May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this…
May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this…
May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent.…
May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May…
May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on…
May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in…
May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming…
May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year.…
May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive…
May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a…
May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three…
May 27: The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public…
May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal…
May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad.…
May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on…
May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall…
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the plane that had left Pokhara for Jomsom at 9:55 am had lost contact with the Jomsom Tower at 10:07. The plane had last reported from Ghodepani. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the center, a helicopter of Fishtail Air was sent to the site for the search operation but the effort was aborted due to adverse weather, which forced the chopper to fly back to Jomsom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The centre informed that helicopters are on standby in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom airports for the search efforts and the aerial search for the plane will be resumed once the weather permits. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Separate squads of the Nepalse Army and the Nepal Police have already left for the site to undertake the search efforts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> A total of 22 people including 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans and three crew members were onboard the plane. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15096', 'image' => '20220529044837_IMG_20170214_063210-2-scaled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 16:47:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15353', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Negligent Towards Supply of Fertilizers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. Agriculture is also the main source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s population. However, the government has been highly negligent regarding the supply of chemical fertilizers which is very essential for agriculture. Due to this, farmers have been facing shortage of fertilizer every year during the season of planting major crops like paddy, maize and wheat.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">This year, the paddy-planting season is around a month away. However, they are not getting essential chemical fertilizers for paddy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Each year, the government has failed to provide fertilizers to the farmers on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">It is clearly evident that the government has failed in the management of chemical fertilizers this year as well. However, the government has not stopped repeating its assurance of providing fertilizer on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">At a program organized by the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists on Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Raya Yadav claimed that farmers would get fertilizer by July at any cost. However, the government does not seem to have made proper preparations to supply fertilizer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The Agricultural Inputs Company Limited, the state-owned company responsible for supplying chemical fertilizers, has only 15,000 metric tons of DAP in stock. Officials of the company say that they are preparing to import 40,000 metric tons of DAP.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company claims that the first 20,000 tons of fertilizer brought through global tender will take months to arrive in Nepal, and another 20,000 tons will arrive by the first week of July.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company's current stock of 560 metric tons of urea is supplied to only eight districts. There is a scarcity of fertilizer all over the country. Around 60,000 tons of urea to be imported in the first phase from India through G2G process has not been finalized yet</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Acting Managing Director of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited Rajendra Bahadur Karki, said that preparations are being made to bring urea through the fast track but India is closing the Haldia port for 11 to 45 days from next July. Stakeholders say that this has ruled out the possibility of importing fertilizer under the G2G model.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Meanwhile, the Salt Trading Corporation, another company in charge of importing and selling government-subsidized fertilizer, also does not have sufficient stock of chemical fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The government and its subordinate bodies responsible for importing fertilizers have been blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the delay in supply of fertilizers. However, stakeholders claim that the lack of preparation on part of the government is to blame for the inordinate delay in supply of fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">One of the stakeholders Chandrakant Dallakoti is not ready to buy the government’s claim of war for the inordinate delay.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">“If the government had failed to supply fertilizer on time this year, we would have believed that it was due to the Russia-Ukraine war. But the government has been failing to supply fertilizers on time since many years,” said Dallakoti, adding, “The government is well aware that we need fertilizer in July. The government must make preparations since winter. But the farmers have always been troubled due to inadequate preparations of the government.”</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15095', 'image' => '20220529012218_Fertilizer.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 13:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15352', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Present Annual Budget in Parliament Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29). </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"">Finance Minister Janardan Sharma will present the annual budget for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 during the joint meeting of federal parliament at 4 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The constitution has a provision of presenting the budget in the federal parliament on the Republic Day, which falls on May 29 this year.</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"">All the members of parliament have been urged to be present at the parliament building before 3:45 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15094', 'image' => '20220529080257_20220518080411_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:02:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15351', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Finance Minister Tables Economic Survey-2021/022 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Economic Survey includes the economic details of the country in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government tables the economic survey in the Federal Parliament some days before tabling the annual budget. As per the constitutional provision, the government tables the annual budget on the Republic Day on Jestha 15, which falls on May 29 (today) this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the Economic Survey, a total of 621 megawatts of hydroelectricity including 456 megawatt from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has been linked to the national transmission line till the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The government has a target to link 1,629 megawatt of power to the national grid. -- RSS </span><br /> <br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15093', 'image' => '20220529080217_14523.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:01:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15349', 'article_category_id' => '268', 'title' => 'Exporters Demand Export Credit Insurance Facility ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal. Many countries around the world have introduced export credit insurance targeting non-payment risks in exports. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lately, the export of goods from Nepal has been increasing. With the increase in size of the exports, the problem of non-payment is also increasing. This has discouraged exporters. However, it seems that the concerned bodies have not paid enough attention to introduce export credit insurance to cover such risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Exporters have been demanding the government to bring such insurance facilities since the last 2/3 years. But they say that the government has ignored this issue. The Insurance Board, the regulatory body of the insurance sector, says it is ready to approve any such products if the insurance companies announce them.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary of the Nepali Readymade Garment Industry Association, says that credit export insurance should be introduced. "Lately, the risk of non-payment has been increasing along with Nepal's exports," he said, "In this case, we want to insure ourselves by paying the required fee. However, we have not been able to get that facility. The government needs to pay attention to this immediately." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Export credit insurance has come into practice in many countries of the world. In case of non-payment of the exported item, up to 95% of the export value can be obtained from the insurance companies. However, Nepali exporters have not yet been able to get such facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal should increase its exports at any cost to reduce the trade deficit. For that, exporters say that they need motivation, which is possible through such insurance facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Agrawal said his industry had exported its products to the United States a few years ago, but the buyers did not pay. "I then filed a lawsuit in a US court," he said, "The court asked whether there is export credit insurance or not." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He says that the need and importance of such insurance has been increasing in recent days. "The government should be positive about this issue," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A few days ago, a special team from Germany came to Kathmandu and informed the insurance board and the companies about such insurance through a presentation. After that, a debate has started on the issue of bringing such a product in the insurance sector. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Insurance Board Raju Raman Poudel said that the board is positive in this regard. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"So far, no such insurance product has been introduced in Nepal. The insurance companies have to take the initiative. If they bring such product, we are ready to approve it," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Insurance companies, on the other hand, say that even if such insurance is introduced, it will be a challenge to implement it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CEO of NLG Insurance Suresh Ballav Pant argues that it is challenging to implement such product. "First, the insurance company should know all the credit of the customers. Moreover, the foreigners are the customers during export," he said, "We'll need information such as loan payment to the bank by the customers while importing other goods, and business transactions which is difficult to get. So it is quite challenging." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15092', 'image' => '20220527045650_Export.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:56:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15350', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'National Assembly Endorses Government’s Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina had presented the government's policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2022/23 for endorsement. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Before the endorsement of the policies and programmes, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, replied to the questions raised in course of the deliberations on the document. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Majority of National Assembly members rejected the proposal for amendment to the policies and programmes . </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Lawmakers Dr Bedu Ram Bhusal, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Dr Bimala Rai Poudyal, Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Devendra Dahal and Bhagawati Neupane had sought clarifications on the government's policy. In reply, Minister Koirala said all the queries are obvious and the government has kept production and processing of herbs in priority. This topic would be included in the budget for the next fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He made it clear that since the price of petroleum products fluctuated due to the impact of the international market, the government did not have control over the prices as such. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Regarding the clarification related to the topic of Nijgadh International Airport, he said more cannot be said on this topic as the full text of the Supreme Court's verdict is not yet available. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly held deliberations on the policies and programmes of the government on Thursday and Friday before endorsing it. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the government's policies and programmes in a joint session of the Federal Parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chairman Timilsina directed the lawmakers to be seated in the Federal Parliament's assembly hall 15 minutes before 4 pm on May 29, when the budget for the next fiscal year is to be presented before the joint session of the Federal Parliament. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly will next meet at 3 pm on May 29. -- RSS </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15091', 'image' => '20220527055544_20220525034821_RS_KTM-20220524_163359.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 17:54:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15348', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Entrepreneurs Unimpressed by Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. They said that there is no concrete policy for the tourism sector, which was most affected by the Covid-19 and has been clawing back to normalcy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government, which made the policies and programmes public on Tuesday, is releasing the budget for the next fiscal year on May 29. Binayak Shah, senior vice president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), shared that the budget is expected to have a concrete and landmark programme for tourism. "The tourism sector is still not in a normal state," Shah said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, he said that since the budget will come in a few days, we will have to wait and see what kind of programmes will be included in it. The ' Visit Nepal 2020' campaign announced by the government in 2020 was postponed but never implemented. In the context that the tourism year was postponed due to Covid-19, it is necessary to re-announce such big events, said Shah. He stressed that the government should announce a big event for the revival of tourism in the new budget.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"Preparations for the tourism year can still be made active," Shah said. "Let's announce a big event in the budget, let's give half a year to prepare."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, who is also a founding member of the World Tourism Network, has a similar view. He also said that a big event is needed to revive the tourism sector and give impetus to it. Joshi said that the upcoming budget should announce a big program like the postponed Visit Nepal Year 2020 so that it can be implemented within a year and a half.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that the tourism sector is not a business that can be run on its own, he said that it can only move forward by linking tourism in a multi-faceted way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15090', 'image' => '20220527043635_Tourist.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:35:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15347', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Co-operatives must Ensure 51 Percent Credit Flow to Productive Sector', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issuing the Unified Directive-2079 on Thursday, the department directed co-operatives to categorize the loans on the basis of sectors and disburse at least 51 percent of the total loan in production and income-generating businesses. The co-operatives are not allowed to operate hydropower projects, hospitals, schools, campuses, hotels, petrol pumps and other projects without mentioning them in their statute. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The directive mentions that the members of co-operatives will not be allowed to invest their savings and the outstanding loan flow should not exceed 5 percent of the total assets. The directive also stipulates that the elected or nominated public office bearers directly involved in the registration and regulation of co-operatives or the employees working in the government bodies, state government or local level offices cannot be elected or nominated in the Board of Directors or Accounts Supervision Committee of the co-operatives.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department also instructed to make arrangements for immediate resignation from such posts by government employees and the vacant posts should be filled in the upcoming general assembly through by-elections.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, the then registrar of the department Jhalakaram Adhikari had issued an 88-point Unified Directives on February 13. Three months later, Registrar Rudra Prasad Pandit reissued the directives. The new directives were reduced to 35 points. However, the new directives cover most of the old issues.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Registrar Pandit claimed that the new directives had to be issued as the previous directives were not clear. He said, “Earlier, it was found that the directives were issued hastily without the consent of the ministry. Due to this, precise and clear instructions were issued again to facilitate their implementation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15089', 'image' => '20220527035902_Cooperative dept.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 15:58:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15346', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Transportation of Retail Goods Halted in Birgunj since 3 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week. They stopped transportation for three days demanding adjustment of fare due to increase in the price of diesel. Chairman of the Transport Entrepreneurs Association, Birgunj Bal Krishna Pokharel said that the goods to be transported from Birgunj to Kathmandu and other major cities of the country have not been booked due to the protest. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Until now, we were transporting goods at Rs 3.75 per kg to Rs 4 per kg. With the rise in the price of petroleum products, this amount is not enough to pay the truck fare,” Chairman Pokharel said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Retailers carry 10 metric tons of goods in 6 wheelers. At the rate of Rs 4 per kg, the fare from Birgunj to Kathmandu is Rs 40,000. According to Pokharel, the traders now cannot transport the goods as the cost alone has reached Rs 40,000. Transport entrepreneurs have been running their business by renting trucks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Transport businessmen say that the fare should be at least Rs 50,000, including the expenses for loading and unloading, warehouse, and office operation. They say that the expenses can be covered if the fare is at least Rs 5 per kg.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Despite some traders offering to pay the fares with adjustments, the transport entrepreneurs are seeking assurance from the state officials. The transport businessmen demanded that the fare should be adjusted in the presence of the local administration or traders' organization.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pokharel complained that the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry had promised to take the initiative but no discussion has been initiated till date. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15088', 'image' => '20220527022218_Birgunjjjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 14:21:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15345', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Govt to Halt Construction of Nijgadh International Airport ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. </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"">Responding to a writ petition filed against the construction of the airport, a full bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakashman Singh Raut and Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma issued such order on Thursday (May 26). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The mandamus order of the apex court has instructed the government to revoke all the decisions taken in regard to the construction of the airport till date and seek an alternative to the airport.</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"">Supreme Court’s Spokesperson Bimal Poudel confirmed that the apex court has revoked all the decisions taken by the government for the construction of the airport. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“The Supreme Court has ordered the government to seek an alternative to the airport. That means the government has to seek another site for the construction of the airport by taking into consideration the environment impact assessment and existing laws,” said Poudel, adding, “The bench has annulled all the earlier decisions taken regarding the EIA .”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government in its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year had mentioned that it would finalize the modality of investment and construction of the airport. Three days after the announcement, the Supreme Court ordered the government not to construct the airport. </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"">This is the final verdict in a case filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranjuhajur Pandey two years ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The dispute over the construction of airport had surfaced over the felling of trees. </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 the writ petition, the petitioners had demanded that the construction be stopped since the construction there would cause massive destruction of trees. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which was undertaking the project, has said it will respect the decision of the apex court.</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"">Spokesperson of CAAN Dev Chandra Lal Karn said that the Supreme Court verdict has effectively closed the chapter of this airport.</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"">“We have to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. We will seek other alternatives after receiving the full text of the court verdict,” said Karn.</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"">Infrastructure experts as well as politicians have expressed displeasure over the decision of the apex court. </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"">Former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai has termed the court’s verdict as a regressive step. In a Twitter post, Bhattarai also urged the justices to reconsider their decision.</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"">“This is a blatant intervention in a project considered as the game changer of the aviation sector of Nepal. The respected justices need to correct this decision,” he wrote on Twitter.</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"">Responding to Bhattarai’s Twitter post, infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya has also expressed his reservations towards the SC decision.</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"">Former Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa also took to Twitter saying that the decision was “inappropriate and unfortunate”. </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"">UML leader Pradeep Gyawali also criticized the order.</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"">Likewise, former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal said sarcastically “A country like Switzerland with an area of 41,285 sq km has 7 international airports. Why does a small country like ours with an area of 147,516 sq km need 4 international airports?”</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"">Nevertheless, there are also a section of people who have expressed happiness over the SC verdict.</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"">“You didn’t believe when I said an airport cannot be built on the basis of a fake EIA. Now I’m sorry for those who bought land,” wrote a Twitter handler.</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"">Save Nijgadh Campain’s Kashish Das Shrestha said that the SC verdict was a big news for protection of Nijgadh from environmental point of view.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government had started construction works of the airport in FY 2072/73 almost two decades after conducting a study. Informed sources said that the government has so far invested Rs 1.11 billion for the project.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15087', 'image' => '20220527124927_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:48:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15344', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Department of Passport to Remain Open on Sunday', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 27: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department took such decision on Wednesday in line with the government's policies and programmes of providing electronic passport in an easy manner. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department claimed it will provide passports to the service-seekers in an easy and smooth manner by operating services even during a public holiday in view of the increasing number of service seekers visiting the department. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department said that it will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday every week from May 29 onwards until an alternative arrangement is made. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15086', 'image' => '20220527120844_Consular-6_consular.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:07:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15343', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upper House begins Deliberations on Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.</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"">President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the policies and programmes of the government for the new fiscal year during a joint session of parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Govinda Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, proposed during Thursday’s meeting to hold discussions on the government's new policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Taking part in the deliberations, National Assembly members Bhairab Sundar Shrestha, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Bhagawati Neupane and Bimala Ghimire proposed amendments to the policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The MPs raised concerns regarding ‘one household, one tap’ programme announced by the government stating that although it assures drinking water supply to over 460,000 people, the quality of water supply was doubtful.</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"">“People need pure drinking water and we want the government to clarify who are its target groups for high standard water and who are the ones for the medium standard water,” RSS quoted the MPs as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They alleged the recent local level election was held in an unjust way despite the government claiming it to be peaceful, RSS further reported. </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"">They also sought amendments to the government's decision to exclude over 1,400 road projects introduced by the previous government. The deliberations will continue during the next meeting of upper house. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15085', 'image' => '20220527120236_nepal-parl.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:01:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15342', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Export of Soybean Oil Declines ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. Exports of refined soybean oil have been particularly affected since last April due to the competition of Nepali exporters with other countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Refined soybean oil worth Rs 5.17 billion was being exported from Nepal to India per month until mid-March. But the export of soybean oil as shrunk to Rs 2 billion per month since April. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the data of the Department of Customs, refined soybean oil worth Rs 4.54 billion was exported to India between mid-February to mid-March. However, soybean oil worth Rs 1.90 billion was exported in between mid-March to mid-April while the export during mid-April to mid-May was worth Rs 2.04 billion. Refined soybean oil is the major export product of Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, India used to charge up to 45 percent customs duty for the import of soybean oil. However, as Nepal is a SAARC member country, it enjoyed duty-free access to the Indian market. That is the reason why Indian businessmen had been buying soybean oil from Nepal, which was available at a relatively cheaper rate compared to that of other countries. Operator of OCB Foods Suresh Rungta says that the exports from Nepal have been affected after India reduced the customs duty recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, India has announced zero customs duty on soybean oil effective from Wednesday. Now, the import of soybean oil from other countries will no longer be subject to customs duty. In such case, Rungata says that the exports from Nepal would be further affected. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"We import raw materials from third countries and export refined oil after processing. Doing so is more expensive here than in other countries," he said, "In such a case, it would be cheaper for Indian businessmen to import oil from a third country than from Nepal. As a result, our soybean oil exports will be affected."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Overall, exports of refined soybean oil have increased by about 27 percent by mid-April. According to the data, soybean oil exports amounted to Rs 45.35 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year, which is Rs 9.59 billion more than last fiscal year. In the corresponding period of the previous year, soybean oil exports stood at Rs 35.75 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepali businessmen have been importing crude soybean oil from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and Ukraine. It is being exported to India by adding up to 30 percent value addition after processing. Soybean oil is also widely consumed in Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prior to this, refined palm oil was Nepal's main export item. However, soybean oil became the first-choice export item after India banned its import in the fiscal year 2077/78. Regardless of this, palm oil is being exported from Nepal after India lifted the ban on palm oil imports. At present, palm oil is the second largest export item. During this period, palm oil export amounted to Rs 14.78 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15084', 'image' => '20220526065642_istockphoto-1172450074-612x612.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 18:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15341', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkey Negotiating with Russia, Ukraine for Grain-Export Corridor', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the news agency, Ukraine's Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia invaded the former Soviet Union nation on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos there.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of exports from Ukraine is contributing to a growing global food crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Turkey is negotiating with both Russia and Ukraine for the export of grains from Ukraine," Reuters quoted the official as saying in condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"With a corridor to be opened from Turkey, there was a demand for this grain to reach their targeted markets. Negotiations are still ongoing," the person added.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko reportedly said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to provide a corridor for vessels carrying food in return for lifting of some Western sanctions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Reuters, Turkey neighbours Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea and has good relations with both, even as it has condemned the invasion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been in touch with Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States and the European Union trying to broker what he calls a "package deal" to resume both Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertilizer exports, the news agency further reported.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, there are many hurdles to any deal, including Russian demands for some sanctions to be lifted in return, the drifting mines, and the prohibitive costs of insuring the maritime route, Reuters reported citing officials and analysts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15083', 'image' => '20220526054353_wheat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:43:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15340', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Cottage and Small Scale Industries Welcome Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">During a recent programme, officials of the federation said that it is a positive thing to increase internal and external investment in productive sector with the slogan “Nepali Industries, Employment in Nepal: Our Product Our Business”. The federation also said that the package of entrepreneurship development, financial access, product marketing and export facilitation for small, cottage and medium enterprises also seems positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation is also hopeful that the policies and programmes will help in the promotion of local products by linking tourism as a dynamic dimension of the economy with all kinds of economic activities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation stated that strengths of the policies and programmes include building specialized skilled manpower as per the demand of the labor market, creating employment for the returnee migrant workers by conducting skill-based business, smoothing the supply chain, reducing external impact on the economy and implementing e-commerce system for market access of industrial products.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In addition, it also mentioned that the provision of increasing exports by reducing production cost of manufacturing and export-oriented industries, facilitating the establishment and operation of startup based business based on innovation, involving the private sector in the construction of infrastructure such as industrial village, industrial zone, special economic zone were all positive steps.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As per the federation, the establishment of industries to produce supplementary materials of big foreign industries to give Nepali products exposure to the national, regional and international value chain is likely have a positive impact on the promotion and protection of domestic industries and manufactured goods. It added that it is a positive aspect to encourage the private sector to establish and operate productive industries by creating industry-friendly environment, improving business environment and increasing government’s investment in basic infrastructure.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Supporting the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year, the federation says that implementing the Farm to Industry Integrated Model Programme to link the products of agriculture, forest and mining sectors in industrial processing chain, developing agriculture as a major driving force for economic growth and employment, integrating cooperative sector with entrepreneurship, production and employment for economic development and poverty alleviation will have a positive impact in the overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation believes that the policy of facilitating credit flow to the productive and employment oriented sectors will easily increase the financial access of cottage and small scale entrepreneurs. According to the policy of reviewing the existing tax system to make it clean, transparent and investment and business friendly, it is necessary to review the tax system targeting business run by small, home-based, cottage and women entrepreneurs who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the federation said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation expects that the policies and programmes covered by the National Planning Commission will be implemented through the upcoming budget.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15082', 'image' => '20220526052559_service_1543560160.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:25:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15354', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Search for ‘Missing’ Plane Continues: CAAN ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the plane that had left Pokhara for Jomsom at 9:55 am had lost contact with the Jomsom Tower at 10:07. The plane had last reported from Ghodepani. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the center, a helicopter of Fishtail Air was sent to the site for the search operation but the effort was aborted due to adverse weather, which forced the chopper to fly back to Jomsom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The centre informed that helicopters are on standby in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom airports for the search efforts and the aerial search for the plane will be resumed once the weather permits. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Separate squads of the Nepalse Army and the Nepal Police have already left for the site to undertake the search efforts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> A total of 22 people including 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans and three crew members were onboard the plane. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15096', 'image' => '20220529044837_IMG_20170214_063210-2-scaled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 16:47:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15353', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Negligent Towards Supply of Fertilizers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. Agriculture is also the main source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s population. However, the government has been highly negligent regarding the supply of chemical fertilizers which is very essential for agriculture. Due to this, farmers have been facing shortage of fertilizer every year during the season of planting major crops like paddy, maize and wheat.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">This year, the paddy-planting season is around a month away. However, they are not getting essential chemical fertilizers for paddy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Each year, the government has failed to provide fertilizers to the farmers on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">It is clearly evident that the government has failed in the management of chemical fertilizers this year as well. However, the government has not stopped repeating its assurance of providing fertilizer on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">At a program organized by the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists on Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Raya Yadav claimed that farmers would get fertilizer by July at any cost. However, the government does not seem to have made proper preparations to supply fertilizer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The Agricultural Inputs Company Limited, the state-owned company responsible for supplying chemical fertilizers, has only 15,000 metric tons of DAP in stock. Officials of the company say that they are preparing to import 40,000 metric tons of DAP.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company claims that the first 20,000 tons of fertilizer brought through global tender will take months to arrive in Nepal, and another 20,000 tons will arrive by the first week of July.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company's current stock of 560 metric tons of urea is supplied to only eight districts. There is a scarcity of fertilizer all over the country. Around 60,000 tons of urea to be imported in the first phase from India through G2G process has not been finalized yet</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Acting Managing Director of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited Rajendra Bahadur Karki, said that preparations are being made to bring urea through the fast track but India is closing the Haldia port for 11 to 45 days from next July. Stakeholders say that this has ruled out the possibility of importing fertilizer under the G2G model.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Meanwhile, the Salt Trading Corporation, another company in charge of importing and selling government-subsidized fertilizer, also does not have sufficient stock of chemical fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The government and its subordinate bodies responsible for importing fertilizers have been blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the delay in supply of fertilizers. However, stakeholders claim that the lack of preparation on part of the government is to blame for the inordinate delay in supply of fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">One of the stakeholders Chandrakant Dallakoti is not ready to buy the government’s claim of war for the inordinate delay.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">“If the government had failed to supply fertilizer on time this year, we would have believed that it was due to the Russia-Ukraine war. But the government has been failing to supply fertilizers on time since many years,” said Dallakoti, adding, “The government is well aware that we need fertilizer in July. The government must make preparations since winter. But the farmers have always been troubled due to inadequate preparations of the government.”</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15095', 'image' => '20220529012218_Fertilizer.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 13:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15352', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Present Annual Budget in Parliament Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29). </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"">Finance Minister Janardan Sharma will present the annual budget for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 during the joint meeting of federal parliament at 4 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The constitution has a provision of presenting the budget in the federal parliament on the Republic Day, which falls on May 29 this year.</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"">All the members of parliament have been urged to be present at the parliament building before 3:45 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15094', 'image' => '20220529080257_20220518080411_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:02:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15351', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Finance Minister Tables Economic Survey-2021/022 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Economic Survey includes the economic details of the country in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government tables the economic survey in the Federal Parliament some days before tabling the annual budget. As per the constitutional provision, the government tables the annual budget on the Republic Day on Jestha 15, which falls on May 29 (today) this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the Economic Survey, a total of 621 megawatts of hydroelectricity including 456 megawatt from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has been linked to the national transmission line till the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The government has a target to link 1,629 megawatt of power to the national grid. -- RSS </span><br /> <br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15093', 'image' => '20220529080217_14523.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:01:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15349', 'article_category_id' => '268', 'title' => 'Exporters Demand Export Credit Insurance Facility ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal. Many countries around the world have introduced export credit insurance targeting non-payment risks in exports. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lately, the export of goods from Nepal has been increasing. With the increase in size of the exports, the problem of non-payment is also increasing. This has discouraged exporters. However, it seems that the concerned bodies have not paid enough attention to introduce export credit insurance to cover such risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Exporters have been demanding the government to bring such insurance facilities since the last 2/3 years. But they say that the government has ignored this issue. The Insurance Board, the regulatory body of the insurance sector, says it is ready to approve any such products if the insurance companies announce them.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary of the Nepali Readymade Garment Industry Association, says that credit export insurance should be introduced. "Lately, the risk of non-payment has been increasing along with Nepal's exports," he said, "In this case, we want to insure ourselves by paying the required fee. However, we have not been able to get that facility. The government needs to pay attention to this immediately." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Export credit insurance has come into practice in many countries of the world. In case of non-payment of the exported item, up to 95% of the export value can be obtained from the insurance companies. However, Nepali exporters have not yet been able to get such facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal should increase its exports at any cost to reduce the trade deficit. For that, exporters say that they need motivation, which is possible through such insurance facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Agrawal said his industry had exported its products to the United States a few years ago, but the buyers did not pay. "I then filed a lawsuit in a US court," he said, "The court asked whether there is export credit insurance or not." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He says that the need and importance of such insurance has been increasing in recent days. "The government should be positive about this issue," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A few days ago, a special team from Germany came to Kathmandu and informed the insurance board and the companies about such insurance through a presentation. After that, a debate has started on the issue of bringing such a product in the insurance sector. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Insurance Board Raju Raman Poudel said that the board is positive in this regard. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"So far, no such insurance product has been introduced in Nepal. The insurance companies have to take the initiative. If they bring such product, we are ready to approve it," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Insurance companies, on the other hand, say that even if such insurance is introduced, it will be a challenge to implement it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CEO of NLG Insurance Suresh Ballav Pant argues that it is challenging to implement such product. "First, the insurance company should know all the credit of the customers. Moreover, the foreigners are the customers during export," he said, "We'll need information such as loan payment to the bank by the customers while importing other goods, and business transactions which is difficult to get. So it is quite challenging." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15092', 'image' => '20220527045650_Export.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:56:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15350', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'National Assembly Endorses Government’s Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina had presented the government's policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2022/23 for endorsement. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Before the endorsement of the policies and programmes, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, replied to the questions raised in course of the deliberations on the document. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Majority of National Assembly members rejected the proposal for amendment to the policies and programmes . </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Lawmakers Dr Bedu Ram Bhusal, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Dr Bimala Rai Poudyal, Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Devendra Dahal and Bhagawati Neupane had sought clarifications on the government's policy. In reply, Minister Koirala said all the queries are obvious and the government has kept production and processing of herbs in priority. This topic would be included in the budget for the next fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He made it clear that since the price of petroleum products fluctuated due to the impact of the international market, the government did not have control over the prices as such. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Regarding the clarification related to the topic of Nijgadh International Airport, he said more cannot be said on this topic as the full text of the Supreme Court's verdict is not yet available. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly held deliberations on the policies and programmes of the government on Thursday and Friday before endorsing it. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the government's policies and programmes in a joint session of the Federal Parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chairman Timilsina directed the lawmakers to be seated in the Federal Parliament's assembly hall 15 minutes before 4 pm on May 29, when the budget for the next fiscal year is to be presented before the joint session of the Federal Parliament. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly will next meet at 3 pm on May 29. -- RSS </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15091', 'image' => '20220527055544_20220525034821_RS_KTM-20220524_163359.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 17:54:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15348', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Entrepreneurs Unimpressed by Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. They said that there is no concrete policy for the tourism sector, which was most affected by the Covid-19 and has been clawing back to normalcy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government, which made the policies and programmes public on Tuesday, is releasing the budget for the next fiscal year on May 29. Binayak Shah, senior vice president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), shared that the budget is expected to have a concrete and landmark programme for tourism. "The tourism sector is still not in a normal state," Shah said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, he said that since the budget will come in a few days, we will have to wait and see what kind of programmes will be included in it. The ' Visit Nepal 2020' campaign announced by the government in 2020 was postponed but never implemented. In the context that the tourism year was postponed due to Covid-19, it is necessary to re-announce such big events, said Shah. He stressed that the government should announce a big event for the revival of tourism in the new budget.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"Preparations for the tourism year can still be made active," Shah said. "Let's announce a big event in the budget, let's give half a year to prepare."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, who is also a founding member of the World Tourism Network, has a similar view. He also said that a big event is needed to revive the tourism sector and give impetus to it. Joshi said that the upcoming budget should announce a big program like the postponed Visit Nepal Year 2020 so that it can be implemented within a year and a half.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that the tourism sector is not a business that can be run on its own, he said that it can only move forward by linking tourism in a multi-faceted way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15090', 'image' => '20220527043635_Tourist.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:35:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15347', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Co-operatives must Ensure 51 Percent Credit Flow to Productive Sector', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issuing the Unified Directive-2079 on Thursday, the department directed co-operatives to categorize the loans on the basis of sectors and disburse at least 51 percent of the total loan in production and income-generating businesses. The co-operatives are not allowed to operate hydropower projects, hospitals, schools, campuses, hotels, petrol pumps and other projects without mentioning them in their statute. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The directive mentions that the members of co-operatives will not be allowed to invest their savings and the outstanding loan flow should not exceed 5 percent of the total assets. The directive also stipulates that the elected or nominated public office bearers directly involved in the registration and regulation of co-operatives or the employees working in the government bodies, state government or local level offices cannot be elected or nominated in the Board of Directors or Accounts Supervision Committee of the co-operatives.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department also instructed to make arrangements for immediate resignation from such posts by government employees and the vacant posts should be filled in the upcoming general assembly through by-elections.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, the then registrar of the department Jhalakaram Adhikari had issued an 88-point Unified Directives on February 13. Three months later, Registrar Rudra Prasad Pandit reissued the directives. The new directives were reduced to 35 points. However, the new directives cover most of the old issues.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Registrar Pandit claimed that the new directives had to be issued as the previous directives were not clear. He said, “Earlier, it was found that the directives were issued hastily without the consent of the ministry. Due to this, precise and clear instructions were issued again to facilitate their implementation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15089', 'image' => '20220527035902_Cooperative dept.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 15:58:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15346', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Transportation of Retail Goods Halted in Birgunj since 3 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week. They stopped transportation for three days demanding adjustment of fare due to increase in the price of diesel. Chairman of the Transport Entrepreneurs Association, Birgunj Bal Krishna Pokharel said that the goods to be transported from Birgunj to Kathmandu and other major cities of the country have not been booked due to the protest. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Until now, we were transporting goods at Rs 3.75 per kg to Rs 4 per kg. With the rise in the price of petroleum products, this amount is not enough to pay the truck fare,” Chairman Pokharel said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Retailers carry 10 metric tons of goods in 6 wheelers. At the rate of Rs 4 per kg, the fare from Birgunj to Kathmandu is Rs 40,000. According to Pokharel, the traders now cannot transport the goods as the cost alone has reached Rs 40,000. Transport entrepreneurs have been running their business by renting trucks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Transport businessmen say that the fare should be at least Rs 50,000, including the expenses for loading and unloading, warehouse, and office operation. They say that the expenses can be covered if the fare is at least Rs 5 per kg.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Despite some traders offering to pay the fares with adjustments, the transport entrepreneurs are seeking assurance from the state officials. The transport businessmen demanded that the fare should be adjusted in the presence of the local administration or traders' organization.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pokharel complained that the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry had promised to take the initiative but no discussion has been initiated till date. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15088', 'image' => '20220527022218_Birgunjjjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 14:21:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15345', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Govt to Halt Construction of Nijgadh International Airport ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. </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"">Responding to a writ petition filed against the construction of the airport, a full bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakashman Singh Raut and Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma issued such order on Thursday (May 26). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The mandamus order of the apex court has instructed the government to revoke all the decisions taken in regard to the construction of the airport till date and seek an alternative to the airport.</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"">Supreme Court’s Spokesperson Bimal Poudel confirmed that the apex court has revoked all the decisions taken by the government for the construction of the airport. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“The Supreme Court has ordered the government to seek an alternative to the airport. That means the government has to seek another site for the construction of the airport by taking into consideration the environment impact assessment and existing laws,” said Poudel, adding, “The bench has annulled all the earlier decisions taken regarding the EIA .”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government in its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year had mentioned that it would finalize the modality of investment and construction of the airport. Three days after the announcement, the Supreme Court ordered the government not to construct the airport. </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"">This is the final verdict in a case filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranjuhajur Pandey two years ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The dispute over the construction of airport had surfaced over the felling of trees. </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 the writ petition, the petitioners had demanded that the construction be stopped since the construction there would cause massive destruction of trees. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which was undertaking the project, has said it will respect the decision of the apex court.</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"">Spokesperson of CAAN Dev Chandra Lal Karn said that the Supreme Court verdict has effectively closed the chapter of this airport.</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"">“We have to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. We will seek other alternatives after receiving the full text of the court verdict,” said Karn.</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"">Infrastructure experts as well as politicians have expressed displeasure over the decision of the apex court. </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"">Former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai has termed the court’s verdict as a regressive step. In a Twitter post, Bhattarai also urged the justices to reconsider their decision.</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"">“This is a blatant intervention in a project considered as the game changer of the aviation sector of Nepal. The respected justices need to correct this decision,” he wrote on Twitter.</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"">Responding to Bhattarai’s Twitter post, infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya has also expressed his reservations towards the SC decision.</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"">Former Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa also took to Twitter saying that the decision was “inappropriate and unfortunate”. </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"">UML leader Pradeep Gyawali also criticized the order.</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"">Likewise, former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal said sarcastically “A country like Switzerland with an area of 41,285 sq km has 7 international airports. Why does a small country like ours with an area of 147,516 sq km need 4 international airports?”</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"">Nevertheless, there are also a section of people who have expressed happiness over the SC verdict.</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"">“You didn’t believe when I said an airport cannot be built on the basis of a fake EIA. Now I’m sorry for those who bought land,” wrote a Twitter handler.</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"">Save Nijgadh Campain’s Kashish Das Shrestha said that the SC verdict was a big news for protection of Nijgadh from environmental point of view.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government had started construction works of the airport in FY 2072/73 almost two decades after conducting a study. Informed sources said that the government has so far invested Rs 1.11 billion for the project.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15087', 'image' => '20220527124927_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:48:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15344', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Department of Passport to Remain Open on Sunday', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 27: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department took such decision on Wednesday in line with the government's policies and programmes of providing electronic passport in an easy manner. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department claimed it will provide passports to the service-seekers in an easy and smooth manner by operating services even during a public holiday in view of the increasing number of service seekers visiting the department. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department said that it will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday every week from May 29 onwards until an alternative arrangement is made. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15086', 'image' => '20220527120844_Consular-6_consular.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:07:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15343', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upper House begins Deliberations on Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.</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"">President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the policies and programmes of the government for the new fiscal year during a joint session of parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Govinda Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, proposed during Thursday’s meeting to hold discussions on the government's new policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Taking part in the deliberations, National Assembly members Bhairab Sundar Shrestha, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Bhagawati Neupane and Bimala Ghimire proposed amendments to the policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The MPs raised concerns regarding ‘one household, one tap’ programme announced by the government stating that although it assures drinking water supply to over 460,000 people, the quality of water supply was doubtful.</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"">“People need pure drinking water and we want the government to clarify who are its target groups for high standard water and who are the ones for the medium standard water,” RSS quoted the MPs as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They alleged the recent local level election was held in an unjust way despite the government claiming it to be peaceful, RSS further reported. </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"">They also sought amendments to the government's decision to exclude over 1,400 road projects introduced by the previous government. The deliberations will continue during the next meeting of upper house. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15085', 'image' => '20220527120236_nepal-parl.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:01:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15342', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Export of Soybean Oil Declines ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. Exports of refined soybean oil have been particularly affected since last April due to the competition of Nepali exporters with other countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Refined soybean oil worth Rs 5.17 billion was being exported from Nepal to India per month until mid-March. But the export of soybean oil as shrunk to Rs 2 billion per month since April. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the data of the Department of Customs, refined soybean oil worth Rs 4.54 billion was exported to India between mid-February to mid-March. However, soybean oil worth Rs 1.90 billion was exported in between mid-March to mid-April while the export during mid-April to mid-May was worth Rs 2.04 billion. Refined soybean oil is the major export product of Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, India used to charge up to 45 percent customs duty for the import of soybean oil. However, as Nepal is a SAARC member country, it enjoyed duty-free access to the Indian market. That is the reason why Indian businessmen had been buying soybean oil from Nepal, which was available at a relatively cheaper rate compared to that of other countries. Operator of OCB Foods Suresh Rungta says that the exports from Nepal have been affected after India reduced the customs duty recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, India has announced zero customs duty on soybean oil effective from Wednesday. Now, the import of soybean oil from other countries will no longer be subject to customs duty. In such case, Rungata says that the exports from Nepal would be further affected. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"We import raw materials from third countries and export refined oil after processing. Doing so is more expensive here than in other countries," he said, "In such a case, it would be cheaper for Indian businessmen to import oil from a third country than from Nepal. As a result, our soybean oil exports will be affected."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Overall, exports of refined soybean oil have increased by about 27 percent by mid-April. According to the data, soybean oil exports amounted to Rs 45.35 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year, which is Rs 9.59 billion more than last fiscal year. In the corresponding period of the previous year, soybean oil exports stood at Rs 35.75 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepali businessmen have been importing crude soybean oil from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and Ukraine. It is being exported to India by adding up to 30 percent value addition after processing. Soybean oil is also widely consumed in Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prior to this, refined palm oil was Nepal's main export item. However, soybean oil became the first-choice export item after India banned its import in the fiscal year 2077/78. Regardless of this, palm oil is being exported from Nepal after India lifted the ban on palm oil imports. At present, palm oil is the second largest export item. During this period, palm oil export amounted to Rs 14.78 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15084', 'image' => '20220526065642_istockphoto-1172450074-612x612.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 18:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15341', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkey Negotiating with Russia, Ukraine for Grain-Export Corridor', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the news agency, Ukraine's Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia invaded the former Soviet Union nation on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos there.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of exports from Ukraine is contributing to a growing global food crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Turkey is negotiating with both Russia and Ukraine for the export of grains from Ukraine," Reuters quoted the official as saying in condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"With a corridor to be opened from Turkey, there was a demand for this grain to reach their targeted markets. Negotiations are still ongoing," the person added.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko reportedly said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to provide a corridor for vessels carrying food in return for lifting of some Western sanctions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Reuters, Turkey neighbours Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea and has good relations with both, even as it has condemned the invasion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been in touch with Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States and the European Union trying to broker what he calls a "package deal" to resume both Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertilizer exports, the news agency further reported.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, there are many hurdles to any deal, including Russian demands for some sanctions to be lifted in return, the drifting mines, and the prohibitive costs of insuring the maritime route, Reuters reported citing officials and analysts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15083', 'image' => '20220526054353_wheat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:43:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15340', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Cottage and Small Scale Industries Welcome Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">During a recent programme, officials of the federation said that it is a positive thing to increase internal and external investment in productive sector with the slogan “Nepali Industries, Employment in Nepal: Our Product Our Business”. The federation also said that the package of entrepreneurship development, financial access, product marketing and export facilitation for small, cottage and medium enterprises also seems positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation is also hopeful that the policies and programmes will help in the promotion of local products by linking tourism as a dynamic dimension of the economy with all kinds of economic activities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation stated that strengths of the policies and programmes include building specialized skilled manpower as per the demand of the labor market, creating employment for the returnee migrant workers by conducting skill-based business, smoothing the supply chain, reducing external impact on the economy and implementing e-commerce system for market access of industrial products.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In addition, it also mentioned that the provision of increasing exports by reducing production cost of manufacturing and export-oriented industries, facilitating the establishment and operation of startup based business based on innovation, involving the private sector in the construction of infrastructure such as industrial village, industrial zone, special economic zone were all positive steps.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As per the federation, the establishment of industries to produce supplementary materials of big foreign industries to give Nepali products exposure to the national, regional and international value chain is likely have a positive impact on the promotion and protection of domestic industries and manufactured goods. It added that it is a positive aspect to encourage the private sector to establish and operate productive industries by creating industry-friendly environment, improving business environment and increasing government’s investment in basic infrastructure.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Supporting the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year, the federation says that implementing the Farm to Industry Integrated Model Programme to link the products of agriculture, forest and mining sectors in industrial processing chain, developing agriculture as a major driving force for economic growth and employment, integrating cooperative sector with entrepreneurship, production and employment for economic development and poverty alleviation will have a positive impact in the overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation believes that the policy of facilitating credit flow to the productive and employment oriented sectors will easily increase the financial access of cottage and small scale entrepreneurs. According to the policy of reviewing the existing tax system to make it clean, transparent and investment and business friendly, it is necessary to review the tax system targeting business run by small, home-based, cottage and women entrepreneurs who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the federation said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation expects that the policies and programmes covered by the National Planning Commission will be implemented through the upcoming budget.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15082', 'image' => '20220526052559_service_1543560160.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:25:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15354', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Search for ‘Missing’ Plane Continues: CAAN ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the plane that had left Pokhara for Jomsom at 9:55 am had lost contact with the Jomsom Tower at 10:07. The plane had last reported from Ghodepani. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the center, a helicopter of Fishtail Air was sent to the site for the search operation but the effort was aborted due to adverse weather, which forced the chopper to fly back to Jomsom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The centre informed that helicopters are on standby in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom airports for the search efforts and the aerial search for the plane will be resumed once the weather permits. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Separate squads of the Nepalse Army and the Nepal Police have already left for the site to undertake the search efforts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> A total of 22 people including 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans and three crew members were onboard the plane. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15096', 'image' => '20220529044837_IMG_20170214_063210-2-scaled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 16:47:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15353', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Negligent Towards Supply of Fertilizers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. Agriculture is also the main source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s population. However, the government has been highly negligent regarding the supply of chemical fertilizers which is very essential for agriculture. Due to this, farmers have been facing shortage of fertilizer every year during the season of planting major crops like paddy, maize and wheat.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">This year, the paddy-planting season is around a month away. However, they are not getting essential chemical fertilizers for paddy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Each year, the government has failed to provide fertilizers to the farmers on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">It is clearly evident that the government has failed in the management of chemical fertilizers this year as well. However, the government has not stopped repeating its assurance of providing fertilizer on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">At a program organized by the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists on Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Raya Yadav claimed that farmers would get fertilizer by July at any cost. However, the government does not seem to have made proper preparations to supply fertilizer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The Agricultural Inputs Company Limited, the state-owned company responsible for supplying chemical fertilizers, has only 15,000 metric tons of DAP in stock. Officials of the company say that they are preparing to import 40,000 metric tons of DAP.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company claims that the first 20,000 tons of fertilizer brought through global tender will take months to arrive in Nepal, and another 20,000 tons will arrive by the first week of July.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company's current stock of 560 metric tons of urea is supplied to only eight districts. There is a scarcity of fertilizer all over the country. Around 60,000 tons of urea to be imported in the first phase from India through G2G process has not been finalized yet</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Acting Managing Director of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited Rajendra Bahadur Karki, said that preparations are being made to bring urea through the fast track but India is closing the Haldia port for 11 to 45 days from next July. Stakeholders say that this has ruled out the possibility of importing fertilizer under the G2G model.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Meanwhile, the Salt Trading Corporation, another company in charge of importing and selling government-subsidized fertilizer, also does not have sufficient stock of chemical fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The government and its subordinate bodies responsible for importing fertilizers have been blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the delay in supply of fertilizers. However, stakeholders claim that the lack of preparation on part of the government is to blame for the inordinate delay in supply of fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">One of the stakeholders Chandrakant Dallakoti is not ready to buy the government’s claim of war for the inordinate delay.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">“If the government had failed to supply fertilizer on time this year, we would have believed that it was due to the Russia-Ukraine war. But the government has been failing to supply fertilizers on time since many years,” said Dallakoti, adding, “The government is well aware that we need fertilizer in July. The government must make preparations since winter. But the farmers have always been troubled due to inadequate preparations of the government.”</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15095', 'image' => '20220529012218_Fertilizer.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 13:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15352', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Present Annual Budget in Parliament Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29). </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"">Finance Minister Janardan Sharma will present the annual budget for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 during the joint meeting of federal parliament at 4 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The constitution has a provision of presenting the budget in the federal parliament on the Republic Day, which falls on May 29 this year.</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"">All the members of parliament have been urged to be present at the parliament building before 3:45 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15094', 'image' => '20220529080257_20220518080411_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:02:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15351', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Finance Minister Tables Economic Survey-2021/022 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Economic Survey includes the economic details of the country in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government tables the economic survey in the Federal Parliament some days before tabling the annual budget. As per the constitutional provision, the government tables the annual budget on the Republic Day on Jestha 15, which falls on May 29 (today) this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the Economic Survey, a total of 621 megawatts of hydroelectricity including 456 megawatt from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has been linked to the national transmission line till the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The government has a target to link 1,629 megawatt of power to the national grid. -- RSS </span><br /> <br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15093', 'image' => '20220529080217_14523.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:01:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15349', 'article_category_id' => '268', 'title' => 'Exporters Demand Export Credit Insurance Facility ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal. Many countries around the world have introduced export credit insurance targeting non-payment risks in exports. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lately, the export of goods from Nepal has been increasing. With the increase in size of the exports, the problem of non-payment is also increasing. This has discouraged exporters. However, it seems that the concerned bodies have not paid enough attention to introduce export credit insurance to cover such risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Exporters have been demanding the government to bring such insurance facilities since the last 2/3 years. But they say that the government has ignored this issue. The Insurance Board, the regulatory body of the insurance sector, says it is ready to approve any such products if the insurance companies announce them.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary of the Nepali Readymade Garment Industry Association, says that credit export insurance should be introduced. "Lately, the risk of non-payment has been increasing along with Nepal's exports," he said, "In this case, we want to insure ourselves by paying the required fee. However, we have not been able to get that facility. The government needs to pay attention to this immediately." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Export credit insurance has come into practice in many countries of the world. In case of non-payment of the exported item, up to 95% of the export value can be obtained from the insurance companies. However, Nepali exporters have not yet been able to get such facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal should increase its exports at any cost to reduce the trade deficit. For that, exporters say that they need motivation, which is possible through such insurance facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Agrawal said his industry had exported its products to the United States a few years ago, but the buyers did not pay. "I then filed a lawsuit in a US court," he said, "The court asked whether there is export credit insurance or not." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He says that the need and importance of such insurance has been increasing in recent days. "The government should be positive about this issue," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A few days ago, a special team from Germany came to Kathmandu and informed the insurance board and the companies about such insurance through a presentation. After that, a debate has started on the issue of bringing such a product in the insurance sector. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Insurance Board Raju Raman Poudel said that the board is positive in this regard. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"So far, no such insurance product has been introduced in Nepal. The insurance companies have to take the initiative. If they bring such product, we are ready to approve it," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Insurance companies, on the other hand, say that even if such insurance is introduced, it will be a challenge to implement it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CEO of NLG Insurance Suresh Ballav Pant argues that it is challenging to implement such product. "First, the insurance company should know all the credit of the customers. Moreover, the foreigners are the customers during export," he said, "We'll need information such as loan payment to the bank by the customers while importing other goods, and business transactions which is difficult to get. So it is quite challenging." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15092', 'image' => '20220527045650_Export.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:56:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15350', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'National Assembly Endorses Government’s Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina had presented the government's policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2022/23 for endorsement. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Before the endorsement of the policies and programmes, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, replied to the questions raised in course of the deliberations on the document. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Majority of National Assembly members rejected the proposal for amendment to the policies and programmes . </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Lawmakers Dr Bedu Ram Bhusal, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Dr Bimala Rai Poudyal, Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Devendra Dahal and Bhagawati Neupane had sought clarifications on the government's policy. In reply, Minister Koirala said all the queries are obvious and the government has kept production and processing of herbs in priority. This topic would be included in the budget for the next fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He made it clear that since the price of petroleum products fluctuated due to the impact of the international market, the government did not have control over the prices as such. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Regarding the clarification related to the topic of Nijgadh International Airport, he said more cannot be said on this topic as the full text of the Supreme Court's verdict is not yet available. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly held deliberations on the policies and programmes of the government on Thursday and Friday before endorsing it. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the government's policies and programmes in a joint session of the Federal Parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chairman Timilsina directed the lawmakers to be seated in the Federal Parliament's assembly hall 15 minutes before 4 pm on May 29, when the budget for the next fiscal year is to be presented before the joint session of the Federal Parliament. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly will next meet at 3 pm on May 29. -- RSS </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15091', 'image' => '20220527055544_20220525034821_RS_KTM-20220524_163359.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 17:54:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15348', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Entrepreneurs Unimpressed by Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. They said that there is no concrete policy for the tourism sector, which was most affected by the Covid-19 and has been clawing back to normalcy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government, which made the policies and programmes public on Tuesday, is releasing the budget for the next fiscal year on May 29. Binayak Shah, senior vice president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), shared that the budget is expected to have a concrete and landmark programme for tourism. "The tourism sector is still not in a normal state," Shah said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, he said that since the budget will come in a few days, we will have to wait and see what kind of programmes will be included in it. The ' Visit Nepal 2020' campaign announced by the government in 2020 was postponed but never implemented. In the context that the tourism year was postponed due to Covid-19, it is necessary to re-announce such big events, said Shah. He stressed that the government should announce a big event for the revival of tourism in the new budget.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"Preparations for the tourism year can still be made active," Shah said. "Let's announce a big event in the budget, let's give half a year to prepare."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, who is also a founding member of the World Tourism Network, has a similar view. He also said that a big event is needed to revive the tourism sector and give impetus to it. Joshi said that the upcoming budget should announce a big program like the postponed Visit Nepal Year 2020 so that it can be implemented within a year and a half.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that the tourism sector is not a business that can be run on its own, he said that it can only move forward by linking tourism in a multi-faceted way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15090', 'image' => '20220527043635_Tourist.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:35:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15347', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Co-operatives must Ensure 51 Percent Credit Flow to Productive Sector', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issuing the Unified Directive-2079 on Thursday, the department directed co-operatives to categorize the loans on the basis of sectors and disburse at least 51 percent of the total loan in production and income-generating businesses. The co-operatives are not allowed to operate hydropower projects, hospitals, schools, campuses, hotels, petrol pumps and other projects without mentioning them in their statute. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The directive mentions that the members of co-operatives will not be allowed to invest their savings and the outstanding loan flow should not exceed 5 percent of the total assets. The directive also stipulates that the elected or nominated public office bearers directly involved in the registration and regulation of co-operatives or the employees working in the government bodies, state government or local level offices cannot be elected or nominated in the Board of Directors or Accounts Supervision Committee of the co-operatives.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department also instructed to make arrangements for immediate resignation from such posts by government employees and the vacant posts should be filled in the upcoming general assembly through by-elections.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, the then registrar of the department Jhalakaram Adhikari had issued an 88-point Unified Directives on February 13. Three months later, Registrar Rudra Prasad Pandit reissued the directives. The new directives were reduced to 35 points. However, the new directives cover most of the old issues.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Registrar Pandit claimed that the new directives had to be issued as the previous directives were not clear. He said, “Earlier, it was found that the directives were issued hastily without the consent of the ministry. Due to this, precise and clear instructions were issued again to facilitate their implementation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15089', 'image' => '20220527035902_Cooperative dept.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 15:58:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15346', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Transportation of Retail Goods Halted in Birgunj since 3 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week. They stopped transportation for three days demanding adjustment of fare due to increase in the price of diesel. Chairman of the Transport Entrepreneurs Association, Birgunj Bal Krishna Pokharel said that the goods to be transported from Birgunj to Kathmandu and other major cities of the country have not been booked due to the protest. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Until now, we were transporting goods at Rs 3.75 per kg to Rs 4 per kg. With the rise in the price of petroleum products, this amount is not enough to pay the truck fare,” Chairman Pokharel said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Retailers carry 10 metric tons of goods in 6 wheelers. At the rate of Rs 4 per kg, the fare from Birgunj to Kathmandu is Rs 40,000. According to Pokharel, the traders now cannot transport the goods as the cost alone has reached Rs 40,000. Transport entrepreneurs have been running their business by renting trucks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Transport businessmen say that the fare should be at least Rs 50,000, including the expenses for loading and unloading, warehouse, and office operation. They say that the expenses can be covered if the fare is at least Rs 5 per kg.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Despite some traders offering to pay the fares with adjustments, the transport entrepreneurs are seeking assurance from the state officials. The transport businessmen demanded that the fare should be adjusted in the presence of the local administration or traders' organization.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pokharel complained that the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry had promised to take the initiative but no discussion has been initiated till date. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15088', 'image' => '20220527022218_Birgunjjjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 14:21:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15345', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Govt to Halt Construction of Nijgadh International Airport ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. </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"">Responding to a writ petition filed against the construction of the airport, a full bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakashman Singh Raut and Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma issued such order on Thursday (May 26). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The mandamus order of the apex court has instructed the government to revoke all the decisions taken in regard to the construction of the airport till date and seek an alternative to the airport.</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"">Supreme Court’s Spokesperson Bimal Poudel confirmed that the apex court has revoked all the decisions taken by the government for the construction of the airport. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“The Supreme Court has ordered the government to seek an alternative to the airport. That means the government has to seek another site for the construction of the airport by taking into consideration the environment impact assessment and existing laws,” said Poudel, adding, “The bench has annulled all the earlier decisions taken regarding the EIA .”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government in its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year had mentioned that it would finalize the modality of investment and construction of the airport. Three days after the announcement, the Supreme Court ordered the government not to construct the airport. </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"">This is the final verdict in a case filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranjuhajur Pandey two years ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The dispute over the construction of airport had surfaced over the felling of trees. </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 the writ petition, the petitioners had demanded that the construction be stopped since the construction there would cause massive destruction of trees. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which was undertaking the project, has said it will respect the decision of the apex court.</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"">Spokesperson of CAAN Dev Chandra Lal Karn said that the Supreme Court verdict has effectively closed the chapter of this airport.</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"">“We have to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. We will seek other alternatives after receiving the full text of the court verdict,” said Karn.</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"">Infrastructure experts as well as politicians have expressed displeasure over the decision of the apex court. </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"">Former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai has termed the court’s verdict as a regressive step. In a Twitter post, Bhattarai also urged the justices to reconsider their decision.</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"">“This is a blatant intervention in a project considered as the game changer of the aviation sector of Nepal. The respected justices need to correct this decision,” he wrote on Twitter.</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"">Responding to Bhattarai’s Twitter post, infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya has also expressed his reservations towards the SC decision.</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"">Former Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa also took to Twitter saying that the decision was “inappropriate and unfortunate”. </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"">UML leader Pradeep Gyawali also criticized the order.</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"">Likewise, former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal said sarcastically “A country like Switzerland with an area of 41,285 sq km has 7 international airports. Why does a small country like ours with an area of 147,516 sq km need 4 international airports?”</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"">Nevertheless, there are also a section of people who have expressed happiness over the SC verdict.</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"">“You didn’t believe when I said an airport cannot be built on the basis of a fake EIA. Now I’m sorry for those who bought land,” wrote a Twitter handler.</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"">Save Nijgadh Campain’s Kashish Das Shrestha said that the SC verdict was a big news for protection of Nijgadh from environmental point of view.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government had started construction works of the airport in FY 2072/73 almost two decades after conducting a study. Informed sources said that the government has so far invested Rs 1.11 billion for the project.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15087', 'image' => '20220527124927_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:48:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15344', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Department of Passport to Remain Open on Sunday', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 27: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department took such decision on Wednesday in line with the government's policies and programmes of providing electronic passport in an easy manner. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department claimed it will provide passports to the service-seekers in an easy and smooth manner by operating services even during a public holiday in view of the increasing number of service seekers visiting the department. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department said that it will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday every week from May 29 onwards until an alternative arrangement is made. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15086', 'image' => '20220527120844_Consular-6_consular.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:07:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15343', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upper House begins Deliberations on Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.</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"">President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the policies and programmes of the government for the new fiscal year during a joint session of parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Govinda Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, proposed during Thursday’s meeting to hold discussions on the government's new policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Taking part in the deliberations, National Assembly members Bhairab Sundar Shrestha, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Bhagawati Neupane and Bimala Ghimire proposed amendments to the policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The MPs raised concerns regarding ‘one household, one tap’ programme announced by the government stating that although it assures drinking water supply to over 460,000 people, the quality of water supply was doubtful.</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"">“People need pure drinking water and we want the government to clarify who are its target groups for high standard water and who are the ones for the medium standard water,” RSS quoted the MPs as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They alleged the recent local level election was held in an unjust way despite the government claiming it to be peaceful, RSS further reported. </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"">They also sought amendments to the government's decision to exclude over 1,400 road projects introduced by the previous government. The deliberations will continue during the next meeting of upper house. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15085', 'image' => '20220527120236_nepal-parl.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:01:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15342', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Export of Soybean Oil Declines ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. Exports of refined soybean oil have been particularly affected since last April due to the competition of Nepali exporters with other countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Refined soybean oil worth Rs 5.17 billion was being exported from Nepal to India per month until mid-March. But the export of soybean oil as shrunk to Rs 2 billion per month since April. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the data of the Department of Customs, refined soybean oil worth Rs 4.54 billion was exported to India between mid-February to mid-March. However, soybean oil worth Rs 1.90 billion was exported in between mid-March to mid-April while the export during mid-April to mid-May was worth Rs 2.04 billion. Refined soybean oil is the major export product of Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, India used to charge up to 45 percent customs duty for the import of soybean oil. However, as Nepal is a SAARC member country, it enjoyed duty-free access to the Indian market. That is the reason why Indian businessmen had been buying soybean oil from Nepal, which was available at a relatively cheaper rate compared to that of other countries. Operator of OCB Foods Suresh Rungta says that the exports from Nepal have been affected after India reduced the customs duty recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, India has announced zero customs duty on soybean oil effective from Wednesday. Now, the import of soybean oil from other countries will no longer be subject to customs duty. In such case, Rungata says that the exports from Nepal would be further affected. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"We import raw materials from third countries and export refined oil after processing. Doing so is more expensive here than in other countries," he said, "In such a case, it would be cheaper for Indian businessmen to import oil from a third country than from Nepal. As a result, our soybean oil exports will be affected."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Overall, exports of refined soybean oil have increased by about 27 percent by mid-April. According to the data, soybean oil exports amounted to Rs 45.35 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year, which is Rs 9.59 billion more than last fiscal year. In the corresponding period of the previous year, soybean oil exports stood at Rs 35.75 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepali businessmen have been importing crude soybean oil from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and Ukraine. It is being exported to India by adding up to 30 percent value addition after processing. Soybean oil is also widely consumed in Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prior to this, refined palm oil was Nepal's main export item. However, soybean oil became the first-choice export item after India banned its import in the fiscal year 2077/78. Regardless of this, palm oil is being exported from Nepal after India lifted the ban on palm oil imports. At present, palm oil is the second largest export item. During this period, palm oil export amounted to Rs 14.78 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15084', 'image' => '20220526065642_istockphoto-1172450074-612x612.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 18:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15341', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkey Negotiating with Russia, Ukraine for Grain-Export Corridor', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the news agency, Ukraine's Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia invaded the former Soviet Union nation on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos there.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of exports from Ukraine is contributing to a growing global food crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Turkey is negotiating with both Russia and Ukraine for the export of grains from Ukraine," Reuters quoted the official as saying in condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"With a corridor to be opened from Turkey, there was a demand for this grain to reach their targeted markets. Negotiations are still ongoing," the person added.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko reportedly said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to provide a corridor for vessels carrying food in return for lifting of some Western sanctions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Reuters, Turkey neighbours Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea and has good relations with both, even as it has condemned the invasion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been in touch with Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States and the European Union trying to broker what he calls a "package deal" to resume both Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertilizer exports, the news agency further reported.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, there are many hurdles to any deal, including Russian demands for some sanctions to be lifted in return, the drifting mines, and the prohibitive costs of insuring the maritime route, Reuters reported citing officials and analysts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15083', 'image' => '20220526054353_wheat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:43:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15340', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Cottage and Small Scale Industries Welcome Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">During a recent programme, officials of the federation said that it is a positive thing to increase internal and external investment in productive sector with the slogan “Nepali Industries, Employment in Nepal: Our Product Our Business”. The federation also said that the package of entrepreneurship development, financial access, product marketing and export facilitation for small, cottage and medium enterprises also seems positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation is also hopeful that the policies and programmes will help in the promotion of local products by linking tourism as a dynamic dimension of the economy with all kinds of economic activities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation stated that strengths of the policies and programmes include building specialized skilled manpower as per the demand of the labor market, creating employment for the returnee migrant workers by conducting skill-based business, smoothing the supply chain, reducing external impact on the economy and implementing e-commerce system for market access of industrial products.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In addition, it also mentioned that the provision of increasing exports by reducing production cost of manufacturing and export-oriented industries, facilitating the establishment and operation of startup based business based on innovation, involving the private sector in the construction of infrastructure such as industrial village, industrial zone, special economic zone were all positive steps.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As per the federation, the establishment of industries to produce supplementary materials of big foreign industries to give Nepali products exposure to the national, regional and international value chain is likely have a positive impact on the promotion and protection of domestic industries and manufactured goods. It added that it is a positive aspect to encourage the private sector to establish and operate productive industries by creating industry-friendly environment, improving business environment and increasing government’s investment in basic infrastructure.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Supporting the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year, the federation says that implementing the Farm to Industry Integrated Model Programme to link the products of agriculture, forest and mining sectors in industrial processing chain, developing agriculture as a major driving force for economic growth and employment, integrating cooperative sector with entrepreneurship, production and employment for economic development and poverty alleviation will have a positive impact in the overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation believes that the policy of facilitating credit flow to the productive and employment oriented sectors will easily increase the financial access of cottage and small scale entrepreneurs. According to the policy of reviewing the existing tax system to make it clean, transparent and investment and business friendly, it is necessary to review the tax system targeting business run by small, home-based, cottage and women entrepreneurs who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the federation said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation expects that the policies and programmes covered by the National Planning Commission will be implemented through the upcoming budget.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15082', 'image' => '20220526052559_service_1543560160.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:25:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Authorities have intensified search for the missing Twin Otter aircraft of Tara Air with call sign ‘9 NAET’ that lost contact with the air control tower while en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski this morning. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the plane that had left Pokhara for Jomsom at 9:55 am had lost contact with the Jomsom Tower at 10:07. The plane had last reported from Ghodepani. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the center, a helicopter of Fishtail Air was sent to the site for the search operation but the effort was aborted due to adverse weather, which forced the chopper to fly back to Jomsom. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The centre informed that helicopters are on standby in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom airports for the search efforts and the aerial search for the plane will be resumed once the weather permits. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Separate squads of the Nepalse Army and the Nepal Police have already left for the site to undertake the search efforts. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif""> A total of 22 people including 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans and three crew members were onboard the plane. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15096', 'image' => '20220529044837_IMG_20170214_063210-2-scaled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 16:47:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15353', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Negligent Towards Supply of Fertilizers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">May 29: According to the latest estimates of the Central Statistics Office, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the country's GDP is 23.95 per cent. Agriculture is also the main source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s population. However, the government has been highly negligent regarding the supply of chemical fertilizers which is very essential for agriculture. Due to this, farmers have been facing shortage of fertilizer every year during the season of planting major crops like paddy, maize and wheat.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">This year, the paddy-planting season is around a month away. However, they are not getting essential chemical fertilizers for paddy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Each year, the government has failed to provide fertilizers to the farmers on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">It is clearly evident that the government has failed in the management of chemical fertilizers this year as well. However, the government has not stopped repeating its assurance of providing fertilizer on time.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">At a program organized by the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists on Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Raya Yadav claimed that farmers would get fertilizer by July at any cost. However, the government does not seem to have made proper preparations to supply fertilizer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The Agricultural Inputs Company Limited, the state-owned company responsible for supplying chemical fertilizers, has only 15,000 metric tons of DAP in stock. Officials of the company say that they are preparing to import 40,000 metric tons of DAP.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company claims that the first 20,000 tons of fertilizer brought through global tender will take months to arrive in Nepal, and another 20,000 tons will arrive by the first week of July.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The company's current stock of 560 metric tons of urea is supplied to only eight districts. There is a scarcity of fertilizer all over the country. Around 60,000 tons of urea to be imported in the first phase from India through G2G process has not been finalized yet</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Acting Managing Director of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited Rajendra Bahadur Karki, said that preparations are being made to bring urea through the fast track but India is closing the Haldia port for 11 to 45 days from next July. Stakeholders say that this has ruled out the possibility of importing fertilizer under the G2G model.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Meanwhile, the Salt Trading Corporation, another company in charge of importing and selling government-subsidized fertilizer, also does not have sufficient stock of chemical fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">The government and its subordinate bodies responsible for importing fertilizers have been blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the delay in supply of fertilizers. However, stakeholders claim that the lack of preparation on part of the government is to blame for the inordinate delay in supply of fertilizers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">One of the stakeholders Chandrakant Dallakoti is not ready to buy the government’s claim of war for the inordinate delay.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">“If the government had failed to supply fertilizer on time this year, we would have believed that it was due to the Russia-Ukraine war. But the government has been failing to supply fertilizers on time since many years,” said Dallakoti, adding, “The government is well aware that we need fertilizer in July. The government must make preparations since winter. But the farmers have always been troubled due to inadequate preparations of the government.”</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15095', 'image' => '20220529012218_Fertilizer.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 13:21:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15352', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Present Annual Budget in Parliament Today', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: The government is all set to present the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year in parliament today (May 29). </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"">Finance Minister Janardan Sharma will present the annual budget for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 during the joint meeting of federal parliament at 4 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The constitution has a provision of presenting the budget in the federal parliament on the Republic Day, which falls on May 29 this year.</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"">All the members of parliament have been urged to be present at the parliament building before 3:45 pm today afternoon. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15094', 'image' => '20220529080257_20220518080411_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:02:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15351', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Finance Minister Tables Economic Survey-2021/022 ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 29: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma tabled the Economic Survey-2021/022 in House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Saturday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Economic Survey includes the economic details of the country in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government tables the economic survey in the Federal Parliament some days before tabling the annual budget. As per the constitutional provision, the government tables the annual budget on the Republic Day on Jestha 15, which falls on May 29 (today) this year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the Economic Survey, a total of 621 megawatts of hydroelectricity including 456 megawatt from the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has been linked to the national transmission line till the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The government has a target to link 1,629 megawatt of power to the national grid. -- RSS </span><br /> <br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-29', 'modified' => '2022-05-29', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15093', 'image' => '20220529080217_14523.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-29 08:01:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15349', 'article_category_id' => '268', 'title' => 'Exporters Demand Export Credit Insurance Facility ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Export Credit Insurance (ECI) to cover the risk of non-payment of goods exported abroad is not yet available in Nepal. Many countries around the world have introduced export credit insurance targeting non-payment risks in exports. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lately, the export of goods from Nepal has been increasing. With the increase in size of the exports, the problem of non-payment is also increasing. This has discouraged exporters. However, it seems that the concerned bodies have not paid enough attention to introduce export credit insurance to cover such risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Exporters have been demanding the government to bring such insurance facilities since the last 2/3 years. But they say that the government has ignored this issue. The Insurance Board, the regulatory body of the insurance sector, says it is ready to approve any such products if the insurance companies announce them.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary of the Nepali Readymade Garment Industry Association, says that credit export insurance should be introduced. "Lately, the risk of non-payment has been increasing along with Nepal's exports," he said, "In this case, we want to insure ourselves by paying the required fee. However, we have not been able to get that facility. The government needs to pay attention to this immediately." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Export credit insurance has come into practice in many countries of the world. In case of non-payment of the exported item, up to 95% of the export value can be obtained from the insurance companies. However, Nepali exporters have not yet been able to get such facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepal should increase its exports at any cost to reduce the trade deficit. For that, exporters say that they need motivation, which is possible through such insurance facility. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Agrawal said his industry had exported its products to the United States a few years ago, but the buyers did not pay. "I then filed a lawsuit in a US court," he said, "The court asked whether there is export credit insurance or not." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He says that the need and importance of such insurance has been increasing in recent days. "The government should be positive about this issue," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A few days ago, a special team from Germany came to Kathmandu and informed the insurance board and the companies about such insurance through a presentation. After that, a debate has started on the issue of bringing such a product in the insurance sector. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Insurance Board Raju Raman Poudel said that the board is positive in this regard. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"So far, no such insurance product has been introduced in Nepal. The insurance companies have to take the initiative. If they bring such product, we are ready to approve it," he said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Insurance companies, on the other hand, say that even if such insurance is introduced, it will be a challenge to implement it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CEO of NLG Insurance Suresh Ballav Pant argues that it is challenging to implement such product. "First, the insurance company should know all the credit of the customers. Moreover, the foreigners are the customers during export," he said, "We'll need information such as loan payment to the bank by the customers while importing other goods, and business transactions which is difficult to get. So it is quite challenging." </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15092', 'image' => '20220527045650_Export.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:56:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15350', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'National Assembly Endorses Government’s Policies and Programmes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) today passed the Policies and Programmes of the Government by overwhelming majority. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina had presented the government's policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2022/23 for endorsement. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Before the endorsement of the policies and programmes, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, replied to the questions raised in course of the deliberations on the document. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Majority of National Assembly members rejected the proposal for amendment to the policies and programmes . </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Lawmakers Dr Bedu Ram Bhusal, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Dr Bimala Rai Poudyal, Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Devendra Dahal and Bhagawati Neupane had sought clarifications on the government's policy. In reply, Minister Koirala said all the queries are obvious and the government has kept production and processing of herbs in priority. This topic would be included in the budget for the next fiscal year. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He made it clear that since the price of petroleum products fluctuated due to the impact of the international market, the government did not have control over the prices as such. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Regarding the clarification related to the topic of Nijgadh International Airport, he said more cannot be said on this topic as the full text of the Supreme Court's verdict is not yet available. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly held deliberations on the policies and programmes of the government on Thursday and Friday before endorsing it. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the government's policies and programmes in a joint session of the Federal Parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Chairman Timilsina directed the lawmakers to be seated in the Federal Parliament's assembly hall 15 minutes before 4 pm on May 29, when the budget for the next fiscal year is to be presented before the joint session of the Federal Parliament. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The National Assembly will next meet at 3 pm on May 29. -- RSS </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15091', 'image' => '20220527055544_20220525034821_RS_KTM-20220524_163359.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 17:54:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15348', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Entrepreneurs Unimpressed by Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Tourism stakeholders have stated that they are not much impressed by the policies and programmes made public by the government for the upcoming fiscal year. They said that there is no concrete policy for the tourism sector, which was most affected by the Covid-19 and has been clawing back to normalcy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government, which made the policies and programmes public on Tuesday, is releasing the budget for the next fiscal year on May 29. Binayak Shah, senior vice president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), shared that the budget is expected to have a concrete and landmark programme for tourism. "The tourism sector is still not in a normal state," Shah said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, he said that since the budget will come in a few days, we will have to wait and see what kind of programmes will be included in it. The ' Visit Nepal 2020' campaign announced by the government in 2020 was postponed but never implemented. In the context that the tourism year was postponed due to Covid-19, it is necessary to re-announce such big events, said Shah. He stressed that the government should announce a big event for the revival of tourism in the new budget.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"Preparations for the tourism year can still be made active," Shah said. "Let's announce a big event in the budget, let's give half a year to prepare."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, who is also a founding member of the World Tourism Network, has a similar view. He also said that a big event is needed to revive the tourism sector and give impetus to it. Joshi said that the upcoming budget should announce a big program like the postponed Visit Nepal Year 2020 so that it can be implemented within a year and a half.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Stating that the tourism sector is not a business that can be run on its own, he said that it can only move forward by linking tourism in a multi-faceted way.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15090', 'image' => '20220527043635_Tourist.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 16:35:57', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15347', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Co-operatives must Ensure 51 Percent Credit Flow to Productive Sector', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: At a time when the co-operatives are being criticized for investing in unproductive sectors including real estate, the Department of Co-operatives of the federal government has directed the cooperatives to channel 51 percent of their total credit to the productive sector.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Issuing the Unified Directive-2079 on Thursday, the department directed co-operatives to categorize the loans on the basis of sectors and disburse at least 51 percent of the total loan in production and income-generating businesses. The co-operatives are not allowed to operate hydropower projects, hospitals, schools, campuses, hotels, petrol pumps and other projects without mentioning them in their statute. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The directive mentions that the members of co-operatives will not be allowed to invest their savings and the outstanding loan flow should not exceed 5 percent of the total assets. The directive also stipulates that the elected or nominated public office bearers directly involved in the registration and regulation of co-operatives or the employees working in the government bodies, state government or local level offices cannot be elected or nominated in the Board of Directors or Accounts Supervision Committee of the co-operatives.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department also instructed to make arrangements for immediate resignation from such posts by government employees and the vacant posts should be filled in the upcoming general assembly through by-elections.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, the then registrar of the department Jhalakaram Adhikari had issued an 88-point Unified Directives on February 13. Three months later, Registrar Rudra Prasad Pandit reissued the directives. The new directives were reduced to 35 points. However, the new directives cover most of the old issues.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Registrar Pandit claimed that the new directives had to be issued as the previous directives were not clear. He said, “Earlier, it was found that the directives were issued hastily without the consent of the ministry. Due to this, precise and clear instructions were issued again to facilitate their implementation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15089', 'image' => '20220527035902_Cooperative dept.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 15:58:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15346', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Transportation of Retail Goods Halted in Birgunj since 3 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 27: Transport entrepreneurs of Birgunj have halted transportation service after the price of petroleum products went up twice in just a week. They stopped transportation for three days demanding adjustment of fare due to increase in the price of diesel. Chairman of the Transport Entrepreneurs Association, Birgunj Bal Krishna Pokharel said that the goods to be transported from Birgunj to Kathmandu and other major cities of the country have not been booked due to the protest. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Until now, we were transporting goods at Rs 3.75 per kg to Rs 4 per kg. With the rise in the price of petroleum products, this amount is not enough to pay the truck fare,” Chairman Pokharel said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Retailers carry 10 metric tons of goods in 6 wheelers. At the rate of Rs 4 per kg, the fare from Birgunj to Kathmandu is Rs 40,000. According to Pokharel, the traders now cannot transport the goods as the cost alone has reached Rs 40,000. Transport entrepreneurs have been running their business by renting trucks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Transport businessmen say that the fare should be at least Rs 50,000, including the expenses for loading and unloading, warehouse, and office operation. They say that the expenses can be covered if the fare is at least Rs 5 per kg.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Despite some traders offering to pay the fares with adjustments, the transport entrepreneurs are seeking assurance from the state officials. The transport businessmen demanded that the fare should be adjusted in the presence of the local administration or traders' organization.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pokharel complained that the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry had promised to take the initiative but no discussion has been initiated till date. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15088', 'image' => '20220527022218_Birgunjjjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 14:21:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15345', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Orders Govt to Halt Construction of Nijgadh International Airport ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: International Airport for which the government has already spent more than Rs 1.11 billion in the last three decades. </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"">Responding to a writ petition filed against the construction of the airport, a full bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakashman Singh Raut and Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma issued such order on Thursday (May 26). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The mandamus order of the apex court has instructed the government to revoke all the decisions taken in regard to the construction of the airport till date and seek an alternative to the airport.</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"">Supreme Court’s Spokesperson Bimal Poudel confirmed that the apex court has revoked all the decisions taken by the government for the construction of the airport. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“The Supreme Court has ordered the government to seek an alternative to the airport. That means the government has to seek another site for the construction of the airport by taking into consideration the environment impact assessment and existing laws,” said Poudel, adding, “The bench has annulled all the earlier decisions taken regarding the EIA .”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government in its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year had mentioned that it would finalize the modality of investment and construction of the airport. Three days after the announcement, the Supreme Court ordered the government not to construct the airport. </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"">This is the final verdict in a case filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranjuhajur Pandey two years ago.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The dispute over the construction of airport had surfaced over the felling of trees. </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 the writ petition, the petitioners had demanded that the construction be stopped since the construction there would cause massive destruction of trees. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which was undertaking the project, has said it will respect the decision of the apex court.</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"">Spokesperson of CAAN Dev Chandra Lal Karn said that the Supreme Court verdict has effectively closed the chapter of this airport.</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"">“We have to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. We will seek other alternatives after receiving the full text of the court verdict,” said Karn.</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"">Infrastructure experts as well as politicians have expressed displeasure over the decision of the apex court. </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"">Former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai has termed the court’s verdict as a regressive step. In a Twitter post, Bhattarai also urged the justices to reconsider their decision.</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"">“This is a blatant intervention in a project considered as the game changer of the aviation sector of Nepal. The respected justices need to correct this decision,” he wrote on Twitter.</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"">Responding to Bhattarai’s Twitter post, infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya has also expressed his reservations towards the SC decision.</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"">Former Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa also took to Twitter saying that the decision was “inappropriate and unfortunate”. </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"">UML leader Pradeep Gyawali also criticized the order.</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"">Likewise, former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal said sarcastically “A country like Switzerland with an area of 41,285 sq km has 7 international airports. Why does a small country like ours with an area of 147,516 sq km need 4 international airports?”</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"">Nevertheless, there are also a section of people who have expressed happiness over the SC verdict.</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"">“You didn’t believe when I said an airport cannot be built on the basis of a fake EIA. Now I’m sorry for those who bought land,” wrote a Twitter handler.</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"">Save Nijgadh Campain’s Kashish Das Shrestha said that the SC verdict was a big news for protection of Nijgadh from environmental point of view.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The government had started construction works of the airport in FY 2072/73 almost two decades after conducting a study. Informed sources said that the government has so far invested Rs 1.11 billion for the project.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15087', 'image' => '20220527124927_Supreme Court.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:48:42', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15344', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Department of Passport to Remain Open on Sunday', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">May 27: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to provide services on Sunday even though it is a public holiday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department took such decision on Wednesday in line with the government's policies and programmes of providing electronic passport in an easy manner. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department claimed it will provide passports to the service-seekers in an easy and smooth manner by operating services even during a public holiday in view of the increasing number of service seekers visiting the department. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The department said that it will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday every week from May 29 onwards until an alternative arrangement is made. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15086', 'image' => '20220527120844_Consular-6_consular.jpeg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:07:51', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15343', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Upper House begins Deliberations on Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">May 27: The National Assembly has started deliberations on the government's policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year.</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"">President Bidya Devi Bhandari had presented the policies and programmes of the government for the new fiscal year during a joint session of parliament on May 24. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Govinda Koirala, on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, proposed during Thursday’s meeting to hold discussions on the government's new policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Taking part in the deliberations, National Assembly members Bhairab Sundar Shrestha, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Bhagawati Neupane and Bimala Ghimire proposed amendments to the policies and programmes. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The MPs raised concerns regarding ‘one household, one tap’ programme announced by the government stating that although it assures drinking water supply to over 460,000 people, the quality of water supply was doubtful.</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"">“People need pure drinking water and we want the government to clarify who are its target groups for high standard water and who are the ones for the medium standard water,” RSS quoted the MPs as saying. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">They alleged the recent local level election was held in an unjust way despite the government claiming it to be peaceful, RSS further reported. </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"">They also sought amendments to the government's decision to exclude over 1,400 road projects introduced by the previous government. The deliberations will continue during the next meeting of upper house. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-27', 'modified' => '2022-05-27', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15085', 'image' => '20220527120236_nepal-parl.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-27 12:01:46', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15342', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Export of Soybean Oil Declines ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The export of soybean oil from Nepal has been affected after India reduced the customs duty on the oil imported from abroad. Exports of refined soybean oil have been particularly affected since last April due to the competition of Nepali exporters with other countries.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Refined soybean oil worth Rs 5.17 billion was being exported from Nepal to India per month until mid-March. But the export of soybean oil as shrunk to Rs 2 billion per month since April. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the data of the Department of Customs, refined soybean oil worth Rs 4.54 billion was exported to India between mid-February to mid-March. However, soybean oil worth Rs 1.90 billion was exported in between mid-March to mid-April while the export during mid-April to mid-May was worth Rs 2.04 billion. Refined soybean oil is the major export product of Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Earlier, India used to charge up to 45 percent customs duty for the import of soybean oil. However, as Nepal is a SAARC member country, it enjoyed duty-free access to the Indian market. That is the reason why Indian businessmen had been buying soybean oil from Nepal, which was available at a relatively cheaper rate compared to that of other countries. Operator of OCB Foods Suresh Rungta says that the exports from Nepal have been affected after India reduced the customs duty recently. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to him, India has announced zero customs duty on soybean oil effective from Wednesday. Now, the import of soybean oil from other countries will no longer be subject to customs duty. In such case, Rungata says that the exports from Nepal would be further affected. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"We import raw materials from third countries and export refined oil after processing. Doing so is more expensive here than in other countries," he said, "In such a case, it would be cheaper for Indian businessmen to import oil from a third country than from Nepal. As a result, our soybean oil exports will be affected."</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Overall, exports of refined soybean oil have increased by about 27 percent by mid-April. According to the data, soybean oil exports amounted to Rs 45.35 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year, which is Rs 9.59 billion more than last fiscal year. In the corresponding period of the previous year, soybean oil exports stood at Rs 35.75 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Nepali businessmen have been importing crude soybean oil from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and Ukraine. It is being exported to India by adding up to 30 percent value addition after processing. Soybean oil is also widely consumed in Nepal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prior to this, refined palm oil was Nepal's main export item. However, soybean oil became the first-choice export item after India banned its import in the fiscal year 2077/78. Regardless of this, palm oil is being exported from Nepal after India lifted the ban on palm oil imports. At present, palm oil is the second largest export item. During this period, palm oil export amounted to Rs 14.78 billion. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15084', 'image' => '20220526065642_istockphoto-1172450074-612x612.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 18:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15341', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Turkey Negotiating with Russia, Ukraine for Grain-Export Corridor', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 26: NATO member Turkey is in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to the news agency, Ukraine's Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia invaded the former Soviet Union nation on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos there.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of exports from Ukraine is contributing to a growing global food crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"Turkey is negotiating with both Russia and Ukraine for the export of grains from Ukraine," Reuters quoted the official as saying in condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"With a corridor to be opened from Turkey, there was a demand for this grain to reach their targeted markets. Negotiations are still ongoing," the person added.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko reportedly said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to provide a corridor for vessels carrying food in return for lifting of some Western sanctions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Reuters, Turkey neighbours Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea and has good relations with both, even as it has condemned the invasion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been in touch with Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States and the European Union trying to broker what he calls a "package deal" to resume both Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertilizer exports, the news agency further reported.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="font-size:15.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">However, there are many hurdles to any deal, including Russian demands for some sanctions to be lifted in return, the drifting mines, and the prohibitive costs of insuring the maritime route, Reuters reported citing officials and analysts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15083', 'image' => '20220526054353_wheat.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:43:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15340', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Cottage and Small Scale Industries Welcome Government’s Policies and Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">May 26: The Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries has stated that the annual policies and programmes presented by the government in the federal parliament for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022/23) is overall positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">During a recent programme, officials of the federation said that it is a positive thing to increase internal and external investment in productive sector with the slogan “Nepali Industries, Employment in Nepal: Our Product Our Business”. The federation also said that the package of entrepreneurship development, financial access, product marketing and export facilitation for small, cottage and medium enterprises also seems positive.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation is also hopeful that the policies and programmes will help in the promotion of local products by linking tourism as a dynamic dimension of the economy with all kinds of economic activities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation stated that strengths of the policies and programmes include building specialized skilled manpower as per the demand of the labor market, creating employment for the returnee migrant workers by conducting skill-based business, smoothing the supply chain, reducing external impact on the economy and implementing e-commerce system for market access of industrial products.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In addition, it also mentioned that the provision of increasing exports by reducing production cost of manufacturing and export-oriented industries, facilitating the establishment and operation of startup based business based on innovation, involving the private sector in the construction of infrastructure such as industrial village, industrial zone, special economic zone were all positive steps.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As per the federation, the establishment of industries to produce supplementary materials of big foreign industries to give Nepali products exposure to the national, regional and international value chain is likely have a positive impact on the promotion and protection of domestic industries and manufactured goods. It added that it is a positive aspect to encourage the private sector to establish and operate productive industries by creating industry-friendly environment, improving business environment and increasing government’s investment in basic infrastructure.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Supporting the policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year, the federation says that implementing the Farm to Industry Integrated Model Programme to link the products of agriculture, forest and mining sectors in industrial processing chain, developing agriculture as a major driving force for economic growth and employment, integrating cooperative sector with entrepreneurship, production and employment for economic development and poverty alleviation will have a positive impact in the overall economy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation believes that the policy of facilitating credit flow to the productive and employment oriented sectors will easily increase the financial access of cottage and small scale entrepreneurs. According to the policy of reviewing the existing tax system to make it clean, transparent and investment and business friendly, it is necessary to review the tax system targeting business run by small, home-based, cottage and women entrepreneurs who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the federation said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The federation expects that the policies and programmes covered by the National Planning Commission will be implemented through the upcoming budget.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-05-26', 'modified' => '2022-05-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '15082', 'image' => '20220526052559_service_1543560160.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-05-26 17:25:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
