August 15: The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of…
August 15: The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of…
August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for…
August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development…
August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming…
August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour…
August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise.…
August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the…
August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene.…
August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial…
August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master…
August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country.…
August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest…
August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India.…
August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC).…
August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by…
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The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Individuals who reach the Company Registrar's Office to get new company registered or to renew the registration, and other services say they face lots of problems. As the services provided by the office are not available online, there is a large number of people at the office premises each day for registration and renewal of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ramesh Prajapati of Bhaktapur, Katunje, who came for the registration of a new company, complained that he had to wait for hours due to the crowd and on top of that he had to pay bribes to get the work done. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The purpose of establishing the said office is to make the operation and administration of the company more accessible and simple, but it's just the opposite, he shared.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The service seekers complain that they cannot see the names of the companies that have been registered in the office.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> "Until some time ago, the name of the registered companies could be seen on the website of the office," said one of the service seekers, "Now it has been removed deliberately. So the service seekers have to visit the concerned field office repeatedly to make sure that the name of the company they want to register does not match with any other company that has already been registered.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prajapati thinks that there is no reason to keep the name of the registered company secret. Stating that a company needs a name just like a person needs a name after birth, he claimed that the system of not being able to see the name is causing unnecessary suffering to the service seekers. It is also fostering institutional corruption, he says. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He complains that the employees ask for bribes on the pretext of checking if the name of the new company matches with the already registered company. If the name of the registered company is placed on the website, the customers can choose a different name without any hassle.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The employees assigned to check the company names can be assigned with other works.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the office which claims that it does not have enough staff, on the contrary, has now assigned staff for the work that the service seekers could do themselves in the past.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, another customer said that because the service provided by the office is not available online, there is a rush of 400/500 customers every day. He claimed that the bribed employees do not even seek bank statement to increase the paid-up capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Even though there is a provision that bank statements are required to increase the company's paid-up capital, after giving a bribe, the share price of the paid-up capital of any amount is approved," he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15532', 'image' => '20220815125803_1660515628.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 12:57:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15790', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Peaks to be Opened for Climbing', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Minister Shrestha made such announcement while addressing the 32<sup>nd</sup> Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Mountaineering Association on Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Minister Shrestha, government is planning to open new peaks within the range of 5,800 meters to 8,000 meters for climbing.</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 study is being conducted on which peaks will be appropriate for opening so that it can also benefit the locals and improve their living standard. Climbing permits will be issued after analyzing the impacts,” said Shrestha.</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"">Minister Shrestha made it clear that the government is ready to remove any legal hurdles faced by the mountaineering sector.</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"">He further said that the government will no longer announce one-year plan for visiting Nepal but has decided to work for the overall development of the tourism sector by announcing the Tourism Decade from 2023 to 2033.</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"">“It is necessary to establish Nepal as a major tourism destination in the world,” said Shrestha, adding, “Nepal's mountains are alluring to foreign tourists. Besides the natural beauty, Nepal can also attract tourists through adventure sports and its rich cultural heritage.” </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"">Minister Shrestha said that the government is ready to move ahead by forging collaboration with the private sector for the development of tourism sector.</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"">On the occasion, Secretary at the tourism ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane said that tourism is an important pillar of national economy and it will be strengthened by collaborating with private sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Vice Chairperson of Nepal Tourism Board, Chandra Rijal, and Chairperson of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, Khum Bahadur Subedi, stressed the need of effective collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders to boost the tourism sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, 114 peaks including Mt Everest are open for climbing. Minister Shrestha shared that a 74-point plan was being enforced to revive the tourism sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15531', 'image' => '20220815115514_Tourist Arrival (1).jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:54:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15789', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Accept Rs 12.7 Billion from World Bank ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the cabinet meeting on August 11 decided to accept the grant of approximately Rs 2.1 billion (2,256 million Japanese yen) provided by the Government of Japan for the restoration of irrigation system in eastern Nepal, said the government's spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information Technology</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"">Speaking at a press conference organised on Sunday to make the decisions taken by the meeting public, Minister Karki said that the Council of Ministers also approved the new pay scale and grades under civil servants of all level as well as the Nepalese Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, parliament service and teachers at community schools. The new pay scale has come into effect from 17 July, 2022. -- RSS</span></span></span><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15530', 'image' => '20220815111548_World.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:14:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15788', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Impacts of Election on the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November. After the announcement of the election date, political parties have started gearing up for the general elections in every nook and corners of the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The election is believed to impact not only the country’s politics but also the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The political parties and election candidates spend a large amount of money during the election campaign, which is expected to increase economic activities. Some say it is a positive aspect of election while others argue that the excess of money in the market will cause inflation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Election Commission has estimated that the total cost of the election will be around Rs 10 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The amount will basically be spent on voter education, printing of voting materials, transportation of those materials and salary of those involved in conducting the election as well as security personnel, including temporary police. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Poudel, the commission has estimated the cost of election and had requested the Finance Ministry to release the required budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, the finance ministry officials are still awaiting the cost estimates from various bodies before ascertaining the budget required for the election. They say that the exact cost of the local elections held in May is yet to be received. Home Ministry Spokesperson Dhundi Prasad Niraula says that they are yet to receive the cost estimates for the upcoming election.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government had allocated a total of Rs 17 billion for the local elections. Deputy Spokesperson of the Election Commission Surya Prasad Aryal informed that the EC had initially demanded Rs 12 billion from the government for the local election but later revised the cost estimate to Rs 8.94 billion. The finance ministry released only Rs 8.11 billion back in May.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Aryal claimed that the commission held the election with a budget of Rs 5 billion by reducing unnecessary expenses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A senior official of the finance ministry believes that the entire cost of the upcoming election will reach between Rs 20 billion to Rs 30 billion by adding the cost of the EC, Home Ministry and other government agencies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, it is not only the government that spends during the election. Political parties also loosen their wallets during the election campaigns. Although the EC fixes the ceiling for spending, the political parties hardly abide by the rule because it is not practical to force the spending limit during the election, says former secretary Bimal Wagle.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He argues that the political parties have not been able to submit a report of their expenditure during the local elections held on May 13. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Another former secretary Gopi Nath Mainali says that the political parties breach the election code and spend excessively. He argues that the officials of the EC are appointed by the political parties and therefore they turn a blind eye to the spending of the parties. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He says that the election will have both positive and negative impacts in the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Economist Dilli Raj Khanal says that the election will reduce development budget. According to Khanal, the sudden release of large amount of money in the market is likely to cause inflation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He recalled to the excessive price hike in the market during the first Constituent Assembly election. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The positive aspect of the election is that it gives short-term employment to many people, says economist Khanal. He however, says that the election does not cause an overall economic growth because it is not possible to measure it. He says that the election will cause excessive liquidity in the market and also increase imports, thereby causing pressure in the foreign exchange reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“There will be some positive impact in the overall GDP due to the increase in economic activities but it will have a negative impact in the economy due to imports,” says Khanal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15529', 'image' => '20220814052350_Election_Commission.2e16d0ba.fill-650x500.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 17:22:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15787', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More than Eighteen Thousand Foreigners Acquire Labour Permits in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits. The number of foreigners visiting Nepal for formal employment is increasing in recent years, according to the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The department informed that a total of 18,239 foreigners have acquired labour permits to work in Nepal so far. Among them, 16,044 are male and 2,195 are female. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the last fiscal year, the department issued labour permits to 2,181 foreigners. Among them, 950 had taken new permits while the remaining 1231 had renewed their work permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Most of the foreigners visiting Nepal for employment are from China. A total of 1,629 Chinese nationals were issued labour permits to work in Nepal during the last fiscal year (mid-July 2021 to mid-July 2022). </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the same period, altogether 106 people from the UK were issued labour permits to work in Nepal while 86 from the USA, 61 from Japan and 57 from India were also issued labour permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, a total of 886 foreigners have acquired labour permits in the first three months of the current fiscal year including 196 in the first month, 360 in the second month and 327 in the third month.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In the meantime, a parliamentary committee has shown concern regarding the employment of foreign nationals in Nepali industries. The Industry and Commerce and Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the federal parliament, after holding discussion with Labour Minister Sher Bahadur Kunwar, has issued a directive to the government to give priority to Nepali labourers and employ foreign nationals in the labour market only if it is absolutely necessary. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15528', 'image' => '20220814044404_postQueueImg_3-626bcca48a757.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 16:43:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15786', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Azolla Helps Reduce Dependence on Urea by Fifty Percent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. However, the farmers face shortage of chemical fertilizers each year due to the inability of the government to supply the fertilizers. On the brighter side, experts say that urea consumption can be reduced up to 50 percent with the use of Azolla plant technology introduced lately in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the experts, the cost of production of Azolla is cheap and its use does not have a negative impact on human health. The Azolla plant technology is adopted by countries like China, India, and the Philippines. Even in Nepal, the National Food Bank Limited successfully tested this technology in Gulariya Municipality of Bardia. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Prof Dr Mohan Prasad Panthi of the Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, who is assisting in this work, only 50 kg of urea will be enough instead of 100 Kg urea requirement with the use of Azolla.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a type of fern that grows in water. Panthi says that it should be sprinkled in the crop field after the paddy is planted and rooted. It takes nitrogen from air and helps other plants growing with it to take the same nitrogen. Generally, it can be used within 1 week to 12 days after planting paddy in a water-filled field. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After Azolla spreads over the entire field, the water in the paddy field should be dried. According to studies, within a few days of that, Azolla will decompose and water can be added again.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla also helps in destroying other weeds growing in the paddy fields and keeping the soil moist and fertile. It can be produced by creating a water pond. Panthi says that 1 kg of Azolla plant can be produced in an easy way as the production will double within 15 days of keeping it in the pond.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to him, Azolla can be produced at the rate of 2 paisa per kg. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“The most positive aspect of this plant is that it also plays a role in increasing the production of rice. Various researches have shown that rice production increased by 10 to 14 percent in the fields where Azolla was used,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prof Dr Panthi added that Azolla can be dried and used in the feed of chickens and cattle, so it is considered as a multi-purpose plant. Using Azolla in feed improves the health of chickens and also increases the production of meat and egg. By feeding Azolla to cows and buffaloes mixed with sawdust or hay, milk production can also increased by 10 percent.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a free floating fern having 6 known species. Azolla Pinata is the most popular species in Asia. It ensures sufficient atmospheric nitrogen for rapid plant growth and also provides a source of organic nitrogen fertilizer to plants. It can be considered as an aqueous green manure. Recently, Azolla is emerging as an aspect of special interest in paddy cultivation.</span></span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15527', 'image' => '20220814030921_EDHr-e3VAAAbWgA.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 15:07:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15785', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Electricity Regulatory Commission Member ‘Troubling’ Small Hydro Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There is a provision in the Electricity Purchase Regulation that a public hearing is not required if the energy buyer enters into a power purchase agreement (PPA) and seeks the approval of the commission for hydropower projects with a capacity of less than 100 megawatts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, Rameshwar Prasad Kalwar, a member of the commission, insists that a public hearing should be held for any project which is in violation with the regulation, a hydroelectric power promoter told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project seeking approval for PPA has not received approval from the commission due to the stance taken by Kalwar, causing a delay in the financial management of the project. The cost of the project is increasing due to the inordinate delay in obtaining the PPA approval.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Also, the cost of construction of small hydropower projects is higher than that of large projects. On top of that, the cost of the project is expected to increase further after the members of the regulatory commission insisted on not giving consent to the PPA without a public hearing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Government of Nepal has treats the projects smaller than 100 megawatts and projects larger than that differently. For example, when constructing a project larger than 100 MW, the government will build the road and transmission line for the project site. However, small projects have to do it on their own. If the transmission line is not built on time, the generated electricity will be wasted.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, if a project larger than 100 megawatts is backed by foreign investment, the PPA is done in terms of dollars. There is also arrangement for hedging, facility to take the profit abroad in dollars, and the government will also take 70 per cent of the loan risk through hedging. Therefore, the commission should hold a public hearing while giving consent to the PPA of projects of this nature. Since the PPA rate of big projects is not fixed, a public hearing is also required to increase the purchase and sale rate.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, small projects don't even ask for dollar facilities and they don't need hedging facility either. The promoters have to bear a 100 per cent loan. The electricity authority has fixed the PPA rate at Rs 4.8 in the rainy season and Rs 8.4 in winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15526', 'image' => '20220814015749_elec.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 13:57:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15784', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Black Marketing of Food Flourishes despite Action by the Government', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. However, despite the government's efforts to maintain food quality and hygiene, the results are still not visible. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As per the progress report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for the fiscal year 2021/22, the department took legal action against 100 manufacturing companies producing inedible products in the last fiscal year. However, the number of people or firms producing inedible products in the market is still rising.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The report states that the number of cases in the review year increased by 15 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. After collecting samples of 4,660 food and grain items in the fiscal year 2021/22, the department registered cases against 115 companies under the Food Act, 2023, after discovering that the companies produced inedible items. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the review year, the department had monitored food and grain markets, industries, hotels, restaurants, and fairs for 8066 times. From mid-October 2021, rapid pesticide residue testing laboratories were established at seven checkpoints in Terai and 56,338 samples of vegetables and fruits were tested for pesticide residues. Regardless of these measure, the department has failed to gain the trust of the consumers. The department is continuously stepped up action, but the consumers are not convinced since the black market is still flourishing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Food Act, 2023 was formulated to maintain the purity of food and safeguard health and comfort of the common people by ensuring that there is no adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If the charges against the defaulting companies are proved according to the law, Section 3 of the 'Food Act, 2023' has provision to punish the operators of the company producing and selling contaminated food with imprisonment up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jyoti Baniya, president of the Forum for Protection of Public Interest said that the companies producing inedible food items is increasing despite increase in action by the department because its action is weak and ineffective. Lawyer Hari Prasad Dulal said that even though there are many companies in the market that produce food and beverages with no labels and the products are of low quality, illegal, contaminated, and unlicensed, the department hardly takes any legal action against majority of those producers.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The latest data released by the department has found that pulses, meat, vegetables, mixed spices and other spices, bread, curd, grains, processed drinking water, noodles, tea, lentil, ghee, imported mustard oil, cattle feed, vermicelli, honey, bakery items, wheat flour, rice, sweets, sunflower oil, caramel sauce, chicken feed, biscuits, dumplings, vegetarian sauce, vinegar among others are of relatively poor quality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Along with the production of inedible items in the market, there is widespread adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The department informed that apart from making pudding from stale rice in the hotels, the traders are promoting black market by water with milk, low quality of rice with advanced variety of rice, other types of beaten rice with Taichin beaten rice, pure mustard oil with other types of oil, pure ghee with vegetable ghee, and honey with sugar syrup, etc.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Consumer Protection Act provides that companies or individuals who adulterate food items can be imprisoned for a period of three to ten years. As per advocate Dulal, since the Act is weak, action should be taken under Sections 107, 108 and 109 of the Criminal Code instead.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15525', 'image' => '20220814123950_market monitoring.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 12:39:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15783', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Urges Victims of Loan Sharking to File Complaints ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences. A notice issued by the taskforce formed to recommend for controlling of loan sharking has urged the victims to file the complaints within August 21. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to form the taskforce last Friday upon the directive of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"In view of a network of loan sharking across the country, a public notice has been issued asking the victims to file complaints in the respective district administration office along with substantial evidences," read the notice issued by the taskforce coordinator Dr Bhishma Bhusal. <br /> Efforts were on to book those involved in the illegal activity, said the ministry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce under the leadership of the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu organised talks with the victims of loan sharking from Pratappur and Susta rural municipalities in Nawalparasi (West), who have been protesting the illegal activities in Kathmandu by forming a struggle committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce headed by Home Ministry's joint-secretary Dr Bhishma Bhusal includes Senior Superintendent of Police of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police Dinesh Acharya, Home Ministry's under-secretary (law) Shree Krishna Poudel, Kathmandu Valley’s Crime Investigation Office's Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Koirala and National Investigation Department's deputy-investigation director Mukund Marhattha. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Likewise, CIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Roshan Khadka is the taskforce member-secretary. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce has been assigned to submit a report within a month. It will visit those districts reporting the incidences of loan sharking, find out such causes and suggest ways for a solution. It will establish inter-bodies coordination to book those involved in this practice and recommend ways for containing the crime in the future. -- RSS<br /> </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15524', 'image' => '20220814104031_1_PS0S6rQC7Jq3r_q1_RbQ_A.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 10:39:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15782', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN to Shift Helipad of TIA to Nalinchowk', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN is currently implementing this master plan by setting up hangar in the parking lot of the airport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Accordingly, the CAAN has signed a contract agreement for establishing a parking lot for helicopters with a capacity to accommodate 27 choppers at Nalinchowk of Bhaktapur.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN signed the contract worth Rs 150 million with Uma and Pratima/ Kali JV last Friday for the construction of the heliport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the agreement, the construction company will have to complete the heliport within ten months after signing the pact, informed CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, airline companies will operate helicopter service from their new base in Nalinchowk from mid-May next year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has allocated budget for the construction of the heliport in the current fiscal year. The aviation governing body has also allocated budget of Rs Rs 10 million for the construction of a new terminal building and a tower in Nalinchowk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has 33 ropanies of land in its name in Nalinchowk. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The plan is to shift the entire helicopter base from TIA to Nalinchowk, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He informed that the CAAN has already signed separate contracts for setting up the heliport away from TIA and to construct hangars in TIA. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the CAAN is preparing to shift the heliport away from TIA, the airline companies will be allowed to use TIA for their service. TIA will be open for helicopter service especially for transporting sick patients and during emergency or for VVIP security, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“However, commercial flights will take place from Nalinchowk,” he added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, the CAAN is preparing to construct a hangar at the current parking lot of TIA with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">TIA has the capacity to accommodate twenty two helicopters at present. The new heliport will be able to accommodate 27 choppers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN informed that a total of 38 helicopters belonging to 11 different companies are currently operational in Nepal. Among them, 21 are operating with their base in TIA.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15523', 'image' => '20220812045831_heli.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 16:57:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15781', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Policies of NRB having Adverse Effect on Investment-Friendly Environment: NCC', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. The new policy arrangements of the central bank has mostly affected small industries as well as entrepreneurs who want start their own business by taking loans from banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NCC noted that the Working Capital Loan Directive 2078 issued by the NRB indicates that the central bank is tightening credit flow and this would have an adverse effect on investment-friendly environment. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A statement issued by the NCC says that majority of the policies issued by the central bank only favour banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The proposed limit of working capital loan is not sufficient for long-term credit business and also for the sales during the upcoming Dashain festival,” says a statement issued by NCC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Banks are allowed to provide only up to 20 percent of the annual transaction amounts in working capital loans within the prescribed limit of Rs 10 million. However, the NCC has been demanding for loans up to 50 percent of the limit. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stating that the borrowers are at the receiving end due to the new monetary policy of the central bank, the NCC has urged NRB to review the interest rates on loans as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The borrowers who had taken loan at a certain interest rate are in further trouble due to the monetary policy of the central bank,” the statement further said, adding, “The borrowers are deeply trouble due to the unnatural rise in the base rate.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NCC argued that the private sector was expecting a flexible policy but the policy adopted by the central bank to discourages credit flow will ultimately shrink the economy itself.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15522', 'image' => '20220812020956_Nepal_Rastra_Bank2 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 14:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15780', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Warn of Another Protest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes. Prior to this, the transport entrepreneurs had launched a protest programme four months ago but had withdrawn their strike following an understanding with the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, a recent board meeting of the Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation on Wednesday decided to launch phase-wise protests if the agreement is not implemented by the NOC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">President of the federation Khageshwar Bohara says that they were forced to relaunch protest programmes after the NOC failed to implement the agreement reached four months ago.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation has warned that they will not entertain advanced bookings from August 18 if the transportation fare is not increased within August 16. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The transport entrepreneurs will then launch other protest programmes, reads a statement issued by the federation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation said that the NOC had written a letter on July 31 pledging to increase the transportation fare but it has not done anything concrete to this end. The federation has been saying that they will not be able to operate tankers to transport petroleum products at the current rate. They have been demanding revision of transportation fare due to the rise in prices of petroleum products. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">An expert group formed by the NOC some months ago had also suggested increasing the transportation fare. The study group has suggested increasing the fare by 3 to 16 percent depending on the route. However, the NOC leadership said that the suggestions made by the expert group was excessively high and handed over the report to Pulchowk Engineering College for further study. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'petroleum, protest, entrepreneurs, charge, fare, transport, NOC', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15521', 'image' => '20220812104846_CQjUX_dUsAA8_3_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:47:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15779', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tea Producers Accuse Indian Authorities of Trying to Impose Tax on Tea Export from Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. However, the tea producers have drawn the attention of the government stating that India is trying to bring the tea exported from Nepal under the ambit of tax. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Organising a press conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the tea producers urged the government to take necessary measures so that the tea export from Nepal is not affected by the decision taken by the Government of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers also urged the government to resolve long-standing issues related to tea farming in the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They accused the Tea Board of India of trying to discourage export of tea from Nepal against the trade agreement between the two countries. They also said that the board did not issue any prior notice regarding this issue. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea manufacturers said that the Indian authorities are trying to label the tea produced in Ilam as of low standard in order to bring the tea under the purview of tax although the tea is famous in the world market. They expressed concerns regarding this issue being discussed in the parliament of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers requested the Government of Nepal to resolve this issue through diplomatic means by forming a high-level talks team. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They expressed concern that more than 150 industries will be closed if the export of tea to India comes to a halt. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ilam is famed for producing Nepal’s orthodox tea. This district alone produces 90 percent of the total orthodox tea produced in the country. Tea farming is spread in 13,000 hectares of land in Ilam. More than 26,000 people are directly involved in tea farming in the district while 80,000 people have been employed in this business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'tea, export, India, customs, duty, Ilam', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15520', 'image' => '20220812102437_Tea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:23:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15778', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Minister Khadka Wraps Up China Visit and Returns Home', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). During the visit, the two countries reached significant agreements for bilateral cooperation including further extension of assistance in the areas of trade, connectivity, investment, health, tourism, poverty alleviation, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, education and culture, among others, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Upon his arrival, Minister Khadka organised a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport stating that his visit was vital to review the implementation of the agreements signed during the visit of his Chinese counterpart and State Councilor Wang Yi from March 25 to 27. According to the foreign minister, the visit was also fruitful in creating a consensus on additional issues of mutual interest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Foreign Minister Khadka said that Nepal-China air service has resumed while the returnee Nepali students who wish to resume their study in China can proceed for visa procedures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Minister Khadka said he has assured his Chinese counterpart about Nepal's unwavering stance on one-China policy noting that Nepal would not allow the use of its territory for any activity against China. </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"">China's Foreign Minister Wang also reiterated China's continued and unconditional support and solidarity for Nepal's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and assured to provide assistance in Nepal's development efforts as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have given stress for the timely completion of crucial understandings reached during the high-level visits made in the past,” RSS quoted Minister Khadka as saying. “Likewise, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has assured timely completion of those projects being implemented in Nepal with Chinese assistance.”</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"">According to Minister Khadka, China has agreed to provide 800 million RMB in assistance to Nepal in 2022 while assuring to provide Nepal with chemical fertilizers.</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"">Both sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism for pandemic control at border points, said Minister Khadka. Similarly, after COVID-19 pandemic subsides in Tibet region, Rasuwa-Keyrong and Tatopani-Jhagum border points would be resumed for trade and Hilsa-Pulang border will be opened for one-side trade. </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"">Upon the request of Nepal, China has agreed to provide assistance for the purchase of essentials on disaster management, mitigation and rescue tools worth 3 million RMB, and medicines and health materials worth 2 million RMB. </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"">Minister Khadka also informed that he extended gratitude to the Chinese people and government on behalf of the Government of Nepal for providing medical supplies and vaccination against COVID-19 during the pandemic. He shared that the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had expressed commitment for such assistance in the days ahead. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the Chinese government has agreed to provide assistance to set up a laboratory required to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR T Cells) at Civil Hospital and required technology, equipment and training for the treatment of blood cancer. </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"">In addition, discussion was held on continuing cooperation and support in the regional and multi-sectoral forums. Nepal and China have been extending cooperation and support in the issues of mutual interest in various international forums including the UN, and G-77+ China. </span><br /> </span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15519', 'image' => '20220812094749_Hon-FM-Narayan-Khadka-683x1024.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 09:47:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15777', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Alternative Route Opened for Gosaikunda-bound Pilgrims after Landslide Obstructs Highway ', 'sub_title' => 'Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway', 'summary' => 'August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.</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"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the landslide occurred at Majhgaun-Banuwa Ghumti on Tuesday night disrupting vehicular movement along the highway. An alternative route from Aambhanjyang Simle to Dharapani area via Taruke is being used for the time being, RSS reported. </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"">According to Rasuwa's chief district officer Nawaraj Jaisi, an assessment of the damaged section by technical team found that it might take some time to restore the route and therefore an off-road track towards Taruke was selected to divert the vehicles. </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"">RSS reported that the alternative route is narrow and congested and only light vehicles like jeeps, cars and motorcycles are able to travel along the route. </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"">Pilgrims heading towards Gosaikunda were facilitated to reach the destination via the alternative route, RSS further said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gosaikunda, one of the most famous religious sites in the country, draws a large number of devotees to take a holy dip in the freshwater lake on the day of Janai Purnina which is being celebrated this Friday (August 12). </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 Gosainkunda Area Development Committee is expecting around 15,000 devotees to attend the religious fair on the occasion of Janai Purnima.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Trade Affected</span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The disruption of vehicular movement at the Banuwa section has also affected the import of goods from China. Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway. </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"">According to RSS, the District Administration Office Rasuwa has already urged the Road Division Office to take measures for restoring the route for the convenience of trans-border trade. The landslide-hit area lacks space for division and it is estimated to take at least one month to build a gabion wall there. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Related News</span></span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Hoteliers Start Hoarding Food for Gosaikunda Fair</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"">https://www.newbusinessage.com/Articles/view/15691 </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-11', 'modified' => '2022-08-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15518', 'image' => '20220811043605_20220726031810_image_processing20220416-4-1helmts.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-11 16:35:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15791', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Company Registration Compliances Full of Hassles ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 15: Although the Office of the Company Registrar has been established for the economic development of the country by promoting investment in the fields of industry, trade and business, individuals complain the office does not work according to its plans. The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Individuals who reach the Company Registrar's Office to get new company registered or to renew the registration, and other services say they face lots of problems. As the services provided by the office are not available online, there is a large number of people at the office premises each day for registration and renewal of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ramesh Prajapati of Bhaktapur, Katunje, who came for the registration of a new company, complained that he had to wait for hours due to the crowd and on top of that he had to pay bribes to get the work done. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The purpose of establishing the said office is to make the operation and administration of the company more accessible and simple, but it's just the opposite, he shared.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The service seekers complain that they cannot see the names of the companies that have been registered in the office.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> "Until some time ago, the name of the registered companies could be seen on the website of the office," said one of the service seekers, "Now it has been removed deliberately. So the service seekers have to visit the concerned field office repeatedly to make sure that the name of the company they want to register does not match with any other company that has already been registered.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prajapati thinks that there is no reason to keep the name of the registered company secret. Stating that a company needs a name just like a person needs a name after birth, he claimed that the system of not being able to see the name is causing unnecessary suffering to the service seekers. It is also fostering institutional corruption, he says. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He complains that the employees ask for bribes on the pretext of checking if the name of the new company matches with the already registered company. If the name of the registered company is placed on the website, the customers can choose a different name without any hassle.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The employees assigned to check the company names can be assigned with other works.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the office which claims that it does not have enough staff, on the contrary, has now assigned staff for the work that the service seekers could do themselves in the past.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, another customer said that because the service provided by the office is not available online, there is a rush of 400/500 customers every day. He claimed that the bribed employees do not even seek bank statement to increase the paid-up capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Even though there is a provision that bank statements are required to increase the company's paid-up capital, after giving a bribe, the share price of the paid-up capital of any amount is approved," he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15532', 'image' => '20220815125803_1660515628.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 12:57:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15790', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Peaks to be Opened for Climbing', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Minister Shrestha made such announcement while addressing the 32<sup>nd</sup> Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Mountaineering Association on Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Minister Shrestha, government is planning to open new peaks within the range of 5,800 meters to 8,000 meters for climbing.</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 study is being conducted on which peaks will be appropriate for opening so that it can also benefit the locals and improve their living standard. Climbing permits will be issued after analyzing the impacts,” said Shrestha.</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"">Minister Shrestha made it clear that the government is ready to remove any legal hurdles faced by the mountaineering sector.</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"">He further said that the government will no longer announce one-year plan for visiting Nepal but has decided to work for the overall development of the tourism sector by announcing the Tourism Decade from 2023 to 2033.</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"">“It is necessary to establish Nepal as a major tourism destination in the world,” said Shrestha, adding, “Nepal's mountains are alluring to foreign tourists. Besides the natural beauty, Nepal can also attract tourists through adventure sports and its rich cultural heritage.” </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"">Minister Shrestha said that the government is ready to move ahead by forging collaboration with the private sector for the development of tourism sector.</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"">On the occasion, Secretary at the tourism ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane said that tourism is an important pillar of national economy and it will be strengthened by collaborating with private sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Vice Chairperson of Nepal Tourism Board, Chandra Rijal, and Chairperson of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, Khum Bahadur Subedi, stressed the need of effective collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders to boost the tourism sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, 114 peaks including Mt Everest are open for climbing. Minister Shrestha shared that a 74-point plan was being enforced to revive the tourism sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15531', 'image' => '20220815115514_Tourist Arrival (1).jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:54:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15789', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Accept Rs 12.7 Billion from World Bank ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the cabinet meeting on August 11 decided to accept the grant of approximately Rs 2.1 billion (2,256 million Japanese yen) provided by the Government of Japan for the restoration of irrigation system in eastern Nepal, said the government's spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information Technology</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"">Speaking at a press conference organised on Sunday to make the decisions taken by the meeting public, Minister Karki said that the Council of Ministers also approved the new pay scale and grades under civil servants of all level as well as the Nepalese Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, parliament service and teachers at community schools. The new pay scale has come into effect from 17 July, 2022. -- RSS</span></span></span><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15530', 'image' => '20220815111548_World.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:14:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15788', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Impacts of Election on the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November. After the announcement of the election date, political parties have started gearing up for the general elections in every nook and corners of the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The election is believed to impact not only the country’s politics but also the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The political parties and election candidates spend a large amount of money during the election campaign, which is expected to increase economic activities. Some say it is a positive aspect of election while others argue that the excess of money in the market will cause inflation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Election Commission has estimated that the total cost of the election will be around Rs 10 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The amount will basically be spent on voter education, printing of voting materials, transportation of those materials and salary of those involved in conducting the election as well as security personnel, including temporary police. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Poudel, the commission has estimated the cost of election and had requested the Finance Ministry to release the required budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, the finance ministry officials are still awaiting the cost estimates from various bodies before ascertaining the budget required for the election. They say that the exact cost of the local elections held in May is yet to be received. Home Ministry Spokesperson Dhundi Prasad Niraula says that they are yet to receive the cost estimates for the upcoming election.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government had allocated a total of Rs 17 billion for the local elections. Deputy Spokesperson of the Election Commission Surya Prasad Aryal informed that the EC had initially demanded Rs 12 billion from the government for the local election but later revised the cost estimate to Rs 8.94 billion. The finance ministry released only Rs 8.11 billion back in May.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Aryal claimed that the commission held the election with a budget of Rs 5 billion by reducing unnecessary expenses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A senior official of the finance ministry believes that the entire cost of the upcoming election will reach between Rs 20 billion to Rs 30 billion by adding the cost of the EC, Home Ministry and other government agencies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, it is not only the government that spends during the election. Political parties also loosen their wallets during the election campaigns. Although the EC fixes the ceiling for spending, the political parties hardly abide by the rule because it is not practical to force the spending limit during the election, says former secretary Bimal Wagle.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He argues that the political parties have not been able to submit a report of their expenditure during the local elections held on May 13. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Another former secretary Gopi Nath Mainali says that the political parties breach the election code and spend excessively. He argues that the officials of the EC are appointed by the political parties and therefore they turn a blind eye to the spending of the parties. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He says that the election will have both positive and negative impacts in the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Economist Dilli Raj Khanal says that the election will reduce development budget. According to Khanal, the sudden release of large amount of money in the market is likely to cause inflation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He recalled to the excessive price hike in the market during the first Constituent Assembly election. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The positive aspect of the election is that it gives short-term employment to many people, says economist Khanal. He however, says that the election does not cause an overall economic growth because it is not possible to measure it. He says that the election will cause excessive liquidity in the market and also increase imports, thereby causing pressure in the foreign exchange reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“There will be some positive impact in the overall GDP due to the increase in economic activities but it will have a negative impact in the economy due to imports,” says Khanal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15529', 'image' => '20220814052350_Election_Commission.2e16d0ba.fill-650x500.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 17:22:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15787', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More than Eighteen Thousand Foreigners Acquire Labour Permits in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits. The number of foreigners visiting Nepal for formal employment is increasing in recent years, according to the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The department informed that a total of 18,239 foreigners have acquired labour permits to work in Nepal so far. Among them, 16,044 are male and 2,195 are female. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the last fiscal year, the department issued labour permits to 2,181 foreigners. Among them, 950 had taken new permits while the remaining 1231 had renewed their work permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Most of the foreigners visiting Nepal for employment are from China. A total of 1,629 Chinese nationals were issued labour permits to work in Nepal during the last fiscal year (mid-July 2021 to mid-July 2022). </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the same period, altogether 106 people from the UK were issued labour permits to work in Nepal while 86 from the USA, 61 from Japan and 57 from India were also issued labour permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, a total of 886 foreigners have acquired labour permits in the first three months of the current fiscal year including 196 in the first month, 360 in the second month and 327 in the third month.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In the meantime, a parliamentary committee has shown concern regarding the employment of foreign nationals in Nepali industries. The Industry and Commerce and Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the federal parliament, after holding discussion with Labour Minister Sher Bahadur Kunwar, has issued a directive to the government to give priority to Nepali labourers and employ foreign nationals in the labour market only if it is absolutely necessary. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15528', 'image' => '20220814044404_postQueueImg_3-626bcca48a757.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 16:43:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15786', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Azolla Helps Reduce Dependence on Urea by Fifty Percent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. However, the farmers face shortage of chemical fertilizers each year due to the inability of the government to supply the fertilizers. On the brighter side, experts say that urea consumption can be reduced up to 50 percent with the use of Azolla plant technology introduced lately in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the experts, the cost of production of Azolla is cheap and its use does not have a negative impact on human health. The Azolla plant technology is adopted by countries like China, India, and the Philippines. Even in Nepal, the National Food Bank Limited successfully tested this technology in Gulariya Municipality of Bardia. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Prof Dr Mohan Prasad Panthi of the Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, who is assisting in this work, only 50 kg of urea will be enough instead of 100 Kg urea requirement with the use of Azolla.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a type of fern that grows in water. Panthi says that it should be sprinkled in the crop field after the paddy is planted and rooted. It takes nitrogen from air and helps other plants growing with it to take the same nitrogen. Generally, it can be used within 1 week to 12 days after planting paddy in a water-filled field. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After Azolla spreads over the entire field, the water in the paddy field should be dried. According to studies, within a few days of that, Azolla will decompose and water can be added again.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla also helps in destroying other weeds growing in the paddy fields and keeping the soil moist and fertile. It can be produced by creating a water pond. Panthi says that 1 kg of Azolla plant can be produced in an easy way as the production will double within 15 days of keeping it in the pond.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to him, Azolla can be produced at the rate of 2 paisa per kg. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“The most positive aspect of this plant is that it also plays a role in increasing the production of rice. Various researches have shown that rice production increased by 10 to 14 percent in the fields where Azolla was used,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prof Dr Panthi added that Azolla can be dried and used in the feed of chickens and cattle, so it is considered as a multi-purpose plant. Using Azolla in feed improves the health of chickens and also increases the production of meat and egg. By feeding Azolla to cows and buffaloes mixed with sawdust or hay, milk production can also increased by 10 percent.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a free floating fern having 6 known species. Azolla Pinata is the most popular species in Asia. It ensures sufficient atmospheric nitrogen for rapid plant growth and also provides a source of organic nitrogen fertilizer to plants. It can be considered as an aqueous green manure. Recently, Azolla is emerging as an aspect of special interest in paddy cultivation.</span></span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15527', 'image' => '20220814030921_EDHr-e3VAAAbWgA.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 15:07:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15785', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Electricity Regulatory Commission Member ‘Troubling’ Small Hydro Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There is a provision in the Electricity Purchase Regulation that a public hearing is not required if the energy buyer enters into a power purchase agreement (PPA) and seeks the approval of the commission for hydropower projects with a capacity of less than 100 megawatts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, Rameshwar Prasad Kalwar, a member of the commission, insists that a public hearing should be held for any project which is in violation with the regulation, a hydroelectric power promoter told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project seeking approval for PPA has not received approval from the commission due to the stance taken by Kalwar, causing a delay in the financial management of the project. The cost of the project is increasing due to the inordinate delay in obtaining the PPA approval.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Also, the cost of construction of small hydropower projects is higher than that of large projects. On top of that, the cost of the project is expected to increase further after the members of the regulatory commission insisted on not giving consent to the PPA without a public hearing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Government of Nepal has treats the projects smaller than 100 megawatts and projects larger than that differently. For example, when constructing a project larger than 100 MW, the government will build the road and transmission line for the project site. However, small projects have to do it on their own. If the transmission line is not built on time, the generated electricity will be wasted.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, if a project larger than 100 megawatts is backed by foreign investment, the PPA is done in terms of dollars. There is also arrangement for hedging, facility to take the profit abroad in dollars, and the government will also take 70 per cent of the loan risk through hedging. Therefore, the commission should hold a public hearing while giving consent to the PPA of projects of this nature. Since the PPA rate of big projects is not fixed, a public hearing is also required to increase the purchase and sale rate.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, small projects don't even ask for dollar facilities and they don't need hedging facility either. The promoters have to bear a 100 per cent loan. The electricity authority has fixed the PPA rate at Rs 4.8 in the rainy season and Rs 8.4 in winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15526', 'image' => '20220814015749_elec.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 13:57:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15784', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Black Marketing of Food Flourishes despite Action by the Government', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. However, despite the government's efforts to maintain food quality and hygiene, the results are still not visible. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As per the progress report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for the fiscal year 2021/22, the department took legal action against 100 manufacturing companies producing inedible products in the last fiscal year. However, the number of people or firms producing inedible products in the market is still rising.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The report states that the number of cases in the review year increased by 15 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. After collecting samples of 4,660 food and grain items in the fiscal year 2021/22, the department registered cases against 115 companies under the Food Act, 2023, after discovering that the companies produced inedible items. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the review year, the department had monitored food and grain markets, industries, hotels, restaurants, and fairs for 8066 times. From mid-October 2021, rapid pesticide residue testing laboratories were established at seven checkpoints in Terai and 56,338 samples of vegetables and fruits were tested for pesticide residues. Regardless of these measure, the department has failed to gain the trust of the consumers. The department is continuously stepped up action, but the consumers are not convinced since the black market is still flourishing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Food Act, 2023 was formulated to maintain the purity of food and safeguard health and comfort of the common people by ensuring that there is no adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If the charges against the defaulting companies are proved according to the law, Section 3 of the 'Food Act, 2023' has provision to punish the operators of the company producing and selling contaminated food with imprisonment up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jyoti Baniya, president of the Forum for Protection of Public Interest said that the companies producing inedible food items is increasing despite increase in action by the department because its action is weak and ineffective. Lawyer Hari Prasad Dulal said that even though there are many companies in the market that produce food and beverages with no labels and the products are of low quality, illegal, contaminated, and unlicensed, the department hardly takes any legal action against majority of those producers.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The latest data released by the department has found that pulses, meat, vegetables, mixed spices and other spices, bread, curd, grains, processed drinking water, noodles, tea, lentil, ghee, imported mustard oil, cattle feed, vermicelli, honey, bakery items, wheat flour, rice, sweets, sunflower oil, caramel sauce, chicken feed, biscuits, dumplings, vegetarian sauce, vinegar among others are of relatively poor quality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Along with the production of inedible items in the market, there is widespread adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The department informed that apart from making pudding from stale rice in the hotels, the traders are promoting black market by water with milk, low quality of rice with advanced variety of rice, other types of beaten rice with Taichin beaten rice, pure mustard oil with other types of oil, pure ghee with vegetable ghee, and honey with sugar syrup, etc.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Consumer Protection Act provides that companies or individuals who adulterate food items can be imprisoned for a period of three to ten years. As per advocate Dulal, since the Act is weak, action should be taken under Sections 107, 108 and 109 of the Criminal Code instead.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15525', 'image' => '20220814123950_market monitoring.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 12:39:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15783', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Urges Victims of Loan Sharking to File Complaints ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences. A notice issued by the taskforce formed to recommend for controlling of loan sharking has urged the victims to file the complaints within August 21. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to form the taskforce last Friday upon the directive of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"In view of a network of loan sharking across the country, a public notice has been issued asking the victims to file complaints in the respective district administration office along with substantial evidences," read the notice issued by the taskforce coordinator Dr Bhishma Bhusal. <br /> Efforts were on to book those involved in the illegal activity, said the ministry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce under the leadership of the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu organised talks with the victims of loan sharking from Pratappur and Susta rural municipalities in Nawalparasi (West), who have been protesting the illegal activities in Kathmandu by forming a struggle committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce headed by Home Ministry's joint-secretary Dr Bhishma Bhusal includes Senior Superintendent of Police of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police Dinesh Acharya, Home Ministry's under-secretary (law) Shree Krishna Poudel, Kathmandu Valley’s Crime Investigation Office's Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Koirala and National Investigation Department's deputy-investigation director Mukund Marhattha. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Likewise, CIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Roshan Khadka is the taskforce member-secretary. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce has been assigned to submit a report within a month. It will visit those districts reporting the incidences of loan sharking, find out such causes and suggest ways for a solution. It will establish inter-bodies coordination to book those involved in this practice and recommend ways for containing the crime in the future. -- RSS<br /> </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15524', 'image' => '20220814104031_1_PS0S6rQC7Jq3r_q1_RbQ_A.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 10:39:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15782', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN to Shift Helipad of TIA to Nalinchowk', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN is currently implementing this master plan by setting up hangar in the parking lot of the airport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Accordingly, the CAAN has signed a contract agreement for establishing a parking lot for helicopters with a capacity to accommodate 27 choppers at Nalinchowk of Bhaktapur.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN signed the contract worth Rs 150 million with Uma and Pratima/ Kali JV last Friday for the construction of the heliport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the agreement, the construction company will have to complete the heliport within ten months after signing the pact, informed CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, airline companies will operate helicopter service from their new base in Nalinchowk from mid-May next year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has allocated budget for the construction of the heliport in the current fiscal year. The aviation governing body has also allocated budget of Rs Rs 10 million for the construction of a new terminal building and a tower in Nalinchowk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has 33 ropanies of land in its name in Nalinchowk. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The plan is to shift the entire helicopter base from TIA to Nalinchowk, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He informed that the CAAN has already signed separate contracts for setting up the heliport away from TIA and to construct hangars in TIA. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the CAAN is preparing to shift the heliport away from TIA, the airline companies will be allowed to use TIA for their service. TIA will be open for helicopter service especially for transporting sick patients and during emergency or for VVIP security, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“However, commercial flights will take place from Nalinchowk,” he added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, the CAAN is preparing to construct a hangar at the current parking lot of TIA with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">TIA has the capacity to accommodate twenty two helicopters at present. The new heliport will be able to accommodate 27 choppers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN informed that a total of 38 helicopters belonging to 11 different companies are currently operational in Nepal. Among them, 21 are operating with their base in TIA.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15523', 'image' => '20220812045831_heli.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 16:57:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15781', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Policies of NRB having Adverse Effect on Investment-Friendly Environment: NCC', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. The new policy arrangements of the central bank has mostly affected small industries as well as entrepreneurs who want start their own business by taking loans from banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NCC noted that the Working Capital Loan Directive 2078 issued by the NRB indicates that the central bank is tightening credit flow and this would have an adverse effect on investment-friendly environment. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A statement issued by the NCC says that majority of the policies issued by the central bank only favour banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The proposed limit of working capital loan is not sufficient for long-term credit business and also for the sales during the upcoming Dashain festival,” says a statement issued by NCC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Banks are allowed to provide only up to 20 percent of the annual transaction amounts in working capital loans within the prescribed limit of Rs 10 million. However, the NCC has been demanding for loans up to 50 percent of the limit. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stating that the borrowers are at the receiving end due to the new monetary policy of the central bank, the NCC has urged NRB to review the interest rates on loans as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The borrowers who had taken loan at a certain interest rate are in further trouble due to the monetary policy of the central bank,” the statement further said, adding, “The borrowers are deeply trouble due to the unnatural rise in the base rate.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NCC argued that the private sector was expecting a flexible policy but the policy adopted by the central bank to discourages credit flow will ultimately shrink the economy itself.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15522', 'image' => '20220812020956_Nepal_Rastra_Bank2 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 14:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15780', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Warn of Another Protest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes. Prior to this, the transport entrepreneurs had launched a protest programme four months ago but had withdrawn their strike following an understanding with the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, a recent board meeting of the Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation on Wednesday decided to launch phase-wise protests if the agreement is not implemented by the NOC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">President of the federation Khageshwar Bohara says that they were forced to relaunch protest programmes after the NOC failed to implement the agreement reached four months ago.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation has warned that they will not entertain advanced bookings from August 18 if the transportation fare is not increased within August 16. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The transport entrepreneurs will then launch other protest programmes, reads a statement issued by the federation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation said that the NOC had written a letter on July 31 pledging to increase the transportation fare but it has not done anything concrete to this end. The federation has been saying that they will not be able to operate tankers to transport petroleum products at the current rate. They have been demanding revision of transportation fare due to the rise in prices of petroleum products. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">An expert group formed by the NOC some months ago had also suggested increasing the transportation fare. The study group has suggested increasing the fare by 3 to 16 percent depending on the route. However, the NOC leadership said that the suggestions made by the expert group was excessively high and handed over the report to Pulchowk Engineering College for further study. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'petroleum, protest, entrepreneurs, charge, fare, transport, NOC', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15521', 'image' => '20220812104846_CQjUX_dUsAA8_3_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:47:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15779', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tea Producers Accuse Indian Authorities of Trying to Impose Tax on Tea Export from Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. However, the tea producers have drawn the attention of the government stating that India is trying to bring the tea exported from Nepal under the ambit of tax. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Organising a press conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the tea producers urged the government to take necessary measures so that the tea export from Nepal is not affected by the decision taken by the Government of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers also urged the government to resolve long-standing issues related to tea farming in the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They accused the Tea Board of India of trying to discourage export of tea from Nepal against the trade agreement between the two countries. They also said that the board did not issue any prior notice regarding this issue. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea manufacturers said that the Indian authorities are trying to label the tea produced in Ilam as of low standard in order to bring the tea under the purview of tax although the tea is famous in the world market. They expressed concerns regarding this issue being discussed in the parliament of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers requested the Government of Nepal to resolve this issue through diplomatic means by forming a high-level talks team. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They expressed concern that more than 150 industries will be closed if the export of tea to India comes to a halt. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ilam is famed for producing Nepal’s orthodox tea. This district alone produces 90 percent of the total orthodox tea produced in the country. Tea farming is spread in 13,000 hectares of land in Ilam. More than 26,000 people are directly involved in tea farming in the district while 80,000 people have been employed in this business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'tea, export, India, customs, duty, Ilam', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15520', 'image' => '20220812102437_Tea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:23:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15778', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Minister Khadka Wraps Up China Visit and Returns Home', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). During the visit, the two countries reached significant agreements for bilateral cooperation including further extension of assistance in the areas of trade, connectivity, investment, health, tourism, poverty alleviation, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, education and culture, among others, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Upon his arrival, Minister Khadka organised a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport stating that his visit was vital to review the implementation of the agreements signed during the visit of his Chinese counterpart and State Councilor Wang Yi from March 25 to 27. According to the foreign minister, the visit was also fruitful in creating a consensus on additional issues of mutual interest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Foreign Minister Khadka said that Nepal-China air service has resumed while the returnee Nepali students who wish to resume their study in China can proceed for visa procedures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Minister Khadka said he has assured his Chinese counterpart about Nepal's unwavering stance on one-China policy noting that Nepal would not allow the use of its territory for any activity against China. </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"">China's Foreign Minister Wang also reiterated China's continued and unconditional support and solidarity for Nepal's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and assured to provide assistance in Nepal's development efforts as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have given stress for the timely completion of crucial understandings reached during the high-level visits made in the past,” RSS quoted Minister Khadka as saying. “Likewise, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has assured timely completion of those projects being implemented in Nepal with Chinese assistance.”</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"">According to Minister Khadka, China has agreed to provide 800 million RMB in assistance to Nepal in 2022 while assuring to provide Nepal with chemical fertilizers.</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"">Both sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism for pandemic control at border points, said Minister Khadka. Similarly, after COVID-19 pandemic subsides in Tibet region, Rasuwa-Keyrong and Tatopani-Jhagum border points would be resumed for trade and Hilsa-Pulang border will be opened for one-side trade. </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"">Upon the request of Nepal, China has agreed to provide assistance for the purchase of essentials on disaster management, mitigation and rescue tools worth 3 million RMB, and medicines and health materials worth 2 million RMB. </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"">Minister Khadka also informed that he extended gratitude to the Chinese people and government on behalf of the Government of Nepal for providing medical supplies and vaccination against COVID-19 during the pandemic. He shared that the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had expressed commitment for such assistance in the days ahead. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the Chinese government has agreed to provide assistance to set up a laboratory required to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR T Cells) at Civil Hospital and required technology, equipment and training for the treatment of blood cancer. </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"">In addition, discussion was held on continuing cooperation and support in the regional and multi-sectoral forums. Nepal and China have been extending cooperation and support in the issues of mutual interest in various international forums including the UN, and G-77+ China. </span><br /> </span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15519', 'image' => '20220812094749_Hon-FM-Narayan-Khadka-683x1024.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 09:47:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15777', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Alternative Route Opened for Gosaikunda-bound Pilgrims after Landslide Obstructs Highway ', 'sub_title' => 'Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway', 'summary' => 'August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.</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"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the landslide occurred at Majhgaun-Banuwa Ghumti on Tuesday night disrupting vehicular movement along the highway. An alternative route from Aambhanjyang Simle to Dharapani area via Taruke is being used for the time being, RSS reported. </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"">According to Rasuwa's chief district officer Nawaraj Jaisi, an assessment of the damaged section by technical team found that it might take some time to restore the route and therefore an off-road track towards Taruke was selected to divert the vehicles. </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"">RSS reported that the alternative route is narrow and congested and only light vehicles like jeeps, cars and motorcycles are able to travel along the route. </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"">Pilgrims heading towards Gosaikunda were facilitated to reach the destination via the alternative route, RSS further said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gosaikunda, one of the most famous religious sites in the country, draws a large number of devotees to take a holy dip in the freshwater lake on the day of Janai Purnina which is being celebrated this Friday (August 12). </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 Gosainkunda Area Development Committee is expecting around 15,000 devotees to attend the religious fair on the occasion of Janai Purnima.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Trade Affected</span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The disruption of vehicular movement at the Banuwa section has also affected the import of goods from China. Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway. </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"">According to RSS, the District Administration Office Rasuwa has already urged the Road Division Office to take measures for restoring the route for the convenience of trans-border trade. The landslide-hit area lacks space for division and it is estimated to take at least one month to build a gabion wall there. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Related News</span></span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Hoteliers Start Hoarding Food for Gosaikunda Fair</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"">https://www.newbusinessage.com/Articles/view/15691 </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-11', 'modified' => '2022-08-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15518', 'image' => '20220811043605_20220726031810_image_processing20220416-4-1helmts.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-11 16:35:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15791', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Company Registration Compliances Full of Hassles ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 15: Although the Office of the Company Registrar has been established for the economic development of the country by promoting investment in the fields of industry, trade and business, individuals complain the office does not work according to its plans. The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Individuals who reach the Company Registrar's Office to get new company registered or to renew the registration, and other services say they face lots of problems. As the services provided by the office are not available online, there is a large number of people at the office premises each day for registration and renewal of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ramesh Prajapati of Bhaktapur, Katunje, who came for the registration of a new company, complained that he had to wait for hours due to the crowd and on top of that he had to pay bribes to get the work done. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The purpose of establishing the said office is to make the operation and administration of the company more accessible and simple, but it's just the opposite, he shared.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The service seekers complain that they cannot see the names of the companies that have been registered in the office.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> "Until some time ago, the name of the registered companies could be seen on the website of the office," said one of the service seekers, "Now it has been removed deliberately. So the service seekers have to visit the concerned field office repeatedly to make sure that the name of the company they want to register does not match with any other company that has already been registered.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prajapati thinks that there is no reason to keep the name of the registered company secret. Stating that a company needs a name just like a person needs a name after birth, he claimed that the system of not being able to see the name is causing unnecessary suffering to the service seekers. It is also fostering institutional corruption, he says. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He complains that the employees ask for bribes on the pretext of checking if the name of the new company matches with the already registered company. If the name of the registered company is placed on the website, the customers can choose a different name without any hassle.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The employees assigned to check the company names can be assigned with other works.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the office which claims that it does not have enough staff, on the contrary, has now assigned staff for the work that the service seekers could do themselves in the past.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, another customer said that because the service provided by the office is not available online, there is a rush of 400/500 customers every day. He claimed that the bribed employees do not even seek bank statement to increase the paid-up capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Even though there is a provision that bank statements are required to increase the company's paid-up capital, after giving a bribe, the share price of the paid-up capital of any amount is approved," he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15532', 'image' => '20220815125803_1660515628.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 12:57:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15790', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Peaks to be Opened for Climbing', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Minister Shrestha made such announcement while addressing the 32<sup>nd</sup> Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Mountaineering Association on Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Minister Shrestha, government is planning to open new peaks within the range of 5,800 meters to 8,000 meters for climbing.</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 study is being conducted on which peaks will be appropriate for opening so that it can also benefit the locals and improve their living standard. Climbing permits will be issued after analyzing the impacts,” said Shrestha.</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"">Minister Shrestha made it clear that the government is ready to remove any legal hurdles faced by the mountaineering sector.</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"">He further said that the government will no longer announce one-year plan for visiting Nepal but has decided to work for the overall development of the tourism sector by announcing the Tourism Decade from 2023 to 2033.</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"">“It is necessary to establish Nepal as a major tourism destination in the world,” said Shrestha, adding, “Nepal's mountains are alluring to foreign tourists. Besides the natural beauty, Nepal can also attract tourists through adventure sports and its rich cultural heritage.” </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"">Minister Shrestha said that the government is ready to move ahead by forging collaboration with the private sector for the development of tourism sector.</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"">On the occasion, Secretary at the tourism ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane said that tourism is an important pillar of national economy and it will be strengthened by collaborating with private sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Vice Chairperson of Nepal Tourism Board, Chandra Rijal, and Chairperson of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, Khum Bahadur Subedi, stressed the need of effective collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders to boost the tourism sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, 114 peaks including Mt Everest are open for climbing. Minister Shrestha shared that a 74-point plan was being enforced to revive the tourism sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15531', 'image' => '20220815115514_Tourist Arrival (1).jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:54:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15789', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Accept Rs 12.7 Billion from World Bank ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the cabinet meeting on August 11 decided to accept the grant of approximately Rs 2.1 billion (2,256 million Japanese yen) provided by the Government of Japan for the restoration of irrigation system in eastern Nepal, said the government's spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information Technology</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"">Speaking at a press conference organised on Sunday to make the decisions taken by the meeting public, Minister Karki said that the Council of Ministers also approved the new pay scale and grades under civil servants of all level as well as the Nepalese Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, parliament service and teachers at community schools. The new pay scale has come into effect from 17 July, 2022. -- RSS</span></span></span><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15530', 'image' => '20220815111548_World.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:14:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15788', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Impacts of Election on the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November. After the announcement of the election date, political parties have started gearing up for the general elections in every nook and corners of the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The election is believed to impact not only the country’s politics but also the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The political parties and election candidates spend a large amount of money during the election campaign, which is expected to increase economic activities. Some say it is a positive aspect of election while others argue that the excess of money in the market will cause inflation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Election Commission has estimated that the total cost of the election will be around Rs 10 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The amount will basically be spent on voter education, printing of voting materials, transportation of those materials and salary of those involved in conducting the election as well as security personnel, including temporary police. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Poudel, the commission has estimated the cost of election and had requested the Finance Ministry to release the required budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, the finance ministry officials are still awaiting the cost estimates from various bodies before ascertaining the budget required for the election. They say that the exact cost of the local elections held in May is yet to be received. Home Ministry Spokesperson Dhundi Prasad Niraula says that they are yet to receive the cost estimates for the upcoming election.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government had allocated a total of Rs 17 billion for the local elections. Deputy Spokesperson of the Election Commission Surya Prasad Aryal informed that the EC had initially demanded Rs 12 billion from the government for the local election but later revised the cost estimate to Rs 8.94 billion. The finance ministry released only Rs 8.11 billion back in May.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Aryal claimed that the commission held the election with a budget of Rs 5 billion by reducing unnecessary expenses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A senior official of the finance ministry believes that the entire cost of the upcoming election will reach between Rs 20 billion to Rs 30 billion by adding the cost of the EC, Home Ministry and other government agencies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, it is not only the government that spends during the election. Political parties also loosen their wallets during the election campaigns. Although the EC fixes the ceiling for spending, the political parties hardly abide by the rule because it is not practical to force the spending limit during the election, says former secretary Bimal Wagle.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He argues that the political parties have not been able to submit a report of their expenditure during the local elections held on May 13. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Another former secretary Gopi Nath Mainali says that the political parties breach the election code and spend excessively. He argues that the officials of the EC are appointed by the political parties and therefore they turn a blind eye to the spending of the parties. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He says that the election will have both positive and negative impacts in the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Economist Dilli Raj Khanal says that the election will reduce development budget. According to Khanal, the sudden release of large amount of money in the market is likely to cause inflation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He recalled to the excessive price hike in the market during the first Constituent Assembly election. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The positive aspect of the election is that it gives short-term employment to many people, says economist Khanal. He however, says that the election does not cause an overall economic growth because it is not possible to measure it. He says that the election will cause excessive liquidity in the market and also increase imports, thereby causing pressure in the foreign exchange reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“There will be some positive impact in the overall GDP due to the increase in economic activities but it will have a negative impact in the economy due to imports,” says Khanal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15529', 'image' => '20220814052350_Election_Commission.2e16d0ba.fill-650x500.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 17:22:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15787', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More than Eighteen Thousand Foreigners Acquire Labour Permits in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits. The number of foreigners visiting Nepal for formal employment is increasing in recent years, according to the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The department informed that a total of 18,239 foreigners have acquired labour permits to work in Nepal so far. Among them, 16,044 are male and 2,195 are female. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the last fiscal year, the department issued labour permits to 2,181 foreigners. Among them, 950 had taken new permits while the remaining 1231 had renewed their work permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Most of the foreigners visiting Nepal for employment are from China. A total of 1,629 Chinese nationals were issued labour permits to work in Nepal during the last fiscal year (mid-July 2021 to mid-July 2022). </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the same period, altogether 106 people from the UK were issued labour permits to work in Nepal while 86 from the USA, 61 from Japan and 57 from India were also issued labour permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, a total of 886 foreigners have acquired labour permits in the first three months of the current fiscal year including 196 in the first month, 360 in the second month and 327 in the third month.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In the meantime, a parliamentary committee has shown concern regarding the employment of foreign nationals in Nepali industries. The Industry and Commerce and Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the federal parliament, after holding discussion with Labour Minister Sher Bahadur Kunwar, has issued a directive to the government to give priority to Nepali labourers and employ foreign nationals in the labour market only if it is absolutely necessary. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15528', 'image' => '20220814044404_postQueueImg_3-626bcca48a757.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 16:43:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15786', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Azolla Helps Reduce Dependence on Urea by Fifty Percent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. However, the farmers face shortage of chemical fertilizers each year due to the inability of the government to supply the fertilizers. On the brighter side, experts say that urea consumption can be reduced up to 50 percent with the use of Azolla plant technology introduced lately in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the experts, the cost of production of Azolla is cheap and its use does not have a negative impact on human health. The Azolla plant technology is adopted by countries like China, India, and the Philippines. Even in Nepal, the National Food Bank Limited successfully tested this technology in Gulariya Municipality of Bardia. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Prof Dr Mohan Prasad Panthi of the Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, who is assisting in this work, only 50 kg of urea will be enough instead of 100 Kg urea requirement with the use of Azolla.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a type of fern that grows in water. Panthi says that it should be sprinkled in the crop field after the paddy is planted and rooted. It takes nitrogen from air and helps other plants growing with it to take the same nitrogen. Generally, it can be used within 1 week to 12 days after planting paddy in a water-filled field. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After Azolla spreads over the entire field, the water in the paddy field should be dried. According to studies, within a few days of that, Azolla will decompose and water can be added again.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla also helps in destroying other weeds growing in the paddy fields and keeping the soil moist and fertile. It can be produced by creating a water pond. Panthi says that 1 kg of Azolla plant can be produced in an easy way as the production will double within 15 days of keeping it in the pond.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to him, Azolla can be produced at the rate of 2 paisa per kg. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“The most positive aspect of this plant is that it also plays a role in increasing the production of rice. Various researches have shown that rice production increased by 10 to 14 percent in the fields where Azolla was used,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prof Dr Panthi added that Azolla can be dried and used in the feed of chickens and cattle, so it is considered as a multi-purpose plant. Using Azolla in feed improves the health of chickens and also increases the production of meat and egg. By feeding Azolla to cows and buffaloes mixed with sawdust or hay, milk production can also increased by 10 percent.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a free floating fern having 6 known species. Azolla Pinata is the most popular species in Asia. It ensures sufficient atmospheric nitrogen for rapid plant growth and also provides a source of organic nitrogen fertilizer to plants. It can be considered as an aqueous green manure. Recently, Azolla is emerging as an aspect of special interest in paddy cultivation.</span></span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15527', 'image' => '20220814030921_EDHr-e3VAAAbWgA.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 15:07:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15785', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Electricity Regulatory Commission Member ‘Troubling’ Small Hydro Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There is a provision in the Electricity Purchase Regulation that a public hearing is not required if the energy buyer enters into a power purchase agreement (PPA) and seeks the approval of the commission for hydropower projects with a capacity of less than 100 megawatts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, Rameshwar Prasad Kalwar, a member of the commission, insists that a public hearing should be held for any project which is in violation with the regulation, a hydroelectric power promoter told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project seeking approval for PPA has not received approval from the commission due to the stance taken by Kalwar, causing a delay in the financial management of the project. The cost of the project is increasing due to the inordinate delay in obtaining the PPA approval.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Also, the cost of construction of small hydropower projects is higher than that of large projects. On top of that, the cost of the project is expected to increase further after the members of the regulatory commission insisted on not giving consent to the PPA without a public hearing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Government of Nepal has treats the projects smaller than 100 megawatts and projects larger than that differently. For example, when constructing a project larger than 100 MW, the government will build the road and transmission line for the project site. However, small projects have to do it on their own. If the transmission line is not built on time, the generated electricity will be wasted.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, if a project larger than 100 megawatts is backed by foreign investment, the PPA is done in terms of dollars. There is also arrangement for hedging, facility to take the profit abroad in dollars, and the government will also take 70 per cent of the loan risk through hedging. Therefore, the commission should hold a public hearing while giving consent to the PPA of projects of this nature. Since the PPA rate of big projects is not fixed, a public hearing is also required to increase the purchase and sale rate.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, small projects don't even ask for dollar facilities and they don't need hedging facility either. The promoters have to bear a 100 per cent loan. The electricity authority has fixed the PPA rate at Rs 4.8 in the rainy season and Rs 8.4 in winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15526', 'image' => '20220814015749_elec.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 13:57:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15784', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Black Marketing of Food Flourishes despite Action by the Government', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. However, despite the government's efforts to maintain food quality and hygiene, the results are still not visible. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As per the progress report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for the fiscal year 2021/22, the department took legal action against 100 manufacturing companies producing inedible products in the last fiscal year. However, the number of people or firms producing inedible products in the market is still rising.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The report states that the number of cases in the review year increased by 15 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. After collecting samples of 4,660 food and grain items in the fiscal year 2021/22, the department registered cases against 115 companies under the Food Act, 2023, after discovering that the companies produced inedible items. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the review year, the department had monitored food and grain markets, industries, hotels, restaurants, and fairs for 8066 times. From mid-October 2021, rapid pesticide residue testing laboratories were established at seven checkpoints in Terai and 56,338 samples of vegetables and fruits were tested for pesticide residues. Regardless of these measure, the department has failed to gain the trust of the consumers. The department is continuously stepped up action, but the consumers are not convinced since the black market is still flourishing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Food Act, 2023 was formulated to maintain the purity of food and safeguard health and comfort of the common people by ensuring that there is no adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If the charges against the defaulting companies are proved according to the law, Section 3 of the 'Food Act, 2023' has provision to punish the operators of the company producing and selling contaminated food with imprisonment up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jyoti Baniya, president of the Forum for Protection of Public Interest said that the companies producing inedible food items is increasing despite increase in action by the department because its action is weak and ineffective. Lawyer Hari Prasad Dulal said that even though there are many companies in the market that produce food and beverages with no labels and the products are of low quality, illegal, contaminated, and unlicensed, the department hardly takes any legal action against majority of those producers.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The latest data released by the department has found that pulses, meat, vegetables, mixed spices and other spices, bread, curd, grains, processed drinking water, noodles, tea, lentil, ghee, imported mustard oil, cattle feed, vermicelli, honey, bakery items, wheat flour, rice, sweets, sunflower oil, caramel sauce, chicken feed, biscuits, dumplings, vegetarian sauce, vinegar among others are of relatively poor quality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Along with the production of inedible items in the market, there is widespread adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The department informed that apart from making pudding from stale rice in the hotels, the traders are promoting black market by water with milk, low quality of rice with advanced variety of rice, other types of beaten rice with Taichin beaten rice, pure mustard oil with other types of oil, pure ghee with vegetable ghee, and honey with sugar syrup, etc.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Consumer Protection Act provides that companies or individuals who adulterate food items can be imprisoned for a period of three to ten years. As per advocate Dulal, since the Act is weak, action should be taken under Sections 107, 108 and 109 of the Criminal Code instead.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15525', 'image' => '20220814123950_market monitoring.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 12:39:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15783', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Urges Victims of Loan Sharking to File Complaints ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences. A notice issued by the taskforce formed to recommend for controlling of loan sharking has urged the victims to file the complaints within August 21. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to form the taskforce last Friday upon the directive of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"In view of a network of loan sharking across the country, a public notice has been issued asking the victims to file complaints in the respective district administration office along with substantial evidences," read the notice issued by the taskforce coordinator Dr Bhishma Bhusal. <br /> Efforts were on to book those involved in the illegal activity, said the ministry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce under the leadership of the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu organised talks with the victims of loan sharking from Pratappur and Susta rural municipalities in Nawalparasi (West), who have been protesting the illegal activities in Kathmandu by forming a struggle committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce headed by Home Ministry's joint-secretary Dr Bhishma Bhusal includes Senior Superintendent of Police of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police Dinesh Acharya, Home Ministry's under-secretary (law) Shree Krishna Poudel, Kathmandu Valley’s Crime Investigation Office's Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Koirala and National Investigation Department's deputy-investigation director Mukund Marhattha. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Likewise, CIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Roshan Khadka is the taskforce member-secretary. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce has been assigned to submit a report within a month. It will visit those districts reporting the incidences of loan sharking, find out such causes and suggest ways for a solution. It will establish inter-bodies coordination to book those involved in this practice and recommend ways for containing the crime in the future. -- RSS<br /> </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15524', 'image' => '20220814104031_1_PS0S6rQC7Jq3r_q1_RbQ_A.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 10:39:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15782', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN to Shift Helipad of TIA to Nalinchowk', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN is currently implementing this master plan by setting up hangar in the parking lot of the airport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Accordingly, the CAAN has signed a contract agreement for establishing a parking lot for helicopters with a capacity to accommodate 27 choppers at Nalinchowk of Bhaktapur.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN signed the contract worth Rs 150 million with Uma and Pratima/ Kali JV last Friday for the construction of the heliport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the agreement, the construction company will have to complete the heliport within ten months after signing the pact, informed CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, airline companies will operate helicopter service from their new base in Nalinchowk from mid-May next year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has allocated budget for the construction of the heliport in the current fiscal year. The aviation governing body has also allocated budget of Rs Rs 10 million for the construction of a new terminal building and a tower in Nalinchowk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has 33 ropanies of land in its name in Nalinchowk. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The plan is to shift the entire helicopter base from TIA to Nalinchowk, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He informed that the CAAN has already signed separate contracts for setting up the heliport away from TIA and to construct hangars in TIA. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the CAAN is preparing to shift the heliport away from TIA, the airline companies will be allowed to use TIA for their service. TIA will be open for helicopter service especially for transporting sick patients and during emergency or for VVIP security, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“However, commercial flights will take place from Nalinchowk,” he added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, the CAAN is preparing to construct a hangar at the current parking lot of TIA with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">TIA has the capacity to accommodate twenty two helicopters at present. The new heliport will be able to accommodate 27 choppers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN informed that a total of 38 helicopters belonging to 11 different companies are currently operational in Nepal. Among them, 21 are operating with their base in TIA.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15523', 'image' => '20220812045831_heli.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 16:57:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15781', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Policies of NRB having Adverse Effect on Investment-Friendly Environment: NCC', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. The new policy arrangements of the central bank has mostly affected small industries as well as entrepreneurs who want start their own business by taking loans from banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NCC noted that the Working Capital Loan Directive 2078 issued by the NRB indicates that the central bank is tightening credit flow and this would have an adverse effect on investment-friendly environment. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A statement issued by the NCC says that majority of the policies issued by the central bank only favour banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The proposed limit of working capital loan is not sufficient for long-term credit business and also for the sales during the upcoming Dashain festival,” says a statement issued by NCC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Banks are allowed to provide only up to 20 percent of the annual transaction amounts in working capital loans within the prescribed limit of Rs 10 million. However, the NCC has been demanding for loans up to 50 percent of the limit. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stating that the borrowers are at the receiving end due to the new monetary policy of the central bank, the NCC has urged NRB to review the interest rates on loans as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The borrowers who had taken loan at a certain interest rate are in further trouble due to the monetary policy of the central bank,” the statement further said, adding, “The borrowers are deeply trouble due to the unnatural rise in the base rate.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NCC argued that the private sector was expecting a flexible policy but the policy adopted by the central bank to discourages credit flow will ultimately shrink the economy itself.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15522', 'image' => '20220812020956_Nepal_Rastra_Bank2 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 14:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15780', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Warn of Another Protest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes. Prior to this, the transport entrepreneurs had launched a protest programme four months ago but had withdrawn their strike following an understanding with the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, a recent board meeting of the Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation on Wednesday decided to launch phase-wise protests if the agreement is not implemented by the NOC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">President of the federation Khageshwar Bohara says that they were forced to relaunch protest programmes after the NOC failed to implement the agreement reached four months ago.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation has warned that they will not entertain advanced bookings from August 18 if the transportation fare is not increased within August 16. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The transport entrepreneurs will then launch other protest programmes, reads a statement issued by the federation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation said that the NOC had written a letter on July 31 pledging to increase the transportation fare but it has not done anything concrete to this end. The federation has been saying that they will not be able to operate tankers to transport petroleum products at the current rate. They have been demanding revision of transportation fare due to the rise in prices of petroleum products. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">An expert group formed by the NOC some months ago had also suggested increasing the transportation fare. The study group has suggested increasing the fare by 3 to 16 percent depending on the route. However, the NOC leadership said that the suggestions made by the expert group was excessively high and handed over the report to Pulchowk Engineering College for further study. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'petroleum, protest, entrepreneurs, charge, fare, transport, NOC', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15521', 'image' => '20220812104846_CQjUX_dUsAA8_3_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:47:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15779', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tea Producers Accuse Indian Authorities of Trying to Impose Tax on Tea Export from Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. However, the tea producers have drawn the attention of the government stating that India is trying to bring the tea exported from Nepal under the ambit of tax. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Organising a press conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the tea producers urged the government to take necessary measures so that the tea export from Nepal is not affected by the decision taken by the Government of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers also urged the government to resolve long-standing issues related to tea farming in the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They accused the Tea Board of India of trying to discourage export of tea from Nepal against the trade agreement between the two countries. They also said that the board did not issue any prior notice regarding this issue. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea manufacturers said that the Indian authorities are trying to label the tea produced in Ilam as of low standard in order to bring the tea under the purview of tax although the tea is famous in the world market. They expressed concerns regarding this issue being discussed in the parliament of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers requested the Government of Nepal to resolve this issue through diplomatic means by forming a high-level talks team. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They expressed concern that more than 150 industries will be closed if the export of tea to India comes to a halt. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ilam is famed for producing Nepal’s orthodox tea. This district alone produces 90 percent of the total orthodox tea produced in the country. Tea farming is spread in 13,000 hectares of land in Ilam. More than 26,000 people are directly involved in tea farming in the district while 80,000 people have been employed in this business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'tea, export, India, customs, duty, Ilam', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15520', 'image' => '20220812102437_Tea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:23:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15778', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Minister Khadka Wraps Up China Visit and Returns Home', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). During the visit, the two countries reached significant agreements for bilateral cooperation including further extension of assistance in the areas of trade, connectivity, investment, health, tourism, poverty alleviation, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, education and culture, among others, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Upon his arrival, Minister Khadka organised a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport stating that his visit was vital to review the implementation of the agreements signed during the visit of his Chinese counterpart and State Councilor Wang Yi from March 25 to 27. According to the foreign minister, the visit was also fruitful in creating a consensus on additional issues of mutual interest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Foreign Minister Khadka said that Nepal-China air service has resumed while the returnee Nepali students who wish to resume their study in China can proceed for visa procedures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Minister Khadka said he has assured his Chinese counterpart about Nepal's unwavering stance on one-China policy noting that Nepal would not allow the use of its territory for any activity against China. </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"">China's Foreign Minister Wang also reiterated China's continued and unconditional support and solidarity for Nepal's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and assured to provide assistance in Nepal's development efforts as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have given stress for the timely completion of crucial understandings reached during the high-level visits made in the past,” RSS quoted Minister Khadka as saying. “Likewise, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has assured timely completion of those projects being implemented in Nepal with Chinese assistance.”</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"">According to Minister Khadka, China has agreed to provide 800 million RMB in assistance to Nepal in 2022 while assuring to provide Nepal with chemical fertilizers.</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"">Both sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism for pandemic control at border points, said Minister Khadka. Similarly, after COVID-19 pandemic subsides in Tibet region, Rasuwa-Keyrong and Tatopani-Jhagum border points would be resumed for trade and Hilsa-Pulang border will be opened for one-side trade. </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"">Upon the request of Nepal, China has agreed to provide assistance for the purchase of essentials on disaster management, mitigation and rescue tools worth 3 million RMB, and medicines and health materials worth 2 million RMB. </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"">Minister Khadka also informed that he extended gratitude to the Chinese people and government on behalf of the Government of Nepal for providing medical supplies and vaccination against COVID-19 during the pandemic. He shared that the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had expressed commitment for such assistance in the days ahead. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the Chinese government has agreed to provide assistance to set up a laboratory required to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR T Cells) at Civil Hospital and required technology, equipment and training for the treatment of blood cancer. </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"">In addition, discussion was held on continuing cooperation and support in the regional and multi-sectoral forums. Nepal and China have been extending cooperation and support in the issues of mutual interest in various international forums including the UN, and G-77+ China. </span><br /> </span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15519', 'image' => '20220812094749_Hon-FM-Narayan-Khadka-683x1024.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 09:47:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15777', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Alternative Route Opened for Gosaikunda-bound Pilgrims after Landslide Obstructs Highway ', 'sub_title' => 'Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway', 'summary' => 'August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.</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"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the landslide occurred at Majhgaun-Banuwa Ghumti on Tuesday night disrupting vehicular movement along the highway. An alternative route from Aambhanjyang Simle to Dharapani area via Taruke is being used for the time being, RSS reported. </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"">According to Rasuwa's chief district officer Nawaraj Jaisi, an assessment of the damaged section by technical team found that it might take some time to restore the route and therefore an off-road track towards Taruke was selected to divert the vehicles. </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"">RSS reported that the alternative route is narrow and congested and only light vehicles like jeeps, cars and motorcycles are able to travel along the route. </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"">Pilgrims heading towards Gosaikunda were facilitated to reach the destination via the alternative route, RSS further said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gosaikunda, one of the most famous religious sites in the country, draws a large number of devotees to take a holy dip in the freshwater lake on the day of Janai Purnina which is being celebrated this Friday (August 12). </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 Gosainkunda Area Development Committee is expecting around 15,000 devotees to attend the religious fair on the occasion of Janai Purnima.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Trade Affected</span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The disruption of vehicular movement at the Banuwa section has also affected the import of goods from China. Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway. </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"">According to RSS, the District Administration Office Rasuwa has already urged the Road Division Office to take measures for restoring the route for the convenience of trans-border trade. The landslide-hit area lacks space for division and it is estimated to take at least one month to build a gabion wall there. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Related News</span></span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Hoteliers Start Hoarding Food for Gosaikunda Fair</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"">https://www.newbusinessage.com/Articles/view/15691 </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-11', 'modified' => '2022-08-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15518', 'image' => '20220811043605_20220726031810_image_processing20220416-4-1helmts.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-11 16:35:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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The service seekers complain that they have to face unnecessary hassles for registration of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Individuals who reach the Company Registrar's Office to get new company registered or to renew the registration, and other services say they face lots of problems. As the services provided by the office are not available online, there is a large number of people at the office premises each day for registration and renewal of companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ramesh Prajapati of Bhaktapur, Katunje, who came for the registration of a new company, complained that he had to wait for hours due to the crowd and on top of that he had to pay bribes to get the work done. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The purpose of establishing the said office is to make the operation and administration of the company more accessible and simple, but it's just the opposite, he shared.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The service seekers complain that they cannot see the names of the companies that have been registered in the office.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> "Until some time ago, the name of the registered companies could be seen on the website of the office," said one of the service seekers, "Now it has been removed deliberately. So the service seekers have to visit the concerned field office repeatedly to make sure that the name of the company they want to register does not match with any other company that has already been registered.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prajapati thinks that there is no reason to keep the name of the registered company secret. Stating that a company needs a name just like a person needs a name after birth, he claimed that the system of not being able to see the name is causing unnecessary suffering to the service seekers. It is also fostering institutional corruption, he says. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He complains that the employees ask for bribes on the pretext of checking if the name of the new company matches with the already registered company. If the name of the registered company is placed on the website, the customers can choose a different name without any hassle.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The employees assigned to check the company names can be assigned with other works.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, the office which claims that it does not have enough staff, on the contrary, has now assigned staff for the work that the service seekers could do themselves in the past.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, another customer said that because the service provided by the office is not available online, there is a rush of 400/500 customers every day. He claimed that the bribed employees do not even seek bank statement to increase the paid-up capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Even though there is a provision that bank statements are required to increase the company's paid-up capital, after giving a bribe, the share price of the paid-up capital of any amount is approved," he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15532', 'image' => '20220815125803_1660515628.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 12:57:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15790', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Peaks to be Opened for Climbing', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, has said that the government preparing to gradually open new peaks for ascent. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Minister Shrestha made such announcement while addressing the 32<sup>nd</sup> Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Mountaineering Association on Sunday.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to Minister Shrestha, government is planning to open new peaks within the range of 5,800 meters to 8,000 meters for climbing.</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 study is being conducted on which peaks will be appropriate for opening so that it can also benefit the locals and improve their living standard. Climbing permits will be issued after analyzing the impacts,” said Shrestha.</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"">Minister Shrestha made it clear that the government is ready to remove any legal hurdles faced by the mountaineering sector.</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"">He further said that the government will no longer announce one-year plan for visiting Nepal but has decided to work for the overall development of the tourism sector by announcing the Tourism Decade from 2023 to 2033.</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"">“It is necessary to establish Nepal as a major tourism destination in the world,” said Shrestha, adding, “Nepal's mountains are alluring to foreign tourists. Besides the natural beauty, Nepal can also attract tourists through adventure sports and its rich cultural heritage.” </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"">Minister Shrestha said that the government is ready to move ahead by forging collaboration with the private sector for the development of tourism sector.</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"">On the occasion, Secretary at the tourism ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane said that tourism is an important pillar of national economy and it will be strengthened by collaborating with private sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Vice Chairperson of Nepal Tourism Board, Chandra Rijal, and Chairperson of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, Khum Bahadur Subedi, stressed the need of effective collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders to boost the tourism sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Currently, 114 peaks including Mt Everest are open for climbing. Minister Shrestha shared that a 74-point plan was being enforced to revive the tourism sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15531', 'image' => '20220815115514_Tourist Arrival (1).jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:54:36', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15789', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Accept Rs 12.7 Billion from World Bank ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 15: The government has decided to accept around Rs 12.7 billion ($100 million) development policy credit provided by the World Bank to improve the enabling environment for Nepal's green, climate-resilient and inclusive development pathway. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Similarly, the cabinet meeting on August 11 decided to accept the grant of approximately Rs 2.1 billion (2,256 million Japanese yen) provided by the Government of Japan for the restoration of irrigation system in eastern Nepal, said the government's spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information Technology</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"">Speaking at a press conference organised on Sunday to make the decisions taken by the meeting public, Minister Karki said that the Council of Ministers also approved the new pay scale and grades under civil servants of all level as well as the Nepalese Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, parliament service and teachers at community schools. The new pay scale has come into effect from 17 July, 2022. -- RSS</span></span></span><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-15', 'modified' => '2022-08-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15530', 'image' => '20220815111548_World.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-15 11:14:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15788', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Impacts of Election on the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Bijay Damase</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: The government has announced the election to the federal parliament and provincial assemblies in one phase in upcoming November. After the announcement of the election date, political parties have started gearing up for the general elections in every nook and corners of the country. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The election is believed to impact not only the country’s politics but also the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The political parties and election candidates spend a large amount of money during the election campaign, which is expected to increase economic activities. Some say it is a positive aspect of election while others argue that the excess of money in the market will cause inflation. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Election Commission has estimated that the total cost of the election will be around Rs 10 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The amount will basically be spent on voter education, printing of voting materials, transportation of those materials and salary of those involved in conducting the election as well as security personnel, including temporary police. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Poudel, the commission has estimated the cost of election and had requested the Finance Ministry to release the required budget. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">On the other hand, the finance ministry officials are still awaiting the cost estimates from various bodies before ascertaining the budget required for the election. They say that the exact cost of the local elections held in May is yet to be received. Home Ministry Spokesperson Dhundi Prasad Niraula says that they are yet to receive the cost estimates for the upcoming election.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The government had allocated a total of Rs 17 billion for the local elections. Deputy Spokesperson of the Election Commission Surya Prasad Aryal informed that the EC had initially demanded Rs 12 billion from the government for the local election but later revised the cost estimate to Rs 8.94 billion. The finance ministry released only Rs 8.11 billion back in May.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Aryal claimed that the commission held the election with a budget of Rs 5 billion by reducing unnecessary expenses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A senior official of the finance ministry believes that the entire cost of the upcoming election will reach between Rs 20 billion to Rs 30 billion by adding the cost of the EC, Home Ministry and other government agencies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, it is not only the government that spends during the election. Political parties also loosen their wallets during the election campaigns. Although the EC fixes the ceiling for spending, the political parties hardly abide by the rule because it is not practical to force the spending limit during the election, says former secretary Bimal Wagle.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He argues that the political parties have not been able to submit a report of their expenditure during the local elections held on May 13. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Another former secretary Gopi Nath Mainali says that the political parties breach the election code and spend excessively. He argues that the officials of the EC are appointed by the political parties and therefore they turn a blind eye to the spending of the parties. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He says that the election will have both positive and negative impacts in the economy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Economist Dilli Raj Khanal says that the election will reduce development budget. According to Khanal, the sudden release of large amount of money in the market is likely to cause inflation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He recalled to the excessive price hike in the market during the first Constituent Assembly election. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The positive aspect of the election is that it gives short-term employment to many people, says economist Khanal. He however, says that the election does not cause an overall economic growth because it is not possible to measure it. He says that the election will cause excessive liquidity in the market and also increase imports, thereby causing pressure in the foreign exchange reserves. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“There will be some positive impact in the overall GDP due to the increase in economic activities but it will have a negative impact in the economy due to imports,” says Khanal.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15529', 'image' => '20220814052350_Election_Commission.2e16d0ba.fill-650x500.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 17:22:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15787', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More than Eighteen Thousand Foreigners Acquire Labour Permits in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 14: More than 18,000 foreigners are currently working in Nepal by acquiring labour permits. The number of foreigners visiting Nepal for formal employment is increasing in recent years, according to the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The department informed that a total of 18,239 foreigners have acquired labour permits to work in Nepal so far. Among them, 16,044 are male and 2,195 are female. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the last fiscal year, the department issued labour permits to 2,181 foreigners. Among them, 950 had taken new permits while the remaining 1231 had renewed their work permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Most of the foreigners visiting Nepal for employment are from China. A total of 1,629 Chinese nationals were issued labour permits to work in Nepal during the last fiscal year (mid-July 2021 to mid-July 2022). </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">During the same period, altogether 106 people from the UK were issued labour permits to work in Nepal while 86 from the USA, 61 from Japan and 57 from India were also issued labour permits.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Meanwhile, a total of 886 foreigners have acquired labour permits in the first three months of the current fiscal year including 196 in the first month, 360 in the second month and 327 in the third month.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In the meantime, a parliamentary committee has shown concern regarding the employment of foreign nationals in Nepali industries. The Industry and Commerce and Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the federal parliament, after holding discussion with Labour Minister Sher Bahadur Kunwar, has issued a directive to the government to give priority to Nepali labourers and employ foreign nationals in the labour market only if it is absolutely necessary. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15528', 'image' => '20220814044404_postQueueImg_3-626bcca48a757.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 16:43:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15786', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Azolla Helps Reduce Dependence on Urea by Fifty Percent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. ', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The trend of using fertilizers like urea, DAP and potassium in farming with the aim of increasing productivity is on the rise. However, the farmers face shortage of chemical fertilizers each year due to the inability of the government to supply the fertilizers. On the brighter side, experts say that urea consumption can be reduced up to 50 percent with the use of Azolla plant technology introduced lately in Nepal.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the experts, the cost of production of Azolla is cheap and its use does not have a negative impact on human health. The Azolla plant technology is adopted by countries like China, India, and the Philippines. Even in Nepal, the National Food Bank Limited successfully tested this technology in Gulariya Municipality of Bardia. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Prof Dr Mohan Prasad Panthi of the Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, who is assisting in this work, only 50 kg of urea will be enough instead of 100 Kg urea requirement with the use of Azolla.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a type of fern that grows in water. Panthi says that it should be sprinkled in the crop field after the paddy is planted and rooted. It takes nitrogen from air and helps other plants growing with it to take the same nitrogen. Generally, it can be used within 1 week to 12 days after planting paddy in a water-filled field. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After Azolla spreads over the entire field, the water in the paddy field should be dried. According to studies, within a few days of that, Azolla will decompose and water can be added again.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla also helps in destroying other weeds growing in the paddy fields and keeping the soil moist and fertile. It can be produced by creating a water pond. Panthi says that 1 kg of Azolla plant can be produced in an easy way as the production will double within 15 days of keeping it in the pond.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to him, Azolla can be produced at the rate of 2 paisa per kg. </span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“The most positive aspect of this plant is that it also plays a role in increasing the production of rice. Various researches have shown that rice production increased by 10 to 14 percent in the fields where Azolla was used,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prof Dr Panthi added that Azolla can be dried and used in the feed of chickens and cattle, so it is considered as a multi-purpose plant. Using Azolla in feed improves the health of chickens and also increases the production of meat and egg. By feeding Azolla to cows and buffaloes mixed with sawdust or hay, milk production can also increased by 10 percent.</span></span></span></span></h1> <h1><span style="font-size:24pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Azolla is a free floating fern having 6 known species. Azolla Pinata is the most popular species in Asia. It ensures sufficient atmospheric nitrogen for rapid plant growth and also provides a source of organic nitrogen fertilizer to plants. It can be considered as an aqueous green manure. Recently, Azolla is emerging as an aspect of special interest in paddy cultivation.</span></span></span></span></h1> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15527', 'image' => '20220814030921_EDHr-e3VAAAbWgA.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 15:07:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15785', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Electricity Regulatory Commission Member ‘Troubling’ Small Hydro Project', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: It has been found that one of the members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has been creating obstacles for hydropower promoters by working against the regulations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There is a provision in the Electricity Purchase Regulation that a public hearing is not required if the energy buyer enters into a power purchase agreement (PPA) and seeks the approval of the commission for hydropower projects with a capacity of less than 100 megawatts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, Rameshwar Prasad Kalwar, a member of the commission, insists that a public hearing should be held for any project which is in violation with the regulation, a hydroelectric power promoter told New Business Age.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The project seeking approval for PPA has not received approval from the commission due to the stance taken by Kalwar, causing a delay in the financial management of the project. The cost of the project is increasing due to the inordinate delay in obtaining the PPA approval.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Also, the cost of construction of small hydropower projects is higher than that of large projects. On top of that, the cost of the project is expected to increase further after the members of the regulatory commission insisted on not giving consent to the PPA without a public hearing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Government of Nepal has treats the projects smaller than 100 megawatts and projects larger than that differently. For example, when constructing a project larger than 100 MW, the government will build the road and transmission line for the project site. However, small projects have to do it on their own. If the transmission line is not built on time, the generated electricity will be wasted.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Similarly, if a project larger than 100 megawatts is backed by foreign investment, the PPA is done in terms of dollars. There is also arrangement for hedging, facility to take the profit abroad in dollars, and the government will also take 70 per cent of the loan risk through hedging. Therefore, the commission should hold a public hearing while giving consent to the PPA of projects of this nature. Since the PPA rate of big projects is not fixed, a public hearing is also required to increase the purchase and sale rate.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, small projects don't even ask for dollar facilities and they don't need hedging facility either. The promoters have to bear a 100 per cent loan. The electricity authority has fixed the PPA rate at Rs 4.8 in the rainy season and Rs 8.4 in winter.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><strong> </strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15526', 'image' => '20220814015749_elec.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 13:57:11', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15784', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Black Marketing of Food Flourishes despite Action by the Government', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control is established to monitor and regulate food quality and hygiene. However, despite the government's efforts to maintain food quality and hygiene, the results are still not visible. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As per the progress report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for the fiscal year 2021/22, the department took legal action against 100 manufacturing companies producing inedible products in the last fiscal year. However, the number of people or firms producing inedible products in the market is still rising.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The report states that the number of cases in the review year increased by 15 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. After collecting samples of 4,660 food and grain items in the fiscal year 2021/22, the department registered cases against 115 companies under the Food Act, 2023, after discovering that the companies produced inedible items. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In the review year, the department had monitored food and grain markets, industries, hotels, restaurants, and fairs for 8066 times. From mid-October 2021, rapid pesticide residue testing laboratories were established at seven checkpoints in Terai and 56,338 samples of vegetables and fruits were tested for pesticide residues. Regardless of these measure, the department has failed to gain the trust of the consumers. The department is continuously stepped up action, but the consumers are not convinced since the black market is still flourishing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Food Act, 2023 was formulated to maintain the purity of food and safeguard health and comfort of the common people by ensuring that there is no adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If the charges against the defaulting companies are proved according to the law, Section 3 of the 'Food Act, 2023' has provision to punish the operators of the company producing and selling contaminated food with imprisonment up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jyoti Baniya, president of the Forum for Protection of Public Interest said that the companies producing inedible food items is increasing despite increase in action by the department because its action is weak and ineffective. Lawyer Hari Prasad Dulal said that even though there are many companies in the market that produce food and beverages with no labels and the products are of low quality, illegal, contaminated, and unlicensed, the department hardly takes any legal action against majority of those producers.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The latest data released by the department has found that pulses, meat, vegetables, mixed spices and other spices, bread, curd, grains, processed drinking water, noodles, tea, lentil, ghee, imported mustard oil, cattle feed, vermicelli, honey, bakery items, wheat flour, rice, sweets, sunflower oil, caramel sauce, chicken feed, biscuits, dumplings, vegetarian sauce, vinegar among others are of relatively poor quality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Along with the production of inedible items in the market, there is widespread adulteration of food. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The department informed that apart from making pudding from stale rice in the hotels, the traders are promoting black market by water with milk, low quality of rice with advanced variety of rice, other types of beaten rice with Taichin beaten rice, pure mustard oil with other types of oil, pure ghee with vegetable ghee, and honey with sugar syrup, etc.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Consumer Protection Act provides that companies or individuals who adulterate food items can be imprisoned for a period of three to ten years. As per advocate Dulal, since the Act is weak, action should be taken under Sections 107, 108 and 109 of the Criminal Code instead.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15525', 'image' => '20220814123950_market monitoring.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 12:39:16', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15783', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Urges Victims of Loan Sharking to File Complaints ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">August 14: The government has urged the victims of loan sharking to file complaints along with substantial evidences. A notice issued by the taskforce formed to recommend for controlling of loan sharking has urged the victims to file the complaints within August 21. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to form the taskforce last Friday upon the directive of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"In view of a network of loan sharking across the country, a public notice has been issued asking the victims to file complaints in the respective district administration office along with substantial evidences," read the notice issued by the taskforce coordinator Dr Bhishma Bhusal. <br /> Efforts were on to book those involved in the illegal activity, said the ministry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce under the leadership of the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu organised talks with the victims of loan sharking from Pratappur and Susta rural municipalities in Nawalparasi (West), who have been protesting the illegal activities in Kathmandu by forming a struggle committee. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce headed by Home Ministry's joint-secretary Dr Bhishma Bhusal includes Senior Superintendent of Police of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police Dinesh Acharya, Home Ministry's under-secretary (law) Shree Krishna Poudel, Kathmandu Valley’s Crime Investigation Office's Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Koirala and National Investigation Department's deputy-investigation director Mukund Marhattha. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Likewise, CIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Roshan Khadka is the taskforce member-secretary. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The taskforce has been assigned to submit a report within a month. It will visit those districts reporting the incidences of loan sharking, find out such causes and suggest ways for a solution. It will establish inter-bodies coordination to book those involved in this practice and recommend ways for containing the crime in the future. -- RSS<br /> </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-14', 'modified' => '2022-08-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15524', 'image' => '20220814104031_1_PS0S6rQC7Jq3r_q1_RbQ_A.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-14 10:39:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15782', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN to Shift Helipad of TIA to Nalinchowk', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is preparing to shift the helipad of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) away from the airport premises as part of the Domestic Airport Improvement Master Plan. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN is currently implementing this master plan by setting up hangar in the parking lot of the airport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Accordingly, the CAAN has signed a contract agreement for establishing a parking lot for helicopters with a capacity to accommodate 27 choppers at Nalinchowk of Bhaktapur.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The CAAN signed the contract worth Rs 150 million with Uma and Pratima/ Kali JV last Friday for the construction of the heliport.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As per the agreement, the construction company will have to complete the heliport within ten months after signing the pact, informed CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, airline companies will operate helicopter service from their new base in Nalinchowk from mid-May next year. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has allocated budget for the construction of the heliport in the current fiscal year. The aviation governing body has also allocated budget of Rs Rs 10 million for the construction of a new terminal building and a tower in Nalinchowk.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN has 33 ropanies of land in its name in Nalinchowk. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The plan is to shift the entire helicopter base from TIA to Nalinchowk, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He informed that the CAAN has already signed separate contracts for setting up the heliport away from TIA and to construct hangars in TIA. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the CAAN is preparing to shift the heliport away from TIA, the airline companies will be allowed to use TIA for their service. TIA will be open for helicopter service especially for transporting sick patients and during emergency or for VVIP security, said Niraula.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“However, commercial flights will take place from Nalinchowk,” he added.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to Niraula, the CAAN is preparing to construct a hangar at the current parking lot of TIA with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">TIA has the capacity to accommodate twenty two helicopters at present. The new heliport will be able to accommodate 27 choppers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">CAAN informed that a total of 38 helicopters belonging to 11 different companies are currently operational in Nepal. Among them, 21 are operating with their base in TIA.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15523', 'image' => '20220812045831_heli.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 16:57:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15781', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'New Policies of NRB having Adverse Effect on Investment-Friendly Environment: NCC', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has complained that the new policies of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has further deteriorated the environment of doing business in the country. The new policy arrangements of the central bank has mostly affected small industries as well as entrepreneurs who want start their own business by taking loans from banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The NCC noted that the Working Capital Loan Directive 2078 issued by the NRB indicates that the central bank is tightening credit flow and this would have an adverse effect on investment-friendly environment. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">A statement issued by the NCC says that majority of the policies issued by the central bank only favour banks and financial institutions. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The proposed limit of working capital loan is not sufficient for long-term credit business and also for the sales during the upcoming Dashain festival,” says a statement issued by NCC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Banks are allowed to provide only up to 20 percent of the annual transaction amounts in working capital loans within the prescribed limit of Rs 10 million. However, the NCC has been demanding for loans up to 50 percent of the limit. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Stating that the borrowers are at the receiving end due to the new monetary policy of the central bank, the NCC has urged NRB to review the interest rates on loans as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“The borrowers who had taken loan at a certain interest rate are in further trouble due to the monetary policy of the central bank,” the statement further said, adding, “The borrowers are deeply trouble due to the unnatural rise in the base rate.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">NCC argued that the private sector was expecting a flexible policy but the policy adopted by the central bank to discourages credit flow will ultimately shrink the economy itself.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15522', 'image' => '20220812020956_Nepal_Rastra_Bank2 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 14:09:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15780', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Warn of Another Protest', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Petroleum transport entrepreneurs have once again announced their protest programmes. Prior to this, the transport entrepreneurs had launched a protest programme four months ago but had withdrawn their strike following an understanding with the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, a recent board meeting of the Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation on Wednesday decided to launch phase-wise protests if the agreement is not implemented by the NOC.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">President of the federation Khageshwar Bohara says that they were forced to relaunch protest programmes after the NOC failed to implement the agreement reached four months ago.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation has warned that they will not entertain advanced bookings from August 18 if the transportation fare is not increased within August 16. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The transport entrepreneurs will then launch other protest programmes, reads a statement issued by the federation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The federation said that the NOC had written a letter on July 31 pledging to increase the transportation fare but it has not done anything concrete to this end. The federation has been saying that they will not be able to operate tankers to transport petroleum products at the current rate. They have been demanding revision of transportation fare due to the rise in prices of petroleum products. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">An expert group formed by the NOC some months ago had also suggested increasing the transportation fare. The study group has suggested increasing the fare by 3 to 16 percent depending on the route. However, the NOC leadership said that the suggestions made by the expert group was excessively high and handed over the report to Pulchowk Engineering College for further study. </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'petroleum, protest, entrepreneurs, charge, fare, transport, NOC', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15521', 'image' => '20220812104846_CQjUX_dUsAA8_3_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:47:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15779', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tea Producers Accuse Indian Authorities of Trying to Impose Tax on Tea Export from Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">August 12: Nepal’s tea produced in Ilam does not require customs duty for being exported to India. However, the tea producers have drawn the attention of the government stating that India is trying to bring the tea exported from Nepal under the ambit of tax. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Organising a press conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the tea producers urged the government to take necessary measures so that the tea export from Nepal is not affected by the decision taken by the Government of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers also urged the government to resolve long-standing issues related to tea farming in the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They accused the Tea Board of India of trying to discourage export of tea from Nepal against the trade agreement between the two countries. They also said that the board did not issue any prior notice regarding this issue. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea manufacturers said that the Indian authorities are trying to label the tea produced in Ilam as of low standard in order to bring the tea under the purview of tax although the tea is famous in the world market. They expressed concerns regarding this issue being discussed in the parliament of India.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tea producers requested the Government of Nepal to resolve this issue through diplomatic means by forming a high-level talks team. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They expressed concern that more than 150 industries will be closed if the export of tea to India comes to a halt. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Ilam is famed for producing Nepal’s orthodox tea. This district alone produces 90 percent of the total orthodox tea produced in the country. Tea farming is spread in 13,000 hectares of land in Ilam. More than 26,000 people are directly involved in tea farming in the district while 80,000 people have been employed in this business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => 'tea, export, India, customs, duty, Ilam', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15520', 'image' => '20220812102437_Tea.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 10:23:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15778', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Foreign Minister Khadka Wraps Up China Visit and Returns Home', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 12: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). During the visit, the two countries reached significant agreements for bilateral cooperation including further extension of assistance in the areas of trade, connectivity, investment, health, tourism, poverty alleviation, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, education and culture, among others, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Upon his arrival, Minister Khadka organised a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport stating that his visit was vital to review the implementation of the agreements signed during the visit of his Chinese counterpart and State Councilor Wang Yi from March 25 to 27. According to the foreign minister, the visit was also fruitful in creating a consensus on additional issues of mutual interest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Foreign Minister Khadka said that Nepal-China air service has resumed while the returnee Nepali students who wish to resume their study in China can proceed for visa procedures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Likewise, Minister Khadka said he has assured his Chinese counterpart about Nepal's unwavering stance on one-China policy noting that Nepal would not allow the use of its territory for any activity against China. </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"">China's Foreign Minister Wang also reiterated China's continued and unconditional support and solidarity for Nepal's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and assured to provide assistance in Nepal's development efforts as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have given stress for the timely completion of crucial understandings reached during the high-level visits made in the past,” RSS quoted Minister Khadka as saying. “Likewise, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has assured timely completion of those projects being implemented in Nepal with Chinese assistance.”</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"">According to Minister Khadka, China has agreed to provide 800 million RMB in assistance to Nepal in 2022 while assuring to provide Nepal with chemical fertilizers.</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"">Both sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism for pandemic control at border points, said Minister Khadka. Similarly, after COVID-19 pandemic subsides in Tibet region, Rasuwa-Keyrong and Tatopani-Jhagum border points would be resumed for trade and Hilsa-Pulang border will be opened for one-side trade. </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"">Upon the request of Nepal, China has agreed to provide assistance for the purchase of essentials on disaster management, mitigation and rescue tools worth 3 million RMB, and medicines and health materials worth 2 million RMB. </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"">Minister Khadka also informed that he extended gratitude to the Chinese people and government on behalf of the Government of Nepal for providing medical supplies and vaccination against COVID-19 during the pandemic. He shared that the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had expressed commitment for such assistance in the days ahead. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Moreover, the Chinese government has agreed to provide assistance to set up a laboratory required to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR T Cells) at Civil Hospital and required technology, equipment and training for the treatment of blood cancer. </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"">In addition, discussion was held on continuing cooperation and support in the regional and multi-sectoral forums. Nepal and China have been extending cooperation and support in the issues of mutual interest in various international forums including the UN, and G-77+ China. </span><br /> </span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-12', 'modified' => '2022-08-12', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15519', 'image' => '20220812094749_Hon-FM-Narayan-Khadka-683x1024.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-12 09:47:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15777', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Alternative Route Opened for Gosaikunda-bound Pilgrims after Landslide Obstructs Highway ', 'sub_title' => 'Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway', 'summary' => 'August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">August 11: Pilgrims bound for Gosaikunda to observe the Janai Purnima festival had to take an alternative route after a section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa district was damaged by landslide.</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"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the landslide occurred at Majhgaun-Banuwa Ghumti on Tuesday night disrupting vehicular movement along the highway. An alternative route from Aambhanjyang Simle to Dharapani area via Taruke is being used for the time being, RSS reported. </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"">According to Rasuwa's chief district officer Nawaraj Jaisi, an assessment of the damaged section by technical team found that it might take some time to restore the route and therefore an off-road track towards Taruke was selected to divert the vehicles. </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"">RSS reported that the alternative route is narrow and congested and only light vehicles like jeeps, cars and motorcycles are able to travel along the route. </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"">Pilgrims heading towards Gosaikunda were facilitated to reach the destination via the alternative route, RSS further said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Gosaikunda, one of the most famous religious sites in the country, draws a large number of devotees to take a holy dip in the freshwater lake on the day of Janai Purnina which is being celebrated this Friday (August 12). </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 Gosainkunda Area Development Committee is expecting around 15,000 devotees to attend the religious fair on the occasion of Janai Purnima.</span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Trade Affected</span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The disruption of vehicular movement at the Banuwa section has also affected the import of goods from China. Cargo vehicles en route to Nepal from China have been halted midway. </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"">According to RSS, the District Administration Office Rasuwa has already urged the Road Division Office to take measures for restoring the route for the convenience of trans-border trade. The landslide-hit area lacks space for division and it is estimated to take at least one month to build a gabion wall there. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Related News</span></span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Hoteliers Start Hoarding Food for Gosaikunda Fair</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"">https://www.newbusinessage.com/Articles/view/15691 </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-08-11', 'modified' => '2022-08-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15518', 'image' => '20220811043605_20220726031810_image_processing20220416-4-1helmts.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-08-11 16:35:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
