September 17: The Council of Ministers on September 15 decided to accept USD 6 million in concessional loan from the World Bank (WB) for prefeasibility study of the Upper Arun Hydropower Project.    
Informing the media about the cabinet meeting's decisions, Minister for Communications and Information Technology and government spokesperson Rekha Sharma said a decision has also been taken to submit the BIMSTEC Charter to the Federal Parliament for its ratification.    
Similarly, the Cabinet meeting also decided to form a five-member committee on tax system reforms under the leadership of former minister Bidhyadhar Mallik. The government had made such announcement through the budget speech of the current fiscal year.    
Likewise, Baburam Panta has been appointed the Chairman of Industrial District Management Limited, added Minister Sharma.    
The government has also decided to ease the supply of sugar by giving customs duty exemption in view of the upcoming festive season. The Council of Ministers also decided to allow the Salt Trading Corporation and Food Management and Trading Company Limited to import 10,000 metric tonnes of sugar each by waiving 50 per cent of the customs tariffs, according to Minister Sharma.    
Furthermore, the cabinet meeting decided to put on hold the distribution of decorations and medals for some time. The Council of Ministers has decided to form a taskforce mandated to submit a report within three months by carrying out studies on different international practices on decorations and medal distributions to establish its pride and institutionalize the nation's dignity. The standards for the distribution of decorations and medals would be prepared based on the recommendations of the taskforce and the distribution of the medals to be given away by the president on the occasion of the Constitution Day would be postponed until the standards are prepared.    
The Irrigation Policy- 2080 and Nepali Citizenship (Third Amendment) Regulation-2080 has been approved by the government.    
The Cabinet meeting has entrusted the Division Forest Office with the responsibility of management of Jatamasi plant (Spikenard).    
Permission has been granted to use a total of nine hectare of national forest area at ward no 5 of Bagmati Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district and ward no 6 of Mahankal Rural Municipality in Lalitpur district for the construction of infrastructures related to the Super Lower Bagmati Hydro Power Project.     
The government granted permission to the Nepali delegation led by the Minister for Finance to participate in the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund to be held in Morocco. Approval has also been granted to the Minister for Youth and Sports and the Sports Secretary to participate in the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou City, China. -- RSS