May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount…
May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount…
May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public…
The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and…
May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring…
Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with the index on the fourth trading day of the week,…
More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati…
May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY…
May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards 2023, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been…
May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the…
May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22.…
May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment…
May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri.…
Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and…
May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in…
Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational…
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17902', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sherpa Dies while Returning from the Summit of Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NA's Military and Public Relations Directorate said that efforts were underway to retrieve the body of Sherpa. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Captain Dipendra Singh Khatry, who became unwell while returning after climbing Mount Everest, was airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment. Khatry who was also engaged in the clean mountain campaign on Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse was first taken to camp-2 with the support of other mountaineers. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Captain Khatri along with three others were taken to Kathmandu for treatment and are said to be in normal health condition now, the directorate said. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Remaining works of the clean mountain campaign are being carried out under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kishor Adhikari despite unfavourable weather condition. -- RSS </span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17633', 'image' => '20230518094613_20230330102040_1680132652.Clipboard32.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:45:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17901', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transportation Fare Decreases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport. The DoTM slashed the public transport fare on Wednesday after the Nepal Oil Corporation reduced the price of diesel effective from 12 midnight on Tuesday. <br /> Issuing a notice on Wednesday, the DoTM said that the public transport fare has been automatically adjusted based on the fuel price. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px">It is stated in the notice that the fare of passenger transport vehicles has been reduced by 3.20 percent. Similarly, the fare of cargo vehicles operated in the hill route has been decreased by 4.19 percent and that of the goods carrier vehicles operated in Tarai by 4.65 percent. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17632', 'image' => '20230518091548_Transport.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:14:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17900', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Issues Circular on Loan Restructuring and Rescheduling', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 18: The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">These arrangements were implemented as part of the third quarterly review of the current fiscal year's monetary policy (2079/80). <br /> As per the circular, effective from June 15, loans obtained in the hotel and restaurant, livestock, construction sectors, as well as loans up to Rs 50 million in other sectors, can be restructured and rescheduled.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular specifies that loan re-scheduling and restructuring can proceed once the debtor has repaid at least 10 percent of the outstanding interest amount. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This decision is based on an analysis of the industry's and business's cash flow and income, as requested by the debtors. Additionally, the circular outlines four conditions that must be met for the implementation of these arrangements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular emphasizes that only loans classified as active loans up until April 13 can be considered for restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Furthermore, a provision of five percent credit loss on the restructured and rescheduled loans must be made, and these loans can only be utilized within the cluster where they were originally classified.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">It may be noted that the NRB had softened some monetary arrangements through quarterly review of the monetary policy. </span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17631', 'image' => '20230518060823_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 06:06:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17896', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '16-Year-Old Chinese Girl Scales Everest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organizing a press conference here Wednesday, Nepal Big Mountain Travel shared this information. The travel agency had facilitated the summit of Sui, according to Managing Director Sudarshan Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl is said to be the youngest woman climber.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, climber Sui shared that she was inspired by her father, Lei, who had scaled Everest from the north slope in 2007. Although the adverse atmosphere posed hostility in the beginning, the weather was clear on the day she reached atop the world's highest peak.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also extended thanks to the Sherpas who assisted her in climbing Everest. According to Sui, Everest was polluted with trash and her team brought back the used materials to keep the mountain clean.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, former Chair of Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, said that there is no provision to issue permits to the people below 16 years for climbing Everest.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Everest summit this year, various programmes are being organized in the country. The climbing for this year began last Saturday.</span></span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17627', 'image' => '20230517093316_122208-01-02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 21:32:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17895', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEPSE Index Surges as Turnover Amount Rises; All Sector Indices Close in Green', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with the index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index climbed by 23.39 points, or 1.28%, reaching 1,845.10, compared to the previous trading day. The positive trend is also reflected in the stock market after the index re-tested previous low of 1807 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The continuous decline in the market for the past few days has attracted buyers, resulting in an increase in the turnover amount compared to the previous trading day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">High interest rates, liquidity scarcity, and tight polices related to the sharemarket had led to the NEPSE on the continuous downward trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Experts say that the time is appropriate for investments into the stock market as share prices have hit a very low in the market for a long time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">A total of 2,577,210 shares of 266 scrips traded their hands via 25,634 transactions. <br /> The total turnover amount stood at NPR 85.76 crores in the NEPSE today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">SHIVAM CEMENTS LTD (SHIVM) shares traded the most and had the highest turnover of Rs. 5.46 crores closing at a market price of Rs. 403.50 per share.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) gained the highest 9.99% and hit the positive circuit for the day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Conversely, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) lost the highest 7.93% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">All sector indices closed green, "Others" gained the highest 2.37%, while "Mutual Fund" gained the least 0.04% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Likewise, the sensitive index increased by 1.15 percent, the float index by 1.25 percent, and the sensitive float index by 1.03 percent.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17626', 'image' => '20230517050845_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 17:05:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17894', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 18,000 Cows Affected with Lumpy Skin Disease in Bagmati Province', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province.', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 17: More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The initial data collection from the first phase indicates that at least 18,324 cows have been infected with the disease. Tragically, a significant number of cows have lost their lives due to the illness. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The highest number of fatalities has been reported in Makawanpur district, with 197 out of 4,835 infected cows succumbing to the disease. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sindhuli district has recorded 9,634 infected cases, resulting in the death of 47 cows. Ramechhap has reported 1,965 infected cases, followed by Chitwan with 1,060 cases, Kathmandu with 83 cases, Lalitpur with 40 cases, Kavrepalanchok with 400 cases, Nuwakot with 300 cases, Sindhupalchok with six cases, and Bhaktapur with one case.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17625', 'image' => '20230517043430_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:28:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17893', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Growth Rate of Provinces Slows Down', 'sub_title' => 'The growth rate of all seven provinces is expected to be very low', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).', '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"">May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 estimates released by the National Statistics Office on Tuesday, the economic growth rate of all seven provinces will be much lower than the previous 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"">In the Fiscal Year 2022/23, the national GDP in terms of consumer prices is estimated to be equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5381</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"">Bagmati Province will contribute the most to the national economy although the GDP of the province will contract sharply compared to the last fiscal year. The GDP of Bagmati Province is estimated to be Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1981</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion. The least contribution will be from Karnali Province. The GDP of this province is estimated to be around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">221</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 current fiscal year's national GDP is estimated to grow by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.86</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent in terms of consumer prices, which is far less than the growth target of 8 percent set by the government. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At the state level, it is estimated that Gandaki Province will have the highest percentage of growth at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3.3</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent while the growth rate of Bagmati Province is expected to be the lowest among all at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.4</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. As per the revised estimates of the NSO last year, the growth rate of Gandaki Province was the highest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.35</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) and Madhesh was the lowest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4.65</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) in FY </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"">21</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"">22</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"">Based on the economic activity according to the industrial classification, the contribution of the agricultural sector will be the highest in all the provinces except Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade sector will be more in Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade will be second in Koshi, Madhesh and Lumbini provinces. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 Bagmati Province, the contribution of the real estate business and housing services ranks second. In Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim, the contribution of public administration and defense sector is second. Except for Bagmati and Madhesh, the contribution of administrative support services activities to the gross domestic product of all provinces is the lowest.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17624', 'image' => '20230517041650_gdp_estimate.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:16:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17892', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations for New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards Complete', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards 2023, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed.', '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"">May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards programme, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed. The training program for startups under this awards ceremony has already been completed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 organisers of the awards ceremony had requested for applications from startups from all seven provinces. More than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> startup entrepreneurs from across the country had submitted applications for the awards programme. The theme of this year's awards is 'Towards Startup Nation'.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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, the awards are being given to eight start-up companies. The awards programme is supported by sastodeal.com, Laxmi Bank, Shikhar Insurance, Rigo, Nexon EV, Max and City Express. Similarly, Nepal Rastra Bank, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Insurance Authority, Citizens Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Nepali Patro and Dishome Fiber Net have also supported the awards function.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">New Business Age has been organising various award programs. The company has been selecting and awarding the best management colleges and companies since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2013. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2019</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the company has started honoring women entrepreneurs. New Business Age had organized the New Biz Business Conclave and Awards programme last winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17623', 'image' => '20230519011840_new logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:55:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17891', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Windstorm Destroys Bananas Worth Rs 50 Million in Chitwan', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district. The Chitwan Banana Producers Association confirmed that the banana farmers suffered massive loss due to the windstorm.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">General Secretary of Chitwan Banana Producers Association Janak Raj Panta said that bananas planted in a total of 150 bighas of land in the district were completely damaged. He said that the damage in 150 bigha of land caused losses of around Rs 50 million.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the seven municipalities of the district, Khairhani and Rapti municipalities suffered the most damage. Panta said that there was partial damage in Ratnanagar, Kalika and Bharatpur Metropolitan City.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Rishi Gurung, a farmer of Ratnanagar municipality-5, Jhuwani, who planted bananas in 35 bighas of land in Khairhani and Rapti, said that bananas in 10 bighas of land were completely destroyed by the storm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, 5 bigha of bananas belonging to Baburam Bhatta of Ratnanagar have been completely damaged in Ratnanagar-4, Seri. He said that he faced financial loss of Rs 2.5 million. He said, “There was a plan to prepare and send the bananas to the market towards mid-June. All plans got destroyed by the wind,” said Bhatta.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Baburam Duwadi's 2 bigha vegetable garden in Ratnanagar was destroyed as well, causing a loss of Rs 1 million. He said, “The crop was to be ready within a month or two. The wind suddenly destroyed the bananas.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wind destroyed Malbhog and Jinine varieties of bananas. The association collected the details of the damage since Monday morning. Most of the farmers have been taking insurance as the banana plantations started to be destroyed due to the annual storms. Panta said that 95 percent of farmers in Chitwan have insurance. Altogether 750 farmers have been cultivating bananas commercially in 3000 bighas of land. Altogether 70,000 metric tons of bananas worth Rs 1.6 billion are produced here annually.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17622', 'image' => '20230517031141_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:07:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17889', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sixth Nepal Chamber Expo from Thursday ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. The event is being organised by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and will showcase stalls of both domestic and international products. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will focus on trade dialogues, exchange of export-import information and the marketing of Nepali goods, according to NCC President Rajendra Malla. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We hope to assess the consumers' interest in the competitive market through the expo which is expected to encourage domestic trade/ business community to explore potential competitive abilities in collaboration with external trade community," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will feature Nepali handicraft products, cottage and food products, herbs, electronics, fashion wear, leather products among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17620', 'image' => '20230517015002_expo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 13:49:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17888', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Leaders Suggest Govt to Prioritize Job Creation in Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the meeting summoned by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat to solicit suggestions from the leaders of the ruling coalition in Singha Durbar on Tuesday, the top leaders called for policies and programmes that could prevent youths of the country from migrating abroad for jobs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Emerging from the meeting, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Hitraj Pandey said, "The incumbent government is going to introduce policies and programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The PM and Finance Minister sought recommendations from leaders of ruling coalition regarding the issues to be considered in the upcoming budget. We furnished recommendations accordingly." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the wake of the parliamentarians putting forth their views on the principles and priorities in the parliament, the leaders attending the meeting on Tuesday were asked by the PM and the Finance Minister to submit their suggestion in writing. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC informed that they discussed current national affairs including economic system and suggested that upcoming policies and programmes should improve the economic system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present in the meeting were Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, Nepal Samajwadi Party Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, among others. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to present the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year this Friday (May 19). -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17619', 'image' => '20230517010105_PRO-KTM-066A7337.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 12:59:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17887', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Dhaulagiri Sees First Ascent of this Season ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. The 8,167-meters peak is the seventh highest peak in the world. With this, the peak recorded the first climbing of this season. <br /> According to Seven Summit Trek's managing director Thaneswor Guragai, Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Rodrigo Pereria reached the summit of the mountain at 7: 30 am on Tuesday without the help of Sherpa guides. <br /> According to the Department of Tourism, 24 males and 11 females have taken permission for the Dhaulagiri expedition this season. Seven Summit has facilitated the expeditions of 26 climbers. <br /> Mount Dhaulagiri, which lies in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality- 4 in Myagdi, was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Austrian Kurt Diemberger, German Peter Diener, Swish Ernst Forrer and Albin Schelbert and Sherpa guides Nawang Dorje and Nima Dorje. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17618', 'image' => '20230517114835_image_processing20180511-4-2qef51.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 11:47:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17884', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'The History and Causes of Bullish and Bearish Trends in the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE)', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: The history of the share market in Nepal is relatively short compared to other countries. The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) was established in 1993 as the country's only stock exchange. As the only stock exchange company, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), formally opened its trading floor on13th January 1994. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Initially, NEPSE had only 37 listed companies, and trading was conducted manually using an open outcry system. However, in recent years, NEPSE has modernized its trading platform, and as of 2023, there are around 269 listed companies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Recent data at the Central Depository Services and Clearing Limited (CDSC) show that the number of Demat account holders in Nepal has surpassed 5 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This article will explore the timeline of bullish and bearish trends in the NEPSE Index, analyzing the underlying economic and political causes that drove these fluctuations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE Index crash </strong><br /> The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index gained bull run pace from 1999 which tripled in around two and half years, and reached a high of 545.82 on November 23, 2000. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, within a short period of one and a half years, the NEPSE index crashed to a low of 186.22 points, and it took another five years for the index to surpass its previous high of 545.82 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">One of the main reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE index burst was the declining GDP growth rate. From 1994 to 1999, the GDP growth rate was impressive, averaging at 6%. However, in 2000, the GDP growth rate dropped to 4.80% followed by a further decline to 0.10% in 2001. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The agricultural sector, which is a significant contributor to Nepal's GDP, suffered from low productivity due to drought and unfavorable weather conditions, as the country lacked modernized irrigation facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In addition to low agricultural productivity, the country was also facing a civil war which resulted in the killing and unlawful occupation of public property. The government was forced to shift its focus from development to protection of citizens, which resulted in a lack of political stability and security in various sectors, including tourism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, production in all these sectors decreased, causing a sharp decline in GDP growth and discouraging investors from entering the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The civil war was one of the main reasons behind the NEPSE burst in 2000, creating an unstable political and economic environment that discouraged investors from further investing in the stock market. People were more concerned about saving their wealth rather than growing it, leading to a decline in market participatio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong> Examining the reasons for the NEPSE's crash in 2008 </strong><br /> The end of Nepal's 10-year internal conflict in 2006 brought a sense of optimism among investors, especially with the introduction of a three-year budget plan focused on the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The uptrend from 2006 continued to gain pace until the index touched the high of 1175 in August 2008, as the political situation remained relatively stable, despite the problem of changing governments and the pending introduction of a new constitution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the conflict period, many people migrated to cities from rural areas and started buying properties, leading to an unexpected increase in real estate rates. Banks encouraged real estate brokers and the public to take out loans, leading to a surge in cases of loan defaults, and the banks' liquid assets were converted into non-banking physical assets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The demand for loans raised interest rates and reduced liquidity in banks. Interest rate and share market always have inverse relationship. When interest rates rise, sharemarket falls, and vice-versa. Investors exited from the sharemarket and parked their cash in the fixed deposits, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As investment opportunities in Nepal are limited, the investment capital mainly revolves around three major sectors: stock market, real estate, and fixed deposit. The flow of capital was directed towards the real estate sector, leading to a decline in the charm of the stock market for both institutional and retail investors, resulting in a decline in the NEPSE index.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2007, the GDP growth rate was 6.10%, followed by a decrease to 4.50% in 2008 and 4.80% in 2009. The NEPSE index burst in 2008 was mainly due to the high demand for the real estate sector and soaring interest rates, which degraded the attraction of the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">After the burst, it took four years for the NEPSE index to return to an uptrend, and six years to cross the high of 1,175.38 points. <br /> <strong>Underlying causes behind boom and burst of 2015-2016</strong><br /> In 2015-2016, Nepal faced a series of events that caused both boom and burst in the country's capital market. The earthquake of 2015 had a significant impact on the real estate sector, as people were not interested in owning luxury items and the demand for loans decreased. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This led to lower loan rates and subsequently, lower fixed deposit rates, making both banking and real estate sectors unattractive for investors. Consequently, capital started flowing into the stock market, and NEPSE reached a high of 1,881 points in July 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, the public invested in the stock market by taking loans from banks because the return on investment in the capital market was much higher than the bank's loan rates. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the productivity of the country collapsed due to the border blockade, and the GDP growth was only 0.40% in 2015, despite the booming stock market. The low GDP growth indicated low demand in the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2016, the GDP growth rebounded, recording a growth rate of 6.90%, the highest recorded growth in the last two decades. The political and economic situation in the country stabilized, and many new financial institutions were introduced, especially non-life and life insurance after the earthquake. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This made the financial sector highly competitive, and to attract customers, the deposit rates started soaring, which raised the loan rates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The high loan rates discouraged investors from borrowing to invest in the stock market, and the return from the banking sector became comparable to the return from the stock market. This attracted institutional investors to invest in banks, as it provided a larger margin of safety. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The capital was distributed among numerous small financials, such as microfinance and cooperatives, which impacted the liquidity of larger commercial banks. The government formed National Reconstruction Authority and expedited the reconstruction work using up huge budget to reconstruct infrastructures and individual houses destroyed by the earthquake. This led to the liquidity crisis in the banks and financial institutions, driving the loan rates high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The government also took measures to decrease the number of financial institutions in the country, which turned the market from the Bull to Bear in 2016. The soaring interest rates and liquidity crunch were the main reasons for the NEPSE burst in 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Exploring causes of bull and bear of 2021 </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Capital market of Nepal started gaining momentum again in early 2020 and went on a bullish trend until it touched an all-time high of 3200 in the month of August 2021. Several factors played a role in pushing the NEPSE Index on a bullish trajectory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Nepal, and the government imposed lockdowns and restricted people's movement, leading to the shutdowns of most businesses and economic activities. This made people search for alternative ways to make money, and many new investors poured their money into the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Additionally, the lockdowns brought development works to a grinding halt, and the price of petroleum products dwindled, reducing the cost of goods and commodities. The import of goods and commodities except daily essentials was also banned. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Banks and financial institutions witnessed excessive liquidity for lack of loan demand, and they started flowing margin loans to investors at as low as 7 percent interest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the boom in the stock market did not last long. Various factors led to the sharp fall of the stock market, driving it down to the bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) tightened its monetary policy, and all banks and financial institutions were also placed under strict restrictions, effectively banning them from share trading. The NRB's austere policies caused the market correction by dislodging the confidence of large and institutionalized share traders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In the fiscal year 2078/79, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had tightened loans against shares by introducing the credit limit of NPR 40/120 million. The central bank's policy of NPR 40/120 million credit threshold against the shares had put the share market in crisis, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Moreover, the Nepalese economy experienced a significant slowdown due to the pandemic, which affected the performance of many companies listed on the stock exchange. A liquidity crunch in the banking sector, coupled with tighter monetary policies, affected investor confidence in the market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Inflation in Nepal has been rising since the world removed lockdowns and opened borders for import and export, eroding the purchasing power of investors and making them less willing to invest in the stock market. The Russia’s war on Ukraine has added to the woes of the customers, driving up the prices of daily essentials and petroleum products. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The price of petroleum products surged rapidly after the pandemic, driving prices of almost everything up, lowering the investors' capacity to invest in the stock market and other areas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Interest rates also surged up to 19/20percent from 7/8 percent, and stock and interest rate have a negative correlation. As interest rates rose sharply, investors and people parked their money in fixed deposits because of margin of safety.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> The bullish trend in the Nepalese stock market in 2021 was mainly driven by the pandemic-induced market disruptions, which led to excess liquidity and low-interest rates. However, the NRB's policies, the economic slowdown, the liquidity crunch, inflation, and rising interest rates led to the bearish trend in the market, causing a significant correction in the NEPSE Index. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In summary, the NEPSE Index has had a tumultuous history since its inception, with several downs and ups, reaching its highest points in 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2021. The NEPSE Index started at 157 points in 1998 and climbed to a high of 545 points in 2000, followed by a bearish period that lasted until 2004. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index then gained momentum again, reaching a high of 1175 points in 2008 before tumbling to a low of 298 points in 2012. From 2016 to 2019, the market underwent significant corrections and hit a low of 1104 points in 2019. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, from early 2020, the NEPSE Index entered a bullish trend and reached an all-time high of around 3200 points in August 2021, However, the market sentiment turned bearish soon after, and the index has touched lows of around 1800.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Over the past year, the NEPSE index has been fluctuating between 1800 and 2250, with the current state of the secondary market platform hovering between 1800 and 1900. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Unfortunately, the turnover amount on the NEPSE has significantly decreased, currently standing at below NPR 1 billion, a stark contrast from the NPR 21 billion turnover witnessed when the market hit its all-time high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, market participation has dwindled, and investors have become more passive in light of the secondary market's bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The current state of the market is challenging for investors, who are feeling hopeless and psychologically down. To overcome the current bearish sentiment, several challenges and obstacles need to be addressed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The market-friendly monetary policy of the Nepal Rastra Bank, state of liquidity, interest rates, economic growth, and political situation all play a crucial role in determining the course of the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The sooner the NRB comes up with market-friendly policies, the faster interest rates fall, and economic growth increases, the sooner we will see another bull market in the NEPSE.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As they say, "there is light at the end of the tunnel," and NEPSE will surely overcome all the challenges and hindrances to break the previous all-time high and make another record. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till then, investors have no choice but to manage their risk and wait patiently. The stock market is unpredictable, and it is important to keep a long-term perspective while investing and not panic during short-term fluctuations.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17615', 'image' => '20230517105452_bull-market.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:44:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17883', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Sentences Life Imprisonment to Chaudhary for Tikapur Carnage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015. Chaudhary is currently serving jail term at Dillibazar Prison.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A division bench of SC justices Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Nahakul Subedi issued the verdict on Tuesday convicting Chaudhary on the charge of life imprisonment. Chaudhary had filed a petition at the SC seeking a review on the High Court's decision. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">After the hearing on the appeal, the SC issued the final verdict stating that a clean chit on the case was unlikely. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, another convict Laxman Tharu is handed down three years imprisonment by reducing five years of jail time ordered by the Dipayal High Court. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, Ganga Ram Chaudhary and Sita Ram Chaudhary, who were jailed in the same case, have received clean chits by the SC. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17613', 'image' => '20230517104842_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:47:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17881', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'Marijuana as a Medicine: Weighing Benefits and Harms', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. ', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that 4% of the global population (192 million people) consumes marijuana illegally, with 40% of Americans having taken the drug at least once in their lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana consumption is most prevalent among males and teenagers, but its use is also growing among women. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) present in Cannabis sativa, indica, and ruderalis are known to have the power to intoxicate and cause addiction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is consumed in various forms and quantities, for example cannabis has about 1% and sinsemilla up to 5-6%. The plants are also used to make textiles, pickles, and drinks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The voices for the legalization of marijuana farming, sale, and use for entertainment and medicinal purposes are being raised worldwide, including in Nepal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2020, Nepal voted to reclassify and reconsider marijuana from Schedule IV, which includes drugs that cannot be used even for medical treatment. There has been estimation that if legalized, marijuana could generate up to NPR 146 billion by 2025, transforming the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Apparently, there has been flood of fiery and attractive speeches, deliberations, interviews, news and articles from so-called leaders and scholars in its favor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, as an expert in mental health working for over two decades, I have witnessed marijuana destroying many lives and families in all setups, including out-patient departments, wards, emergency, and other setups. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Even today while sitting to write this article, one third of psychiatry ward patients has history of cannabis use and 23% fulfill the criteria for dependence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> I have seen many people losing their lives to the drug, and many families suffering for years due to the drug. But few of them including literate college students have scientific knowledge and information about it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">They claim that marijuana is good for health and easily available. It is extremely distressing to witness the current state with the flood of ideas and arguments in its favor on one hand and my own first hand observation of devastating effects on the other. It warrants reviewing the harm and benefits of this substance as a medicine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> This article is an audacity based on our effort to review the benefits and harms of medicinal use of cannabis which has been published as a journal article. The author leaves the responsibility of analyzing and adopting the fact to the wise readers themselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">CBD present in marijuana is used as medicine to treat some health issues, including vomiting and special type of seizure. The US Food and Drug Administration has given permission to use marijuana for these two purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Claims have also been made that marijuana has a positive impact on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, but there is no evidence to support these claims. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While cannabis is touted to stop vomiting and treat problems in ligaments, its use is reported to have aggravated these problems to the intractable forms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the COVID-19 pandemic, some chemicals in marijuana were publicized to have a positive effect on lungs, but later, they were found to have other chemicals causing serious problems in lungs, including even cancer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Reports have come out showing that marijuana has various types of cancer-causing chemicals more than in tobacco and cigarettes. People who take marijuana to increase their appetite for food usually have further lost their interest in food and fallen victim to malnutrition. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Although marijuana has been mentioned in some medical literature as beneficial for the treatment of mental problems, its uses for emotional and mood disorders are not appropriate, as it may cause panic and other anxiety disorders among the users. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is also considered beneficial to treat mood disorders, such as depression and mania. However, those people using cannabis usually require visiting psychiatrist when they are hit severely with co-morbid depression and mania. It has also been seen in one of our recent studies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Using marijuana as medicine for mood disorders is, hence, not appropriate. It is common to see that people taking alcohol and other drugs often turn to marijuana and vice-versa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is believed to have some benefit even in some type of psychosis. Whereas the reality is that marijuana consumption may cause the onset of serious mental problems such as psychosis, with single use of small amount, frequent or regular longstanding use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> For those who have genetic predisposition, it may act like a match stick. The worsening of situation and increasing prevalence of psychosis has lately increasingly been reported in countries that have legalized it and have increased marijuana consumption. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Those who advocate for marijuana legalization argue that marijuana can be used as medicine, like opiate in the right amount. The issue of marijuana consumption is a complex one that requires a thorough analysis of its potential benefits and harms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Before we allow the widespread use of marijuana, it is important to carefully consider its intended purpose, the types of positive and negative effects it may have, and whether we can accurately predict its effects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While some argue that marijuana consumption has potential therapeutic benefits, evidence shows that it can have more harms than good sides. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">There is an established evidence to show the harms of marijuana. But, we are yet to receive the evidence to substantiate its positive side. Reports suggest that its use may cause death by obstructing the heartbeat and lead to psychosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Studies have also shown that marijuana can have serious impacts not only on frequent users but also on one-time users.Moreover, since marijuana is plant-based rather than a medicine, its quantity is extremely variable and unpredictable and it has some impurities in products in reality as well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Legalization may result in uncontrolled use of the drug, leading to severe outcomes, also raising false impression among common people about its benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strict regulations and to educate the general public, students, teachers, and parents on the potential risks of using marijuana.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, a complete ban on marijuana and legal restrictions may not be the solution. Such measures may create a black market, cause the state to lose revenue, and increase criminal activity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Instead, we need to promote scientific research studies, update existing laws based on scientific evidence, and aim to promote public health and awareness of policies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a country with ignorance, poverty, weak governance, and a backward economy, Nepal must be vigilant when observing other countries' stance on marijuana legalization. We must not blindly follow their example but make decisions based on our specific circumstances.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Therefore, if you hear someone say or see an advertisement claiming that "marijuana is a wonder drug," it is important to verify the facts and think twice before using it. We must analyze the available evidence thoroughly before making any decision regarding its use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Prof. Dr. Dhana Ratna Shakya is Head at the Department of Psychiatry <br /> in B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. </span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17612', 'image' => '20230517062400_collage (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 06:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ) ) $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' => '17902', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sherpa Dies while Returning from the Summit of Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NA's Military and Public Relations Directorate said that efforts were underway to retrieve the body of Sherpa. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Captain Dipendra Singh Khatry, who became unwell while returning after climbing Mount Everest, was airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment. Khatry who was also engaged in the clean mountain campaign on Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse was first taken to camp-2 with the support of other mountaineers. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Captain Khatri along with three others were taken to Kathmandu for treatment and are said to be in normal health condition now, the directorate said. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Remaining works of the clean mountain campaign are being carried out under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kishor Adhikari despite unfavourable weather condition. -- RSS </span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17633', 'image' => '20230518094613_20230330102040_1680132652.Clipboard32.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:45:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17901', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transportation Fare Decreases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport. The DoTM slashed the public transport fare on Wednesday after the Nepal Oil Corporation reduced the price of diesel effective from 12 midnight on Tuesday. <br /> Issuing a notice on Wednesday, the DoTM said that the public transport fare has been automatically adjusted based on the fuel price. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px">It is stated in the notice that the fare of passenger transport vehicles has been reduced by 3.20 percent. Similarly, the fare of cargo vehicles operated in the hill route has been decreased by 4.19 percent and that of the goods carrier vehicles operated in Tarai by 4.65 percent. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17632', 'image' => '20230518091548_Transport.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:14:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17900', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Issues Circular on Loan Restructuring and Rescheduling', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 18: The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">These arrangements were implemented as part of the third quarterly review of the current fiscal year's monetary policy (2079/80). <br /> As per the circular, effective from June 15, loans obtained in the hotel and restaurant, livestock, construction sectors, as well as loans up to Rs 50 million in other sectors, can be restructured and rescheduled.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular specifies that loan re-scheduling and restructuring can proceed once the debtor has repaid at least 10 percent of the outstanding interest amount. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This decision is based on an analysis of the industry's and business's cash flow and income, as requested by the debtors. Additionally, the circular outlines four conditions that must be met for the implementation of these arrangements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular emphasizes that only loans classified as active loans up until April 13 can be considered for restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Furthermore, a provision of five percent credit loss on the restructured and rescheduled loans must be made, and these loans can only be utilized within the cluster where they were originally classified.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">It may be noted that the NRB had softened some monetary arrangements through quarterly review of the monetary policy. </span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17631', 'image' => '20230518060823_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 06:06:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17896', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '16-Year-Old Chinese Girl Scales Everest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organizing a press conference here Wednesday, Nepal Big Mountain Travel shared this information. The travel agency had facilitated the summit of Sui, according to Managing Director Sudarshan Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl is said to be the youngest woman climber.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, climber Sui shared that she was inspired by her father, Lei, who had scaled Everest from the north slope in 2007. Although the adverse atmosphere posed hostility in the beginning, the weather was clear on the day she reached atop the world's highest peak.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also extended thanks to the Sherpas who assisted her in climbing Everest. According to Sui, Everest was polluted with trash and her team brought back the used materials to keep the mountain clean.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, former Chair of Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, said that there is no provision to issue permits to the people below 16 years for climbing Everest.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Everest summit this year, various programmes are being organized in the country. The climbing for this year began last Saturday.</span></span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17627', 'image' => '20230517093316_122208-01-02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 21:32:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17895', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEPSE Index Surges as Turnover Amount Rises; All Sector Indices Close in Green', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with the index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index climbed by 23.39 points, or 1.28%, reaching 1,845.10, compared to the previous trading day. The positive trend is also reflected in the stock market after the index re-tested previous low of 1807 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The continuous decline in the market for the past few days has attracted buyers, resulting in an increase in the turnover amount compared to the previous trading day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">High interest rates, liquidity scarcity, and tight polices related to the sharemarket had led to the NEPSE on the continuous downward trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Experts say that the time is appropriate for investments into the stock market as share prices have hit a very low in the market for a long time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">A total of 2,577,210 shares of 266 scrips traded their hands via 25,634 transactions. <br /> The total turnover amount stood at NPR 85.76 crores in the NEPSE today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">SHIVAM CEMENTS LTD (SHIVM) shares traded the most and had the highest turnover of Rs. 5.46 crores closing at a market price of Rs. 403.50 per share.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) gained the highest 9.99% and hit the positive circuit for the day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Conversely, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) lost the highest 7.93% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">All sector indices closed green, "Others" gained the highest 2.37%, while "Mutual Fund" gained the least 0.04% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Likewise, the sensitive index increased by 1.15 percent, the float index by 1.25 percent, and the sensitive float index by 1.03 percent.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17626', 'image' => '20230517050845_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 17:05:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17894', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 18,000 Cows Affected with Lumpy Skin Disease in Bagmati Province', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province.', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 17: More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The initial data collection from the first phase indicates that at least 18,324 cows have been infected with the disease. Tragically, a significant number of cows have lost their lives due to the illness. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The highest number of fatalities has been reported in Makawanpur district, with 197 out of 4,835 infected cows succumbing to the disease. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sindhuli district has recorded 9,634 infected cases, resulting in the death of 47 cows. Ramechhap has reported 1,965 infected cases, followed by Chitwan with 1,060 cases, Kathmandu with 83 cases, Lalitpur with 40 cases, Kavrepalanchok with 400 cases, Nuwakot with 300 cases, Sindhupalchok with six cases, and Bhaktapur with one case.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17625', 'image' => '20230517043430_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:28:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17893', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Growth Rate of Provinces Slows Down', 'sub_title' => 'The growth rate of all seven provinces is expected to be very low', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).', '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"">May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 estimates released by the National Statistics Office on Tuesday, the economic growth rate of all seven provinces will be much lower than the previous 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"">In the Fiscal Year 2022/23, the national GDP in terms of consumer prices is estimated to be equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5381</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"">Bagmati Province will contribute the most to the national economy although the GDP of the province will contract sharply compared to the last fiscal year. The GDP of Bagmati Province is estimated to be Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1981</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion. The least contribution will be from Karnali Province. The GDP of this province is estimated to be around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">221</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 current fiscal year's national GDP is estimated to grow by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.86</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent in terms of consumer prices, which is far less than the growth target of 8 percent set by the government. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At the state level, it is estimated that Gandaki Province will have the highest percentage of growth at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3.3</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent while the growth rate of Bagmati Province is expected to be the lowest among all at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.4</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. As per the revised estimates of the NSO last year, the growth rate of Gandaki Province was the highest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.35</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) and Madhesh was the lowest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4.65</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) in FY </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"">21</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"">22</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"">Based on the economic activity according to the industrial classification, the contribution of the agricultural sector will be the highest in all the provinces except Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade sector will be more in Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade will be second in Koshi, Madhesh and Lumbini provinces. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 Bagmati Province, the contribution of the real estate business and housing services ranks second. In Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim, the contribution of public administration and defense sector is second. Except for Bagmati and Madhesh, the contribution of administrative support services activities to the gross domestic product of all provinces is the lowest.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17624', 'image' => '20230517041650_gdp_estimate.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:16:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17892', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations for New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards Complete', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards 2023, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed.', '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"">May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards programme, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed. The training program for startups under this awards ceremony has already been completed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 organisers of the awards ceremony had requested for applications from startups from all seven provinces. More than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> startup entrepreneurs from across the country had submitted applications for the awards programme. The theme of this year's awards is 'Towards Startup Nation'.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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, the awards are being given to eight start-up companies. The awards programme is supported by sastodeal.com, Laxmi Bank, Shikhar Insurance, Rigo, Nexon EV, Max and City Express. Similarly, Nepal Rastra Bank, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Insurance Authority, Citizens Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Nepali Patro and Dishome Fiber Net have also supported the awards function.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">New Business Age has been organising various award programs. The company has been selecting and awarding the best management colleges and companies since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2013. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2019</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the company has started honoring women entrepreneurs. New Business Age had organized the New Biz Business Conclave and Awards programme last winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17623', 'image' => '20230519011840_new logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:55:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17891', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Windstorm Destroys Bananas Worth Rs 50 Million in Chitwan', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district. The Chitwan Banana Producers Association confirmed that the banana farmers suffered massive loss due to the windstorm.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">General Secretary of Chitwan Banana Producers Association Janak Raj Panta said that bananas planted in a total of 150 bighas of land in the district were completely damaged. He said that the damage in 150 bigha of land caused losses of around Rs 50 million.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the seven municipalities of the district, Khairhani and Rapti municipalities suffered the most damage. Panta said that there was partial damage in Ratnanagar, Kalika and Bharatpur Metropolitan City.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Rishi Gurung, a farmer of Ratnanagar municipality-5, Jhuwani, who planted bananas in 35 bighas of land in Khairhani and Rapti, said that bananas in 10 bighas of land were completely destroyed by the storm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, 5 bigha of bananas belonging to Baburam Bhatta of Ratnanagar have been completely damaged in Ratnanagar-4, Seri. He said that he faced financial loss of Rs 2.5 million. He said, “There was a plan to prepare and send the bananas to the market towards mid-June. All plans got destroyed by the wind,” said Bhatta.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Baburam Duwadi's 2 bigha vegetable garden in Ratnanagar was destroyed as well, causing a loss of Rs 1 million. He said, “The crop was to be ready within a month or two. The wind suddenly destroyed the bananas.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wind destroyed Malbhog and Jinine varieties of bananas. The association collected the details of the damage since Monday morning. Most of the farmers have been taking insurance as the banana plantations started to be destroyed due to the annual storms. Panta said that 95 percent of farmers in Chitwan have insurance. Altogether 750 farmers have been cultivating bananas commercially in 3000 bighas of land. Altogether 70,000 metric tons of bananas worth Rs 1.6 billion are produced here annually.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17622', 'image' => '20230517031141_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:07:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17889', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sixth Nepal Chamber Expo from Thursday ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. The event is being organised by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and will showcase stalls of both domestic and international products. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will focus on trade dialogues, exchange of export-import information and the marketing of Nepali goods, according to NCC President Rajendra Malla. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We hope to assess the consumers' interest in the competitive market through the expo which is expected to encourage domestic trade/ business community to explore potential competitive abilities in collaboration with external trade community," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will feature Nepali handicraft products, cottage and food products, herbs, electronics, fashion wear, leather products among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17620', 'image' => '20230517015002_expo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 13:49:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17888', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Leaders Suggest Govt to Prioritize Job Creation in Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the meeting summoned by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat to solicit suggestions from the leaders of the ruling coalition in Singha Durbar on Tuesday, the top leaders called for policies and programmes that could prevent youths of the country from migrating abroad for jobs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Emerging from the meeting, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Hitraj Pandey said, "The incumbent government is going to introduce policies and programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The PM and Finance Minister sought recommendations from leaders of ruling coalition regarding the issues to be considered in the upcoming budget. We furnished recommendations accordingly." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the wake of the parliamentarians putting forth their views on the principles and priorities in the parliament, the leaders attending the meeting on Tuesday were asked by the PM and the Finance Minister to submit their suggestion in writing. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC informed that they discussed current national affairs including economic system and suggested that upcoming policies and programmes should improve the economic system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present in the meeting were Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, Nepal Samajwadi Party Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, among others. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to present the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year this Friday (May 19). -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17619', 'image' => '20230517010105_PRO-KTM-066A7337.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 12:59:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17887', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Dhaulagiri Sees First Ascent of this Season ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. The 8,167-meters peak is the seventh highest peak in the world. With this, the peak recorded the first climbing of this season. <br /> According to Seven Summit Trek's managing director Thaneswor Guragai, Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Rodrigo Pereria reached the summit of the mountain at 7: 30 am on Tuesday without the help of Sherpa guides. <br /> According to the Department of Tourism, 24 males and 11 females have taken permission for the Dhaulagiri expedition this season. Seven Summit has facilitated the expeditions of 26 climbers. <br /> Mount Dhaulagiri, which lies in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality- 4 in Myagdi, was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Austrian Kurt Diemberger, German Peter Diener, Swish Ernst Forrer and Albin Schelbert and Sherpa guides Nawang Dorje and Nima Dorje. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17618', 'image' => '20230517114835_image_processing20180511-4-2qef51.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 11:47:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17884', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'The History and Causes of Bullish and Bearish Trends in the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE)', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: The history of the share market in Nepal is relatively short compared to other countries. The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) was established in 1993 as the country's only stock exchange. As the only stock exchange company, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), formally opened its trading floor on13th January 1994. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Initially, NEPSE had only 37 listed companies, and trading was conducted manually using an open outcry system. However, in recent years, NEPSE has modernized its trading platform, and as of 2023, there are around 269 listed companies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Recent data at the Central Depository Services and Clearing Limited (CDSC) show that the number of Demat account holders in Nepal has surpassed 5 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This article will explore the timeline of bullish and bearish trends in the NEPSE Index, analyzing the underlying economic and political causes that drove these fluctuations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE Index crash </strong><br /> The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index gained bull run pace from 1999 which tripled in around two and half years, and reached a high of 545.82 on November 23, 2000. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, within a short period of one and a half years, the NEPSE index crashed to a low of 186.22 points, and it took another five years for the index to surpass its previous high of 545.82 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">One of the main reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE index burst was the declining GDP growth rate. From 1994 to 1999, the GDP growth rate was impressive, averaging at 6%. However, in 2000, the GDP growth rate dropped to 4.80% followed by a further decline to 0.10% in 2001. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The agricultural sector, which is a significant contributor to Nepal's GDP, suffered from low productivity due to drought and unfavorable weather conditions, as the country lacked modernized irrigation facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In addition to low agricultural productivity, the country was also facing a civil war which resulted in the killing and unlawful occupation of public property. The government was forced to shift its focus from development to protection of citizens, which resulted in a lack of political stability and security in various sectors, including tourism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, production in all these sectors decreased, causing a sharp decline in GDP growth and discouraging investors from entering the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The civil war was one of the main reasons behind the NEPSE burst in 2000, creating an unstable political and economic environment that discouraged investors from further investing in the stock market. People were more concerned about saving their wealth rather than growing it, leading to a decline in market participatio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong> Examining the reasons for the NEPSE's crash in 2008 </strong><br /> The end of Nepal's 10-year internal conflict in 2006 brought a sense of optimism among investors, especially with the introduction of a three-year budget plan focused on the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The uptrend from 2006 continued to gain pace until the index touched the high of 1175 in August 2008, as the political situation remained relatively stable, despite the problem of changing governments and the pending introduction of a new constitution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the conflict period, many people migrated to cities from rural areas and started buying properties, leading to an unexpected increase in real estate rates. Banks encouraged real estate brokers and the public to take out loans, leading to a surge in cases of loan defaults, and the banks' liquid assets were converted into non-banking physical assets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The demand for loans raised interest rates and reduced liquidity in banks. Interest rate and share market always have inverse relationship. When interest rates rise, sharemarket falls, and vice-versa. Investors exited from the sharemarket and parked their cash in the fixed deposits, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As investment opportunities in Nepal are limited, the investment capital mainly revolves around three major sectors: stock market, real estate, and fixed deposit. The flow of capital was directed towards the real estate sector, leading to a decline in the charm of the stock market for both institutional and retail investors, resulting in a decline in the NEPSE index.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2007, the GDP growth rate was 6.10%, followed by a decrease to 4.50% in 2008 and 4.80% in 2009. The NEPSE index burst in 2008 was mainly due to the high demand for the real estate sector and soaring interest rates, which degraded the attraction of the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">After the burst, it took four years for the NEPSE index to return to an uptrend, and six years to cross the high of 1,175.38 points. <br /> <strong>Underlying causes behind boom and burst of 2015-2016</strong><br /> In 2015-2016, Nepal faced a series of events that caused both boom and burst in the country's capital market. The earthquake of 2015 had a significant impact on the real estate sector, as people were not interested in owning luxury items and the demand for loans decreased. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This led to lower loan rates and subsequently, lower fixed deposit rates, making both banking and real estate sectors unattractive for investors. Consequently, capital started flowing into the stock market, and NEPSE reached a high of 1,881 points in July 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, the public invested in the stock market by taking loans from banks because the return on investment in the capital market was much higher than the bank's loan rates. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the productivity of the country collapsed due to the border blockade, and the GDP growth was only 0.40% in 2015, despite the booming stock market. The low GDP growth indicated low demand in the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2016, the GDP growth rebounded, recording a growth rate of 6.90%, the highest recorded growth in the last two decades. The political and economic situation in the country stabilized, and many new financial institutions were introduced, especially non-life and life insurance after the earthquake. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This made the financial sector highly competitive, and to attract customers, the deposit rates started soaring, which raised the loan rates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The high loan rates discouraged investors from borrowing to invest in the stock market, and the return from the banking sector became comparable to the return from the stock market. This attracted institutional investors to invest in banks, as it provided a larger margin of safety. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The capital was distributed among numerous small financials, such as microfinance and cooperatives, which impacted the liquidity of larger commercial banks. The government formed National Reconstruction Authority and expedited the reconstruction work using up huge budget to reconstruct infrastructures and individual houses destroyed by the earthquake. This led to the liquidity crisis in the banks and financial institutions, driving the loan rates high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The government also took measures to decrease the number of financial institutions in the country, which turned the market from the Bull to Bear in 2016. The soaring interest rates and liquidity crunch were the main reasons for the NEPSE burst in 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Exploring causes of bull and bear of 2021 </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Capital market of Nepal started gaining momentum again in early 2020 and went on a bullish trend until it touched an all-time high of 3200 in the month of August 2021. Several factors played a role in pushing the NEPSE Index on a bullish trajectory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Nepal, and the government imposed lockdowns and restricted people's movement, leading to the shutdowns of most businesses and economic activities. This made people search for alternative ways to make money, and many new investors poured their money into the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Additionally, the lockdowns brought development works to a grinding halt, and the price of petroleum products dwindled, reducing the cost of goods and commodities. The import of goods and commodities except daily essentials was also banned. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Banks and financial institutions witnessed excessive liquidity for lack of loan demand, and they started flowing margin loans to investors at as low as 7 percent interest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the boom in the stock market did not last long. Various factors led to the sharp fall of the stock market, driving it down to the bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) tightened its monetary policy, and all banks and financial institutions were also placed under strict restrictions, effectively banning them from share trading. The NRB's austere policies caused the market correction by dislodging the confidence of large and institutionalized share traders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In the fiscal year 2078/79, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had tightened loans against shares by introducing the credit limit of NPR 40/120 million. The central bank's policy of NPR 40/120 million credit threshold against the shares had put the share market in crisis, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Moreover, the Nepalese economy experienced a significant slowdown due to the pandemic, which affected the performance of many companies listed on the stock exchange. A liquidity crunch in the banking sector, coupled with tighter monetary policies, affected investor confidence in the market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Inflation in Nepal has been rising since the world removed lockdowns and opened borders for import and export, eroding the purchasing power of investors and making them less willing to invest in the stock market. The Russia’s war on Ukraine has added to the woes of the customers, driving up the prices of daily essentials and petroleum products. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The price of petroleum products surged rapidly after the pandemic, driving prices of almost everything up, lowering the investors' capacity to invest in the stock market and other areas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Interest rates also surged up to 19/20percent from 7/8 percent, and stock and interest rate have a negative correlation. As interest rates rose sharply, investors and people parked their money in fixed deposits because of margin of safety.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> The bullish trend in the Nepalese stock market in 2021 was mainly driven by the pandemic-induced market disruptions, which led to excess liquidity and low-interest rates. However, the NRB's policies, the economic slowdown, the liquidity crunch, inflation, and rising interest rates led to the bearish trend in the market, causing a significant correction in the NEPSE Index. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In summary, the NEPSE Index has had a tumultuous history since its inception, with several downs and ups, reaching its highest points in 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2021. The NEPSE Index started at 157 points in 1998 and climbed to a high of 545 points in 2000, followed by a bearish period that lasted until 2004. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index then gained momentum again, reaching a high of 1175 points in 2008 before tumbling to a low of 298 points in 2012. From 2016 to 2019, the market underwent significant corrections and hit a low of 1104 points in 2019. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, from early 2020, the NEPSE Index entered a bullish trend and reached an all-time high of around 3200 points in August 2021, However, the market sentiment turned bearish soon after, and the index has touched lows of around 1800.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Over the past year, the NEPSE index has been fluctuating between 1800 and 2250, with the current state of the secondary market platform hovering between 1800 and 1900. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Unfortunately, the turnover amount on the NEPSE has significantly decreased, currently standing at below NPR 1 billion, a stark contrast from the NPR 21 billion turnover witnessed when the market hit its all-time high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, market participation has dwindled, and investors have become more passive in light of the secondary market's bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The current state of the market is challenging for investors, who are feeling hopeless and psychologically down. To overcome the current bearish sentiment, several challenges and obstacles need to be addressed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The market-friendly monetary policy of the Nepal Rastra Bank, state of liquidity, interest rates, economic growth, and political situation all play a crucial role in determining the course of the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The sooner the NRB comes up with market-friendly policies, the faster interest rates fall, and economic growth increases, the sooner we will see another bull market in the NEPSE.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As they say, "there is light at the end of the tunnel," and NEPSE will surely overcome all the challenges and hindrances to break the previous all-time high and make another record. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till then, investors have no choice but to manage their risk and wait patiently. The stock market is unpredictable, and it is important to keep a long-term perspective while investing and not panic during short-term fluctuations.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17615', 'image' => '20230517105452_bull-market.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:44:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17883', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Sentences Life Imprisonment to Chaudhary for Tikapur Carnage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015. Chaudhary is currently serving jail term at Dillibazar Prison.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A division bench of SC justices Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Nahakul Subedi issued the verdict on Tuesday convicting Chaudhary on the charge of life imprisonment. Chaudhary had filed a petition at the SC seeking a review on the High Court's decision. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">After the hearing on the appeal, the SC issued the final verdict stating that a clean chit on the case was unlikely. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, another convict Laxman Tharu is handed down three years imprisonment by reducing five years of jail time ordered by the Dipayal High Court. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, Ganga Ram Chaudhary and Sita Ram Chaudhary, who were jailed in the same case, have received clean chits by the SC. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17613', 'image' => '20230517104842_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:47:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17881', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'Marijuana as a Medicine: Weighing Benefits and Harms', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. ', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that 4% of the global population (192 million people) consumes marijuana illegally, with 40% of Americans having taken the drug at least once in their lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana consumption is most prevalent among males and teenagers, but its use is also growing among women. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) present in Cannabis sativa, indica, and ruderalis are known to have the power to intoxicate and cause addiction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is consumed in various forms and quantities, for example cannabis has about 1% and sinsemilla up to 5-6%. The plants are also used to make textiles, pickles, and drinks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The voices for the legalization of marijuana farming, sale, and use for entertainment and medicinal purposes are being raised worldwide, including in Nepal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2020, Nepal voted to reclassify and reconsider marijuana from Schedule IV, which includes drugs that cannot be used even for medical treatment. There has been estimation that if legalized, marijuana could generate up to NPR 146 billion by 2025, transforming the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Apparently, there has been flood of fiery and attractive speeches, deliberations, interviews, news and articles from so-called leaders and scholars in its favor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, as an expert in mental health working for over two decades, I have witnessed marijuana destroying many lives and families in all setups, including out-patient departments, wards, emergency, and other setups. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Even today while sitting to write this article, one third of psychiatry ward patients has history of cannabis use and 23% fulfill the criteria for dependence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> I have seen many people losing their lives to the drug, and many families suffering for years due to the drug. But few of them including literate college students have scientific knowledge and information about it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">They claim that marijuana is good for health and easily available. It is extremely distressing to witness the current state with the flood of ideas and arguments in its favor on one hand and my own first hand observation of devastating effects on the other. It warrants reviewing the harm and benefits of this substance as a medicine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> This article is an audacity based on our effort to review the benefits and harms of medicinal use of cannabis which has been published as a journal article. The author leaves the responsibility of analyzing and adopting the fact to the wise readers themselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">CBD present in marijuana is used as medicine to treat some health issues, including vomiting and special type of seizure. The US Food and Drug Administration has given permission to use marijuana for these two purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Claims have also been made that marijuana has a positive impact on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, but there is no evidence to support these claims. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While cannabis is touted to stop vomiting and treat problems in ligaments, its use is reported to have aggravated these problems to the intractable forms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the COVID-19 pandemic, some chemicals in marijuana were publicized to have a positive effect on lungs, but later, they were found to have other chemicals causing serious problems in lungs, including even cancer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Reports have come out showing that marijuana has various types of cancer-causing chemicals more than in tobacco and cigarettes. People who take marijuana to increase their appetite for food usually have further lost their interest in food and fallen victim to malnutrition. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Although marijuana has been mentioned in some medical literature as beneficial for the treatment of mental problems, its uses for emotional and mood disorders are not appropriate, as it may cause panic and other anxiety disorders among the users. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is also considered beneficial to treat mood disorders, such as depression and mania. However, those people using cannabis usually require visiting psychiatrist when they are hit severely with co-morbid depression and mania. It has also been seen in one of our recent studies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Using marijuana as medicine for mood disorders is, hence, not appropriate. It is common to see that people taking alcohol and other drugs often turn to marijuana and vice-versa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is believed to have some benefit even in some type of psychosis. Whereas the reality is that marijuana consumption may cause the onset of serious mental problems such as psychosis, with single use of small amount, frequent or regular longstanding use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> For those who have genetic predisposition, it may act like a match stick. The worsening of situation and increasing prevalence of psychosis has lately increasingly been reported in countries that have legalized it and have increased marijuana consumption. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Those who advocate for marijuana legalization argue that marijuana can be used as medicine, like opiate in the right amount. The issue of marijuana consumption is a complex one that requires a thorough analysis of its potential benefits and harms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Before we allow the widespread use of marijuana, it is important to carefully consider its intended purpose, the types of positive and negative effects it may have, and whether we can accurately predict its effects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While some argue that marijuana consumption has potential therapeutic benefits, evidence shows that it can have more harms than good sides. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">There is an established evidence to show the harms of marijuana. But, we are yet to receive the evidence to substantiate its positive side. Reports suggest that its use may cause death by obstructing the heartbeat and lead to psychosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Studies have also shown that marijuana can have serious impacts not only on frequent users but also on one-time users.Moreover, since marijuana is plant-based rather than a medicine, its quantity is extremely variable and unpredictable and it has some impurities in products in reality as well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Legalization may result in uncontrolled use of the drug, leading to severe outcomes, also raising false impression among common people about its benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strict regulations and to educate the general public, students, teachers, and parents on the potential risks of using marijuana.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, a complete ban on marijuana and legal restrictions may not be the solution. Such measures may create a black market, cause the state to lose revenue, and increase criminal activity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Instead, we need to promote scientific research studies, update existing laws based on scientific evidence, and aim to promote public health and awareness of policies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a country with ignorance, poverty, weak governance, and a backward economy, Nepal must be vigilant when observing other countries' stance on marijuana legalization. We must not blindly follow their example but make decisions based on our specific circumstances.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Therefore, if you hear someone say or see an advertisement claiming that "marijuana is a wonder drug," it is important to verify the facts and think twice before using it. We must analyze the available evidence thoroughly before making any decision regarding its use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Prof. Dr. Dhana Ratna Shakya is Head at the Department of Psychiatry <br /> in B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. </span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17612', 'image' => '20230517062400_collage (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 06:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ) ) $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' => '17902', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sherpa Dies while Returning from the Summit of Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NA's Military and Public Relations Directorate said that efforts were underway to retrieve the body of Sherpa. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Captain Dipendra Singh Khatry, who became unwell while returning after climbing Mount Everest, was airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment. Khatry who was also engaged in the clean mountain campaign on Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse was first taken to camp-2 with the support of other mountaineers. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Captain Khatri along with three others were taken to Kathmandu for treatment and are said to be in normal health condition now, the directorate said. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Remaining works of the clean mountain campaign are being carried out under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kishor Adhikari despite unfavourable weather condition. -- RSS </span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17633', 'image' => '20230518094613_20230330102040_1680132652.Clipboard32.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:45:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17901', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transportation Fare Decreases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport. The DoTM slashed the public transport fare on Wednesday after the Nepal Oil Corporation reduced the price of diesel effective from 12 midnight on Tuesday. <br /> Issuing a notice on Wednesday, the DoTM said that the public transport fare has been automatically adjusted based on the fuel price. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px">It is stated in the notice that the fare of passenger transport vehicles has been reduced by 3.20 percent. Similarly, the fare of cargo vehicles operated in the hill route has been decreased by 4.19 percent and that of the goods carrier vehicles operated in Tarai by 4.65 percent. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17632', 'image' => '20230518091548_Transport.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:14:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17900', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Issues Circular on Loan Restructuring and Rescheduling', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 18: The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">These arrangements were implemented as part of the third quarterly review of the current fiscal year's monetary policy (2079/80). <br /> As per the circular, effective from June 15, loans obtained in the hotel and restaurant, livestock, construction sectors, as well as loans up to Rs 50 million in other sectors, can be restructured and rescheduled.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular specifies that loan re-scheduling and restructuring can proceed once the debtor has repaid at least 10 percent of the outstanding interest amount. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This decision is based on an analysis of the industry's and business's cash flow and income, as requested by the debtors. Additionally, the circular outlines four conditions that must be met for the implementation of these arrangements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular emphasizes that only loans classified as active loans up until April 13 can be considered for restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Furthermore, a provision of five percent credit loss on the restructured and rescheduled loans must be made, and these loans can only be utilized within the cluster where they were originally classified.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">It may be noted that the NRB had softened some monetary arrangements through quarterly review of the monetary policy. </span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17631', 'image' => '20230518060823_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 06:06:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17896', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '16-Year-Old Chinese Girl Scales Everest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organizing a press conference here Wednesday, Nepal Big Mountain Travel shared this information. The travel agency had facilitated the summit of Sui, according to Managing Director Sudarshan Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl is said to be the youngest woman climber.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, climber Sui shared that she was inspired by her father, Lei, who had scaled Everest from the north slope in 2007. Although the adverse atmosphere posed hostility in the beginning, the weather was clear on the day she reached atop the world's highest peak.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also extended thanks to the Sherpas who assisted her in climbing Everest. According to Sui, Everest was polluted with trash and her team brought back the used materials to keep the mountain clean.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, former Chair of Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, said that there is no provision to issue permits to the people below 16 years for climbing Everest.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Everest summit this year, various programmes are being organized in the country. The climbing for this year began last Saturday.</span></span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17627', 'image' => '20230517093316_122208-01-02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 21:32:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17895', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEPSE Index Surges as Turnover Amount Rises; All Sector Indices Close in Green', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with the index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index climbed by 23.39 points, or 1.28%, reaching 1,845.10, compared to the previous trading day. The positive trend is also reflected in the stock market after the index re-tested previous low of 1807 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The continuous decline in the market for the past few days has attracted buyers, resulting in an increase in the turnover amount compared to the previous trading day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">High interest rates, liquidity scarcity, and tight polices related to the sharemarket had led to the NEPSE on the continuous downward trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Experts say that the time is appropriate for investments into the stock market as share prices have hit a very low in the market for a long time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">A total of 2,577,210 shares of 266 scrips traded their hands via 25,634 transactions. <br /> The total turnover amount stood at NPR 85.76 crores in the NEPSE today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">SHIVAM CEMENTS LTD (SHIVM) shares traded the most and had the highest turnover of Rs. 5.46 crores closing at a market price of Rs. 403.50 per share.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) gained the highest 9.99% and hit the positive circuit for the day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Conversely, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) lost the highest 7.93% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">All sector indices closed green, "Others" gained the highest 2.37%, while "Mutual Fund" gained the least 0.04% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Likewise, the sensitive index increased by 1.15 percent, the float index by 1.25 percent, and the sensitive float index by 1.03 percent.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17626', 'image' => '20230517050845_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 17:05:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17894', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 18,000 Cows Affected with Lumpy Skin Disease in Bagmati Province', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province.', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 17: More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The initial data collection from the first phase indicates that at least 18,324 cows have been infected with the disease. Tragically, a significant number of cows have lost their lives due to the illness. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The highest number of fatalities has been reported in Makawanpur district, with 197 out of 4,835 infected cows succumbing to the disease. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sindhuli district has recorded 9,634 infected cases, resulting in the death of 47 cows. Ramechhap has reported 1,965 infected cases, followed by Chitwan with 1,060 cases, Kathmandu with 83 cases, Lalitpur with 40 cases, Kavrepalanchok with 400 cases, Nuwakot with 300 cases, Sindhupalchok with six cases, and Bhaktapur with one case.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17625', 'image' => '20230517043430_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:28:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17893', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Growth Rate of Provinces Slows Down', 'sub_title' => 'The growth rate of all seven provinces is expected to be very low', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).', '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"">May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 estimates released by the National Statistics Office on Tuesday, the economic growth rate of all seven provinces will be much lower than the previous 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"">In the Fiscal Year 2022/23, the national GDP in terms of consumer prices is estimated to be equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5381</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"">Bagmati Province will contribute the most to the national economy although the GDP of the province will contract sharply compared to the last fiscal year. The GDP of Bagmati Province is estimated to be Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1981</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion. The least contribution will be from Karnali Province. The GDP of this province is estimated to be around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">221</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 current fiscal year's national GDP is estimated to grow by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.86</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent in terms of consumer prices, which is far less than the growth target of 8 percent set by the government. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At the state level, it is estimated that Gandaki Province will have the highest percentage of growth at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3.3</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent while the growth rate of Bagmati Province is expected to be the lowest among all at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.4</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. As per the revised estimates of the NSO last year, the growth rate of Gandaki Province was the highest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.35</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) and Madhesh was the lowest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4.65</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) in FY </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"">21</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"">22</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"">Based on the economic activity according to the industrial classification, the contribution of the agricultural sector will be the highest in all the provinces except Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade sector will be more in Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade will be second in Koshi, Madhesh and Lumbini provinces. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 Bagmati Province, the contribution of the real estate business and housing services ranks second. In Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim, the contribution of public administration and defense sector is second. Except for Bagmati and Madhesh, the contribution of administrative support services activities to the gross domestic product of all provinces is the lowest.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17624', 'image' => '20230517041650_gdp_estimate.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:16:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17892', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations for New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards Complete', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards 2023, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed.', '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"">May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards programme, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed. The training program for startups under this awards ceremony has already been completed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 organisers of the awards ceremony had requested for applications from startups from all seven provinces. More than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> startup entrepreneurs from across the country had submitted applications for the awards programme. The theme of this year's awards is 'Towards Startup Nation'.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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, the awards are being given to eight start-up companies. The awards programme is supported by sastodeal.com, Laxmi Bank, Shikhar Insurance, Rigo, Nexon EV, Max and City Express. Similarly, Nepal Rastra Bank, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Insurance Authority, Citizens Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Nepali Patro and Dishome Fiber Net have also supported the awards function.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">New Business Age has been organising various award programs. The company has been selecting and awarding the best management colleges and companies since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2013. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2019</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the company has started honoring women entrepreneurs. New Business Age had organized the New Biz Business Conclave and Awards programme last winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17623', 'image' => '20230519011840_new logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:55:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17891', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Windstorm Destroys Bananas Worth Rs 50 Million in Chitwan', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district. The Chitwan Banana Producers Association confirmed that the banana farmers suffered massive loss due to the windstorm.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">General Secretary of Chitwan Banana Producers Association Janak Raj Panta said that bananas planted in a total of 150 bighas of land in the district were completely damaged. He said that the damage in 150 bigha of land caused losses of around Rs 50 million.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the seven municipalities of the district, Khairhani and Rapti municipalities suffered the most damage. Panta said that there was partial damage in Ratnanagar, Kalika and Bharatpur Metropolitan City.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Rishi Gurung, a farmer of Ratnanagar municipality-5, Jhuwani, who planted bananas in 35 bighas of land in Khairhani and Rapti, said that bananas in 10 bighas of land were completely destroyed by the storm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, 5 bigha of bananas belonging to Baburam Bhatta of Ratnanagar have been completely damaged in Ratnanagar-4, Seri. He said that he faced financial loss of Rs 2.5 million. He said, “There was a plan to prepare and send the bananas to the market towards mid-June. All plans got destroyed by the wind,” said Bhatta.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Baburam Duwadi's 2 bigha vegetable garden in Ratnanagar was destroyed as well, causing a loss of Rs 1 million. He said, “The crop was to be ready within a month or two. The wind suddenly destroyed the bananas.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wind destroyed Malbhog and Jinine varieties of bananas. The association collected the details of the damage since Monday morning. Most of the farmers have been taking insurance as the banana plantations started to be destroyed due to the annual storms. Panta said that 95 percent of farmers in Chitwan have insurance. Altogether 750 farmers have been cultivating bananas commercially in 3000 bighas of land. Altogether 70,000 metric tons of bananas worth Rs 1.6 billion are produced here annually.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17622', 'image' => '20230517031141_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:07:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17889', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sixth Nepal Chamber Expo from Thursday ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. The event is being organised by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and will showcase stalls of both domestic and international products. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will focus on trade dialogues, exchange of export-import information and the marketing of Nepali goods, according to NCC President Rajendra Malla. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We hope to assess the consumers' interest in the competitive market through the expo which is expected to encourage domestic trade/ business community to explore potential competitive abilities in collaboration with external trade community," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will feature Nepali handicraft products, cottage and food products, herbs, electronics, fashion wear, leather products among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17620', 'image' => '20230517015002_expo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 13:49:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17888', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Leaders Suggest Govt to Prioritize Job Creation in Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the meeting summoned by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat to solicit suggestions from the leaders of the ruling coalition in Singha Durbar on Tuesday, the top leaders called for policies and programmes that could prevent youths of the country from migrating abroad for jobs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Emerging from the meeting, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Hitraj Pandey said, "The incumbent government is going to introduce policies and programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The PM and Finance Minister sought recommendations from leaders of ruling coalition regarding the issues to be considered in the upcoming budget. We furnished recommendations accordingly." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the wake of the parliamentarians putting forth their views on the principles and priorities in the parliament, the leaders attending the meeting on Tuesday were asked by the PM and the Finance Minister to submit their suggestion in writing. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC informed that they discussed current national affairs including economic system and suggested that upcoming policies and programmes should improve the economic system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present in the meeting were Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, Nepal Samajwadi Party Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, among others. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to present the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year this Friday (May 19). -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17619', 'image' => '20230517010105_PRO-KTM-066A7337.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 12:59:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17887', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Dhaulagiri Sees First Ascent of this Season ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. The 8,167-meters peak is the seventh highest peak in the world. With this, the peak recorded the first climbing of this season. <br /> According to Seven Summit Trek's managing director Thaneswor Guragai, Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Rodrigo Pereria reached the summit of the mountain at 7: 30 am on Tuesday without the help of Sherpa guides. <br /> According to the Department of Tourism, 24 males and 11 females have taken permission for the Dhaulagiri expedition this season. Seven Summit has facilitated the expeditions of 26 climbers. <br /> Mount Dhaulagiri, which lies in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality- 4 in Myagdi, was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Austrian Kurt Diemberger, German Peter Diener, Swish Ernst Forrer and Albin Schelbert and Sherpa guides Nawang Dorje and Nima Dorje. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17618', 'image' => '20230517114835_image_processing20180511-4-2qef51.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 11:47:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17884', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'The History and Causes of Bullish and Bearish Trends in the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE)', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: The history of the share market in Nepal is relatively short compared to other countries. The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) was established in 1993 as the country's only stock exchange. As the only stock exchange company, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), formally opened its trading floor on13th January 1994. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Initially, NEPSE had only 37 listed companies, and trading was conducted manually using an open outcry system. However, in recent years, NEPSE has modernized its trading platform, and as of 2023, there are around 269 listed companies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Recent data at the Central Depository Services and Clearing Limited (CDSC) show that the number of Demat account holders in Nepal has surpassed 5 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This article will explore the timeline of bullish and bearish trends in the NEPSE Index, analyzing the underlying economic and political causes that drove these fluctuations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE Index crash </strong><br /> The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index gained bull run pace from 1999 which tripled in around two and half years, and reached a high of 545.82 on November 23, 2000. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, within a short period of one and a half years, the NEPSE index crashed to a low of 186.22 points, and it took another five years for the index to surpass its previous high of 545.82 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">One of the main reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE index burst was the declining GDP growth rate. From 1994 to 1999, the GDP growth rate was impressive, averaging at 6%. However, in 2000, the GDP growth rate dropped to 4.80% followed by a further decline to 0.10% in 2001. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The agricultural sector, which is a significant contributor to Nepal's GDP, suffered from low productivity due to drought and unfavorable weather conditions, as the country lacked modernized irrigation facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In addition to low agricultural productivity, the country was also facing a civil war which resulted in the killing and unlawful occupation of public property. The government was forced to shift its focus from development to protection of citizens, which resulted in a lack of political stability and security in various sectors, including tourism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, production in all these sectors decreased, causing a sharp decline in GDP growth and discouraging investors from entering the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The civil war was one of the main reasons behind the NEPSE burst in 2000, creating an unstable political and economic environment that discouraged investors from further investing in the stock market. People were more concerned about saving their wealth rather than growing it, leading to a decline in market participatio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong> Examining the reasons for the NEPSE's crash in 2008 </strong><br /> The end of Nepal's 10-year internal conflict in 2006 brought a sense of optimism among investors, especially with the introduction of a three-year budget plan focused on the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The uptrend from 2006 continued to gain pace until the index touched the high of 1175 in August 2008, as the political situation remained relatively stable, despite the problem of changing governments and the pending introduction of a new constitution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the conflict period, many people migrated to cities from rural areas and started buying properties, leading to an unexpected increase in real estate rates. Banks encouraged real estate brokers and the public to take out loans, leading to a surge in cases of loan defaults, and the banks' liquid assets were converted into non-banking physical assets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The demand for loans raised interest rates and reduced liquidity in banks. Interest rate and share market always have inverse relationship. When interest rates rise, sharemarket falls, and vice-versa. Investors exited from the sharemarket and parked their cash in the fixed deposits, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As investment opportunities in Nepal are limited, the investment capital mainly revolves around three major sectors: stock market, real estate, and fixed deposit. The flow of capital was directed towards the real estate sector, leading to a decline in the charm of the stock market for both institutional and retail investors, resulting in a decline in the NEPSE index.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2007, the GDP growth rate was 6.10%, followed by a decrease to 4.50% in 2008 and 4.80% in 2009. The NEPSE index burst in 2008 was mainly due to the high demand for the real estate sector and soaring interest rates, which degraded the attraction of the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">After the burst, it took four years for the NEPSE index to return to an uptrend, and six years to cross the high of 1,175.38 points. <br /> <strong>Underlying causes behind boom and burst of 2015-2016</strong><br /> In 2015-2016, Nepal faced a series of events that caused both boom and burst in the country's capital market. The earthquake of 2015 had a significant impact on the real estate sector, as people were not interested in owning luxury items and the demand for loans decreased. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This led to lower loan rates and subsequently, lower fixed deposit rates, making both banking and real estate sectors unattractive for investors. Consequently, capital started flowing into the stock market, and NEPSE reached a high of 1,881 points in July 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, the public invested in the stock market by taking loans from banks because the return on investment in the capital market was much higher than the bank's loan rates. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the productivity of the country collapsed due to the border blockade, and the GDP growth was only 0.40% in 2015, despite the booming stock market. The low GDP growth indicated low demand in the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2016, the GDP growth rebounded, recording a growth rate of 6.90%, the highest recorded growth in the last two decades. The political and economic situation in the country stabilized, and many new financial institutions were introduced, especially non-life and life insurance after the earthquake. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This made the financial sector highly competitive, and to attract customers, the deposit rates started soaring, which raised the loan rates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The high loan rates discouraged investors from borrowing to invest in the stock market, and the return from the banking sector became comparable to the return from the stock market. This attracted institutional investors to invest in banks, as it provided a larger margin of safety. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The capital was distributed among numerous small financials, such as microfinance and cooperatives, which impacted the liquidity of larger commercial banks. The government formed National Reconstruction Authority and expedited the reconstruction work using up huge budget to reconstruct infrastructures and individual houses destroyed by the earthquake. This led to the liquidity crisis in the banks and financial institutions, driving the loan rates high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The government also took measures to decrease the number of financial institutions in the country, which turned the market from the Bull to Bear in 2016. The soaring interest rates and liquidity crunch were the main reasons for the NEPSE burst in 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Exploring causes of bull and bear of 2021 </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Capital market of Nepal started gaining momentum again in early 2020 and went on a bullish trend until it touched an all-time high of 3200 in the month of August 2021. Several factors played a role in pushing the NEPSE Index on a bullish trajectory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Nepal, and the government imposed lockdowns and restricted people's movement, leading to the shutdowns of most businesses and economic activities. This made people search for alternative ways to make money, and many new investors poured their money into the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Additionally, the lockdowns brought development works to a grinding halt, and the price of petroleum products dwindled, reducing the cost of goods and commodities. The import of goods and commodities except daily essentials was also banned. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Banks and financial institutions witnessed excessive liquidity for lack of loan demand, and they started flowing margin loans to investors at as low as 7 percent interest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the boom in the stock market did not last long. Various factors led to the sharp fall of the stock market, driving it down to the bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) tightened its monetary policy, and all banks and financial institutions were also placed under strict restrictions, effectively banning them from share trading. The NRB's austere policies caused the market correction by dislodging the confidence of large and institutionalized share traders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In the fiscal year 2078/79, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had tightened loans against shares by introducing the credit limit of NPR 40/120 million. The central bank's policy of NPR 40/120 million credit threshold against the shares had put the share market in crisis, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Moreover, the Nepalese economy experienced a significant slowdown due to the pandemic, which affected the performance of many companies listed on the stock exchange. A liquidity crunch in the banking sector, coupled with tighter monetary policies, affected investor confidence in the market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Inflation in Nepal has been rising since the world removed lockdowns and opened borders for import and export, eroding the purchasing power of investors and making them less willing to invest in the stock market. The Russia’s war on Ukraine has added to the woes of the customers, driving up the prices of daily essentials and petroleum products. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The price of petroleum products surged rapidly after the pandemic, driving prices of almost everything up, lowering the investors' capacity to invest in the stock market and other areas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Interest rates also surged up to 19/20percent from 7/8 percent, and stock and interest rate have a negative correlation. As interest rates rose sharply, investors and people parked their money in fixed deposits because of margin of safety.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> The bullish trend in the Nepalese stock market in 2021 was mainly driven by the pandemic-induced market disruptions, which led to excess liquidity and low-interest rates. However, the NRB's policies, the economic slowdown, the liquidity crunch, inflation, and rising interest rates led to the bearish trend in the market, causing a significant correction in the NEPSE Index. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In summary, the NEPSE Index has had a tumultuous history since its inception, with several downs and ups, reaching its highest points in 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2021. The NEPSE Index started at 157 points in 1998 and climbed to a high of 545 points in 2000, followed by a bearish period that lasted until 2004. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index then gained momentum again, reaching a high of 1175 points in 2008 before tumbling to a low of 298 points in 2012. From 2016 to 2019, the market underwent significant corrections and hit a low of 1104 points in 2019. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, from early 2020, the NEPSE Index entered a bullish trend and reached an all-time high of around 3200 points in August 2021, However, the market sentiment turned bearish soon after, and the index has touched lows of around 1800.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Over the past year, the NEPSE index has been fluctuating between 1800 and 2250, with the current state of the secondary market platform hovering between 1800 and 1900. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Unfortunately, the turnover amount on the NEPSE has significantly decreased, currently standing at below NPR 1 billion, a stark contrast from the NPR 21 billion turnover witnessed when the market hit its all-time high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, market participation has dwindled, and investors have become more passive in light of the secondary market's bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The current state of the market is challenging for investors, who are feeling hopeless and psychologically down. To overcome the current bearish sentiment, several challenges and obstacles need to be addressed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The market-friendly monetary policy of the Nepal Rastra Bank, state of liquidity, interest rates, economic growth, and political situation all play a crucial role in determining the course of the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The sooner the NRB comes up with market-friendly policies, the faster interest rates fall, and economic growth increases, the sooner we will see another bull market in the NEPSE.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As they say, "there is light at the end of the tunnel," and NEPSE will surely overcome all the challenges and hindrances to break the previous all-time high and make another record. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till then, investors have no choice but to manage their risk and wait patiently. The stock market is unpredictable, and it is important to keep a long-term perspective while investing and not panic during short-term fluctuations.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17615', 'image' => '20230517105452_bull-market.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:44:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17883', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Sentences Life Imprisonment to Chaudhary for Tikapur Carnage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015. Chaudhary is currently serving jail term at Dillibazar Prison.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A division bench of SC justices Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Nahakul Subedi issued the verdict on Tuesday convicting Chaudhary on the charge of life imprisonment. Chaudhary had filed a petition at the SC seeking a review on the High Court's decision. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">After the hearing on the appeal, the SC issued the final verdict stating that a clean chit on the case was unlikely. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, another convict Laxman Tharu is handed down three years imprisonment by reducing five years of jail time ordered by the Dipayal High Court. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, Ganga Ram Chaudhary and Sita Ram Chaudhary, who were jailed in the same case, have received clean chits by the SC. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17613', 'image' => '20230517104842_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:47:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17881', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'Marijuana as a Medicine: Weighing Benefits and Harms', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. ', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that 4% of the global population (192 million people) consumes marijuana illegally, with 40% of Americans having taken the drug at least once in their lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana consumption is most prevalent among males and teenagers, but its use is also growing among women. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) present in Cannabis sativa, indica, and ruderalis are known to have the power to intoxicate and cause addiction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is consumed in various forms and quantities, for example cannabis has about 1% and sinsemilla up to 5-6%. The plants are also used to make textiles, pickles, and drinks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The voices for the legalization of marijuana farming, sale, and use for entertainment and medicinal purposes are being raised worldwide, including in Nepal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2020, Nepal voted to reclassify and reconsider marijuana from Schedule IV, which includes drugs that cannot be used even for medical treatment. There has been estimation that if legalized, marijuana could generate up to NPR 146 billion by 2025, transforming the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Apparently, there has been flood of fiery and attractive speeches, deliberations, interviews, news and articles from so-called leaders and scholars in its favor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, as an expert in mental health working for over two decades, I have witnessed marijuana destroying many lives and families in all setups, including out-patient departments, wards, emergency, and other setups. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Even today while sitting to write this article, one third of psychiatry ward patients has history of cannabis use and 23% fulfill the criteria for dependence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> I have seen many people losing their lives to the drug, and many families suffering for years due to the drug. But few of them including literate college students have scientific knowledge and information about it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">They claim that marijuana is good for health and easily available. It is extremely distressing to witness the current state with the flood of ideas and arguments in its favor on one hand and my own first hand observation of devastating effects on the other. It warrants reviewing the harm and benefits of this substance as a medicine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> This article is an audacity based on our effort to review the benefits and harms of medicinal use of cannabis which has been published as a journal article. The author leaves the responsibility of analyzing and adopting the fact to the wise readers themselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">CBD present in marijuana is used as medicine to treat some health issues, including vomiting and special type of seizure. The US Food and Drug Administration has given permission to use marijuana for these two purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Claims have also been made that marijuana has a positive impact on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, but there is no evidence to support these claims. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While cannabis is touted to stop vomiting and treat problems in ligaments, its use is reported to have aggravated these problems to the intractable forms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the COVID-19 pandemic, some chemicals in marijuana were publicized to have a positive effect on lungs, but later, they were found to have other chemicals causing serious problems in lungs, including even cancer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Reports have come out showing that marijuana has various types of cancer-causing chemicals more than in tobacco and cigarettes. People who take marijuana to increase their appetite for food usually have further lost their interest in food and fallen victim to malnutrition. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Although marijuana has been mentioned in some medical literature as beneficial for the treatment of mental problems, its uses for emotional and mood disorders are not appropriate, as it may cause panic and other anxiety disorders among the users. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is also considered beneficial to treat mood disorders, such as depression and mania. However, those people using cannabis usually require visiting psychiatrist when they are hit severely with co-morbid depression and mania. It has also been seen in one of our recent studies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Using marijuana as medicine for mood disorders is, hence, not appropriate. It is common to see that people taking alcohol and other drugs often turn to marijuana and vice-versa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is believed to have some benefit even in some type of psychosis. Whereas the reality is that marijuana consumption may cause the onset of serious mental problems such as psychosis, with single use of small amount, frequent or regular longstanding use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> For those who have genetic predisposition, it may act like a match stick. The worsening of situation and increasing prevalence of psychosis has lately increasingly been reported in countries that have legalized it and have increased marijuana consumption. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Those who advocate for marijuana legalization argue that marijuana can be used as medicine, like opiate in the right amount. The issue of marijuana consumption is a complex one that requires a thorough analysis of its potential benefits and harms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Before we allow the widespread use of marijuana, it is important to carefully consider its intended purpose, the types of positive and negative effects it may have, and whether we can accurately predict its effects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While some argue that marijuana consumption has potential therapeutic benefits, evidence shows that it can have more harms than good sides. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">There is an established evidence to show the harms of marijuana. But, we are yet to receive the evidence to substantiate its positive side. Reports suggest that its use may cause death by obstructing the heartbeat and lead to psychosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Studies have also shown that marijuana can have serious impacts not only on frequent users but also on one-time users.Moreover, since marijuana is plant-based rather than a medicine, its quantity is extremely variable and unpredictable and it has some impurities in products in reality as well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Legalization may result in uncontrolled use of the drug, leading to severe outcomes, also raising false impression among common people about its benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strict regulations and to educate the general public, students, teachers, and parents on the potential risks of using marijuana.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, a complete ban on marijuana and legal restrictions may not be the solution. Such measures may create a black market, cause the state to lose revenue, and increase criminal activity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Instead, we need to promote scientific research studies, update existing laws based on scientific evidence, and aim to promote public health and awareness of policies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a country with ignorance, poverty, weak governance, and a backward economy, Nepal must be vigilant when observing other countries' stance on marijuana legalization. We must not blindly follow their example but make decisions based on our specific circumstances.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Therefore, if you hear someone say or see an advertisement claiming that "marijuana is a wonder drug," it is important to verify the facts and think twice before using it. We must analyze the available evidence thoroughly before making any decision regarding its use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Prof. Dr. Dhana Ratna Shakya is Head at the Department of Psychiatry <br /> in B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. </span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17612', 'image' => '20230517062400_collage (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 06:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ) ) $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' => '17902', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sherpa Dies while Returning from the Summit of Everest ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 18: Phurwa Sherpa, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, who was involved in the Nepalese Army's Clean Mountain Campaign 2023, died on the way back to the base camp after reaching atop Mount Everest. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The NA's Military and Public Relations Directorate said that efforts were underway to retrieve the body of Sherpa. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Captain Dipendra Singh Khatry, who became unwell while returning after climbing Mount Everest, was airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment. Khatry who was also engaged in the clean mountain campaign on Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse was first taken to camp-2 with the support of other mountaineers. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Captain Khatri along with three others were taken to Kathmandu for treatment and are said to be in normal health condition now, the directorate said. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:13.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Remaining works of the clean mountain campaign are being carried out under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kishor Adhikari despite unfavourable weather condition. -- RSS </span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17633', 'image' => '20230518094613_20230330102040_1680132652.Clipboard32.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:45:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17901', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transportation Fare Decreases ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 18: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decreased the fare of passenger and goods vehicles under the inter-province public transport. The DoTM slashed the public transport fare on Wednesday after the Nepal Oil Corporation reduced the price of diesel effective from 12 midnight on Tuesday. <br /> Issuing a notice on Wednesday, the DoTM said that the public transport fare has been automatically adjusted based on the fuel price. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px">It is stated in the notice that the fare of passenger transport vehicles has been reduced by 3.20 percent. Similarly, the fare of cargo vehicles operated in the hill route has been decreased by 4.19 percent and that of the goods carrier vehicles operated in Tarai by 4.65 percent. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17632', 'image' => '20230518091548_Transport.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 09:14:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17900', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Issues Circular on Loan Restructuring and Rescheduling', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 18: The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a circular to banks and financial institutions outlining new arrangements for loan restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">These arrangements were implemented as part of the third quarterly review of the current fiscal year's monetary policy (2079/80). <br /> As per the circular, effective from June 15, loans obtained in the hotel and restaurant, livestock, construction sectors, as well as loans up to Rs 50 million in other sectors, can be restructured and rescheduled.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular specifies that loan re-scheduling and restructuring can proceed once the debtor has repaid at least 10 percent of the outstanding interest amount. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This decision is based on an analysis of the industry's and business's cash flow and income, as requested by the debtors. Additionally, the circular outlines four conditions that must be met for the implementation of these arrangements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The circular emphasizes that only loans classified as active loans up until April 13 can be considered for restructuring and rescheduling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Furthermore, a provision of five percent credit loss on the restructured and rescheduled loans must be made, and these loans can only be utilized within the cluster where they were originally classified.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">It may be noted that the NRB had softened some monetary arrangements through quarterly review of the monetary policy. </span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-18', 'modified' => '2023-05-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17631', 'image' => '20230518060823_collage (2).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-18 06:06:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17896', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '16-Year-Old Chinese Girl Scales Everest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: A 16-year-old Chinese girl has ascended Mount Everest with the onset of the Spring season.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organizing a press conference here Wednesday, Nepal Big Mountain Travel shared this information. The travel agency had facilitated the summit of Sui, according to Managing Director Sudarshan Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Chinese girl is said to be the youngest woman climber.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion, climber Sui shared that she was inspired by her father, Lei, who had scaled Everest from the north slope in 2007. Although the adverse atmosphere posed hostility in the beginning, the weather was clear on the day she reached atop the world's highest peak.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She also extended thanks to the Sherpas who assisted her in climbing Everest. According to Sui, Everest was polluted with trash and her team brought back the used materials to keep the mountain clean.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, former Chair of Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, said that there is no provision to issue permits to the people below 16 years for climbing Everest.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Everest summit this year, various programmes are being organized in the country. The climbing for this year began last Saturday.</span></span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17627', 'image' => '20230517093316_122208-01-02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 21:32:27', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17895', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NEPSE Index Surges as Turnover Amount Rises; All Sector Indices Close in Green', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with the index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a rise in turnover amount along with index on the fourth trading day of the week, Wednesday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index climbed by 23.39 points, or 1.28%, reaching 1,845.10, compared to the previous trading day. The positive trend is also reflected in the stock market after the index re-tested previous low of 1807 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The continuous decline in the market for the past few days has attracted buyers, resulting in an increase in the turnover amount compared to the previous trading day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">High interest rates, liquidity scarcity, and tight polices related to the sharemarket had led to the NEPSE on the continuous downward trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Experts say that the time is appropriate for investments into the stock market as share prices have hit a very low in the market for a long time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">A total of 2,577,210 shares of 266 scrips traded their hands via 25,634 transactions. <br /> The total turnover amount stood at NPR 85.76 crores in the NEPSE today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">SHIVAM CEMENTS LTD (SHIVM) shares traded the most and had the highest turnover of Rs. 5.46 crores closing at a market price of Rs. 403.50 per share.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) gained the highest 9.99% and hit the positive circuit for the day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Conversely, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) lost the highest 7.93% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">All sector indices closed green, "Others" gained the highest 2.37%, while "Mutual Fund" gained the least 0.04% today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Likewise, the sensitive index increased by 1.15 percent, the float index by 1.25 percent, and the sensitive float index by 1.03 percent.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17626', 'image' => '20230517050845_collage (4).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 17:05:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17894', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Over 18,000 Cows Affected with Lumpy Skin Disease in Bagmati Province', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province.', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 17: More than 18,000 cows across 13 districts in Bagmati Province have been affected by the lumpy skin disease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Bagmati Province. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The initial data collection from the first phase indicates that at least 18,324 cows have been infected with the disease. Tragically, a significant number of cows have lost their lives due to the illness. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The highest number of fatalities has been reported in Makawanpur district, with 197 out of 4,835 infected cows succumbing to the disease. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Sindhuli district has recorded 9,634 infected cases, resulting in the death of 47 cows. Ramechhap has reported 1,965 infected cases, followed by Chitwan with 1,060 cases, Kathmandu with 83 cases, Lalitpur with 40 cases, Kavrepalanchok with 400 cases, Nuwakot with 300 cases, Sindhupalchok with six cases, and Bhaktapur with one case.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17625', 'image' => '20230517043430_collage (3).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:28:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17893', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Growth Rate of Provinces Slows Down', 'sub_title' => 'The growth rate of all seven provinces is expected to be very low', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).', '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"">May 17: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the provinces are likely to contract sharply in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 estimates released by the National Statistics Office on Tuesday, the economic growth rate of all seven provinces will be much lower than the previous 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"">In the Fiscal Year 2022/23, the national GDP in terms of consumer prices is estimated to be equal to Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">5381</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"">Bagmati Province will contribute the most to the national economy although the GDP of the province will contract sharply compared to the last fiscal year. The GDP of Bagmati Province is estimated to be Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1981</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> billion. The least contribution will be from Karnali Province. The GDP of this province is estimated to be around Rs </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">221</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 current fiscal year's national GDP is estimated to grow by </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.86</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent in terms of consumer prices, which is far less than the growth target of 8 percent set by the government. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At the state level, it is estimated that Gandaki Province will have the highest percentage of growth at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">3.3</span></span> <span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">percent while the growth rate of Bagmati Province is expected to be the lowest among all at </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">1.4</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent. As per the revised estimates of the NSO last year, the growth rate of Gandaki Province was the highest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">6.35</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) and Madhesh was the lowest (</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">4.65</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> percent) in FY </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"">21</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"">22</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"">Based on the economic activity according to the industrial classification, the contribution of the agricultural sector will be the highest in all the provinces except Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade sector will be more in Bagmati. The contribution of wholesale and retail trade will be second in Koshi, Madhesh and Lumbini provinces. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 Bagmati Province, the contribution of the real estate business and housing services ranks second. In Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim, the contribution of public administration and defense sector is second. Except for Bagmati and Madhesh, the contribution of administrative support services activities to the gross domestic product of all provinces is the lowest.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17624', 'image' => '20230517041650_gdp_estimate.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 16:16:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17892', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations for New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards Complete', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards 2023, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed.', '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"">May 17: Preparations for the New Business Age Startup Summit and Awards programme, which is scheduled to be held on Friday (May 19), under the initiative of New Business Age, have been completed. The training program for startups under this awards ceremony has already been completed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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 organisers of the awards ceremony had requested for applications from startups from all seven provinces. More than </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2,000</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> startup entrepreneurs from across the country had submitted applications for the awards programme. The theme of this year's awards is 'Towards Startup Nation'.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="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, the awards are being given to eight start-up companies. The awards programme is supported by sastodeal.com, Laxmi Bank, Shikhar Insurance, Rigo, Nexon EV, Max and City Express. Similarly, Nepal Rastra Bank, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Insurance Authority, Citizens Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Nepali Patro and Dishome Fiber Net have also supported the awards function.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">New Business Age has been organising various award programs. The company has been selecting and awarding the best management colleges and companies since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2013. </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Since </span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">2019</span></span><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the company has started honoring women entrepreneurs. New Business Age had organized the New Biz Business Conclave and Awards programme last winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17623', 'image' => '20230519011840_new logo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:55:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17891', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Windstorm Destroys Bananas Worth Rs 50 Million in Chitwan', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 17: The windstorm that hit Chitwan on Sunday evening destroyed banana plantations worth Rs 50 million in seven municipalities of the district. The Chitwan Banana Producers Association confirmed that the banana farmers suffered massive loss due to the windstorm.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">General Secretary of Chitwan Banana Producers Association Janak Raj Panta said that bananas planted in a total of 150 bighas of land in the district were completely damaged. He said that the damage in 150 bigha of land caused losses of around Rs 50 million.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Among the seven municipalities of the district, Khairhani and Rapti municipalities suffered the most damage. Panta said that there was partial damage in Ratnanagar, Kalika and Bharatpur Metropolitan City.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Rishi Gurung, a farmer of Ratnanagar municipality-5, Jhuwani, who planted bananas in 35 bighas of land in Khairhani and Rapti, said that bananas in 10 bighas of land were completely destroyed by the storm. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Similarly, 5 bigha of bananas belonging to Baburam Bhatta of Ratnanagar have been completely damaged in Ratnanagar-4, Seri. He said that he faced financial loss of Rs 2.5 million. He said, “There was a plan to prepare and send the bananas to the market towards mid-June. All plans got destroyed by the wind,” said Bhatta.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Baburam Duwadi's 2 bigha vegetable garden in Ratnanagar was destroyed as well, causing a loss of Rs 1 million. He said, “The crop was to be ready within a month or two. The wind suddenly destroyed the bananas.” </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wind destroyed Malbhog and Jinine varieties of bananas. The association collected the details of the damage since Monday morning. Most of the farmers have been taking insurance as the banana plantations started to be destroyed due to the annual storms. Panta said that 95 percent of farmers in Chitwan have insurance. Altogether 750 farmers have been cultivating bananas commercially in 3000 bighas of land. Altogether 70,000 metric tons of bananas worth Rs 1.6 billion are produced here annually.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17622', 'image' => '20230517031141_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 15:07:58', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17889', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sixth Nepal Chamber Expo from Thursday ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The sixth edition of Nepal Chamber Expo will be held at Bhrikutimandap from May 18 to 22. The event is being organised by the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and will showcase stalls of both domestic and international products. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will focus on trade dialogues, exchange of export-import information and the marketing of Nepali goods, according to NCC President Rajendra Malla. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"We hope to assess the consumers' interest in the competitive market through the expo which is expected to encourage domestic trade/ business community to explore potential competitive abilities in collaboration with external trade community," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The expo will feature Nepali handicraft products, cottage and food products, herbs, electronics, fashion wear, leather products among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17620', 'image' => '20230517015002_expo.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 13:49:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17888', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Leaders Suggest Govt to Prioritize Job Creation in Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The top leaders of the ruling coalition have suggested the government to introduce the upcoming policies and programmes and budget by giving highest priority to agriculture, tourism, education and employment generation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the meeting summoned by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat to solicit suggestions from the leaders of the ruling coalition in Singha Durbar on Tuesday, the top leaders called for policies and programmes that could prevent youths of the country from migrating abroad for jobs. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Emerging from the meeting, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Hitraj Pandey said, "The incumbent government is going to introduce policies and programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The PM and Finance Minister sought recommendations from leaders of ruling coalition regarding the issues to be considered in the upcoming budget. We furnished recommendations accordingly." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In the wake of the parliamentarians putting forth their views on the principles and priorities in the parliament, the leaders attending the meeting on Tuesday were asked by the PM and the Finance Minister to submit their suggestion in writing. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC informed that they discussed current national affairs including economic system and suggested that upcoming policies and programmes should improve the economic system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Present in the meeting were Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, Nepal Samajwadi Party Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, among others. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government is preparing to present the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year this Friday (May 19). -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17619', 'image' => '20230517010105_PRO-KTM-066A7337.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 12:59:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17887', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Dhaulagiri Sees First Ascent of this Season ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px">May 17: Two climbers from Poland have successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. The 8,167-meters peak is the seventh highest peak in the world. With this, the peak recorded the first climbing of this season. <br /> According to Seven Summit Trek's managing director Thaneswor Guragai, Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Rodrigo Pereria reached the summit of the mountain at 7: 30 am on Tuesday without the help of Sherpa guides. <br /> According to the Department of Tourism, 24 males and 11 females have taken permission for the Dhaulagiri expedition this season. Seven Summit has facilitated the expeditions of 26 climbers. <br /> Mount Dhaulagiri, which lies in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality- 4 in Myagdi, was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Austrian Kurt Diemberger, German Peter Diener, Swish Ernst Forrer and Albin Schelbert and Sherpa guides Nawang Dorje and Nima Dorje. -- RSS </span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17618', 'image' => '20230517114835_image_processing20180511-4-2qef51.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 11:47:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17884', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'The History and Causes of Bullish and Bearish Trends in the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE)', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: The history of the share market in Nepal is relatively short compared to other countries. The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) was established in 1993 as the country's only stock exchange. As the only stock exchange company, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), formally opened its trading floor on13th January 1994. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Initially, NEPSE had only 37 listed companies, and trading was conducted manually using an open outcry system. However, in recent years, NEPSE has modernized its trading platform, and as of 2023, there are around 269 listed companies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Recent data at the Central Depository Services and Clearing Limited (CDSC) show that the number of Demat account holders in Nepal has surpassed 5 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Despite its short history, the Nepalese stock market has seen its fair share of ups and downs. NEPSE has witnessed four bull markets and subsequently—four bear markets since its inception. The NEPSE Index witnessed four major booms and crashes in the years 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This article will explore the timeline of bullish and bearish trends in the NEPSE Index, analyzing the underlying economic and political causes that drove these fluctuations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE Index crash </strong><br /> The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index gained bull run pace from 1999 which tripled in around two and half years, and reached a high of 545.82 on November 23, 2000. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, within a short period of one and a half years, the NEPSE index crashed to a low of 186.22 points, and it took another five years for the index to surpass its previous high of 545.82 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">One of the main reasons behind the 2000 NEPSE index burst was the declining GDP growth rate. From 1994 to 1999, the GDP growth rate was impressive, averaging at 6%. However, in 2000, the GDP growth rate dropped to 4.80% followed by a further decline to 0.10% in 2001. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The agricultural sector, which is a significant contributor to Nepal's GDP, suffered from low productivity due to drought and unfavorable weather conditions, as the country lacked modernized irrigation facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In addition to low agricultural productivity, the country was also facing a civil war which resulted in the killing and unlawful occupation of public property. The government was forced to shift its focus from development to protection of citizens, which resulted in a lack of political stability and security in various sectors, including tourism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, production in all these sectors decreased, causing a sharp decline in GDP growth and discouraging investors from entering the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The civil war was one of the main reasons behind the NEPSE burst in 2000, creating an unstable political and economic environment that discouraged investors from further investing in the stock market. People were more concerned about saving their wealth rather than growing it, leading to a decline in market participatio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong> Examining the reasons for the NEPSE's crash in 2008 </strong><br /> The end of Nepal's 10-year internal conflict in 2006 brought a sense of optimism among investors, especially with the introduction of a three-year budget plan focused on the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The uptrend from 2006 continued to gain pace until the index touched the high of 1175 in August 2008, as the political situation remained relatively stable, despite the problem of changing governments and the pending introduction of a new constitution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the conflict period, many people migrated to cities from rural areas and started buying properties, leading to an unexpected increase in real estate rates. Banks encouraged real estate brokers and the public to take out loans, leading to a surge in cases of loan defaults, and the banks' liquid assets were converted into non-banking physical assets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The demand for loans raised interest rates and reduced liquidity in banks. Interest rate and share market always have inverse relationship. When interest rates rise, sharemarket falls, and vice-versa. Investors exited from the sharemarket and parked their cash in the fixed deposits, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As investment opportunities in Nepal are limited, the investment capital mainly revolves around three major sectors: stock market, real estate, and fixed deposit. The flow of capital was directed towards the real estate sector, leading to a decline in the charm of the stock market for both institutional and retail investors, resulting in a decline in the NEPSE index.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2007, the GDP growth rate was 6.10%, followed by a decrease to 4.50% in 2008 and 4.80% in 2009. The NEPSE index burst in 2008 was mainly due to the high demand for the real estate sector and soaring interest rates, which degraded the attraction of the stock market.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">After the burst, it took four years for the NEPSE index to return to an uptrend, and six years to cross the high of 1,175.38 points. <br /> <strong>Underlying causes behind boom and burst of 2015-2016</strong><br /> In 2015-2016, Nepal faced a series of events that caused both boom and burst in the country's capital market. The earthquake of 2015 had a significant impact on the real estate sector, as people were not interested in owning luxury items and the demand for loans decreased. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This led to lower loan rates and subsequently, lower fixed deposit rates, making both banking and real estate sectors unattractive for investors. Consequently, capital started flowing into the stock market, and NEPSE reached a high of 1,881 points in July 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During this period, the public invested in the stock market by taking loans from banks because the return on investment in the capital market was much higher than the bank's loan rates. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the productivity of the country collapsed due to the border blockade, and the GDP growth was only 0.40% in 2015, despite the booming stock market. The low GDP growth indicated low demand in the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2016, the GDP growth rebounded, recording a growth rate of 6.90%, the highest recorded growth in the last two decades. The political and economic situation in the country stabilized, and many new financial institutions were introduced, especially non-life and life insurance after the earthquake. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">This made the financial sector highly competitive, and to attract customers, the deposit rates started soaring, which raised the loan rates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The high loan rates discouraged investors from borrowing to invest in the stock market, and the return from the banking sector became comparable to the return from the stock market. This attracted institutional investors to invest in banks, as it provided a larger margin of safety. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The capital was distributed among numerous small financials, such as microfinance and cooperatives, which impacted the liquidity of larger commercial banks. The government formed National Reconstruction Authority and expedited the reconstruction work using up huge budget to reconstruct infrastructures and individual houses destroyed by the earthquake. This led to the liquidity crisis in the banks and financial institutions, driving the loan rates high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The government also took measures to decrease the number of financial institutions in the country, which turned the market from the Bull to Bear in 2016. The soaring interest rates and liquidity crunch were the main reasons for the NEPSE burst in 2016. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><strong>Exploring causes of bull and bear of 2021 </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Capital market of Nepal started gaining momentum again in early 2020 and went on a bullish trend until it touched an all-time high of 3200 in the month of August 2021. Several factors played a role in pushing the NEPSE Index on a bullish trajectory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Nepal, and the government imposed lockdowns and restricted people's movement, leading to the shutdowns of most businesses and economic activities. This made people search for alternative ways to make money, and many new investors poured their money into the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Additionally, the lockdowns brought development works to a grinding halt, and the price of petroleum products dwindled, reducing the cost of goods and commodities. The import of goods and commodities except daily essentials was also banned. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Banks and financial institutions witnessed excessive liquidity for lack of loan demand, and they started flowing margin loans to investors at as low as 7 percent interest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, the boom in the stock market did not last long. Various factors led to the sharp fall of the stock market, driving it down to the bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) tightened its monetary policy, and all banks and financial institutions were also placed under strict restrictions, effectively banning them from share trading. The NRB's austere policies caused the market correction by dislodging the confidence of large and institutionalized share traders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In the fiscal year 2078/79, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had tightened loans against shares by introducing the credit limit of NPR 40/120 million. The central bank's policy of NPR 40/120 million credit threshold against the shares had put the share market in crisis, causing the NEPSE index to plunge. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Moreover, the Nepalese economy experienced a significant slowdown due to the pandemic, which affected the performance of many companies listed on the stock exchange. A liquidity crunch in the banking sector, coupled with tighter monetary policies, affected investor confidence in the market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Inflation in Nepal has been rising since the world removed lockdowns and opened borders for import and export, eroding the purchasing power of investors and making them less willing to invest in the stock market. The Russia’s war on Ukraine has added to the woes of the customers, driving up the prices of daily essentials and petroleum products. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The price of petroleum products surged rapidly after the pandemic, driving prices of almost everything up, lowering the investors' capacity to invest in the stock market and other areas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Interest rates also surged up to 19/20percent from 7/8 percent, and stock and interest rate have a negative correlation. As interest rates rose sharply, investors and people parked their money in fixed deposits because of margin of safety.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> The bullish trend in the Nepalese stock market in 2021 was mainly driven by the pandemic-induced market disruptions, which led to excess liquidity and low-interest rates. However, the NRB's policies, the economic slowdown, the liquidity crunch, inflation, and rising interest rates led to the bearish trend in the market, causing a significant correction in the NEPSE Index. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In summary, the NEPSE Index has had a tumultuous history since its inception, with several downs and ups, reaching its highest points in 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2021. The NEPSE Index started at 157 points in 1998 and climbed to a high of 545 points in 2000, followed by a bearish period that lasted until 2004. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The index then gained momentum again, reaching a high of 1175 points in 2008 before tumbling to a low of 298 points in 2012. From 2016 to 2019, the market underwent significant corrections and hit a low of 1104 points in 2019. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, from early 2020, the NEPSE Index entered a bullish trend and reached an all-time high of around 3200 points in August 2021, However, the market sentiment turned bearish soon after, and the index has touched lows of around 1800.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Over the past year, the NEPSE index has been fluctuating between 1800 and 2250, with the current state of the secondary market platform hovering between 1800 and 1900. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Unfortunately, the turnover amount on the NEPSE has significantly decreased, currently standing at below NPR 1 billion, a stark contrast from the NPR 21 billion turnover witnessed when the market hit its all-time high. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a result, market participation has dwindled, and investors have become more passive in light of the secondary market's bearish mood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The current state of the market is challenging for investors, who are feeling hopeless and psychologically down. To overcome the current bearish sentiment, several challenges and obstacles need to be addressed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The market-friendly monetary policy of the Nepal Rastra Bank, state of liquidity, interest rates, economic growth, and political situation all play a crucial role in determining the course of the stock market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The sooner the NRB comes up with market-friendly policies, the faster interest rates fall, and economic growth increases, the sooner we will see another bull market in the NEPSE.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As they say, "there is light at the end of the tunnel," and NEPSE will surely overcome all the challenges and hindrances to break the previous all-time high and make another record. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Till then, investors have no choice but to manage their risk and wait patiently. The stock market is unpredictable, and it is important to keep a long-term perspective while investing and not panic during short-term fluctuations.</span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17615', 'image' => '20230517105452_bull-market.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:44:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '42' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17883', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Sentences Life Imprisonment to Chaudhary for Tikapur Carnage ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 17: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the verdict of Dipayal High Court to hand down life imprisonment to Resham Chaudhary for the Tikapur carnage in 2015. Chaudhary is currently serving jail term at Dillibazar Prison.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">A division bench of SC justices Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Nahakul Subedi issued the verdict on Tuesday convicting Chaudhary on the charge of life imprisonment. Chaudhary had filed a petition at the SC seeking a review on the High Court's decision. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">After the hearing on the appeal, the SC issued the final verdict stating that a clean chit on the case was unlikely. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, another convict Laxman Tharu is handed down three years imprisonment by reducing five years of jail time ordered by the Dipayal High Court. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">However, Ganga Ram Chaudhary and Sita Ram Chaudhary, who were jailed in the same case, have received clean chits by the SC. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17613', 'image' => '20230517104842_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 10:47:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '17881', 'article_category_id' => '251', 'title' => 'Marijuana as a Medicine: Weighing Benefits and Harms', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. ', 'content' => '<p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">May 17: Marijuana is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in the world. Consumption of marijuana has been a topic of debate for several years, with calls for its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The World Health Organization reported in 2016 that 4% of the global population (192 million people) consumes marijuana illegally, with 40% of Americans having taken the drug at least once in their lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana consumption is most prevalent among males and teenagers, but its use is also growing among women. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) present in Cannabis sativa, indica, and ruderalis are known to have the power to intoxicate and cause addiction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is consumed in various forms and quantities, for example cannabis has about 1% and sinsemilla up to 5-6%. The plants are also used to make textiles, pickles, and drinks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">The voices for the legalization of marijuana farming, sale, and use for entertainment and medicinal purposes are being raised worldwide, including in Nepal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">In 2020, Nepal voted to reclassify and reconsider marijuana from Schedule IV, which includes drugs that cannot be used even for medical treatment. There has been estimation that if legalized, marijuana could generate up to NPR 146 billion by 2025, transforming the country's development. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Apparently, there has been flood of fiery and attractive speeches, deliberations, interviews, news and articles from so-called leaders and scholars in its favor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, as an expert in mental health working for over two decades, I have witnessed marijuana destroying many lives and families in all setups, including out-patient departments, wards, emergency, and other setups. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Even today while sitting to write this article, one third of psychiatry ward patients has history of cannabis use and 23% fulfill the criteria for dependence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> I have seen many people losing their lives to the drug, and many families suffering for years due to the drug. But few of them including literate college students have scientific knowledge and information about it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">They claim that marijuana is good for health and easily available. It is extremely distressing to witness the current state with the flood of ideas and arguments in its favor on one hand and my own first hand observation of devastating effects on the other. It warrants reviewing the harm and benefits of this substance as a medicine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> This article is an audacity based on our effort to review the benefits and harms of medicinal use of cannabis which has been published as a journal article. The author leaves the responsibility of analyzing and adopting the fact to the wise readers themselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">CBD present in marijuana is used as medicine to treat some health issues, including vomiting and special type of seizure. The US Food and Drug Administration has given permission to use marijuana for these two purposes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Claims have also been made that marijuana has a positive impact on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, but there is no evidence to support these claims. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While cannabis is touted to stop vomiting and treat problems in ligaments, its use is reported to have aggravated these problems to the intractable forms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">During the COVID-19 pandemic, some chemicals in marijuana were publicized to have a positive effect on lungs, but later, they were found to have other chemicals causing serious problems in lungs, including even cancer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Reports have come out showing that marijuana has various types of cancer-causing chemicals more than in tobacco and cigarettes. People who take marijuana to increase their appetite for food usually have further lost their interest in food and fallen victim to malnutrition. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Although marijuana has been mentioned in some medical literature as beneficial for the treatment of mental problems, its uses for emotional and mood disorders are not appropriate, as it may cause panic and other anxiety disorders among the users. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is also considered beneficial to treat mood disorders, such as depression and mania. However, those people using cannabis usually require visiting psychiatrist when they are hit severely with co-morbid depression and mania. It has also been seen in one of our recent studies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Using marijuana as medicine for mood disorders is, hence, not appropriate. It is common to see that people taking alcohol and other drugs often turn to marijuana and vice-versa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Marijuana is believed to have some benefit even in some type of psychosis. Whereas the reality is that marijuana consumption may cause the onset of serious mental problems such as psychosis, with single use of small amount, frequent or regular longstanding use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> For those who have genetic predisposition, it may act like a match stick. The worsening of situation and increasing prevalence of psychosis has lately increasingly been reported in countries that have legalized it and have increased marijuana consumption. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Those who advocate for marijuana legalization argue that marijuana can be used as medicine, like opiate in the right amount. The issue of marijuana consumption is a complex one that requires a thorough analysis of its potential benefits and harms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Before we allow the widespread use of marijuana, it is important to carefully consider its intended purpose, the types of positive and negative effects it may have, and whether we can accurately predict its effects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">While some argue that marijuana consumption has potential therapeutic benefits, evidence shows that it can have more harms than good sides. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">There is an established evidence to show the harms of marijuana. But, we are yet to receive the evidence to substantiate its positive side. Reports suggest that its use may cause death by obstructing the heartbeat and lead to psychosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Studies have also shown that marijuana can have serious impacts not only on frequent users but also on one-time users.Moreover, since marijuana is plant-based rather than a medicine, its quantity is extremely variable and unpredictable and it has some impurities in products in reality as well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Legalization may result in uncontrolled use of the drug, leading to severe outcomes, also raising false impression among common people about its benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strict regulations and to educate the general public, students, teachers, and parents on the potential risks of using marijuana.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">However, a complete ban on marijuana and legal restrictions may not be the solution. Such measures may create a black market, cause the state to lose revenue, and increase criminal activity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"> Instead, we need to promote scientific research studies, update existing laws based on scientific evidence, and aim to promote public health and awareness of policies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">As a country with ignorance, poverty, weak governance, and a backward economy, Nepal must be vigilant when observing other countries' stance on marijuana legalization. We must not blindly follow their example but make decisions based on our specific circumstances.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Therefore, if you hear someone say or see an advertisement claiming that "marijuana is a wonder drug," it is important to verify the facts and think twice before using it. We must analyze the available evidence thoroughly before making any decision regarding its use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Prof. Dr. Dhana Ratna Shakya is Head at the Department of Psychiatry <br /> in B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. </span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2023-05-17', 'modified' => '2023-05-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '17612', 'image' => '20230517062400_collage (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2023-05-17 06:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '42' ) ) ) $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
