_oecd-logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 10:53:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19037', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Investors Commit Rs 14.65 Billion to Nepal in First Two Months of FY 2023/2024', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">September 20: In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">This commitment came when the Department of Industry approved 111 plans of foreign investors in the months of Shrawan and Bhadra of FY 2023/2024. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to data released by the Department of Industry on Monday, a significant investment commitments were made in Shrawan. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While the number of approved plans in Shrawan stood at 60, the commitment for investment was Rs 11.93 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Even though there were 51 plans approved in Bhadra, the investment commitment was only Rs 2.72 billion. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Foreign investors can invest in various sectors, including production-based industries, energy, agriculture, tourism, minerals, services, telecommunications, and information technology in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Although investments can be made in eight sectors, the majority of investors seem to be interested in the service and tourism sectors. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">In the first two months of the fiscal year, 53 plans were approved in the tourism sector, and 44 in the service sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While there is only one plan approved for each of the production-based, energy, and agriculture sectors, two plans were approved for telecommunications and information technology.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to the department, these approved plans are expected to create 5,502 jobs in the country when they are implemented.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18766', 'image' => '20230920055204_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:49:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19036', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Honda Elevate Launched in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 20: Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Elevate comes with a 1.5-liter petrol engine, manual, and automatic gearbox options. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Nepal is offering an introductory offer with cash discounts and additional benefits for the first 10 customers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine generating 121 PS power and 145 Nm torque. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It features a bold exterior design, LED lights, and a ground clearance of 220mm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Inside, the new car offers a spacious interior with ample cargo space, a 7-inch TFT meter cluster, a 10.25-inch LCD touch-screen display, and a Wireless Smartphone Charger.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In terms of safety, the Elevate comes equipped with Honda SENSING's Advanced Driver Assistance System, ACE Body Structure, 6 Airbags, Lane Watch Camera, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, and more.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate will be available at authorized Honda dealerships across Nepal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18765', 'image' => '20230920053210_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:30:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19035', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMEC Corridor and Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project connecting the three continents is expected to greatly help in economic development. IMEC will speed up the current trade from India to Europe by about 40 percent. It is expected that the expenses incurred will be greatly reduced.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While the world leaders were making such far-reaching agreements in neighboring India, Nepal remained in a 'quiet' state as if it had not received the information. Although Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, it can still benefit from that project if Nepal uses through diplomatic initiative.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Perhaps, if successful diplomacy had been practiced, Nepal could have participated in the G-20 Conference in one way or another. For that, Nepal was not able to prove its need, nor could it convince the organizers with diplomatic assistance. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which holds a similar status to that of Nepal, got an opportunity to participate in the G-20 conference and is also participating in the IMEC project initiated by India. There are various reasons why Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, but the prime reason is Nepal's weak diplomatic ability. Therefore, besides focusing on developing Nepal's existing diplomatic capacity, it is necessary to emphasize on how to join the IMEC project. Nepal is becoming more and more dependent day by day. Therefore, it is beneficial for Nepal to fully participate in regional and international projects.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">This project is being initiated by India, Nepal's close neighbor, and it is more necessary for Nepal as it is also related to economic development. If Bangladesh can participate in the project that starts from Mumbai, which is known as the financial capital of India, it does not mean that Nepal cannot participate. Even now, goods are imported from Mumbai to Nepal. Geographically, connecting Nepal with Mumbai does not seem that difficult as Nepal has already decided to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is considered more complicated than IMEC. Even though Nepal has been a member of BRI for a long time, there is no visible progress, so there is no problem in becoming a member of IMEC. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Italy, which are members of IMEC, are also members of BRI. Therefore, Nepal needs to take care of what work and what decision is more beneficial.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If Nepal ignores IMEC because of ego, or not being able to participate in the G-20, there is a great danger that Nepal will be isolated from the integrated world. The countries that signed the MoU for the IMEC project are currently at the world's leading level. Only with the help of connectivity, Nepal can benefit from the economic, technical and other progress made by these countries. It is necessary for everyone to understand that the cooperation of developed countries is indispensable and lobbying to become a member of a project like IMEC should not be delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">What is IMEC?</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is a trade link starting from Mumbai, the financial capital of India, and will pass through Jabel Ali (UAE), Al Ghuwaifat (UAE), Haradh (Saudi Arabia), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Al Haditha (Saudi Arabia), Haifa (Israel), Jordan, Piraeus (Greece) to connect America and Europe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Initially, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States signed agreement for this project. It has prioritized sea and rail connectivity elsewhere.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18764', 'image' => '20230919035958_download.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:59:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19034', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Trade Deficit will End if Energy worth Rs 130 Billion is Exported: NRB Governor ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During a meeting with the office-bearers of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN), Governor Adhikari mentioned that power export would be the best medium to reduce the trade deficit. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Governor Adhikari assured that Nepal Rastra Bank will provide necessary facilitation in development of hydropower sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, IPPAN President Ganesh Karki urged Governor Adhikari to a make provision requiring banks and financial institutions to invest 20 per cent of their total investment in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN said around Rs 555 billion is needed within five years for developing projects to generate around 3700-megawatt electricity while around Rs 2,055 billion is needed in 10 years if power export agreement between Nepal-India is to be implemented and more than Rs 3,750 billion if additional 25,000-megawatt electricity is to be produced as per the declaration of Energy Decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As NRB is providing loan to projects with the capacity of producing more than 200 megawatts electricity by adding only one per cent to the base rate, the organisation requested to the central bank to implement this arrangement in all hydropower projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN further said banks and financial institutions have not shown interest to further invest in hydropower projects due to the directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank for banks and financial institutions. As per the directives, the interest income of the under-construction period could not be distributed as dividend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN also demanded the continuity of sharing of bonus for the interests generated during the construction phase. It has sought the government’s role for management of new financial instruments such as green bond or climate bond or sovereign bond from the international market. The private sector energy producers also want the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ensure refinancing facility for clean energy, citing high interest rates charged by financial institutions in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In response, the NRB governor said though the matters relating to bond falls under the jurisdictions of the Finance Ministry, the central bank is ready to facilitate towards that end. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has also requested the central bank to make provisions allowing banks and financial institutions to invest in energy production as capital. They also want rules and provisions related to investment, bonuses, and withdrawal of investments for international investors to be eased to achieve ambitious goal of generating 25,000 megawatts of electricity and exporting 15,000 megawatts in the next decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has urged revisions to the NRB’s unified directives regarding the risk weight of hydropower projects. They propose reducing the risk weight for operational projects from 100 to 50 percent and to 75 percent for under-construction projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the IPPAN delegation called on the NRB to develop progressive policy provisions that ensure interest grants, refinancing, interest capitalization, debt restructuring, and an extended moratorium period for rebuilding hydropower projects damaged by water-induced disasters. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present at the meeting were NRB Deputy Governor Bam Bahadur Mishra, executive directors Dr Gunakar Bhatta, and Dev Kumar Dhakal. The IPPAN delegation, led by President Karki, included Vice President Mohan Kumar Dangi and former President Shalendra Guragain, among others. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18763', 'image' => '20230919033923_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:38:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19033', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Interest Rates of Bank Loans Likely to Increase', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive.', '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"">September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive. As the banks have increased the interest rate on deposits, it is certain that the interest rate on loans will also increase due to the increase in cost of the banks.</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 data published by Nepal Rastra Bank, the average interest rate and base rate of deposits of commercial banks have increased in a one month period from mid-July to mid-August</span></span><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"">In mid-June to mid-July, the average interest rate on bank deposits was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7.86</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent, but it reached </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""> percent in mid-July to mid-August.</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"">Nepal Bankers Association has removed the practice of setting interest rates and banks have started fixing the interest rates on their own from mid-June. As the competition between the banks has started, the interest rate on deposits has started increasing. Eight banks have increased the interest on deposit starting from mid-September.</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"">Only six months ago, the interest rate of fix deposits of the commercial banks had dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9.99</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. It has now reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">11.358</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent.</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 instructions of the central bank, the BFIs should publish the interest rate on deposits applicable every month in the previous month. However, when setting the interest rate, there is a provision that banks can increase or decrease it by only </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""> percent compared to the interest rate of the previous month.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"There is a competition among banks to attract deposits,” said a CEO of one of the commercial banks.</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"">With the increase in the interest rate of deposits, the cost of banks is certain to increase and the base rate will subsequently increase. Due to this, there is high possibility for the interest on loans to increase.</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 mid-June to mid-July, the average base rate of commercial banks was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.03</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent, but it reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.11</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent a month later.</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"">Banks and financial institutions can set the base rate by adding </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">0.75</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent profit to the cost. Banks have to calculate the base rate monthly and submit it to the central bank within </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> days of the end of the month and publish it on the website.</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"">Former Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Trilochan Pangeni says that interest rates have increased due to the non-cooperation between the central bank and commercial banks. He commented that even though there is excess liquidity, the central bank is not mopping liquidity through the monetary instruments and the banks are also raising interest rates due to the fear of losing deposits. Therefore, the interest on loans is becoming more expensive.</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"">Banks can determine the loan interest rate by adding a certain percentage premium to the base rate of the last </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""> months. According to this arrangement, when the average base rate of the bank decreases every quarter, the interest rate of the loan automatically decreases. At present, commercial banks can add a maximum of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent premium to the base rate while determining the interest on loans. However, there is a provision that the premium specified in the loan agreement cannot be changed.</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 NRB report, the average interest on loan of banks has decreased in mid-July to mid-August compared to the previous month</span></span><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"">The average interest on loan, which was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-June has dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.24 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-July. Due to high interest rates, banks have been struggling to increase credit flow.</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, BFIs have excess liquidity of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400 </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 average credit to deposit ratio of banks is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">82.68 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent as of Saturday. Banks can provide loans by maintaining a CD ratio of up to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">90 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent. As of Saturday, banks and financial institutions have a total of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5726 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion deposits. The loan disbursement of banks has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4908 </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> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18762', 'image' => '20230919022059_1692647212.1689909254.2023-07-21 08.58.56.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 14:20:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19032', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Start Picking Apples in Mustang', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.', '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"">September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.</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"">Apple are grown in orchards of Marfa, Tukuche, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Zhong, Chusang, Chaile and other places in the district.</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 orchards of Marfa and Tukuche, which are also called the capital of apples, are full of apples at present.</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 farmers have started preparations to pick the apples and send them to the market as the apples have now ripened.</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"">Sushilbabu Thakali, a local of Mustang, said that apple picking has started in Mustang from Monday.</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"">Deep Lalchan, an apple farmer of Marfa, said that in the previous years, farmers used to start picking apples from the first week of September.</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"">This year, farmers were allowed to pick apples only in the third week of September after the apples ripened following complaints in the past that apples plucked before ripening were of poor quality.</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 local farmers said that traders from outside the district along with local traders have reached the apple orchards to buy apples. </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 order to buy the apples grown by the farmers of Mustang, the traders sign contract the owners of the entire apple orchard. Traders from Dhading, Kathmandu and other places came to Mustang to buy apples.</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"">Farmer Lalchan said that traders from Pokhara, Chiwatan and other places along with the neighboring district of Myagdi are coming to buy apples.</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 locals are involved in commercial farming of apples in more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1,200</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Mustang. The district produces around </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of apples 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"">Apples of different varieties including golden apples, royal apples and delicious red apples, and Fuji apples are produced in Mustang. High quality Italian varieties of apples are also being planted in Mustang.</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"">Apples produced in Mustang reach the Nepalese and foreign markets including Baglung, Kushma, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Narayangadh, Butwal and Bhairahawa through Benibazar, the headquarters of Myagdi.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18761', 'image' => '20230919012533_20220908022220_apple.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 13:24:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19031', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Price of Black Cardamom Up by More than Two Folds in Just One Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market.', '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"">September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market. This year, as the production of black cardamom is expected to decline, the price has skyrocketed all of a sudden. Last year, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg of black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, but this year the price of same quantity of cardamom has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.</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"">Last year, the market price of JJ quality (No 1</span></span><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"">black cardamom was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg. This year its price has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">as the production has declined. Last year, SD quality (No </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">25,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</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"">This year SD quality cardamom is being bought and sold at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><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"">Similarly, the No </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""> quality</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">23,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg last year, but this year the price has reached as much as Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">56,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the Federation of Nepal Cardamom Traders informed 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"">The vice president of the federation, Subas Bhattarai, says that drought followed by hailstorms and landslides damaged some black cardamom farms in the eastern hill district during the flowering period this year, and the production is certain to decrease. </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 him, it is estimated that production of black cardamom is likely to decrease by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent this year. According to data, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of black cardamom is produced in Nepal in an average a year. Recently, the area of production of black cardamom in Nepal is also decreasing.</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"">Black cardamom was cultivated in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</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"">880</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in the fiscal year (FY) </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"">After not getting a good price for the product, the farmers gradually reduced its cultivation in the following 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"">During 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 area of cardamom cultivation decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">16</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"">565</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, it further decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">668</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. 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"">, the area of cultivation of black cardamom seems to have increased somewhat. Black cardamom was cultivated in an area of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</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""> 015</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares that 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"">After the black cardamom produced in Nepal received the Halal certificate last year, it paved the way to export the produce to the Gulf countries.</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"">Prior to that, export of black cardamom produced in Nepal was limited to the markets of Pakistan and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Dinesh Adhikari, a cardamom businessman, even though the door of export to the Gulf countries has opened, there is a problem in exporting due to Nepal's landlocked nature. The exporters say it takes a long time for the products to reach the destination countries. Adhikari says Nepali businessmen have not been able to benefit from black cardamom exports because of this problem. Even now, Nepali businessmen export black cardamom to India and then the Indian businessmen export it to the Gulf countries, said Adhikari.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18760', 'image' => '20230919115111_BlackCardamom.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 11:50:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19030', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Naubise-Malekhu Road Section to Remain Closed in Night Time ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Officials said that the road section from Simle to Malekhu is being widened by cutting the rock cliffs. Therefore, vehicular movement will be suspended during the night hours for the road widening work. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chief District Officer of Dhading Badrinath Gaire said that construction works would be carried out from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am by stopping the vehicles at Khayarghari and Pokharekhola areas from September 21 to October 7. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the stakeholders held on Monday decided to fully halt public and private vehicles in the night time except for ambulances and vehicles of security agencies. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the officials have urged the passengers to travel only in the day time from September 21 to October 7. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18759', 'image' => '20230919104817_37725193_1587249488069563_1209879634309545984_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 10:47:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19029', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Spending Exceeds Revenue Collection in First Two Months of Current FY', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 19: In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Furthermore, financial management expenses reached Rs 35.51 billion during this period, constituting 11.49 percent of the annual target, which is set at Rs 307.45 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remarkably, revenue collection during this time period amounted to 10.47 percent of the total annual target. Of the targeted Rs 1,472 billion for the current fiscal year, the government collected Rs 154.23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government's total expenditure during the second month of the current fiscal year was Rs 131.14 billion. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It may be noted that the government's revenue collection surpassed its spending by nearly Rs 23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During these first two months, tax revenue amounted to Rs 127.95 billion, while non-tax revenue reached Rs 13.12 billion. (RSS)</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18758', 'image' => '20230919054218_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 05:40:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19028', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DDA Issues Directive not to Use 103 Antibiotic Drugs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Director General of the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) Narayan Prasad Dhakal said the directive has been issued to minimize, prevent and control use of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended not touse those drugs. Dhakal said there is no rationality for using these antibiotics. "The WHO has published a list of 103 types of antibiotics which should not be used. We will neither register these drugs nor give permission for using them," he added. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Dhakal, the DDA has already registered 13 of the 103 antibiotic drugs prior to the publication of the list by the WHO in 2021. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the DDA did not mention the specific names of the 103 antibiotics, the WHO has published the list of combination of commonly used antibiotics on its website which it has recommended not to use.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The use of the fixed-dose combinations of multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics is not evidence-based, nor recommended in high-quality international guidelines. WHO does not recommend their use in clinical practice.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The DDA said it has prepared a national plan of action to reduce the rate of illness, death rate and the economic consequences resulting from resistance to antibiotic, in line with the global action plan on antibiotic resistance. The plan is said to be in final stage of approval. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhakal, the DDA Director General, said directives have been issued to the concerned agencies not to register, renew the registration and import as well as use these antibiotics. This directive, he said, is issued in line with the recommendation of the Drugs Advisory Committee.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the WHO, improving use of antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship is one of the key interventions necessary to curb the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It is also important for ensuring appropriate treatment, WHO wrote on its website.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">For that reason, WHO in 2017 introduced the Access, Watch, Reserve (“AWaRe”) classification of antibiotics in its Essential Medicines List. The classification is a tool for antibiotic stewardship at local, national and global levels with the aim of reducing antimicrobial resistance.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Antibiotics are classified into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasize the importance of their appropriate use. The 2021 update of the AWaRe classification includes an additional 78 antibiotics not previously classified, bringing the total to 258. (With inputs from RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-18', 'modified' => '2023-09-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18757', 'image' => '20230918062908_20230903032259_anti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-18 18:28:39', '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' => '19042', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Locals Halt Construction of Power House of Arun III Hydropower Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 20: Construction work of the power house of 900 megawatts Arun III hydropower project under construction in Sankhuwasabha has come to a halt. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have stopped the construction for around three weeks demanding compensation for the land to be acquired for the approach road of the Arun III project site. As a result of the protest by the locals, the work of the power house of the project and the entrance route has come to a standstill. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Jani Kumar Rai, coordinator of the Arun Entrance Route Struggle Committee, said they were forced to take to the streets after the government did not address their demands.</span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The locals have been demanding compensation for the land to be acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding Pukhuwa road. Four hundred fifty four ropanis of land are yet to be acquired from Chhyangkuti to Pukhuwa. The protesting locals have warned of continuing the protest until the compensation amount is deposited in the account of the district administration office. They have been protesting for the past seven years demanding compensation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the project development agreement reached with the Indian construction company, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which is constructing the project, the Government of Nepal has to bear Rs 80 million daily if the construction work is halted by the locals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On 9 May, 2023, the compensation determination committee formed to compensate the affected locals had decided to provide Rs 1.1 million in compensation per ropani of land acquired along the Chhyangkuti-Diding road for the project. But the affected people have yet to get the compensation. Upon completion of the project, Nepal will get 197 megawatts of electricity. The estimated cost of the project is said to be over Rs 115 billion. More than 3,000 workers are working in the project. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18771', 'image' => '20230920022143_20200917093410_Clipboard22.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 14:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19041', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Ncell Announces Everyday Surprise Prize', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 20: On the occasion of its 18th anniversary, Ncell has introduced 'everyday surprise, sure-prize for everyone' offer. The company says that the prize is guaranteed every day for 28 consecutive days under this offer. In addition, the customers will also receive a weekly bonus balance and a scooter as a bumper prize.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The company said that it introduced this scheme under the theme 'We are for you' on Sunday. Every customer who participates in it gets a gift. As informed by the company, customers have already started receiving gifts in the form of Ncell service, facility, and gift vouchers since Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under this scheme, which will be operational for 28 days, 1,000 customers will receive a surprise of Rs 100 bonus balance. At the end of the scheme, seven customers will win one scooter each as a bumper prize. The company said that customers should dial asterisk 17117 hash at least once a week to receive weekly and bumper prizes.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18770', 'image' => '20230920010524_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 13:04:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19040', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkish Brand Nishane Launches its X Collection Perfume in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">September 20: </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:16.0pt">The highly acclaimed Turkish perfume brand, Nishane, has officially unveiled its coveted The X Collection in Nepal. The brand was launched by "Ina Center", a renowned retailer of branded perfumes in the Nepali market last Friday.<br /> Nishane brand perfumes, lauded as the pinnacle of olfactory craftsmanship by perfume connoisseurs worldwide, are meticulously crafted in Turkey, reads a statement issued by Ina Centre. The retailer said it has successfully imported a diverse array of Nishane brand perfumes to Nepal.<br /> “For over 25 years, Ina Center has remained steadfast in its mission to import and offer internationally renowned perfume brands to the Nepali audience,” added the statement.<br /> Uddhav Bartaula, managing director of Ina Center, announced the availability of Nishane brand perfumes in various Ina Center outlets across Nepal. Ina Center currently showcases an exquisite collection of the world's top niche perfume brands, including Clive Christian, Liquids Imaginaries, Tiziana Terenzi, Essential, V Canto, Mancera, Montale, and many more.<br /> According to the company, Nishane stands out as Istanbul's premier niche perfume brand, celebrated globally for its unique approach to the art of scent creation. The brand's distinctiveness is underscored by the unparalleled aroma of its fragrances. <br /> “Nishane has taken a bold step forward by introducing The X Collection, an evolution of its five best-selling fragrances: Hacivat, Hundred Silent Ways, Ani, Fan Your Flames, and Wulong Cha. Each rendition in the X Collection is thoughtfully designed to accentuate and enhance the core characteristics of the original fragrances.”<br /> According to Ina Center, the new additions to the X Collection include:<br /> Hacivat X: A fresh interpretation of the globally acclaimed Hacivat (2017), celebrating the vibrancy of life with stimulating notes of pineapple, bergamot, complemented by woody undertones.<br /> Hundred Silent Ways X: A must-try for those who relish the juicy burst of mandarin and peach, leading to a heart of delicate gardenia, iris, jasmine, and heliotrope, finished with vanilla, leather, and patchouli for a sensual and warm character.<br /> Ani X: A fragrance deeply rooted in its heritage, inviting exploration beyond the boundaries of time and space. It opens with a richer burst of juicy citrus compared to the original Ani (2019), known for its exceptional vanilla scent.<br /> Wulong Cha X: A reimagination of Nishane's inaugural collection launched in 2015, Wulong Cha X is designed to sharpen the edges of the original formula. It opens with zesty citrus notes of bergamot, orange, mandarin, and yuzu, settling into heart notes of magnolia and yuzu for a fresh and revitalizing experience throughout the day.<br /> Fan Your Flames X: An evolution of the global sensation Fan Your Flames (2016), this newer version delicately enhances the fragrance with tropical flavors. Opening with a captivating blend of coconut, rum, and lentisque, it exudes sweet and tropical vibes, culminating in a rich and spicy aroma. Base notes of cedar, oak moss, and patchouli provide a woody and earthy finish to the fragrance, making it an ideal choice for those seeking warm and exotic scents.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18769', 'image' => '20230920121341_Nishane X collection.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 12:13:02', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19039', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Chocofun Starts New Advertising Campaign with the Slogan - Only Chocofun', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">September 20: Sujal Foods Private Limited, a leading confectionery company of Nepal, has announced a new advertising campaign “Only Chocofun” for its popular wafer brand Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Issuing a recent statement, the company said this campaign will run throughout the nation in ‘multiple media’.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The advertisement campaign with the slogan “Only Chocofun'' has been initiated with a message that Chocofun will “complete” all the beautiful moments of childhood, added the statement. The company claimed that Chocofun has been the primary choice of children in Nepal for over 20 years and the advertising campaign aims to manifest the certainty of Chocofun adding more colors in the happy moments of the lives of children. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">According to the company, this advertisement will be broadcast in all the mediums like television, radio, digital media, social media and other publishing platforms. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“Only Chocofun touches the childhood memories of children. It gathers the different moments from their real life and present how they will be completed with the joy of Chocofun. It includes children interacting with each other, having the time of their life with the mouth melting Chocofun whereas some even claim Chocofun to be the savor of their success,” reads the statement.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">The statement further said that Chocofun is the most popular production of Sujal Foods Private Limited, an ISO 22000:2018 certified company which has been in operation for the last forty years. The company claimed that Chocofun is produced by qualified confectioners using the state-of-the-art technologies following all the necessary hygienic regulations and health standards. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">“The excellent crispy and crunchy wafer stands impeccable in terms of quality and taste.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Sujal Food Private Limited believes Only Chocofun campaign will successfully gain the place in the heart of customers and consumers. In addition to that, company also believes this campaign will forever enriches the love people have for Chocofun.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18768', 'image' => '20230920111410_Only-chocofun-for PR.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 11:12:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19038', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'OECD Forecasts 'Sub-Par' Global Growth due to High Interest Rates', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">September 20: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised its global economic outlook for 2023 on Tuesday but cut the growth forecast for next year as "painful" interest-rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation take their toll.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The world economy is now expected to grow 3.0 percent this year, up from the 2.7 percent forecast in the June outlook of the OECD, reported AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">According to the French news agency, OECD said global growth was projected to remain "sub-par", slowing to 2.7 percent next year -- down from 2.9 percent in the previous forecast.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"After a stronger-than-expected start to 2023, helped by lower energy prices and the reopening of China, global growth is expected to moderate," AFP reported referring to a report published by the OECD.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"The impact of tighter monetary policy is becoming increasingly visible, business and consumer confidence have turned down, and the rebound in China has faded," it added.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Central banks worldwide have sharply increased borrowing costs in an effort to tame consumer prices which soared in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, added AFP.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"We are all seeing the tightening of monetary policy working its way through our economies. This is necessary to reduce inflation, but it is painful," OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli said at a press conference.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">The European Central Bank raised a key interest rate to a record high last week but hinted this might be its last hike, while the US Federal Reserve is expected to pause its own campaign on Wednesday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">"Inflation is projected to moderate gradually over 2023 and 2024 but to remain above central bank objectives in most economies," the OECD said.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18767', 'image' => '20230920105414_oecd-logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 10:53:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19037', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Investors Commit Rs 14.65 Billion to Nepal in First Two Months of FY 2023/2024', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">September 20: In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2023/2024, foreign investors have committed to investing Rs 14.65 billion in Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">This commitment came when the Department of Industry approved 111 plans of foreign investors in the months of Shrawan and Bhadra of FY 2023/2024. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to data released by the Department of Industry on Monday, a significant investment commitments were made in Shrawan. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While the number of approved plans in Shrawan stood at 60, the commitment for investment was Rs 11.93 billion. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Even though there were 51 plans approved in Bhadra, the investment commitment was only Rs 2.72 billion. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Foreign investors can invest in various sectors, including production-based industries, energy, agriculture, tourism, minerals, services, telecommunications, and information technology in Nepal.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Although investments can be made in eight sectors, the majority of investors seem to be interested in the service and tourism sectors. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">In the first two months of the fiscal year, 53 plans were approved in the tourism sector, and 44 in the service sector. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">While there is only one plan approved for each of the production-based, energy, and agriculture sectors, two plans were approved for telecommunications and information technology.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18.0pt">According to the department, these approved plans are expected to create 5,502 jobs in the country when they are implemented.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18766', 'image' => '20230920055204_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:49:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19036', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Honda Elevate Launched in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 20: Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, the authorized distributor for Honda Cars in Nepal, has officially launched new Honda Elevate car in the country. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The SUV is priced starting at Rs 56,35,000 for the base SV MT variant and goes up to Rs 79,44,000 for the top-spec DT CVT variant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Elevate comes with a 1.5-liter petrol engine, manual, and automatic gearbox options. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Honda Nepal is offering an introductory offer with cash discounts and additional benefits for the first 10 customers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine generating 121 PS power and 145 Nm torque. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It features a bold exterior design, LED lights, and a ground clearance of 220mm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Inside, the new car offers a spacious interior with ample cargo space, a 7-inch TFT meter cluster, a 10.25-inch LCD touch-screen display, and a Wireless Smartphone Charger.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In terms of safety, the Elevate comes equipped with Honda SENSING's Advanced Driver Assistance System, ACE Body Structure, 6 Airbags, Lane Watch Camera, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, and more.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Honda Elevate will be available at authorized Honda dealerships across Nepal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-20', 'modified' => '2023-09-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18765', 'image' => '20230920053210_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-20 05:30:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19035', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMEC Corridor and Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">September 19: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to advance the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) project recently during the G-20 Conference held in New Delhi, India, has gained worldwide attention.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project connecting the three continents is expected to greatly help in economic development. IMEC will speed up the current trade from India to Europe by about 40 percent. It is expected that the expenses incurred will be greatly reduced.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While the world leaders were making such far-reaching agreements in neighboring India, Nepal remained in a 'quiet' state as if it had not received the information. Although Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, it can still benefit from that project if Nepal uses through diplomatic initiative.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Perhaps, if successful diplomacy had been practiced, Nepal could have participated in the G-20 Conference in one way or another. For that, Nepal was not able to prove its need, nor could it convince the organizers with diplomatic assistance. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which holds a similar status to that of Nepal, got an opportunity to participate in the G-20 conference and is also participating in the IMEC project initiated by India. There are various reasons why Nepal was not invited to the G-20 Conference, but the prime reason is Nepal's weak diplomatic ability. Therefore, besides focusing on developing Nepal's existing diplomatic capacity, it is necessary to emphasize on how to join the IMEC project. Nepal is becoming more and more dependent day by day. Therefore, it is beneficial for Nepal to fully participate in regional and international projects.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">This project is being initiated by India, Nepal's close neighbor, and it is more necessary for Nepal as it is also related to economic development. If Bangladesh can participate in the project that starts from Mumbai, which is known as the financial capital of India, it does not mean that Nepal cannot participate. Even now, goods are imported from Mumbai to Nepal. Geographically, connecting Nepal with Mumbai does not seem that difficult as Nepal has already decided to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is considered more complicated than IMEC. Even though Nepal has been a member of BRI for a long time, there is no visible progress, so there is no problem in becoming a member of IMEC. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Italy, which are members of IMEC, are also members of BRI. Therefore, Nepal needs to take care of what work and what decision is more beneficial.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If Nepal ignores IMEC because of ego, or not being able to participate in the G-20, there is a great danger that Nepal will be isolated from the integrated world. The countries that signed the MoU for the IMEC project are currently at the world's leading level. Only with the help of connectivity, Nepal can benefit from the economic, technical and other progress made by these countries. It is necessary for everyone to understand that the cooperation of developed countries is indispensable and lobbying to become a member of a project like IMEC should not be delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">What is IMEC?</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is a trade link starting from Mumbai, the financial capital of India, and will pass through Jabel Ali (UAE), Al Ghuwaifat (UAE), Haradh (Saudi Arabia), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Al Haditha (Saudi Arabia), Haifa (Israel), Jordan, Piraeus (Greece) to connect America and Europe.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Initially, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States signed agreement for this project. It has prioritized sea and rail connectivity elsewhere.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18764', 'image' => '20230919035958_download.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:59:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19034', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Trade Deficit will End if Energy worth Rs 130 Billion is Exported: NRB Governor ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Maha Prasad Adhikari, has said the situation of trade deficit would end if power worth Rs 130 billion is exported annually. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">During a meeting with the office-bearers of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN), Governor Adhikari mentioned that power export would be the best medium to reduce the trade deficit. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Governor Adhikari assured that Nepal Rastra Bank will provide necessary facilitation in development of hydropower sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, IPPAN President Ganesh Karki urged Governor Adhikari to a make provision requiring banks and financial institutions to invest 20 per cent of their total investment in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN said around Rs 555 billion is needed within five years for developing projects to generate around 3700-megawatt electricity while around Rs 2,055 billion is needed in 10 years if power export agreement between Nepal-India is to be implemented and more than Rs 3,750 billion if additional 25,000-megawatt electricity is to be produced as per the declaration of Energy Decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As NRB is providing loan to projects with the capacity of producing more than 200 megawatts electricity by adding only one per cent to the base rate, the organisation requested to the central bank to implement this arrangement in all hydropower projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">IPPAN further said banks and financial institutions have not shown interest to further invest in hydropower projects due to the directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank for banks and financial institutions. As per the directives, the interest income of the under-construction period could not be distributed as dividend. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN also demanded the continuity of sharing of bonus for the interests generated during the construction phase. It has sought the government’s role for management of new financial instruments such as green bond or climate bond or sovereign bond from the international market. The private sector energy producers also want the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ensure refinancing facility for clean energy, citing high interest rates charged by financial institutions in the energy sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In response, the NRB governor said though the matters relating to bond falls under the jurisdictions of the Finance Ministry, the central bank is ready to facilitate towards that end. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has also requested the central bank to make provisions allowing banks and financial institutions to invest in energy production as capital. They also want rules and provisions related to investment, bonuses, and withdrawal of investments for international investors to be eased to achieve ambitious goal of generating 25,000 megawatts of electricity and exporting 15,000 megawatts in the next decade. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The IPPAN has urged revisions to the NRB’s unified directives regarding the risk weight of hydropower projects. They propose reducing the risk weight for operational projects from 100 to 50 percent and to 75 percent for under-construction projects. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the IPPAN delegation called on the NRB to develop progressive policy provisions that ensure interest grants, refinancing, interest capitalization, debt restructuring, and an extended moratorium period for rebuilding hydropower projects damaged by water-induced disasters. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present at the meeting were NRB Deputy Governor Bam Bahadur Mishra, executive directors Dr Gunakar Bhatta, and Dev Kumar Dhakal. The IPPAN delegation, led by President Karki, included Vice President Mohan Kumar Dangi and former President Shalendra Guragain, among others. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18763', 'image' => '20230919033923_hydro.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 15:38:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19033', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Interest Rates of Bank Loans Likely to Increase', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive.', '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"">September 19: At a time when the industrialists are lobbying to reduce interest rates, it seems that the loans of banks and financial institutions will become more expensive. As the banks have increased the interest rate on deposits, it is certain that the interest rate on loans will also increase due to the increase in cost of the banks.</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 data published by Nepal Rastra Bank, the average interest rate and base rate of deposits of commercial banks have increased in a one month period from mid-July to mid-August</span></span><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"">In mid-June to mid-July, the average interest rate on bank deposits was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7.86</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent, but it reached </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""> percent in mid-July to mid-August.</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"">Nepal Bankers Association has removed the practice of setting interest rates and banks have started fixing the interest rates on their own from mid-June. As the competition between the banks has started, the interest rate on deposits has started increasing. Eight banks have increased the interest on deposit starting from mid-September.</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"">Only six months ago, the interest rate of fix deposits of the commercial banks had dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">9.99</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. It has now reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">11.358</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent.</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 instructions of the central bank, the BFIs should publish the interest rate on deposits applicable every month in the previous month. However, when setting the interest rate, there is a provision that banks can increase or decrease it by only </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""> percent compared to the interest rate of the previous month.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"There is a competition among banks to attract deposits,” said a CEO of one of the commercial banks.</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"">With the increase in the interest rate of deposits, the cost of banks is certain to increase and the base rate will subsequently increase. Due to this, there is high possibility for the interest on loans to increase.</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 mid-June to mid-July, the average base rate of commercial banks was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.03</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent, but it reached </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">10.11</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent a month later.</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"">Banks and financial institutions can set the base rate by adding </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">0.75</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent profit to the cost. Banks have to calculate the base rate monthly and submit it to the central bank within </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">7</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> days of the end of the month and publish it on the website.</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"">Former Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Trilochan Pangeni says that interest rates have increased due to the non-cooperation between the central bank and commercial banks. He commented that even though there is excess liquidity, the central bank is not mopping liquidity through the monetary instruments and the banks are also raising interest rates due to the fear of losing deposits. Therefore, the interest on loans is becoming more expensive.</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"">Banks can determine the loan interest rate by adding a certain percentage premium to the base rate of the last </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""> months. According to this arrangement, when the average base rate of the bank decreases every quarter, the interest rate of the loan automatically decreases. At present, commercial banks can add a maximum of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent premium to the base rate while determining the interest on loans. However, there is a provision that the premium specified in the loan agreement cannot be changed.</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 NRB report, the average interest on loan of banks has decreased in mid-July to mid-August compared to the previous month</span></span><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"">The average interest on loan, which was </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.30 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-June has dropped to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">12.24 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent in mid-July. Due to high interest rates, banks have been struggling to increase credit flow.</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, BFIs have excess liquidity of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">400 </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 average credit to deposit ratio of banks is </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">82.68 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent as of Saturday. Banks can provide loans by maintaining a CD ratio of up to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">90 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent. As of Saturday, banks and financial institutions have a total of Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5726 </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">billion deposits. The loan disbursement of banks has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4908 </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> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18762', 'image' => '20230919022059_1692647212.1689909254.2023-07-21 08.58.56.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 14:20:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19032', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Start Picking Apples in Mustang', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.', '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"">September 19: Farmers of Mustang have started picking apples from Monday.</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"">Apple are grown in orchards of Marfa, Tukuche, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Zhong, Chusang, Chaile and other places in the district.</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 orchards of Marfa and Tukuche, which are also called the capital of apples, are full of apples at present.</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 farmers have started preparations to pick the apples and send them to the market as the apples have now ripened.</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"">Sushilbabu Thakali, a local of Mustang, said that apple picking has started in Mustang from Monday.</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"">Deep Lalchan, an apple farmer of Marfa, said that in the previous years, farmers used to start picking apples from the first week of September.</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"">This year, farmers were allowed to pick apples only in the third week of September after the apples ripened following complaints in the past that apples plucked before ripening were of poor quality.</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 local farmers said that traders from outside the district along with local traders have reached the apple orchards to buy apples. </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 order to buy the apples grown by the farmers of Mustang, the traders sign contract the owners of the entire apple orchard. Traders from Dhading, Kathmandu and other places came to Mustang to buy apples.</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"">Farmer Lalchan said that traders from Pokhara, Chiwatan and other places along with the neighboring district of Myagdi are coming to buy apples.</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 locals are involved in commercial farming of apples in more than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1,200</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in Mustang. The district produces around </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of apples 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"">Apples of different varieties including golden apples, royal apples and delicious red apples, and Fuji apples are produced in Mustang. High quality Italian varieties of apples are also being planted in Mustang.</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"">Apples produced in Mustang reach the Nepalese and foreign markets including Baglung, Kushma, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Narayangadh, Butwal and Bhairahawa through Benibazar, the headquarters of Myagdi.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18761', 'image' => '20230919012533_20220908022220_apple.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 13:24:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19031', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Price of Black Cardamom Up by More than Two Folds in Just One Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market.', '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"">September 19: The price of black cardamom has more than doubled with availability of the new harvest in the market. This year, as the production of black cardamom is expected to decline, the price has skyrocketed all of a sudden. Last year, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg of black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, but this year the price of same quantity of cardamom has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.</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"">Last year, the market price of JJ quality (No 1</span></span><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"">black cardamom was Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">27,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg. This year its price has reached Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">60,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">as the production has declined. Last year, SD quality (No </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2) </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">black cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">25,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">.</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"">This year SD quality cardamom is being bought and sold at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">58,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg</span></span><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"">Similarly, the No </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""> quality</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">cardamom was traded at Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">23,000</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">per </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">40</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> kg last year, but this year the price has reached as much as Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">56,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the Federation of Nepal Cardamom Traders informed 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"">The vice president of the federation, Subas Bhattarai, says that drought followed by hailstorms and landslides damaged some black cardamom farms in the eastern hill district during the flowering period this year, and the production is certain to decrease. </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 him, it is estimated that production of black cardamom is likely to decrease by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">50</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent this year. According to data, </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">8,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> metric tons of black cardamom is produced in Nepal in an average a year. Recently, the area of production of black cardamom in Nepal is also decreasing.</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"">Black cardamom was cultivated in </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">20</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"">880</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares of land in the fiscal year (FY) </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"">After not getting a good price for the product, the farmers gradually reduced its cultivation in the following 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"">During 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 area of cardamom cultivation decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">16</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"">565</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. In the year </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2077/78</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, it further decreased to </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">15</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">,</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">668</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares. 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"">, the area of cultivation of black cardamom seems to have increased somewhat. Black cardamom was cultivated in an area of </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">17</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""> 015</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> hectares that 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"">After the black cardamom produced in Nepal received the Halal certificate last year, it paved the way to export the produce to the Gulf countries.</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"">Prior to that, export of black cardamom produced in Nepal was limited to the markets of Pakistan and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Dinesh Adhikari, a cardamom businessman, even though the door of export to the Gulf countries has opened, there is a problem in exporting due to Nepal's landlocked nature. The exporters say it takes a long time for the products to reach the destination countries. Adhikari says Nepali businessmen have not been able to benefit from black cardamom exports because of this problem. Even now, Nepali businessmen export black cardamom to India and then the Indian businessmen export it to the Gulf countries, said Adhikari.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18760', 'image' => '20230919115111_BlackCardamom.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 11:50:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19030', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Naubise-Malekhu Road Section to Remain Closed in Night Time ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">September 19: The Naubise-Malekhu road section of Prithvi Highway will remain closed during the night time from September 21. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Officials said that the road section from Simle to Malekhu is being widened by cutting the rock cliffs. Therefore, vehicular movement will be suspended during the night hours for the road widening work. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chief District Officer of Dhading Badrinath Gaire said that construction works would be carried out from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am by stopping the vehicles at Khayarghari and Pokharekhola areas from September 21 to October 7. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A meeting of the stakeholders held on Monday decided to fully halt public and private vehicles in the night time except for ambulances and vehicles of security agencies. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, the officials have urged the passengers to travel only in the day time from September 21 to October 7. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18759', 'image' => '20230919104817_37725193_1587249488069563_1209879634309545984_n.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 10:47:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19029', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Spending Exceeds Revenue Collection in First Two Months of Current FY', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">September 19: In the first two months of the current fiscal year (FY), the government's spending accounted for only 7.49 percent of the total budget allocation. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital expenditure was a mere 2.7 percent of the allocated Rs 302.07 billion for the months of Shrawan and Bhadra.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Furthermore, financial management expenses reached Rs 35.51 billion during this period, constituting 11.49 percent of the annual target, which is set at Rs 307.45 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remarkably, revenue collection during this time period amounted to 10.47 percent of the total annual target. Of the targeted Rs 1,472 billion for the current fiscal year, the government collected Rs 154.23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government's total expenditure during the second month of the current fiscal year was Rs 131.14 billion. </span></span><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It may be noted that the government's revenue collection surpassed its spending by nearly Rs 23 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During these first two months, tax revenue amounted to Rs 127.95 billion, while non-tax revenue reached Rs 13.12 billion. (RSS)</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-19', 'modified' => '2023-09-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18758', 'image' => '20230919054218_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-19 05:40:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '19028', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DDA Issues Directive not to Use 103 Antibiotic Drugs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">September 18: The government has issued directive to the consumers and stakeholders against using 103 types of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Director General of the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) Narayan Prasad Dhakal said the directive has been issued to minimize, prevent and control use of antibiotics. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended not touse those drugs. Dhakal said there is no rationality for using these antibiotics. "The WHO has published a list of 103 types of antibiotics which should not be used. We will neither register these drugs nor give permission for using them," he added. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Dhakal, the DDA has already registered 13 of the 103 antibiotic drugs prior to the publication of the list by the WHO in 2021. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the DDA did not mention the specific names of the 103 antibiotics, the WHO has published the list of combination of commonly used antibiotics on its website which it has recommended not to use.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The use of the fixed-dose combinations of multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics is not evidence-based, nor recommended in high-quality international guidelines. WHO does not recommend their use in clinical practice.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The DDA said it has prepared a national plan of action to reduce the rate of illness, death rate and the economic consequences resulting from resistance to antibiotic, in line with the global action plan on antibiotic resistance. The plan is said to be in final stage of approval. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Dhakal, the DDA Director General, said directives have been issued to the concerned agencies not to register, renew the registration and import as well as use these antibiotics. This directive, he said, is issued in line with the recommendation of the Drugs Advisory Committee.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the WHO, improving use of antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship is one of the key interventions necessary to curb the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It is also important for ensuring appropriate treatment, WHO wrote on its website.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">For that reason, WHO in 2017 introduced the Access, Watch, Reserve (“AWaRe”) classification of antibiotics in its Essential Medicines List. The classification is a tool for antibiotic stewardship at local, national and global levels with the aim of reducing antimicrobial resistance.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Antibiotics are classified into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasize the importance of their appropriate use. The 2021 update of the AWaRe classification includes an additional 78 antibiotics not previously classified, bringing the total to 258. (With inputs from RSS) </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-09-18', 'modified' => '2023-09-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '18757', 'image' => '20230918062908_20230903032259_anti.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-09-18 18:28:39', '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
