June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal…
June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal…
June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation.…
June 11: The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15…
June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078.…
June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic.…
June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company…
June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country.…
June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19…
Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in…
June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to…
June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year.…
June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June…
June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order.…
June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period.…
June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights.…
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According to Financial Comptroller General’s Office (FCGO), out of the total allocated budget for the programme, only Rs 967.7 million has been spent as of mid-April.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Under this programme, a committee headed by a directly-elected parliamentarian in the House of Representatives can select the programme and spend the budget. According to government officials, the failure to spend the budget allocated for this programme is mainly due to the dissolution of parliament and the coronavirus pandemic. The government had twice dissolved parliament and called elections twice this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Along with the pandemic, dissolution of the parliament is the main reason,” said Gyanendra Poudel, joint comptroller and auditor general. According to FCGO, at least 60 percent of the budget allocated under this heading had been spent during the corresponding period of previous years, but only 14.49 percent of the allocated budget has been spent this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Furthermore, new programmes have not been selected and implemented this year, while the spent budget is also found in the programmes run in previous years.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About Rs 10 billion allocated in the budget of FY 2076/77 for the directly-elected federal parliamentarians to spend Rs 60 million in each election constituency was downzised to Rs 40 million per constituency in the current fiscal year and Rs 6.60 billion was allocated for the purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had pressurised the parliamentarians this year to spend in the health sector under this program by amending the operating procedure. This controversial programme was started in 2051 BS in the name of Parliamentary Development Fund by giving Rs 250,000 per MP. Since then, every finance minister has been increasing the amount and changing its name. As the country has adopted a federal system, this programme has been opposed as the amount was used in unproductive sectors rather than infrastructure development.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government, which dissolved the House of Representatives, has scrapped the local infrastructure development partnership programme through the upcoming budget. Announcing the budget for the fiscal year 2078/79 on May 29, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had announced the cancellation of the programme. Recently, when the federal government continued such programmes, the provincial government also started replicating it.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13268', 'image' => '20210611022802_1623361855.Clipboard18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 14:27:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13522', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Expert Stress on Promotion of Self-Sufficient Agriculture ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, stakeholders have initiated discussions programme in Nepal in line with the concept of pre-conference on food system which the United Nations has been organising for analysing the situation of countries throughout the world in the context of achieving the development goals by ending global hunger by 2030. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A virtual discussions programme was organised on Wednesday (June 9) in this connection. The discussions programme was held on the topic of contribution of production groups and small farmers to the sustainable food system under the theme – 'Prior Right of the Marginalised Communities, Main Basis for Guaranteeing Sustainable Food System.' </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Addressing the programme, National Planning Commission (NPC) member and spokesperson Meen Bahadur Shahi said priority should be given to programmes that support attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regarding the topic of food sovereignty, he said, the government was moving ahead by analysing the issues raised by the civil society organisations. According to RSS, the NPC spokesperson urged the Agricultural Development Bank to facilitate in ensuring financial access to the grassroots farmers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr Yogendra Kumar Karki said the national economy cannot be improved without improving and promoting the agriculture sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During the conference, Professor at the Sudurpaschim University Raksha Sharma pointed out that profitable production was hampering sustainable farming system in the country. She added that the profit- seeking tendency has ruined the soil of the farming lands as farmers are found excessively using chemical fertilizer, chemicals, pesticides and energy as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agro campaigner Chandra Prasad Adhikari argued that the excessive use of chemicals has adversely affected the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Community Self-reliance Service Centre’s Dr Jagat Basnet argued that the concept of smart city was displacing the farmers and the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He complained of irregularities in government’s loan policy to small-scale farmers. Similarly, Farmers Network’s Dr Gokarna Gyawali argued that the COVID-19 effect was hampering the UN’s declaration of ending famine by 2030. According to Dr Gyawali, 270 million people are still facing food shortage and an infant dies of hunger in each 10 seconds in the world.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The conference was jointly organised by the National Land Rights Forum, the Federation of Community Forestry Users Committees, the Agricultural Campaign for Food, the National Irrigation Water Users Federation of Nepal and the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six working papers were presented and discussed in the webinar. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The UN is preparing to organize mega conference in course of achieving sustainable goal by 2030. Pre-conference is being organized in Rome since July 26 to 28 for the September conference. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13267', 'image' => '20210611111447_20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 11:13:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13520', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Melamchi Project to Halt Water Supply to Kathmandu from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">June 11: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board made such announcement as the tunnel used for supplying water has to be emptied for inspection from June 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a press statement on Thursday (June 10), the board said it will take nearly two months for the inspection, including 16 days for emptying the tunnel. The board noted that it will take around 60 days for the inspection, testing, improvement and refilling. These tasks have to be done before the monsoon peaks, the statement added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of the board Ram Kumar Shrestha informed that the board has already alerted the locals of Melamchi, Sindhu and Gyalthum, especially those living in the downstream areas, to remain aware about increase in flow of water due to the emptying process. According to the board, water level in Melamchi as well as Bagmati rivers could rise during this process and has alerted one and all to stay away from those rivers from June 15. Furthermore, the statement urged the locals to remain highly vigilant if there is any urgent need to visit the areas that are likely to be affected during this process.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Waster Supply Project had brought much respite to the growing population of the valley who had been facing acute shortage of water since decades.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The project had diverted water from the Melamchi river to Kathmandu on February 22 for testing the project tunnel. The water from Melamchi had reached Sundarijal of Kathmandu 12 days after the test kicked off. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited had started distributing the water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley from April 19. </span></span></span><br /> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13266', 'image' => '20210611103908_1623336277.melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:38:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13521', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Stays Implementation of Citizenship Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada on Thursday (June 10) issued the order prohibiting the government from implementing the ordinance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court has directed the government not to implement the ordinance until a final verdict on writ petitions filed against the ordinance is issued. </span><br /> The constitutional bench noted that any ordinance that is not endorsed through the parliament by fulfilling the constitutional provision is likely to create confusion in the future.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"In such case, it is appropriate to make arrangement through the federal parliament with the passage of the bill. It is the right constitutional process of making law," the ordinance reminded the government, adding, "There is no judicial relevance of implementation the ordinance at present." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The president had issued the ordinance upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on May 23. Such decision was taken after the ruling party brokered a deal with Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) to this effect. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six writ petitions were filed against the ordinance at the apex court by advocates Bishnu Kumar Giri, Ram Bahadur Shahi, Kul Bahadur Bogati, Birbhadra Joshi and Laxman Pokharel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding to the writ petitions, the Supreme Court also ordered the government to submit written clarification within seven days.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13265', 'image' => '20210611105654_1623360708.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13518', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing Action Plans to Implement Tax Subsidy Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. The action plans are being prepared to implement the programme presented in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the Ministry of Finance, the departments under the Ministry are currently formulating action plans to implement such programmes in a stipulated time. The Inland Revenue Department, the Department of Customs and other authorities under the Ministry are preparing separate action plans.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Mahesh Acharya, joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, said that the Ministry is working in full swing to formulate action plans and implement the programms in time. Acharya said that other ministries and departments have also started making action plans for the programmes included in the budget. Most of the action plans will be completed within this month.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Since the budget announcement, most of the customs duty rates have already been implemented while other concessional programmes and tax exemptions are in the process of implementation. The provision of income tax exemption will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Mukti Pandey, deputy director general of the Inland Revenue Department, said some concessional programmes including income tax will come into effect from July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has introduced provisions to give 90 percent income tax exemption to the taxpayers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 2 million, 75 percent to the taxpayers with turnover of Rs 2 million to Rs 5 million and 50 percent to those having turnover of Rs 5 million to Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">It has provisioned to apply only one percent tax on taxable income of hotels, trekking and travels agencies, transport companies, party palaces, airline companies, cinema halls and communication industry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">If any person or company contributes to the fund set up by the government for control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic, the amount can be deducted while calculating taxable income. The budget has reintroduced the policy of refunding value added tax (VAT) when the industry buys fuel. It has also provisioned to deduct VAT paid on the purchase of diesel and gas used in the taxable business of the taxpayer. These provisions will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has given VAT, excise duty and customs duty exemption on various equipment and materials like oxygen, liquid oxygen, oxygen cylinder and medicines imported for the treatment of COVID- 19 infected patients until the mid of January 2022. This provision has already come into effect.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have demanded not to fine entrepreneurs who fail to pay their tax during the time of restrictions. In a joint statement issued on June 10, it the representatives of the private organisations said it is not possible to pay VAT, excise duty required to be cleared on a monthly basis due to the restrictions on movement “so we urge the government not to impose fines on entrepreneurs”.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The three umbrella organizations of businessmen had sought to extend the time to clear taxes during last year as well but the government had not extended the time period. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13264', 'image' => '20210610031926_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 15:18:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13517', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Facing Shortage of Fertiliser Despite Sufficient Stock', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The farmers have not been able to get fertilisers because the distribution system has become inconvenient due to the lockdown imposed by the government for controlling coronavirus.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, the Salt Trading Corporation and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited have more than 85,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizer in stock. However, the farmers have not been able to receive any of them. Although the government claims that the distribution of fertiliser is easy, the employees of the two state-owned companies have admitted that the supply is not easy.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Kumar Rajbhandari, spokesperson of Salt Trading Corporation, said that the farmers were suffering due to the inconvenient distribution system. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The distribution has not been smooth due to the impact of lockdown in transporting fertilisers. If the lockdown eases from July, the distribution can be easier,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers across the country are preparing for the planting season in July. But, they have not been able to get the required fertilizer for paddy. Farmers are obliged to return home empty-handed, even after waiting in long lines all day for fertilizer.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Complaints of farmers not getting fertilizer are increasing in districts like Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Banke and Bardiya. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bhubaneswar Yadav, a farmer of Sunsari, is preparing to plant paddy on 6 bighas of land from mid-June for which he needs about 20 bags of fertilisers including urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potassium. However, he has not been able to get a single bag of fertilizer so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Even the cooperatives do not have enough fertilizer here. How can they give it to us? It is necessary to create an environment whereby the fertilisers in Kathmandu can reach here to us,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers of Morang, who are preparing to sow paddy, have said that they are also having lots of problems to acquire fertilisers. Man Bahadur Magar, a farmer of Kanepokhari, Morang also complained that he has not received any fertilizer yet. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He said that as the cooperatives could not provide fertilisers in the midst of planting season, the farmers were obliged to go to the Indian border market amidst the risk of coronavirus pandemic to buy fertilisers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the situation in Chitwan district is different. Despite the easy supply of DAP, the farmers here are facing shortage of urea fertilizer. Rajan Dhakal, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Kendra Chitwan, says that the supply of fertilizer has eased this year but only half of the demand has been met.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Not all places have a balanced distribution of fertilisers,” Dhakal said, adding, “But, the distribution system has been affected as the fertiliser is distributed on the basis of local units’ recommendations.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Distribution and management should be more efficient and accurate. Those who have access are benefited more and those who do not have access are not benefited," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13263', 'image' => '20210610023043_20200817122726_1597613093.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 14:30:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13519', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' 32,000 Metric Tonnes of Urea Arrive from Bangladesh ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The fertilizer was purchased through the Government-to-Government agreement between the two countries. The fertilizer has been received by Birgunj-based provincial office of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, according to the national news agency RSS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the G2G agreement, the Government of Bangladesh was supposed to supply 50,000 metric tonnes urea to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The remaining 17,500 metric tonnes of fertilizer is in the process of transportation, RSS reported citing Manager of the company’s provincial office, Gorakh Nath KC. The remaining consignment will be brought to the dry port at Sirsiya of Birgunj via train from the Kolkata Port in India, RSS added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Manager KC said that although the entire consignment should have arrived here from Bangladesh by this time, it was delayed due to the adverse situation caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka making efforts for the supply of the remaining fertilizer from Bangladesh. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13262', 'image' => '20210610040355_20210210122458_1612912820.Clipboard14.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 16:03:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13516', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'World Bank Projects 2.7 Percent Economic Growth of Nepal in Current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Releasing the Global Economic Prospect on Tuesday (June 8), the World Bank projected Nepal’s growth to be 3.9 percent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). Similarly, the reports projects Nepal’s economy to rebound and grow to 5.1 percent in FY 2022/23.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the report, the economy of South Asian region is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2021. This estimate is 3.6 percent higher than what was previously projected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the global economy is set to expand 5.6 percent in 2021—its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">This recovery is uneven and largely reflects sharp rebounds in some major economies, the World Bank said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), obstacles to vaccination continue to weigh on activity. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“By 2022, last year’s per capita income losses will not be fully unwound in about two-thirds of EMDEs,” the report further stated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the global outlook remains subject to significant downside risks, including the possibility of additional COVID-19 waves and financial stress amid high EMDE debt levels. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report suggests policy makers to balance the need to support the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability and to continue efforts toward promoting growth-enhancing reforms.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/My%20Effect%286%29.jpg" style="height:383px; width:800px" /></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13261', 'image' => '20210610101747_20191015114123_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 10:16:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13515', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Urges Govt Not To Impose Penalty on Businesses Failing to Pay Taxes in Time ', 'sub_title' => 'However, those businesses, which can pay revenue, are urged to settle their tax liabilities ', 'summary' => 'Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. ', 'content' => '<p>June 9: Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. </p> <p>Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have asked the government to not penalize or fine businesses who cannot file their tax details and pay revenue to the government in time, citing restriction on movement due to prohibitory orders imposed in most parts of the country. </p> <p>“While most of the industries and businesses have not been able to operate due to current adverse circumstances, even those who are in operation have not been able to supply their products in the market and collect their money,” read the joint statement of three umbrella organizations of businesses and industries across the country. </p> <p>“Taking into consideration this adverse situation, we request the government to not charge any penalty or fine to businesses or enterprises that could not pay their tax revenue,” added the statement. </p> <p>Stating that the lockdown and prohibitory orders imposed to contain the second wave of coronavirus have brought businesses and industries to a grinding halt, three private sector organizations have asked the government to be lenient on imposing penalties for those businesses and industries that are late on tax payment. </p> <p>Nearly 70 percent of businesses and enterprises are estimated to have been impacted by the prohibitory orders enforced to combat the second wave of coronavirus, according to the joint statement. </p> <p>However, these organizations have also urged enterprises and industries which are in operation and can pay their taxes to settle their tax liabilities like in the last fiscal year. </p> <p>The joint statement of the private sector organizations comes amid looming deadlines for businesses and enterprises for filing tax details as well as pay income tax (mid July), value added tax (July 9) and excise duty (July 9). </p> <p>Similarly, they have also urged the government to prioritize vaccination to entrepreneurs, businesspeople and their staff who have their direct roles on economic activities and protect the economy from the pandemic, implement the budget and achieve the economic growth target. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13260', 'image' => '20210609095830_Joint Statement.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 21:53:13', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13514', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Approval not Required to Bring in FDI Anymore', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal. The central bank made such arrangement with the implementation of the Nepal Rastra Bank Foreign Investment and Debt Management Regulation-2021 effective from June 8. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, approval from NRB was mandatory to bring in FDI in the country. With the implementation of this regulation, approval from the Department of Industry and the Investment Board would be sufficient to bring in FDI. However, NRB needs to be notified before bringing foreign currency or sending out the currency from Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The new regulation mentions that the foreign companies looking to invest up to US$ 1 million need not submit any audit report to the central bank. But stakeholders need to maintain a record of the investment amount at the central bank.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The inflow of foreign currency must be recorded at NRB within six months. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The new regulation states that the central bank’s prior approval is not needed to remit or to send money from the prospective foreign investors for feasibility study and pre-operation costs of the industries and firms to be established in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The regulation has also facilitated foreign investors from taking back dividends to the respective country. The process of foreign exchange service has also been made easier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB has said that the recent changes will save investors’ time by at least ten days by providing services related to foreign investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Publishing the regulation virtually, Ramu Poudel, executive director of the Foreign Exchange Management Department of NRB, said that regulation is expected to improve the country's position in the Doing Business report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari says that the regulation has been issued by bringing all the previous provisions together to make the process quick, easy and transparent. After preparing the draft of the regulation, NRB had taken suggestions from the stakeholders. Stakeholders have complained that the central bank did not include all the suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Satish Kumar Mor, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said that the regulation has incorporated their suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, most of the stakeholders had complained that the process was time consuming due to bureaucratic hassles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "But now the new regulation has set a time limit,'' he said, adding, “The new provisions are investment-friendly." Mor added that the regulation has also made it easier for the companies to take away their dividends back. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13259', 'image' => '20210609045555_20200810055708_nrb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 16:55:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13513', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Projects Rise in Production of Onions and Potatoes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. As the data collection of potato and onion production from across the country has reached the final stage, the production is expected to increase as compared to last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the introduction of modern technology in agriculture and the increase in the number of people embracing agriculture and commercial farming, the production is expected to increase.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Compared to last year, the area for potato and onion farming as well as production have increased this year. According to the data provided by the National Center for Potato, Vegetable, and Spice Crops Development, it is estimated that 281,289 metric tons of additional potatoes will be produced in the current fiscal year than last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the last fiscal year, 3.11 million metric tons of potatoes were produced in 193,996 hectares of land. According to the center, potato cultivation in the current fiscal year in 299,041 hectares of land is estimated to produce 3.39 million metric of potatoes.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sandeep Subedi, Horticulture Development Officer at the Center, said that the data on potato and onion production has been collected from all over the country and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is working on its final draft. He said that even though the available data is just an estimate, it won’t be much different from the actual production .</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data of the center, the production of onion is expected to increase by 3,864 metric tons in the current fiscal year as compared to last fiscal year. Last year, 291,538 metric tons of onion was cultivated in a total of 20,908 hectares of land. In the current fiscal year, 295,402 metric tons of onion has been produced in 20,424 hectares of land. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The production of potatoes and onions within Nepal is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Potatoes and onions worth more than Rs 11.5 billion are imported annually from countries including India. Altogether 50 percent of the total demand for potatoes is imported in Nepal while 95 percent of onions are imported. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13258', 'image' => '20210609022937_20200916052134_1600205898.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 14:28:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13512', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Airlines Operator Demand Resumption of Domestic Flights from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15. The association made such request to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Uma Shankar Aragaria on Tuesday (June 8), drawing his attention to the fact that the restriction on domestic flights for the past 35 days has rendered countless employees jobless, affecting their livelihood.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stating that the service providers are committed to operating the flight following the health safety standards, the association has asked the ministry to facilitate in resuming flight operation. The association claimed that domestic flights were continued for a certain time even during the second wave of coronavirus and no passengers were infected during that time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The association argued that trained manpower dealing with health and safety measures, disinfection of aircraft before each flight, and mandatory use of mask and face shield make domestic flights safe. AOAN has requested the minister to allow the operation of domestic flights by adopting the same measures.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has restricted domestic flights since May 4. According to the association, the revenue of airline companies has been declining due to the suspension of domestic flights for 35 days and many employees are at risk of losing their jobs. Stating that the livelihood of the dependent families will be lost along with the loss of employment, the association has stressed the need to make domestic flights comfortable and safe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, the association has welcomed the ministry's decision of reducing the price of aviation fuel for international flights. The association has requested the government to reduce the price by keeping the internal profit low. Reducing fuel prices will reduce operating costs and allow the general public to travel at affordable rates. The association has also requested the government for a 75 percent discount on landing, parking and other fees during the current prohibitory period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13257', 'image' => '20210609124824_1623191583.Clipboard11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 12:47:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13511', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Floriculture Business Facing Daily Loss of Rs 10 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. The floriculture entrepreneurs decided for job cuts after facing a daily loss of Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the recent lockdown, the overall floriculture business has been halted, causing a daily loss of Rs 10 million in the sector. As the business has come to a standstill and the entrepreneurs are struggling to pay the workers, the number of people losing employment has increased.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Hotels, restaurants, party palaces, and temples are closed at the moment and banquets and other functions are not allowed closed. This has brought the flower business to a complete standstill. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Normally, the sales of flowers increase during the month of April and May as there are lots of functions like marriages. However, the flowers in the farm and nurseries have not found any market this time due to the extended lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal, floriculture business of Nepal has an annual turnover of over Rs 2.60 billion. On this basis, he estimates that the daily flower business across the country is currently losing around Rs 10 million. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The figure is only our assumption. The association is preparing to collect details of the actual loss incurred during this period,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the data of the association, the floriculture business has an investment of Rs 6 billion in the country and is currently spread across 43 districts. More than 40,000 people’s livelihood is directly and indirectly linked with this business.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nurseries produce seasonal flowers and the farms produce annual and perennial flowers. However, the association said that all these flowers were destroyed due to the lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Floriculture farmer Binod Shrestha has not been able to visit his farm in Kavre due to the lockdown. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Some of the workers at the farm have already left. Now we have no hope of cultivating flowers. It is becoming difficult to protect even the mother plants,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He added that all the produced flowers are being destroyed by burying them in a pit to form compost manure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13256', 'image' => '20210608030145_20210208023928_20190214042338_rose.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 15:01:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13510', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Tells Government not to Stop Home Delivery Service ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding on a writ petition filed by online and e-commerce businesses, a division bench of justices Sapana Malla and Dr Kumar Chundal on Monday (June 7) issued the interim order in this regard. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order reads, “Do not stop sale and distribution through online and home delivery service provider companies and online service from providing service by maintaining social distancing, using sanitizer and PPE until a final verdict on the case is issued.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has been made the defendant in the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order states that home delivery of goods and services is essential during the prohibitory period and it can be done by following the criteria set by the government for home delivery in 2077.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13255', 'image' => '20210608102717_20201127115547_20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:26:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13508', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Corporation Slashes Airfare of Int’l Flights ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Airfares of cargo and chartered international flights have been reduced from Sunday midnight following a decline in price of aviation fuel for international flights, NAC spokesperson Karishma Shrestha informed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Airfares for wide-body aircraft (Airbus 330) and narrow-body aircraft (Airbus 320) have been slashed by 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively as compared to the previous fares, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the adjusted price list, airfares of chartered and cargo flights (wide-body) have been fixed at USD 13,460 per hour against the previous fare of USD 15,520. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, airfares for narrow-body aircraft have been adjusted at USD 6,580 per hour against USD 7,710. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13254', 'image' => '20210608100619_banner_1610083651 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:05:48', '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' => '13524', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Budget of Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Program Under-spent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Former Finance Minister Dr Yuvaraj Khatiwada had allocated a budget of Rs 6.60 billion for the programme. According to Financial Comptroller General’s Office (FCGO), out of the total allocated budget for the programme, only Rs 967.7 million has been spent as of mid-April.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Under this programme, a committee headed by a directly-elected parliamentarian in the House of Representatives can select the programme and spend the budget. According to government officials, the failure to spend the budget allocated for this programme is mainly due to the dissolution of parliament and the coronavirus pandemic. The government had twice dissolved parliament and called elections twice this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Along with the pandemic, dissolution of the parliament is the main reason,” said Gyanendra Poudel, joint comptroller and auditor general. According to FCGO, at least 60 percent of the budget allocated under this heading had been spent during the corresponding period of previous years, but only 14.49 percent of the allocated budget has been spent this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Furthermore, new programmes have not been selected and implemented this year, while the spent budget is also found in the programmes run in previous years.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About Rs 10 billion allocated in the budget of FY 2076/77 for the directly-elected federal parliamentarians to spend Rs 60 million in each election constituency was downzised to Rs 40 million per constituency in the current fiscal year and Rs 6.60 billion was allocated for the purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had pressurised the parliamentarians this year to spend in the health sector under this program by amending the operating procedure. This controversial programme was started in 2051 BS in the name of Parliamentary Development Fund by giving Rs 250,000 per MP. Since then, every finance minister has been increasing the amount and changing its name. As the country has adopted a federal system, this programme has been opposed as the amount was used in unproductive sectors rather than infrastructure development.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government, which dissolved the House of Representatives, has scrapped the local infrastructure development partnership programme through the upcoming budget. Announcing the budget for the fiscal year 2078/79 on May 29, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had announced the cancellation of the programme. Recently, when the federal government continued such programmes, the provincial government also started replicating it.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13268', 'image' => '20210611022802_1623361855.Clipboard18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 14:27:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13522', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Expert Stress on Promotion of Self-Sufficient Agriculture ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, stakeholders have initiated discussions programme in Nepal in line with the concept of pre-conference on food system which the United Nations has been organising for analysing the situation of countries throughout the world in the context of achieving the development goals by ending global hunger by 2030. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A virtual discussions programme was organised on Wednesday (June 9) in this connection. The discussions programme was held on the topic of contribution of production groups and small farmers to the sustainable food system under the theme – 'Prior Right of the Marginalised Communities, Main Basis for Guaranteeing Sustainable Food System.' </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Addressing the programme, National Planning Commission (NPC) member and spokesperson Meen Bahadur Shahi said priority should be given to programmes that support attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regarding the topic of food sovereignty, he said, the government was moving ahead by analysing the issues raised by the civil society organisations. According to RSS, the NPC spokesperson urged the Agricultural Development Bank to facilitate in ensuring financial access to the grassroots farmers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr Yogendra Kumar Karki said the national economy cannot be improved without improving and promoting the agriculture sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During the conference, Professor at the Sudurpaschim University Raksha Sharma pointed out that profitable production was hampering sustainable farming system in the country. She added that the profit- seeking tendency has ruined the soil of the farming lands as farmers are found excessively using chemical fertilizer, chemicals, pesticides and energy as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agro campaigner Chandra Prasad Adhikari argued that the excessive use of chemicals has adversely affected the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Community Self-reliance Service Centre’s Dr Jagat Basnet argued that the concept of smart city was displacing the farmers and the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He complained of irregularities in government’s loan policy to small-scale farmers. Similarly, Farmers Network’s Dr Gokarna Gyawali argued that the COVID-19 effect was hampering the UN’s declaration of ending famine by 2030. According to Dr Gyawali, 270 million people are still facing food shortage and an infant dies of hunger in each 10 seconds in the world.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The conference was jointly organised by the National Land Rights Forum, the Federation of Community Forestry Users Committees, the Agricultural Campaign for Food, the National Irrigation Water Users Federation of Nepal and the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six working papers were presented and discussed in the webinar. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The UN is preparing to organize mega conference in course of achieving sustainable goal by 2030. Pre-conference is being organized in Rome since July 26 to 28 for the September conference. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13267', 'image' => '20210611111447_20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 11:13:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13520', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Melamchi Project to Halt Water Supply to Kathmandu from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">June 11: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board made such announcement as the tunnel used for supplying water has to be emptied for inspection from June 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a press statement on Thursday (June 10), the board said it will take nearly two months for the inspection, including 16 days for emptying the tunnel. The board noted that it will take around 60 days for the inspection, testing, improvement and refilling. These tasks have to be done before the monsoon peaks, the statement added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of the board Ram Kumar Shrestha informed that the board has already alerted the locals of Melamchi, Sindhu and Gyalthum, especially those living in the downstream areas, to remain aware about increase in flow of water due to the emptying process. According to the board, water level in Melamchi as well as Bagmati rivers could rise during this process and has alerted one and all to stay away from those rivers from June 15. Furthermore, the statement urged the locals to remain highly vigilant if there is any urgent need to visit the areas that are likely to be affected during this process.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Waster Supply Project had brought much respite to the growing population of the valley who had been facing acute shortage of water since decades.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The project had diverted water from the Melamchi river to Kathmandu on February 22 for testing the project tunnel. The water from Melamchi had reached Sundarijal of Kathmandu 12 days after the test kicked off. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited had started distributing the water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley from April 19. </span></span></span><br /> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13266', 'image' => '20210611103908_1623336277.melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:38:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13521', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Stays Implementation of Citizenship Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada on Thursday (June 10) issued the order prohibiting the government from implementing the ordinance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court has directed the government not to implement the ordinance until a final verdict on writ petitions filed against the ordinance is issued. </span><br /> The constitutional bench noted that any ordinance that is not endorsed through the parliament by fulfilling the constitutional provision is likely to create confusion in the future.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"In such case, it is appropriate to make arrangement through the federal parliament with the passage of the bill. It is the right constitutional process of making law," the ordinance reminded the government, adding, "There is no judicial relevance of implementation the ordinance at present." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The president had issued the ordinance upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on May 23. Such decision was taken after the ruling party brokered a deal with Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) to this effect. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six writ petitions were filed against the ordinance at the apex court by advocates Bishnu Kumar Giri, Ram Bahadur Shahi, Kul Bahadur Bogati, Birbhadra Joshi and Laxman Pokharel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding to the writ petitions, the Supreme Court also ordered the government to submit written clarification within seven days.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13265', 'image' => '20210611105654_1623360708.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13518', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing Action Plans to Implement Tax Subsidy Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. The action plans are being prepared to implement the programme presented in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the Ministry of Finance, the departments under the Ministry are currently formulating action plans to implement such programmes in a stipulated time. The Inland Revenue Department, the Department of Customs and other authorities under the Ministry are preparing separate action plans.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Mahesh Acharya, joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, said that the Ministry is working in full swing to formulate action plans and implement the programms in time. Acharya said that other ministries and departments have also started making action plans for the programmes included in the budget. Most of the action plans will be completed within this month.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Since the budget announcement, most of the customs duty rates have already been implemented while other concessional programmes and tax exemptions are in the process of implementation. The provision of income tax exemption will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Mukti Pandey, deputy director general of the Inland Revenue Department, said some concessional programmes including income tax will come into effect from July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has introduced provisions to give 90 percent income tax exemption to the taxpayers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 2 million, 75 percent to the taxpayers with turnover of Rs 2 million to Rs 5 million and 50 percent to those having turnover of Rs 5 million to Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">It has provisioned to apply only one percent tax on taxable income of hotels, trekking and travels agencies, transport companies, party palaces, airline companies, cinema halls and communication industry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">If any person or company contributes to the fund set up by the government for control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic, the amount can be deducted while calculating taxable income. The budget has reintroduced the policy of refunding value added tax (VAT) when the industry buys fuel. It has also provisioned to deduct VAT paid on the purchase of diesel and gas used in the taxable business of the taxpayer. These provisions will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has given VAT, excise duty and customs duty exemption on various equipment and materials like oxygen, liquid oxygen, oxygen cylinder and medicines imported for the treatment of COVID- 19 infected patients until the mid of January 2022. This provision has already come into effect.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have demanded not to fine entrepreneurs who fail to pay their tax during the time of restrictions. In a joint statement issued on June 10, it the representatives of the private organisations said it is not possible to pay VAT, excise duty required to be cleared on a monthly basis due to the restrictions on movement “so we urge the government not to impose fines on entrepreneurs”.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The three umbrella organizations of businessmen had sought to extend the time to clear taxes during last year as well but the government had not extended the time period. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13264', 'image' => '20210610031926_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 15:18:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13517', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Facing Shortage of Fertiliser Despite Sufficient Stock', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The farmers have not been able to get fertilisers because the distribution system has become inconvenient due to the lockdown imposed by the government for controlling coronavirus.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, the Salt Trading Corporation and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited have more than 85,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizer in stock. However, the farmers have not been able to receive any of them. Although the government claims that the distribution of fertiliser is easy, the employees of the two state-owned companies have admitted that the supply is not easy.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Kumar Rajbhandari, spokesperson of Salt Trading Corporation, said that the farmers were suffering due to the inconvenient distribution system. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The distribution has not been smooth due to the impact of lockdown in transporting fertilisers. If the lockdown eases from July, the distribution can be easier,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers across the country are preparing for the planting season in July. But, they have not been able to get the required fertilizer for paddy. Farmers are obliged to return home empty-handed, even after waiting in long lines all day for fertilizer.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Complaints of farmers not getting fertilizer are increasing in districts like Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Banke and Bardiya. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bhubaneswar Yadav, a farmer of Sunsari, is preparing to plant paddy on 6 bighas of land from mid-June for which he needs about 20 bags of fertilisers including urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potassium. However, he has not been able to get a single bag of fertilizer so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Even the cooperatives do not have enough fertilizer here. How can they give it to us? It is necessary to create an environment whereby the fertilisers in Kathmandu can reach here to us,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers of Morang, who are preparing to sow paddy, have said that they are also having lots of problems to acquire fertilisers. Man Bahadur Magar, a farmer of Kanepokhari, Morang also complained that he has not received any fertilizer yet. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He said that as the cooperatives could not provide fertilisers in the midst of planting season, the farmers were obliged to go to the Indian border market amidst the risk of coronavirus pandemic to buy fertilisers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the situation in Chitwan district is different. Despite the easy supply of DAP, the farmers here are facing shortage of urea fertilizer. Rajan Dhakal, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Kendra Chitwan, says that the supply of fertilizer has eased this year but only half of the demand has been met.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Not all places have a balanced distribution of fertilisers,” Dhakal said, adding, “But, the distribution system has been affected as the fertiliser is distributed on the basis of local units’ recommendations.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Distribution and management should be more efficient and accurate. Those who have access are benefited more and those who do not have access are not benefited," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13263', 'image' => '20210610023043_20200817122726_1597613093.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 14:30:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13519', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' 32,000 Metric Tonnes of Urea Arrive from Bangladesh ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The fertilizer was purchased through the Government-to-Government agreement between the two countries. The fertilizer has been received by Birgunj-based provincial office of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, according to the national news agency RSS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the G2G agreement, the Government of Bangladesh was supposed to supply 50,000 metric tonnes urea to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The remaining 17,500 metric tonnes of fertilizer is in the process of transportation, RSS reported citing Manager of the company’s provincial office, Gorakh Nath KC. The remaining consignment will be brought to the dry port at Sirsiya of Birgunj via train from the Kolkata Port in India, RSS added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Manager KC said that although the entire consignment should have arrived here from Bangladesh by this time, it was delayed due to the adverse situation caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka making efforts for the supply of the remaining fertilizer from Bangladesh. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13262', 'image' => '20210610040355_20210210122458_1612912820.Clipboard14.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 16:03:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13516', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'World Bank Projects 2.7 Percent Economic Growth of Nepal in Current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Releasing the Global Economic Prospect on Tuesday (June 8), the World Bank projected Nepal’s growth to be 3.9 percent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). Similarly, the reports projects Nepal’s economy to rebound and grow to 5.1 percent in FY 2022/23.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the report, the economy of South Asian region is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2021. This estimate is 3.6 percent higher than what was previously projected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the global economy is set to expand 5.6 percent in 2021—its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">This recovery is uneven and largely reflects sharp rebounds in some major economies, the World Bank said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), obstacles to vaccination continue to weigh on activity. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“By 2022, last year’s per capita income losses will not be fully unwound in about two-thirds of EMDEs,” the report further stated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the global outlook remains subject to significant downside risks, including the possibility of additional COVID-19 waves and financial stress amid high EMDE debt levels. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report suggests policy makers to balance the need to support the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability and to continue efforts toward promoting growth-enhancing reforms.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/My%20Effect%286%29.jpg" style="height:383px; width:800px" /></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13261', 'image' => '20210610101747_20191015114123_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 10:16:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13515', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Urges Govt Not To Impose Penalty on Businesses Failing to Pay Taxes in Time ', 'sub_title' => 'However, those businesses, which can pay revenue, are urged to settle their tax liabilities ', 'summary' => 'Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. ', 'content' => '<p>June 9: Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. </p> <p>Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have asked the government to not penalize or fine businesses who cannot file their tax details and pay revenue to the government in time, citing restriction on movement due to prohibitory orders imposed in most parts of the country. </p> <p>“While most of the industries and businesses have not been able to operate due to current adverse circumstances, even those who are in operation have not been able to supply their products in the market and collect their money,” read the joint statement of three umbrella organizations of businesses and industries across the country. </p> <p>“Taking into consideration this adverse situation, we request the government to not charge any penalty or fine to businesses or enterprises that could not pay their tax revenue,” added the statement. </p> <p>Stating that the lockdown and prohibitory orders imposed to contain the second wave of coronavirus have brought businesses and industries to a grinding halt, three private sector organizations have asked the government to be lenient on imposing penalties for those businesses and industries that are late on tax payment. </p> <p>Nearly 70 percent of businesses and enterprises are estimated to have been impacted by the prohibitory orders enforced to combat the second wave of coronavirus, according to the joint statement. </p> <p>However, these organizations have also urged enterprises and industries which are in operation and can pay their taxes to settle their tax liabilities like in the last fiscal year. </p> <p>The joint statement of the private sector organizations comes amid looming deadlines for businesses and enterprises for filing tax details as well as pay income tax (mid July), value added tax (July 9) and excise duty (July 9). </p> <p>Similarly, they have also urged the government to prioritize vaccination to entrepreneurs, businesspeople and their staff who have their direct roles on economic activities and protect the economy from the pandemic, implement the budget and achieve the economic growth target. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13260', 'image' => '20210609095830_Joint Statement.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 21:53:13', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13514', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Approval not Required to Bring in FDI Anymore', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal. The central bank made such arrangement with the implementation of the Nepal Rastra Bank Foreign Investment and Debt Management Regulation-2021 effective from June 8. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, approval from NRB was mandatory to bring in FDI in the country. With the implementation of this regulation, approval from the Department of Industry and the Investment Board would be sufficient to bring in FDI. However, NRB needs to be notified before bringing foreign currency or sending out the currency from Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The new regulation mentions that the foreign companies looking to invest up to US$ 1 million need not submit any audit report to the central bank. But stakeholders need to maintain a record of the investment amount at the central bank.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The inflow of foreign currency must be recorded at NRB within six months. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The new regulation states that the central bank’s prior approval is not needed to remit or to send money from the prospective foreign investors for feasibility study and pre-operation costs of the industries and firms to be established in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The regulation has also facilitated foreign investors from taking back dividends to the respective country. The process of foreign exchange service has also been made easier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB has said that the recent changes will save investors’ time by at least ten days by providing services related to foreign investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Publishing the regulation virtually, Ramu Poudel, executive director of the Foreign Exchange Management Department of NRB, said that regulation is expected to improve the country's position in the Doing Business report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari says that the regulation has been issued by bringing all the previous provisions together to make the process quick, easy and transparent. After preparing the draft of the regulation, NRB had taken suggestions from the stakeholders. Stakeholders have complained that the central bank did not include all the suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Satish Kumar Mor, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said that the regulation has incorporated their suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, most of the stakeholders had complained that the process was time consuming due to bureaucratic hassles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "But now the new regulation has set a time limit,'' he said, adding, “The new provisions are investment-friendly." Mor added that the regulation has also made it easier for the companies to take away their dividends back. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13259', 'image' => '20210609045555_20200810055708_nrb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 16:55:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13513', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Projects Rise in Production of Onions and Potatoes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. As the data collection of potato and onion production from across the country has reached the final stage, the production is expected to increase as compared to last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the introduction of modern technology in agriculture and the increase in the number of people embracing agriculture and commercial farming, the production is expected to increase.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Compared to last year, the area for potato and onion farming as well as production have increased this year. According to the data provided by the National Center for Potato, Vegetable, and Spice Crops Development, it is estimated that 281,289 metric tons of additional potatoes will be produced in the current fiscal year than last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the last fiscal year, 3.11 million metric tons of potatoes were produced in 193,996 hectares of land. According to the center, potato cultivation in the current fiscal year in 299,041 hectares of land is estimated to produce 3.39 million metric of potatoes.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sandeep Subedi, Horticulture Development Officer at the Center, said that the data on potato and onion production has been collected from all over the country and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is working on its final draft. He said that even though the available data is just an estimate, it won’t be much different from the actual production .</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data of the center, the production of onion is expected to increase by 3,864 metric tons in the current fiscal year as compared to last fiscal year. Last year, 291,538 metric tons of onion was cultivated in a total of 20,908 hectares of land. In the current fiscal year, 295,402 metric tons of onion has been produced in 20,424 hectares of land. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The production of potatoes and onions within Nepal is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Potatoes and onions worth more than Rs 11.5 billion are imported annually from countries including India. Altogether 50 percent of the total demand for potatoes is imported in Nepal while 95 percent of onions are imported. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13258', 'image' => '20210609022937_20200916052134_1600205898.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 14:28:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13512', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Airlines Operator Demand Resumption of Domestic Flights from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15. The association made such request to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Uma Shankar Aragaria on Tuesday (June 8), drawing his attention to the fact that the restriction on domestic flights for the past 35 days has rendered countless employees jobless, affecting their livelihood.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stating that the service providers are committed to operating the flight following the health safety standards, the association has asked the ministry to facilitate in resuming flight operation. The association claimed that domestic flights were continued for a certain time even during the second wave of coronavirus and no passengers were infected during that time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The association argued that trained manpower dealing with health and safety measures, disinfection of aircraft before each flight, and mandatory use of mask and face shield make domestic flights safe. AOAN has requested the minister to allow the operation of domestic flights by adopting the same measures.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has restricted domestic flights since May 4. According to the association, the revenue of airline companies has been declining due to the suspension of domestic flights for 35 days and many employees are at risk of losing their jobs. Stating that the livelihood of the dependent families will be lost along with the loss of employment, the association has stressed the need to make domestic flights comfortable and safe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, the association has welcomed the ministry's decision of reducing the price of aviation fuel for international flights. The association has requested the government to reduce the price by keeping the internal profit low. Reducing fuel prices will reduce operating costs and allow the general public to travel at affordable rates. The association has also requested the government for a 75 percent discount on landing, parking and other fees during the current prohibitory period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13257', 'image' => '20210609124824_1623191583.Clipboard11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 12:47:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13511', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Floriculture Business Facing Daily Loss of Rs 10 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. The floriculture entrepreneurs decided for job cuts after facing a daily loss of Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the recent lockdown, the overall floriculture business has been halted, causing a daily loss of Rs 10 million in the sector. As the business has come to a standstill and the entrepreneurs are struggling to pay the workers, the number of people losing employment has increased.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Hotels, restaurants, party palaces, and temples are closed at the moment and banquets and other functions are not allowed closed. This has brought the flower business to a complete standstill. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Normally, the sales of flowers increase during the month of April and May as there are lots of functions like marriages. However, the flowers in the farm and nurseries have not found any market this time due to the extended lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal, floriculture business of Nepal has an annual turnover of over Rs 2.60 billion. On this basis, he estimates that the daily flower business across the country is currently losing around Rs 10 million. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The figure is only our assumption. The association is preparing to collect details of the actual loss incurred during this period,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the data of the association, the floriculture business has an investment of Rs 6 billion in the country and is currently spread across 43 districts. More than 40,000 people’s livelihood is directly and indirectly linked with this business.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nurseries produce seasonal flowers and the farms produce annual and perennial flowers. However, the association said that all these flowers were destroyed due to the lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Floriculture farmer Binod Shrestha has not been able to visit his farm in Kavre due to the lockdown. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Some of the workers at the farm have already left. Now we have no hope of cultivating flowers. It is becoming difficult to protect even the mother plants,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He added that all the produced flowers are being destroyed by burying them in a pit to form compost manure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13256', 'image' => '20210608030145_20210208023928_20190214042338_rose.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 15:01:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13510', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Tells Government not to Stop Home Delivery Service ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding on a writ petition filed by online and e-commerce businesses, a division bench of justices Sapana Malla and Dr Kumar Chundal on Monday (June 7) issued the interim order in this regard. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order reads, “Do not stop sale and distribution through online and home delivery service provider companies and online service from providing service by maintaining social distancing, using sanitizer and PPE until a final verdict on the case is issued.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has been made the defendant in the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order states that home delivery of goods and services is essential during the prohibitory period and it can be done by following the criteria set by the government for home delivery in 2077.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13255', 'image' => '20210608102717_20201127115547_20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:26:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13508', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Corporation Slashes Airfare of Int’l Flights ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Airfares of cargo and chartered international flights have been reduced from Sunday midnight following a decline in price of aviation fuel for international flights, NAC spokesperson Karishma Shrestha informed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Airfares for wide-body aircraft (Airbus 330) and narrow-body aircraft (Airbus 320) have been slashed by 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively as compared to the previous fares, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the adjusted price list, airfares of chartered and cargo flights (wide-body) have been fixed at USD 13,460 per hour against the previous fare of USD 15,520. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, airfares for narrow-body aircraft have been adjusted at USD 6,580 per hour against USD 7,710. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13254', 'image' => '20210608100619_banner_1610083651 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:05:48', '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' => '13524', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Budget of Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Program Under-spent', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal year.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 11: The budget allocated under Member of Parliament (MP)’s discretion for the 'Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme' has been under-spent in the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Former Finance Minister Dr Yuvaraj Khatiwada had allocated a budget of Rs 6.60 billion for the programme. According to Financial Comptroller General’s Office (FCGO), out of the total allocated budget for the programme, only Rs 967.7 million has been spent as of mid-April.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Under this programme, a committee headed by a directly-elected parliamentarian in the House of Representatives can select the programme and spend the budget. According to government officials, the failure to spend the budget allocated for this programme is mainly due to the dissolution of parliament and the coronavirus pandemic. The government had twice dissolved parliament and called elections twice this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Along with the pandemic, dissolution of the parliament is the main reason,” said Gyanendra Poudel, joint comptroller and auditor general. According to FCGO, at least 60 percent of the budget allocated under this heading had been spent during the corresponding period of previous years, but only 14.49 percent of the allocated budget has been spent this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Furthermore, new programmes have not been selected and implemented this year, while the spent budget is also found in the programmes run in previous years.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About Rs 10 billion allocated in the budget of FY 2076/77 for the directly-elected federal parliamentarians to spend Rs 60 million in each election constituency was downzised to Rs 40 million per constituency in the current fiscal year and Rs 6.60 billion was allocated for the purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had pressurised the parliamentarians this year to spend in the health sector under this program by amending the operating procedure. This controversial programme was started in 2051 BS in the name of Parliamentary Development Fund by giving Rs 250,000 per MP. Since then, every finance minister has been increasing the amount and changing its name. As the country has adopted a federal system, this programme has been opposed as the amount was used in unproductive sectors rather than infrastructure development.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government, which dissolved the House of Representatives, has scrapped the local infrastructure development partnership programme through the upcoming budget. Announcing the budget for the fiscal year 2078/79 on May 29, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had announced the cancellation of the programme. Recently, when the federal government continued such programmes, the provincial government also started replicating it.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13268', 'image' => '20210611022802_1623361855.Clipboard18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 14:27:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13522', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Expert Stress on Promotion of Self-Sufficient Agriculture ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, stakeholders have initiated discussions programme in Nepal in line with the concept of pre-conference on food system which the United Nations has been organising for analysing the situation of countries throughout the world in the context of achieving the development goals by ending global hunger by 2030. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A virtual discussions programme was organised on Wednesday (June 9) in this connection. The discussions programme was held on the topic of contribution of production groups and small farmers to the sustainable food system under the theme – 'Prior Right of the Marginalised Communities, Main Basis for Guaranteeing Sustainable Food System.' </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Addressing the programme, National Planning Commission (NPC) member and spokesperson Meen Bahadur Shahi said priority should be given to programmes that support attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regarding the topic of food sovereignty, he said, the government was moving ahead by analysing the issues raised by the civil society organisations. According to RSS, the NPC spokesperson urged the Agricultural Development Bank to facilitate in ensuring financial access to the grassroots farmers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr Yogendra Kumar Karki said the national economy cannot be improved without improving and promoting the agriculture sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During the conference, Professor at the Sudurpaschim University Raksha Sharma pointed out that profitable production was hampering sustainable farming system in the country. She added that the profit- seeking tendency has ruined the soil of the farming lands as farmers are found excessively using chemical fertilizer, chemicals, pesticides and energy as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agro campaigner Chandra Prasad Adhikari argued that the excessive use of chemicals has adversely affected the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Community Self-reliance Service Centre’s Dr Jagat Basnet argued that the concept of smart city was displacing the farmers and the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He complained of irregularities in government’s loan policy to small-scale farmers. Similarly, Farmers Network’s Dr Gokarna Gyawali argued that the COVID-19 effect was hampering the UN’s declaration of ending famine by 2030. According to Dr Gyawali, 270 million people are still facing food shortage and an infant dies of hunger in each 10 seconds in the world.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The conference was jointly organised by the National Land Rights Forum, the Federation of Community Forestry Users Committees, the Agricultural Campaign for Food, the National Irrigation Water Users Federation of Nepal and the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six working papers were presented and discussed in the webinar. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The UN is preparing to organize mega conference in course of achieving sustainable goal by 2030. Pre-conference is being organized in Rome since July 26 to 28 for the September conference. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13267', 'image' => '20210611111447_20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 11:13:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13520', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Melamchi Project to Halt Water Supply to Kathmandu from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">June 11: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board made such announcement as the tunnel used for supplying water has to be emptied for inspection from June 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a press statement on Thursday (June 10), the board said it will take nearly two months for the inspection, including 16 days for emptying the tunnel. The board noted that it will take around 60 days for the inspection, testing, improvement and refilling. These tasks have to be done before the monsoon peaks, the statement added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of the board Ram Kumar Shrestha informed that the board has already alerted the locals of Melamchi, Sindhu and Gyalthum, especially those living in the downstream areas, to remain aware about increase in flow of water due to the emptying process. According to the board, water level in Melamchi as well as Bagmati rivers could rise during this process and has alerted one and all to stay away from those rivers from June 15. Furthermore, the statement urged the locals to remain highly vigilant if there is any urgent need to visit the areas that are likely to be affected during this process.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Waster Supply Project had brought much respite to the growing population of the valley who had been facing acute shortage of water since decades.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The project had diverted water from the Melamchi river to Kathmandu on February 22 for testing the project tunnel. The water from Melamchi had reached Sundarijal of Kathmandu 12 days after the test kicked off. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited had started distributing the water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley from April 19. </span></span></span><br /> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13266', 'image' => '20210611103908_1623336277.melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:38:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13521', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Stays Implementation of Citizenship Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada on Thursday (June 10) issued the order prohibiting the government from implementing the ordinance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court has directed the government not to implement the ordinance until a final verdict on writ petitions filed against the ordinance is issued. </span><br /> The constitutional bench noted that any ordinance that is not endorsed through the parliament by fulfilling the constitutional provision is likely to create confusion in the future.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"In such case, it is appropriate to make arrangement through the federal parliament with the passage of the bill. It is the right constitutional process of making law," the ordinance reminded the government, adding, "There is no judicial relevance of implementation the ordinance at present." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The president had issued the ordinance upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on May 23. Such decision was taken after the ruling party brokered a deal with Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) to this effect. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six writ petitions were filed against the ordinance at the apex court by advocates Bishnu Kumar Giri, Ram Bahadur Shahi, Kul Bahadur Bogati, Birbhadra Joshi and Laxman Pokharel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding to the writ petitions, the Supreme Court also ordered the government to submit written clarification within seven days.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13265', 'image' => '20210611105654_1623360708.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13518', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing Action Plans to Implement Tax Subsidy Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. The action plans are being prepared to implement the programme presented in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the Ministry of Finance, the departments under the Ministry are currently formulating action plans to implement such programmes in a stipulated time. The Inland Revenue Department, the Department of Customs and other authorities under the Ministry are preparing separate action plans.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Mahesh Acharya, joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, said that the Ministry is working in full swing to formulate action plans and implement the programms in time. Acharya said that other ministries and departments have also started making action plans for the programmes included in the budget. Most of the action plans will be completed within this month.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Since the budget announcement, most of the customs duty rates have already been implemented while other concessional programmes and tax exemptions are in the process of implementation. The provision of income tax exemption will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Mukti Pandey, deputy director general of the Inland Revenue Department, said some concessional programmes including income tax will come into effect from July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has introduced provisions to give 90 percent income tax exemption to the taxpayers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 2 million, 75 percent to the taxpayers with turnover of Rs 2 million to Rs 5 million and 50 percent to those having turnover of Rs 5 million to Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">It has provisioned to apply only one percent tax on taxable income of hotels, trekking and travels agencies, transport companies, party palaces, airline companies, cinema halls and communication industry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">If any person or company contributes to the fund set up by the government for control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic, the amount can be deducted while calculating taxable income. The budget has reintroduced the policy of refunding value added tax (VAT) when the industry buys fuel. It has also provisioned to deduct VAT paid on the purchase of diesel and gas used in the taxable business of the taxpayer. These provisions will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has given VAT, excise duty and customs duty exemption on various equipment and materials like oxygen, liquid oxygen, oxygen cylinder and medicines imported for the treatment of COVID- 19 infected patients until the mid of January 2022. This provision has already come into effect.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have demanded not to fine entrepreneurs who fail to pay their tax during the time of restrictions. In a joint statement issued on June 10, it the representatives of the private organisations said it is not possible to pay VAT, excise duty required to be cleared on a monthly basis due to the restrictions on movement “so we urge the government not to impose fines on entrepreneurs”.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The three umbrella organizations of businessmen had sought to extend the time to clear taxes during last year as well but the government had not extended the time period. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13264', 'image' => '20210610031926_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 15:18:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13517', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Facing Shortage of Fertiliser Despite Sufficient Stock', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The farmers have not been able to get fertilisers because the distribution system has become inconvenient due to the lockdown imposed by the government for controlling coronavirus.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, the Salt Trading Corporation and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited have more than 85,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizer in stock. However, the farmers have not been able to receive any of them. Although the government claims that the distribution of fertiliser is easy, the employees of the two state-owned companies have admitted that the supply is not easy.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Kumar Rajbhandari, spokesperson of Salt Trading Corporation, said that the farmers were suffering due to the inconvenient distribution system. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The distribution has not been smooth due to the impact of lockdown in transporting fertilisers. If the lockdown eases from July, the distribution can be easier,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers across the country are preparing for the planting season in July. But, they have not been able to get the required fertilizer for paddy. Farmers are obliged to return home empty-handed, even after waiting in long lines all day for fertilizer.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Complaints of farmers not getting fertilizer are increasing in districts like Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Banke and Bardiya. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bhubaneswar Yadav, a farmer of Sunsari, is preparing to plant paddy on 6 bighas of land from mid-June for which he needs about 20 bags of fertilisers including urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potassium. However, he has not been able to get a single bag of fertilizer so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Even the cooperatives do not have enough fertilizer here. How can they give it to us? It is necessary to create an environment whereby the fertilisers in Kathmandu can reach here to us,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers of Morang, who are preparing to sow paddy, have said that they are also having lots of problems to acquire fertilisers. Man Bahadur Magar, a farmer of Kanepokhari, Morang also complained that he has not received any fertilizer yet. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He said that as the cooperatives could not provide fertilisers in the midst of planting season, the farmers were obliged to go to the Indian border market amidst the risk of coronavirus pandemic to buy fertilisers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the situation in Chitwan district is different. Despite the easy supply of DAP, the farmers here are facing shortage of urea fertilizer. Rajan Dhakal, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Kendra Chitwan, says that the supply of fertilizer has eased this year but only half of the demand has been met.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Not all places have a balanced distribution of fertilisers,” Dhakal said, adding, “But, the distribution system has been affected as the fertiliser is distributed on the basis of local units’ recommendations.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Distribution and management should be more efficient and accurate. Those who have access are benefited more and those who do not have access are not benefited," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13263', 'image' => '20210610023043_20200817122726_1597613093.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 14:30:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13519', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' 32,000 Metric Tonnes of Urea Arrive from Bangladesh ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The fertilizer was purchased through the Government-to-Government agreement between the two countries. The fertilizer has been received by Birgunj-based provincial office of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, according to the national news agency RSS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the G2G agreement, the Government of Bangladesh was supposed to supply 50,000 metric tonnes urea to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The remaining 17,500 metric tonnes of fertilizer is in the process of transportation, RSS reported citing Manager of the company’s provincial office, Gorakh Nath KC. The remaining consignment will be brought to the dry port at Sirsiya of Birgunj via train from the Kolkata Port in India, RSS added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Manager KC said that although the entire consignment should have arrived here from Bangladesh by this time, it was delayed due to the adverse situation caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka making efforts for the supply of the remaining fertilizer from Bangladesh. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13262', 'image' => '20210610040355_20210210122458_1612912820.Clipboard14.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 16:03:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13516', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'World Bank Projects 2.7 Percent Economic Growth of Nepal in Current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Releasing the Global Economic Prospect on Tuesday (June 8), the World Bank projected Nepal’s growth to be 3.9 percent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). Similarly, the reports projects Nepal’s economy to rebound and grow to 5.1 percent in FY 2022/23.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the report, the economy of South Asian region is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2021. This estimate is 3.6 percent higher than what was previously projected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the global economy is set to expand 5.6 percent in 2021—its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">This recovery is uneven and largely reflects sharp rebounds in some major economies, the World Bank said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), obstacles to vaccination continue to weigh on activity. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“By 2022, last year’s per capita income losses will not be fully unwound in about two-thirds of EMDEs,” the report further stated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the global outlook remains subject to significant downside risks, including the possibility of additional COVID-19 waves and financial stress amid high EMDE debt levels. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report suggests policy makers to balance the need to support the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability and to continue efforts toward promoting growth-enhancing reforms.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/My%20Effect%286%29.jpg" style="height:383px; width:800px" /></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13261', 'image' => '20210610101747_20191015114123_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 10:16:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13515', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Urges Govt Not To Impose Penalty on Businesses Failing to Pay Taxes in Time ', 'sub_title' => 'However, those businesses, which can pay revenue, are urged to settle their tax liabilities ', 'summary' => 'Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. ', 'content' => '<p>June 9: Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. </p> <p>Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have asked the government to not penalize or fine businesses who cannot file their tax details and pay revenue to the government in time, citing restriction on movement due to prohibitory orders imposed in most parts of the country. </p> <p>“While most of the industries and businesses have not been able to operate due to current adverse circumstances, even those who are in operation have not been able to supply their products in the market and collect their money,” read the joint statement of three umbrella organizations of businesses and industries across the country. </p> <p>“Taking into consideration this adverse situation, we request the government to not charge any penalty or fine to businesses or enterprises that could not pay their tax revenue,” added the statement. </p> <p>Stating that the lockdown and prohibitory orders imposed to contain the second wave of coronavirus have brought businesses and industries to a grinding halt, three private sector organizations have asked the government to be lenient on imposing penalties for those businesses and industries that are late on tax payment. </p> <p>Nearly 70 percent of businesses and enterprises are estimated to have been impacted by the prohibitory orders enforced to combat the second wave of coronavirus, according to the joint statement. </p> <p>However, these organizations have also urged enterprises and industries which are in operation and can pay their taxes to settle their tax liabilities like in the last fiscal year. </p> <p>The joint statement of the private sector organizations comes amid looming deadlines for businesses and enterprises for filing tax details as well as pay income tax (mid July), value added tax (July 9) and excise duty (July 9). </p> <p>Similarly, they have also urged the government to prioritize vaccination to entrepreneurs, businesspeople and their staff who have their direct roles on economic activities and protect the economy from the pandemic, implement the budget and achieve the economic growth target. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13260', 'image' => '20210609095830_Joint Statement.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 21:53:13', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13514', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Approval not Required to Bring in FDI Anymore', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal. The central bank made such arrangement with the implementation of the Nepal Rastra Bank Foreign Investment and Debt Management Regulation-2021 effective from June 8. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, approval from NRB was mandatory to bring in FDI in the country. With the implementation of this regulation, approval from the Department of Industry and the Investment Board would be sufficient to bring in FDI. However, NRB needs to be notified before bringing foreign currency or sending out the currency from Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The new regulation mentions that the foreign companies looking to invest up to US$ 1 million need not submit any audit report to the central bank. But stakeholders need to maintain a record of the investment amount at the central bank.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The inflow of foreign currency must be recorded at NRB within six months. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The new regulation states that the central bank’s prior approval is not needed to remit or to send money from the prospective foreign investors for feasibility study and pre-operation costs of the industries and firms to be established in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The regulation has also facilitated foreign investors from taking back dividends to the respective country. The process of foreign exchange service has also been made easier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB has said that the recent changes will save investors’ time by at least ten days by providing services related to foreign investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Publishing the regulation virtually, Ramu Poudel, executive director of the Foreign Exchange Management Department of NRB, said that regulation is expected to improve the country's position in the Doing Business report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari says that the regulation has been issued by bringing all the previous provisions together to make the process quick, easy and transparent. After preparing the draft of the regulation, NRB had taken suggestions from the stakeholders. Stakeholders have complained that the central bank did not include all the suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Satish Kumar Mor, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said that the regulation has incorporated their suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, most of the stakeholders had complained that the process was time consuming due to bureaucratic hassles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "But now the new regulation has set a time limit,'' he said, adding, “The new provisions are investment-friendly." Mor added that the regulation has also made it easier for the companies to take away their dividends back. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13259', 'image' => '20210609045555_20200810055708_nrb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 16:55:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13513', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Projects Rise in Production of Onions and Potatoes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. As the data collection of potato and onion production from across the country has reached the final stage, the production is expected to increase as compared to last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the introduction of modern technology in agriculture and the increase in the number of people embracing agriculture and commercial farming, the production is expected to increase.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Compared to last year, the area for potato and onion farming as well as production have increased this year. According to the data provided by the National Center for Potato, Vegetable, and Spice Crops Development, it is estimated that 281,289 metric tons of additional potatoes will be produced in the current fiscal year than last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the last fiscal year, 3.11 million metric tons of potatoes were produced in 193,996 hectares of land. According to the center, potato cultivation in the current fiscal year in 299,041 hectares of land is estimated to produce 3.39 million metric of potatoes.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sandeep Subedi, Horticulture Development Officer at the Center, said that the data on potato and onion production has been collected from all over the country and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is working on its final draft. He said that even though the available data is just an estimate, it won’t be much different from the actual production .</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data of the center, the production of onion is expected to increase by 3,864 metric tons in the current fiscal year as compared to last fiscal year. Last year, 291,538 metric tons of onion was cultivated in a total of 20,908 hectares of land. In the current fiscal year, 295,402 metric tons of onion has been produced in 20,424 hectares of land. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The production of potatoes and onions within Nepal is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Potatoes and onions worth more than Rs 11.5 billion are imported annually from countries including India. Altogether 50 percent of the total demand for potatoes is imported in Nepal while 95 percent of onions are imported. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13258', 'image' => '20210609022937_20200916052134_1600205898.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 14:28:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13512', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Airlines Operator Demand Resumption of Domestic Flights from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15. The association made such request to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Uma Shankar Aragaria on Tuesday (June 8), drawing his attention to the fact that the restriction on domestic flights for the past 35 days has rendered countless employees jobless, affecting their livelihood.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stating that the service providers are committed to operating the flight following the health safety standards, the association has asked the ministry to facilitate in resuming flight operation. The association claimed that domestic flights were continued for a certain time even during the second wave of coronavirus and no passengers were infected during that time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The association argued that trained manpower dealing with health and safety measures, disinfection of aircraft before each flight, and mandatory use of mask and face shield make domestic flights safe. AOAN has requested the minister to allow the operation of domestic flights by adopting the same measures.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has restricted domestic flights since May 4. According to the association, the revenue of airline companies has been declining due to the suspension of domestic flights for 35 days and many employees are at risk of losing their jobs. Stating that the livelihood of the dependent families will be lost along with the loss of employment, the association has stressed the need to make domestic flights comfortable and safe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, the association has welcomed the ministry's decision of reducing the price of aviation fuel for international flights. The association has requested the government to reduce the price by keeping the internal profit low. Reducing fuel prices will reduce operating costs and allow the general public to travel at affordable rates. The association has also requested the government for a 75 percent discount on landing, parking and other fees during the current prohibitory period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13257', 'image' => '20210609124824_1623191583.Clipboard11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 12:47:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13511', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Floriculture Business Facing Daily Loss of Rs 10 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. The floriculture entrepreneurs decided for job cuts after facing a daily loss of Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the recent lockdown, the overall floriculture business has been halted, causing a daily loss of Rs 10 million in the sector. As the business has come to a standstill and the entrepreneurs are struggling to pay the workers, the number of people losing employment has increased.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Hotels, restaurants, party palaces, and temples are closed at the moment and banquets and other functions are not allowed closed. This has brought the flower business to a complete standstill. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Normally, the sales of flowers increase during the month of April and May as there are lots of functions like marriages. However, the flowers in the farm and nurseries have not found any market this time due to the extended lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal, floriculture business of Nepal has an annual turnover of over Rs 2.60 billion. On this basis, he estimates that the daily flower business across the country is currently losing around Rs 10 million. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The figure is only our assumption. The association is preparing to collect details of the actual loss incurred during this period,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the data of the association, the floriculture business has an investment of Rs 6 billion in the country and is currently spread across 43 districts. More than 40,000 people’s livelihood is directly and indirectly linked with this business.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nurseries produce seasonal flowers and the farms produce annual and perennial flowers. However, the association said that all these flowers were destroyed due to the lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Floriculture farmer Binod Shrestha has not been able to visit his farm in Kavre due to the lockdown. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Some of the workers at the farm have already left. Now we have no hope of cultivating flowers. It is becoming difficult to protect even the mother plants,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He added that all the produced flowers are being destroyed by burying them in a pit to form compost manure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13256', 'image' => '20210608030145_20210208023928_20190214042338_rose.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 15:01:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13510', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Tells Government not to Stop Home Delivery Service ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding on a writ petition filed by online and e-commerce businesses, a division bench of justices Sapana Malla and Dr Kumar Chundal on Monday (June 7) issued the interim order in this regard. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order reads, “Do not stop sale and distribution through online and home delivery service provider companies and online service from providing service by maintaining social distancing, using sanitizer and PPE until a final verdict on the case is issued.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has been made the defendant in the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order states that home delivery of goods and services is essential during the prohibitory period and it can be done by following the criteria set by the government for home delivery in 2077.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13255', 'image' => '20210608102717_20201127115547_20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:26:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13508', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Corporation Slashes Airfare of Int’l Flights ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Airfares of cargo and chartered international flights have been reduced from Sunday midnight following a decline in price of aviation fuel for international flights, NAC spokesperson Karishma Shrestha informed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Airfares for wide-body aircraft (Airbus 330) and narrow-body aircraft (Airbus 320) have been slashed by 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively as compared to the previous fares, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the adjusted price list, airfares of chartered and cargo flights (wide-body) have been fixed at USD 13,460 per hour against the previous fare of USD 15,520. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, airfares for narrow-body aircraft have been adjusted at USD 6,580 per hour against USD 7,710. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13254', 'image' => '20210608100619_banner_1610083651 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:05:48', '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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According to Financial Comptroller General’s Office (FCGO), out of the total allocated budget for the programme, only Rs 967.7 million has been spent as of mid-April.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Under this programme, a committee headed by a directly-elected parliamentarian in the House of Representatives can select the programme and spend the budget. According to government officials, the failure to spend the budget allocated for this programme is mainly due to the dissolution of parliament and the coronavirus pandemic. The government had twice dissolved parliament and called elections twice this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Along with the pandemic, dissolution of the parliament is the main reason,” said Gyanendra Poudel, joint comptroller and auditor general. According to FCGO, at least 60 percent of the budget allocated under this heading had been spent during the corresponding period of previous years, but only 14.49 percent of the allocated budget has been spent this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Furthermore, new programmes have not been selected and implemented this year, while the spent budget is also found in the programmes run in previous years.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About Rs 10 billion allocated in the budget of FY 2076/77 for the directly-elected federal parliamentarians to spend Rs 60 million in each election constituency was downzised to Rs 40 million per constituency in the current fiscal year and Rs 6.60 billion was allocated for the purpose.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had pressurised the parliamentarians this year to spend in the health sector under this program by amending the operating procedure. This controversial programme was started in 2051 BS in the name of Parliamentary Development Fund by giving Rs 250,000 per MP. Since then, every finance minister has been increasing the amount and changing its name. As the country has adopted a federal system, this programme has been opposed as the amount was used in unproductive sectors rather than infrastructure development.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government, which dissolved the House of Representatives, has scrapped the local infrastructure development partnership programme through the upcoming budget. Announcing the budget for the fiscal year 2078/79 on May 29, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had announced the cancellation of the programme. Recently, when the federal government continued such programmes, the provincial government also started replicating it.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13268', 'image' => '20210611022802_1623361855.Clipboard18.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 14:27:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13522', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Expert Stress on Promotion of Self-Sufficient Agriculture ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: Experts have emphasised on the need of adopting self-reliant agriculture system for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined by the United Nations Organisation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, stakeholders have initiated discussions programme in Nepal in line with the concept of pre-conference on food system which the United Nations has been organising for analysing the situation of countries throughout the world in the context of achieving the development goals by ending global hunger by 2030. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A virtual discussions programme was organised on Wednesday (June 9) in this connection. The discussions programme was held on the topic of contribution of production groups and small farmers to the sustainable food system under the theme – 'Prior Right of the Marginalised Communities, Main Basis for Guaranteeing Sustainable Food System.' </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Addressing the programme, National Planning Commission (NPC) member and spokesperson Meen Bahadur Shahi said priority should be given to programmes that support attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regarding the topic of food sovereignty, he said, the government was moving ahead by analysing the issues raised by the civil society organisations. According to RSS, the NPC spokesperson urged the Agricultural Development Bank to facilitate in ensuring financial access to the grassroots farmers. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr Yogendra Kumar Karki said the national economy cannot be improved without improving and promoting the agriculture sector. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During the conference, Professor at the Sudurpaschim University Raksha Sharma pointed out that profitable production was hampering sustainable farming system in the country. She added that the profit- seeking tendency has ruined the soil of the farming lands as farmers are found excessively using chemical fertilizer, chemicals, pesticides and energy as well. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Agro campaigner Chandra Prasad Adhikari argued that the excessive use of chemicals has adversely affected the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Community Self-reliance Service Centre’s Dr Jagat Basnet argued that the concept of smart city was displacing the farmers and the agriculture system. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He complained of irregularities in government’s loan policy to small-scale farmers. Similarly, Farmers Network’s Dr Gokarna Gyawali argued that the COVID-19 effect was hampering the UN’s declaration of ending famine by 2030. According to Dr Gyawali, 270 million people are still facing food shortage and an infant dies of hunger in each 10 seconds in the world.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The conference was jointly organised by the National Land Rights Forum, the Federation of Community Forestry Users Committees, the Agricultural Campaign for Food, the National Irrigation Water Users Federation of Nepal and the Association of Nepali Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six working papers were presented and discussed in the webinar. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The UN is preparing to organize mega conference in course of achieving sustainable goal by 2030. Pre-conference is being organized in Rome since July 26 to 28 for the September conference. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13267', 'image' => '20210611111447_20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 11:13:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13520', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Melamchi Project to Halt Water Supply to Kathmandu from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">June 11: <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Project will halt water supply to Kathmandu for two months starting from June 15 </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board made such announcement as the tunnel used for supplying water has to be emptied for inspection from June 15. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a press statement on Thursday (June 10), the board said it will take nearly two months for the inspection, including 16 days for emptying the tunnel. The board noted that it will take around 60 days for the inspection, testing, improvement and refilling. These tasks have to be done before the monsoon peaks, the statement added. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director of the board Ram Kumar Shrestha informed that the board has already alerted the locals of Melamchi, Sindhu and Gyalthum, especially those living in the downstream areas, to remain aware about increase in flow of water due to the emptying process. According to the board, water level in Melamchi as well as Bagmati rivers could rise during this process and has alerted one and all to stay away from those rivers from June 15. Furthermore, the statement urged the locals to remain highly vigilant if there is any urgent need to visit the areas that are likely to be affected during this process.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Melamchi Waster Supply Project had brought much respite to the growing population of the valley who had been facing acute shortage of water since decades.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The project had diverted water from the Melamchi river to Kathmandu on February 22 for testing the project tunnel. The water from Melamchi had reached Sundarijal of Kathmandu 12 days after the test kicked off. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited had started distributing the water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley from April 19. </span></span></span><br /> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13266', 'image' => '20210611103908_1623336277.melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:38:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13521', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Supreme Court Stays Implementation of Citizenship Ordinance', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 11: The Supreme Court has an issued interim on Thrusday order asking the government not to implement the Citizenship Ordinance 2078. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada on Thursday (June 10) issued the order prohibiting the government from implementing the ordinance. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The apex court has directed the government not to implement the ordinance until a final verdict on writ petitions filed against the ordinance is issued. </span><br /> The constitutional bench noted that any ordinance that is not endorsed through the parliament by fulfilling the constitutional provision is likely to create confusion in the future.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">"In such case, it is appropriate to make arrangement through the federal parliament with the passage of the bill. It is the right constitutional process of making law," the ordinance reminded the government, adding, "There is no judicial relevance of implementation the ordinance at present." </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The president had issued the ordinance upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on May 23. Such decision was taken after the ruling party brokered a deal with Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) to this effect. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Six writ petitions were filed against the ordinance at the apex court by advocates Bishnu Kumar Giri, Ram Bahadur Shahi, Kul Bahadur Bogati, Birbhadra Joshi and Laxman Pokharel. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding to the writ petitions, the Supreme Court also ordered the government to submit written clarification within seven days.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-11', 'modified' => '2021-06-11', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13265', 'image' => '20210611105654_1623360708.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-11 10:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13518', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Preparing Action Plans to Implement Tax Subsidy Programmes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: The government has started preparing action plans to implement the programmes of tax subsidies and exemptions announced for various businesses affected by COVID-19 pandemic. The action plans are being prepared to implement the programme presented in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the Ministry of Finance, the departments under the Ministry are currently formulating action plans to implement such programmes in a stipulated time. The Inland Revenue Department, the Department of Customs and other authorities under the Ministry are preparing separate action plans.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Mahesh Acharya, joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, said that the Ministry is working in full swing to formulate action plans and implement the programms in time. Acharya said that other ministries and departments have also started making action plans for the programmes included in the budget. Most of the action plans will be completed within this month.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Since the budget announcement, most of the customs duty rates have already been implemented while other concessional programmes and tax exemptions are in the process of implementation. The provision of income tax exemption will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Mukti Pandey, deputy director general of the Inland Revenue Department, said some concessional programmes including income tax will come into effect from July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has introduced provisions to give 90 percent income tax exemption to the taxpayers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 2 million, 75 percent to the taxpayers with turnover of Rs 2 million to Rs 5 million and 50 percent to those having turnover of Rs 5 million to Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">It has provisioned to apply only one percent tax on taxable income of hotels, trekking and travels agencies, transport companies, party palaces, airline companies, cinema halls and communication industry. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">If any person or company contributes to the fund set up by the government for control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic, the amount can be deducted while calculating taxable income. The budget has reintroduced the policy of refunding value added tax (VAT) when the industry buys fuel. It has also provisioned to deduct VAT paid on the purchase of diesel and gas used in the taxable business of the taxpayer. These provisions will be implemented only after July 15.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The budget has given VAT, excise duty and customs duty exemption on various equipment and materials like oxygen, liquid oxygen, oxygen cylinder and medicines imported for the treatment of COVID- 19 infected patients until the mid of January 2022. This provision has already come into effect.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have demanded not to fine entrepreneurs who fail to pay their tax during the time of restrictions. In a joint statement issued on June 10, it the representatives of the private organisations said it is not possible to pay VAT, excise duty required to be cleared on a monthly basis due to the restrictions on movement “so we urge the government not to impose fines on entrepreneurs”.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The three umbrella organizations of businessmen had sought to extend the time to clear taxes during last year as well but the government had not extended the time period. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13264', 'image' => '20210610031926_20210501025837_11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 15:18:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13517', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Farmers Facing Shortage of Fertiliser Despite Sufficient Stock', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 10: Farmers have not been able to get fertilisers even though there is sufficient stock in the warehouses of the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The farmers have not been able to get fertilisers because the distribution system has become inconvenient due to the lockdown imposed by the government for controlling coronavirus.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">At present, the Salt Trading Corporation and the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited have more than 85,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizer in stock. However, the farmers have not been able to receive any of them. Although the government claims that the distribution of fertiliser is easy, the employees of the two state-owned companies have admitted that the supply is not easy.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Kumar Rajbhandari, spokesperson of Salt Trading Corporation, said that the farmers were suffering due to the inconvenient distribution system. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The distribution has not been smooth due to the impact of lockdown in transporting fertilisers. If the lockdown eases from July, the distribution can be easier,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers across the country are preparing for the planting season in July. But, they have not been able to get the required fertilizer for paddy. Farmers are obliged to return home empty-handed, even after waiting in long lines all day for fertilizer.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Complaints of farmers not getting fertilizer are increasing in districts like Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Banke and Bardiya. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bhubaneswar Yadav, a farmer of Sunsari, is preparing to plant paddy on 6 bighas of land from mid-June for which he needs about 20 bags of fertilisers including urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potassium. However, he has not been able to get a single bag of fertilizer so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Even the cooperatives do not have enough fertilizer here. How can they give it to us? It is necessary to create an environment whereby the fertilisers in Kathmandu can reach here to us,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farmers of Morang, who are preparing to sow paddy, have said that they are also having lots of problems to acquire fertilisers. Man Bahadur Magar, a farmer of Kanepokhari, Morang also complained that he has not received any fertilizer yet. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He said that as the cooperatives could not provide fertilisers in the midst of planting season, the farmers were obliged to go to the Indian border market amidst the risk of coronavirus pandemic to buy fertilisers.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the situation in Chitwan district is different. Despite the easy supply of DAP, the farmers here are facing shortage of urea fertilizer. Rajan Dhakal, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Kendra Chitwan, says that the supply of fertilizer has eased this year but only half of the demand has been met.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Not all places have a balanced distribution of fertilisers,” Dhakal said, adding, “But, the distribution system has been affected as the fertiliser is distributed on the basis of local units’ recommendations.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Distribution and management should be more efficient and accurate. Those who have access are benefited more and those who do not have access are not benefited," he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13263', 'image' => '20210610023043_20200817122726_1597613093.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 14:30:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13519', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' 32,000 Metric Tonnes of Urea Arrive from Bangladesh ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 10: A consignment of 32,500 metric tonnes of urea procured from Bangladesh has arrived in the country. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The fertilizer was purchased through the Government-to-Government agreement between the two countries. The fertilizer has been received by Birgunj-based provincial office of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, according to the national news agency RSS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the G2G agreement, the Government of Bangladesh was supposed to supply 50,000 metric tonnes urea to Nepal. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The remaining 17,500 metric tonnes of fertilizer is in the process of transportation, RSS reported citing Manager of the company’s provincial office, Gorakh Nath KC. The remaining consignment will be brought to the dry port at Sirsiya of Birgunj via train from the Kolkata Port in India, RSS added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Manager KC said that although the entire consignment should have arrived here from Bangladesh by this time, it was delayed due to the adverse situation caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka making efforts for the supply of the remaining fertilizer from Bangladesh. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13262', 'image' => '20210610040355_20210210122458_1612912820.Clipboard14.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 16:03:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13516', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'World Bank Projects 2.7 Percent Economic Growth of Nepal in Current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 10: The World Bank has said Nepal’s economic growth will be limited to 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Releasing the Global Economic Prospect on Tuesday (June 8), the World Bank projected Nepal’s growth to be 3.9 percent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2021/22). Similarly, the reports projects Nepal’s economy to rebound and grow to 5.1 percent in FY 2022/23.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the report, the economy of South Asian region is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2021. This estimate is 3.6 percent higher than what was previously projected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Similarly, </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">the global economy is set to expand 5.6 percent in 2021—its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">This recovery is uneven and largely reflects sharp rebounds in some major economies, the World Bank said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">In many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), obstacles to vaccination continue to weigh on activity. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“By 2022, last year’s per capita income losses will not be fully unwound in about two-thirds of EMDEs,” the report further stated.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the global outlook remains subject to significant downside risks, including the possibility of additional COVID-19 waves and financial stress amid high EMDE debt levels. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The report suggests policy makers to balance the need to support the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability and to continue efforts toward promoting growth-enhancing reforms.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/My%20Effect%286%29.jpg" style="height:383px; width:800px" /></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-10', 'modified' => '2021-06-10', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13261', 'image' => '20210610101747_20191015114123_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-10 10:16:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13515', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Private Sector Urges Govt Not To Impose Penalty on Businesses Failing to Pay Taxes in Time ', 'sub_title' => 'However, those businesses, which can pay revenue, are urged to settle their tax liabilities ', 'summary' => 'Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. ', 'content' => '<p>June 9: Private sector has urged the government to not impose penalty or fine with businesses for failing to file tax details or pay their taxes in time. </p> <p>Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have asked the government to not penalize or fine businesses who cannot file their tax details and pay revenue to the government in time, citing restriction on movement due to prohibitory orders imposed in most parts of the country. </p> <p>“While most of the industries and businesses have not been able to operate due to current adverse circumstances, even those who are in operation have not been able to supply their products in the market and collect their money,” read the joint statement of three umbrella organizations of businesses and industries across the country. </p> <p>“Taking into consideration this adverse situation, we request the government to not charge any penalty or fine to businesses or enterprises that could not pay their tax revenue,” added the statement. </p> <p>Stating that the lockdown and prohibitory orders imposed to contain the second wave of coronavirus have brought businesses and industries to a grinding halt, three private sector organizations have asked the government to be lenient on imposing penalties for those businesses and industries that are late on tax payment. </p> <p>Nearly 70 percent of businesses and enterprises are estimated to have been impacted by the prohibitory orders enforced to combat the second wave of coronavirus, according to the joint statement. </p> <p>However, these organizations have also urged enterprises and industries which are in operation and can pay their taxes to settle their tax liabilities like in the last fiscal year. </p> <p>The joint statement of the private sector organizations comes amid looming deadlines for businesses and enterprises for filing tax details as well as pay income tax (mid July), value added tax (July 9) and excise duty (July 9). </p> <p>Similarly, they have also urged the government to prioritize vaccination to entrepreneurs, businesspeople and their staff who have their direct roles on economic activities and protect the economy from the pandemic, implement the budget and achieve the economic growth target. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13260', 'image' => '20210609095830_Joint Statement.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 21:53:13', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13514', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NRB Approval not Required to Bring in FDI Anymore', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the mandatory provision of obtaining pre-approval from it while bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nepal. The central bank made such arrangement with the implementation of the Nepal Rastra Bank Foreign Investment and Debt Management Regulation-2021 effective from June 8. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, approval from NRB was mandatory to bring in FDI in the country. With the implementation of this regulation, approval from the Department of Industry and the Investment Board would be sufficient to bring in FDI. However, NRB needs to be notified before bringing foreign currency or sending out the currency from Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The new regulation mentions that the foreign companies looking to invest up to US$ 1 million need not submit any audit report to the central bank. But stakeholders need to maintain a record of the investment amount at the central bank.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The inflow of foreign currency must be recorded at NRB within six months. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The new regulation states that the central bank’s prior approval is not needed to remit or to send money from the prospective foreign investors for feasibility study and pre-operation costs of the industries and firms to be established in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The regulation has also facilitated foreign investors from taking back dividends to the respective country. The process of foreign exchange service has also been made easier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB has said that the recent changes will save investors’ time by at least ten days by providing services related to foreign investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Publishing the regulation virtually, Ramu Poudel, executive director of the Foreign Exchange Management Department of NRB, said that regulation is expected to improve the country's position in the Doing Business report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari says that the regulation has been issued by bringing all the previous provisions together to make the process quick, easy and transparent. After preparing the draft of the regulation, NRB had taken suggestions from the stakeholders. Stakeholders have complained that the central bank did not include all the suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Satish Kumar Mor, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said that the regulation has incorporated their suggestions.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, most of the stakeholders had complained that the process was time consuming due to bureaucratic hassles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "But now the new regulation has set a time limit,'' he said, adding, “The new provisions are investment-friendly." Mor added that the regulation has also made it easier for the companies to take away their dividends back. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13259', 'image' => '20210609045555_20200810055708_nrb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 16:55:07', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13513', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Projects Rise in Production of Onions and Potatoes ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The government has projected an increase in potato and onion production this year. As the data collection of potato and onion production from across the country has reached the final stage, the production is expected to increase as compared to last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the introduction of modern technology in agriculture and the increase in the number of people embracing agriculture and commercial farming, the production is expected to increase.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Compared to last year, the area for potato and onion farming as well as production have increased this year. According to the data provided by the National Center for Potato, Vegetable, and Spice Crops Development, it is estimated that 281,289 metric tons of additional potatoes will be produced in the current fiscal year than last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the last fiscal year, 3.11 million metric tons of potatoes were produced in 193,996 hectares of land. According to the center, potato cultivation in the current fiscal year in 299,041 hectares of land is estimated to produce 3.39 million metric of potatoes.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sandeep Subedi, Horticulture Development Officer at the Center, said that the data on potato and onion production has been collected from all over the country and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is working on its final draft. He said that even though the available data is just an estimate, it won’t be much different from the actual production .</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data of the center, the production of onion is expected to increase by 3,864 metric tons in the current fiscal year as compared to last fiscal year. Last year, 291,538 metric tons of onion was cultivated in a total of 20,908 hectares of land. In the current fiscal year, 295,402 metric tons of onion has been produced in 20,424 hectares of land. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The production of potatoes and onions within Nepal is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Potatoes and onions worth more than Rs 11.5 billion are imported annually from countries including India. Altogether 50 percent of the total demand for potatoes is imported in Nepal while 95 percent of onions are imported. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13258', 'image' => '20210609022937_20200916052134_1600205898.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 14:28:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13512', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Airlines Operator Demand Resumption of Domestic Flights from June 15', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 9: The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has urged the government to resume domestic flights from June 15. The association made such request to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Uma Shankar Aragaria on Tuesday (June 8), drawing his attention to the fact that the restriction on domestic flights for the past 35 days has rendered countless employees jobless, affecting their livelihood.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stating that the service providers are committed to operating the flight following the health safety standards, the association has asked the ministry to facilitate in resuming flight operation. The association claimed that domestic flights were continued for a certain time even during the second wave of coronavirus and no passengers were infected during that time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The association argued that trained manpower dealing with health and safety measures, disinfection of aircraft before each flight, and mandatory use of mask and face shield make domestic flights safe. AOAN has requested the minister to allow the operation of domestic flights by adopting the same measures.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has restricted domestic flights since May 4. According to the association, the revenue of airline companies has been declining due to the suspension of domestic flights for 35 days and many employees are at risk of losing their jobs. Stating that the livelihood of the dependent families will be lost along with the loss of employment, the association has stressed the need to make domestic flights comfortable and safe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, the association has welcomed the ministry's decision of reducing the price of aviation fuel for international flights. The association has requested the government to reduce the price by keeping the internal profit low. Reducing fuel prices will reduce operating costs and allow the general public to travel at affordable rates. The association has also requested the government for a 75 percent discount on landing, parking and other fees during the current prohibitory period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-09', 'modified' => '2021-06-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13257', 'image' => '20210609124824_1623191583.Clipboard11.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-09 12:47:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13511', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Floriculture Business Facing Daily Loss of Rs 10 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 8: Around 20 percent of workers involved in the floriculture business have lost their jobs amid the ongoing prohibitory order. The floriculture entrepreneurs decided for job cuts after facing a daily loss of Rs 10 million.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Due to the recent lockdown, the overall floriculture business has been halted, causing a daily loss of Rs 10 million in the sector. As the business has come to a standstill and the entrepreneurs are struggling to pay the workers, the number of people losing employment has increased.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Hotels, restaurants, party palaces, and temples are closed at the moment and banquets and other functions are not allowed closed. This has brought the flower business to a complete standstill. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Normally, the sales of flowers increase during the month of April and May as there are lots of functions like marriages. However, the flowers in the farm and nurseries have not found any market this time due to the extended lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Kumar Kasaju Shrestha, president of the Floriculture Association of Nepal, floriculture business of Nepal has an annual turnover of over Rs 2.60 billion. On this basis, he estimates that the daily flower business across the country is currently losing around Rs 10 million. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The figure is only our assumption. The association is preparing to collect details of the actual loss incurred during this period,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the data of the association, the floriculture business has an investment of Rs 6 billion in the country and is currently spread across 43 districts. More than 40,000 people’s livelihood is directly and indirectly linked with this business.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nurseries produce seasonal flowers and the farms produce annual and perennial flowers. However, the association said that all these flowers were destroyed due to the lockdown.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Floriculture farmer Binod Shrestha has not been able to visit his farm in Kavre due to the lockdown. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Some of the workers at the farm have already left. Now we have no hope of cultivating flowers. It is becoming difficult to protect even the mother plants,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">He added that all the produced flowers are being destroyed by burying them in a pit to form compost manure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13256', 'image' => '20210608030145_20210208023928_20190214042338_rose.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 15:01:01', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13510', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'SC Tells Government not to Stop Home Delivery Service ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order in the name of the government not to stop home delivery of goods and services during the prohibitory period. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Responding on a writ petition filed by online and e-commerce businesses, a division bench of justices Sapana Malla and Dr Kumar Chundal on Monday (June 7) issued the interim order in this regard. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order reads, “Do not stop sale and distribution through online and home delivery service provider companies and online service from providing service by maintaining social distancing, using sanitizer and PPE until a final verdict on the case is issued.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has been made the defendant in the case.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order states that home delivery of goods and services is essential during the prohibitory period and it can be done by following the criteria set by the government for home delivery in 2077.</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13255', 'image' => '20210608102717_20201127115547_20200417094838_CKC_ktm.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:26:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13508', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Airlines Corporation Slashes Airfare of Int’l Flights ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag-carrier of Nepal, has reduced international airfare following a slash in aviation fuel for international flights. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""> Airfares of cargo and chartered international flights have been reduced from Sunday midnight following a decline in price of aviation fuel for international flights, NAC spokesperson Karishma Shrestha informed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Airfares for wide-body aircraft (Airbus 330) and narrow-body aircraft (Airbus 320) have been slashed by 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively as compared to the previous fares, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">As per the adjusted price list, airfares of chartered and cargo flights (wide-body) have been fixed at USD 13,460 per hour against the previous fare of USD 15,520. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, airfares for narrow-body aircraft have been adjusted at USD 6,580 per hour against USD 7,710. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-08', 'modified' => '2021-06-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13254', 'image' => '20210608100619_banner_1610083651 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-08 10:05:48', '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
