April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report.…
April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report.…
Nepal has received US$ 2. billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20.…
April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts.…
April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction.…
April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha…
April 7: The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9…
April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078…
April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses.…
April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA).…
April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).…
April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion.…
April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year.…
April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing.…
April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather.…
April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure.…
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', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report. </span></span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report released on Thursday (April 8) says COVID-19 pandemic has already worsened some of those problems.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The rivalry between China and a US-led coalition of Western nations will likely intensify, fueled by military power shifts, demographics, technology and “hardening divisions over governance models,” says the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report titled Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World was produced by the US National Intelligence Council. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regional powers and non-state actors may exert greater influence, with the likely result “a more conflict-prone and volatile geopolitical environment” and weakened international cooperation, it said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report by top US intelligence analysts, which is produced every four years, assessed the political, economic, societal and other trends that likely will shape the national security environment in the next 20 years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“Our intent is to help policymakers and citizens ... prepare for an array of possible futures,” Reuters quoted the authors as mentioning in the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">They noted that they did not make any specific predictions and included input from diverse groups, from American students to African civil society activists.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Challenges like climate change, disease, financial crises and technological disruption “are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” producing “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic,” the report said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report said the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people marked the greatest “global disruption” since World War Two, with the consequences likely to last for years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">COVID-19, it said, exposed – and sometimes widened – disparities in healthcare, raised national debts, accelerated nationalism and political polarization, deepened inequality, fueled distrust in government and highlighted failed international cooperation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the process, it is slowing – and possibly reversing – progress in fighting poverty, disease and gender inequality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Many problems caused by the pandemic are forecast by the report to grow by 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“There is a certain set of trends that we’ve identified that seem to be accelerating or made more powerful because of the pandemic,” said an NIC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report posed five scenarios for what the world might look like in 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most optimistic - a “renaissance of democracies” - found that democratic governments would prove “better able to foster scientific research and technological innovation, catalyzing an economic boom,” enabling them to cope with domestic stresses and to stand up to international rivals.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most pessimistic scenario - “tragedy and mobilization” – posited how COVID-19 and global warming could devastate global food supplies, leading to riots in Philadelphia that kill “thousands of people.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-09', 'modified' => '2021-04-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13007', 'image' => '20210409104021_Eydg445WQAAnBZz.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-09 10:39:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13260', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Disbursements of official development assistance jump 21% to $2 billion in FY2019/20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received US$ 2. billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20. ', 'content' => '<p>April 8: Nepal has received US$ 2 billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> According to the ‘Development Cooperation Report, 2020’ launched by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, the ODA disbursement in the last fiscal year represents a 21.2 percent jump from $1.58 billion that Nepal had received as financial supports from bilateral and multilateral partners in the previous fiscal year 2018/19.<br /> Out of the total ODA, 69.9 percent was provided to Nepal as loans, 18.7 percent as grants and 11.3 percent as technical assistance in 2019/20, the Report shows.<br /> Officials at the MoF say that the increasing share of loans in ODA reflects the result of Nepal’s eligibility in concessional loans from multilateral development banks and institutions.<br /> The portion of budgetary support in the ODA by development partners has gone up significantly in the last fiscal year. The report terms the rise in the share of budgetary support in ODA an ‘important shift’.<br /> According to the report, the portion of budgetary support has reached 36.9 percent of the total ODA from 15.2 percent.<br /> “The Report shows that Nepal still continues to receive substantial amounts of off-budget and off-treasury cooperation, though there has been a gradual improvement,” wrote Shree Krishna Nepal, in the ‘acknowledgements’ section of the report.<br /> Out of the total ODA that Nepal received, 25.6 percent, or $512.9million, was disbursed for Covid-19 response and recovery, according to the Report.<br /> Multilateral development partners’ assistance accounted for 71 percent while bilateral development partners’ assistance contributed 29 percent of the total ODA. The Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the United Nations were the top disbursing multilateral partners.<br /> The USA, the UK, India, China and Japan remained at the top of the list of bilateral partners disbursing ODA.<br /> “Though FY 2019/20 showed positive trends in the volume of ODA disbursements and use of budgetary support and other on-budget projects, it is unclear whether these changes represent real shifts in the development cooperation landscape of Nepal or these changes are only short-term responses to the global COVID-19 crisis,” read the report.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13006', 'image' => '20210408054826_ODA__.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 17:47:00', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13259', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Programme Expanded to 6 more Districts', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">The board announced the extension of the insurance programme in six more districts while organising an event on April 7.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi launched a virtual health insurance programme in Taplejung, Bara, Sarlahi, Dolakha, Manang, and Mustang during the event.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">With the extension, access to health insurance has now reached 75 districts across the country. The board is yet to launch the insurance programme in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Executive Director of the Board Damodar Basaula informed that the board is preparing to start the programme in the remaining two districts within this fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Inaugurating the programme, Health Minister Tripathi said that the government is serious about improving the health system. He also stressed the need for all the employees to be serious in making the programme effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister Tripathi has directed all concerned bodies to make the insurance facilities easily accessible to the people as some insured people are still complaining that they haven't been able to avail the facilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Likewise, the board has launched the health insurance program on the Nagarik App to help individuals view and download information online. The programme was started on April 8, 2019, from Kailali, Ilam, and Baglung to provide health insurance to all Nepalis.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13005', 'image' => '20210408050047_20210326044439_cba3a6cf93e9da58e7f6d9fc39688d07.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:58:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13258', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Upper Tamakoshi Hydel to be Ready by April 21, Power Production from mid-May ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. Major works such as intake, tunnel, transmission line, and substation have been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">There are now minor civil and mechanical works going on under the project. Although one of the national pride projects was expected to be completed before the upcoming Nepali New Year (2078BS), it was delayed because of Covid-19 and some technical glitches. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Lot-2 Hydro-mechanical contractor company has committed that the works as wielding and painting would be completed by April 21. Similarly, the installation of penstock pipe has been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Construction of embankment/intake, main tunnel, power house, tail race tunnel have also been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director at Nepal Electricity Authority and Chairperson of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd, Hitendra Dev Shakya, conducted an inspection visit and held discussion with project officials, consultants and contractors on the schedule of releasing water to the tunnel with speedy completion of the remaining works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Shakya shared that power production would begin from mid-May. - RSS </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">--- </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13004', 'image' => '20210408042508_20201206012152_1607211371.Clipboard13.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:24:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13257', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Confusion over Construction Model Delays Progress of Siddhababa Tunnel', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Department of Roads has already finalized Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model and sent the proposal to Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO). But the PPMO has neither approved the proposal nor has its standard document been endorsed by the cabinet, resulting in the inordinate delay. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Ministry of Finance had managed the source of funding for the construction of the tunnel. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Ministry of Finance had given the permission to the department to initiate the procurement process for the tunnel construction within a budget limit of Rs 10.15 billion on November 18, 2019.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> But the concerned authorities are yet to take a decision on which model to apply for the construction of the tunnel even one and a half years after the decision.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Shiva Prasad Nepal, spokesperson of DoR, said that the department had sent the proposal to PPMO to construct the tunnel in an EPC model after securing the source of funding.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under the EPC model, the contractor company makes the design on its own but the approval needs to be taken from the department, while the cost of repair and maintenance of the project needs to be borne by the company itself for five years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“Our country lacks the skilled manpower to design transport tunnel, so EPC model has been chosen to provide training to our human resources in spite of its higher costs,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The department has already prepared the required document for EPC. However, the PPMO has not approved the document stating it would prepare its own standard bidding document. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO argues that its document will be applicable for all projects across the country but the document prepared by the DoR for Siddababa tunnel will be applicable for only one particular project.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO has already submitted the document to the cabinet for approval. Due to the delay in approval, the contract management process has also been delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> “Since PPMO has said it will prepare the model itself, we are waiting for it,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Meanwhile, a set of norms for constructing tunnel has already been prepared. It will address issues like cost of tunnel, what materials to use, manpower mobilization rather than the contract management. There should be a standard document to invite the contract and terms required for it, Nepal said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Public Procurement Act has made provision for various kinds of contracts. Based on this provision, PPMO is preparing standard document on model like EPC. In this model, the responsibility of design rests entirely with the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under design and build model, which has already been implemented in the country, both the construction company and the department are responsible for the design and maintenance.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13003', 'image' => '20210408031917_20190825123459_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 15:17:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13256', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Ministry Directs Night-time Businesses, Restaurants to Shut Operations after 9pm', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.', '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"">April 7:</span></span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.</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"">Issuing a public notice on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Population said that it took a decision to close night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm keeping in view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.</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"">In its 10-point notice, the MoHP also directed local administrations to enforce the use of facemasks and take action against those who violate safety protocols in line with the Infectious Disease Act, 2020.</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 decision of the ministry comes in the wake of growing cases of Covid-19 in recent days.</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"">According to the MoHPA, 298 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Nepal on April 7.</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 public notice also urges local administrations to restrict the movement of people if active Covid-19 cases exceed 500 in small cities and 1000 in big cities.</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"">It urged all stakeholders to strictly comply with health safety protocols and avoid overcrowding and public vehicles in big cities where there is a high risk of infection. </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 MoHP urged stakeholders to operate shopping malls, theaters, party palaces, health clubs, swimming pools and temples by strictly enforcing health safety measures.</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"">It has also urged local governments and district administrations to encourage those who have returned from abroad to isolate themselves at their homes and monitor their status. Local governments have been asked to increase antigen and PCR tests and expand contact tracing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13002', 'image' => '20210408011602_20190101025132_DSC_0021.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 13:14:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13255', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Government to Collect Data on Financial Access during National Census', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS. According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, it is the first time such data are being collected in the census. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Detailed information would be collected on number of Nepali people absent in the country, ancestral language, and people living with disabilities, RSS further reported Director at the Central Bureau of Statistics, Badri Kumar Karki, reportedly shared this information. "National census this time is being conducted in a comprehensive and different way," RSS quoted Karki as saying. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, a seminar is currently being held at Dhangadhi for the necessary preparation of the national census. Training to supervisor, area census officer, and enumerators is being provided as part of the seminar. For the census, the households would be listed from May 9 to 28. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The ward level information would be gathered under community questionnaire- agricultural products, their exports, major source of revenue, ethnic communities facing extinct, marginalized community, and physical, health and social facilities at ward, status of disaster risk, loss caused by wild animals etc, RSS further reported. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13001', 'image' => '20210408115828_20161209015641_cbs.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 11:57:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13253', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sundar Yatayat to Add Four more Electric Buses', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. The company has been operating four electric buses in the valley at present.<br /> Chairman of Sundar Yatayat, Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, said that four additional buses are coming in the first phase as per an agreement with the Chinese company BAK to procure 25 electric buses.<br /> Chairman Thapa informed that preparations have been made to bring the four buses in the first phase to operate them within April. "The Chinese company has already started the process of sending the bus to Nepal," he said. <br /> At present, the company is operating three electric buses along the Ring Road and one on the Bhaktapur-Ratnapark route. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The company, which recently operated a bus to Kavre's Banepa as a test, is preparing to expand the service along the route after the arrival of the new buses. The company has said it will build a charging station in the meantime. The company currently has three charging stations – one each at Sitapaila, Chabahil, and Sukedhara.<br /> The government has been struggling to operate electric buses itself. The government, which had earlier given the responsibility to Sundar Yatayat for the purchase of 300 electric buses in July 2020, later withheld the money saying that the company could not buy the buses on time. After holding the money for one year, the government in January authorized Sajha Yatayat to procure the buses. “At present, we are preparing tenders for buying the buses,” said Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of the public transport company.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12999', 'image' => '20210407042049_20190904021637_20190820034730_6Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 16:19:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13252', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Production of Sugar Declines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). In the corresponding period of last fiscal year, 130,000 metric tons of sugar was produced in the country while the production this year is only 100,000 metric. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The process of crushing sugarcane in this year was completed a week ago. Since crushing sugarcanes has been completed for this year, SPA has estimated that about 100,000 metric tons of sugar has been produced so far. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to a report received by the association from sugar mills, 75,000 metric tons of sugar has already been produced while the data of three industries are yet to be received. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“If the data of the industry which is yet to received is added , production of sugar is estimated to reach 100,000 metric tons,” said Shashikanta Agrawal, president of the Association. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The production has declined this year compared to the previous years, states SPA. This year most of the sugarcane farmers have shifted to rice and wheat farming due to the problem of untimely payment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to Agrawal, payment is not the only issue behind the decline in production. “As per the cycle of production, sugarcane production declines every three years,” he said. Even if the same amount of fertilizer, seeds is used to produce sugar in the same area of land, the production declines by 20 to 25% in the second year compared to the first year, said Agrawal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Around 260,000 metric tons of sugar used to be produced till ten years ago. The domestic production has been affected due to smuggling of sugar and lack of timely payment to the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Until the last year, twelve sugar mills were in operation . But now, the number has declined to ten due to lack of sugarcane. According to the government data, the country consumes 250,000 metric tons of sugar.</span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmers yet to receive full payment</span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmer have not received the full payment from sugar mills yet. Rakesh Agrawal, member of the Sugarcane Farmers Struggle Committee, claimed that the farmers have not received full payment. He said if the payment is not made by mid May, farmers will visit Kathmandu again to stage protest programme. Farmers are hoping to receive the outstanding dues of Rs 200 million on the initiative of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12998', 'image' => '20210407012621_20201220120511_Sweet2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 13:25:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13251', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Raises Nepal’s Growth Projection to 2.9% for Current Fiscal Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). <br /> Releasing its World Economic Outlook (WEO) on Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised the growth forecast for Nepal from its earlier projection of 2.5 percent in October last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the projection made by the IMF’s flagship report WEO, Nepal’s economy will grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year after an estimated contraction of 1.9 percent in the last fiscal year (FY 2019/20). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal’s economy had grown by an average of 7.75 percent per year in the three-year period before the pandemic.<br /> IMF has projected Nepal’s economy to grow by 4.2 percent in the next fiscal year, and the growth is expected to reach 5.2 percent in the Fiscal Year 2025/26.<br /> Even when the country was under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government in its annual budget speech had set an unlikely target of achieving 7 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year against all odds.<br /> The IMF’s improved outlook for Nepal comes in line with a projection of stronger recovery of the global economy in 2021 and 2022 compared to its previous forecast.<br /> According to the WEO, the global economy is projected to grow by 6 percent in 2021, up by 0.5 percentage points from its January forecast. The global economy is likely to grow by 4.4 percent in 2022 from an estimated historic contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020 when the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the IMF.<br /> “Thanks to the ingenuity of the scientific community, hundreds of millions of people are being vaccinated and this is expected to power recoveries in many countries later this year,” Gita Gopinath, chief economist of the IMF, told a press briefing following the release of the WEO.<br /> “Economies also continue to adapt to new ways of working despite reduced mobility, leading to a stronger than anticipated rebound across regions. Additional fiscal support in large economies, particularly the United States, has further improved the outlook,” she added.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12997', 'image' => '20210406073839_IMF Growth.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 19:37:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13249', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Nepal and Qatar to Collaborate for Tourism Promotion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A press statement released by the NTB says that CEO Dr Regmi and Qatari Ambassador Yusuf agreed to work together to forge bilateral cooperation to promote tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Qatari envoy, hailing Nepal as a “unique gift of nature”, opined that Nepal could attain economic development through tourism provided Nepal underscores development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The natural beauty of Nepal is so mesmerizing. I am often spellbound by the beauty of Nepal. Many foreign tourists have not been able to make Nepal their destinations in lack of proper facility of transportation and expensive airfare for the foreigners,” he said, urging the authority concerned to pay attention to this issue. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He reaffirmed the Qatari government’s support in promotion of Nepal’s tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Similarly, CEO Regmi said that the government and private sector had been emphasizing development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regmi also said that Nepal had forwarded a new plan for promotion of tourism in Middle East countries including Qatar. He reassured that Nepal was ready to host Qatari tourists by providing them facilities they look for such as ‘Halal’ food, prayers room among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, there are direct flights between Nepal and Qatar and the Qataris willing to visit Nepal would not face any issue in immigration. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the NTB would spare no effort to facilitate the Qataris willing to visit Nepal.-- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12995', 'image' => '20210406052853_Flag-Pins-Nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 17:28:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13248', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Food Company Procures Paddy worth Rs 781 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. The company has procured 27,791 metric tons of paddy through its procurement centers and branches across the country as of March 25.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the procurement of paddy at minimum price fixed by the government is in the final stage for this fiscal year. The procurement process will end very soon as very few numbers of farmers have approached the company to sell paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company had aimed to procure 60,000 metric tons of paddy for this fiscal year which seems to be unattainable. Sharmila Neupane, spokesperson for FMTC, said it has been difficult to meet the target as there has been short supply of paddy for commercial purpose. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government keeps a stock of 33,000 metric tons of paddy for immediate supply during emergency like famine and epidemic. To increase the stock of paddy, FMTCL had recently invited tender to procure 5,000 metric tons of paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the company had been unable to procure wheat in the last fiscal year. It had procured 60 metric tons of wheat only though it had set target to procure 3,000 metric tons of wheat. In the current fiscal year, it is preparing to procure 5,000 metric tons of wheat. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company has started preparations for procurement as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has already finalized minimum price for wheat. The Ministry has set the minimum price at Rs 3,111 per quintal, which is an increase of Rs 96 from the earlier price of Rs 3,015 during last fiscal year. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12994', 'image' => '20210406042923_20190528010847_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 16:28:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13247', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Nationals Visiting Nepal for 'Hotel Quarantine'', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. However, the Indian nationals are not here for tourism propose but rather for quarantine measures.<br /> According to hoteliers, Indians come to stay in quarantine in hotels in Nepal.<br /> Indians come to Kathmandu due to the quarantine requirements before flying to work in the Gulf and other countries. Indians have started to stay in hotel quarantines in Kathmandu as they do not have to repeat it in the work destination country.<br /> According to Sajan Shakya, general secretary of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), 500 to 600 Indian nationals have been coming to Kathmandu daily for the last few weeks to stay in hotel quarantine.<br /> It has helped to keep the activities of hotels in Kathmandu running to some extent, he informed.<br /> "Some Indians are coming to Kathmandu," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The arriving Indians are not here for tourism purposes but to work in the Gulf countries. They are here in Kathmandu to meet the 14-day quarantine to fly to other countries for work, he added.<br /> Hotel occupancy in Nepal stood at 2 to 3 percent during the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, restrictions. However, it has slightly improved in the past 20 days with around 5 percent occupancy.<br /> Around 15,000 tourists visited Nepal in March. Hoteliers informed that the current number of tourists is low as the hotels can serve 2.5 million tourists.<br /> Even after the decline in number of coronavirus cases and the launch of Covid-19 vaccines, tourism professionals are skeptical of receiving sufficient tourists as new variants of the pathogen have been reported.<br /> Even at HAN's 47th annual general meeting, hoteliers said there was no immediate prospect of revival of the tourism sector, given coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty of tourist arrival.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12993', 'image' => '20210406123146_20201223013206_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 12:30:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13246', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Flights to and from Bharatpur Airport Disrupted ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the flights to Kathmandu and Pokhara airports from Bharatpur could not take place due to poor visibility. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Chief of Bharatpur Airport Yogendra Kunwar said that all flights connecting Bharatpur to Kathmandu and Pokhara could not take place due to poor visibility caused by pollution in the recent days. Buddha Air operates eight flights and Yeti Air has four daily flights to and from Bharatpur. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12992', 'image' => '20210406090956_My Effect.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 09:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13245', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Prepare Master Plan for Road Safety', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basant Kumar Nembang has instructed the subordinate bodies under the ministry to formulate a master plan for road construction across the country.<br /> At a meeting of the ministry-level Development Problem Solving Committee on April 4, Minister Nembang directed the subordinate bodies to formulate a master plan. Currently, the road network across the country has expanded to about 100,000 kilometers (km), and the Department of Roads is preparing a master plan to make them safe and of high quality.<br /> "As it is the construction season now, we should go to the project sites and give high priority to monitoring instead of going through the files. There should be coordination between the agencies," the minister said.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed the need to form a separate task force to resolve the issues of compensation and land acquisition.<br /> Nepal is currently working on a five-year road strategy plan. However, an official said that the minister instructed them to formulate a master plan to cover the overall road infrastructure.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed on a concrete strategy on what to do in the next decade and how to make road infrastructure safe, reliable, and quality. He claimed that the master plan will formulate a strategy for the coming decade.<br /> "The government's goal of extending the road network to all district headquarters has almost been achieved," he said. Therefore, the priority now is to develop reliable road infrastructure for safe travel, which the master plan will prioritize, he added.<br /> The government on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the roads connecting the headquarters of rural municipalities with the nearby blacktop road and has decided to initiate the road construction work in each electoral constituency.<br /> Officials of the department informed that a long-term plan is a must for quality road expansion.<br /> The Department of Roads directly oversees about 15,000 kilometers of national highways, auxiliary highways, and other roads after the country went into federalism. Likewise, the department has handed over other roads to the provinces and local governments.</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">According to the Economic Survey 2076/77, altogether 34,347 km roads have been constructed by the federal government and 61, 395 km roads by provincial governments and 95,742 km roads by local level governments.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-05', 'modified' => '2021-04-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12991', 'image' => '20210405061831_20210207092127_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-05 18:17:53', '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
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', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report. </span></span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report released on Thursday (April 8) says COVID-19 pandemic has already worsened some of those problems.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The rivalry between China and a US-led coalition of Western nations will likely intensify, fueled by military power shifts, demographics, technology and “hardening divisions over governance models,” says the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report titled Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World was produced by the US National Intelligence Council. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regional powers and non-state actors may exert greater influence, with the likely result “a more conflict-prone and volatile geopolitical environment” and weakened international cooperation, it said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report by top US intelligence analysts, which is produced every four years, assessed the political, economic, societal and other trends that likely will shape the national security environment in the next 20 years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“Our intent is to help policymakers and citizens ... prepare for an array of possible futures,” Reuters quoted the authors as mentioning in the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">They noted that they did not make any specific predictions and included input from diverse groups, from American students to African civil society activists.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Challenges like climate change, disease, financial crises and technological disruption “are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” producing “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic,” the report said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report said the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people marked the greatest “global disruption” since World War Two, with the consequences likely to last for years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">COVID-19, it said, exposed – and sometimes widened – disparities in healthcare, raised national debts, accelerated nationalism and political polarization, deepened inequality, fueled distrust in government and highlighted failed international cooperation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the process, it is slowing – and possibly reversing – progress in fighting poverty, disease and gender inequality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Many problems caused by the pandemic are forecast by the report to grow by 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“There is a certain set of trends that we’ve identified that seem to be accelerating or made more powerful because of the pandemic,” said an NIC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report posed five scenarios for what the world might look like in 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most optimistic - a “renaissance of democracies” - found that democratic governments would prove “better able to foster scientific research and technological innovation, catalyzing an economic boom,” enabling them to cope with domestic stresses and to stand up to international rivals.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most pessimistic scenario - “tragedy and mobilization” – posited how COVID-19 and global warming could devastate global food supplies, leading to riots in Philadelphia that kill “thousands of people.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-09', 'modified' => '2021-04-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13007', 'image' => '20210409104021_Eydg445WQAAnBZz.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-09 10:39:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13260', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Disbursements of official development assistance jump 21% to $2 billion in FY2019/20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received US$ 2. billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20. ', 'content' => '<p>April 8: Nepal has received US$ 2 billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> According to the ‘Development Cooperation Report, 2020’ launched by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, the ODA disbursement in the last fiscal year represents a 21.2 percent jump from $1.58 billion that Nepal had received as financial supports from bilateral and multilateral partners in the previous fiscal year 2018/19.<br /> Out of the total ODA, 69.9 percent was provided to Nepal as loans, 18.7 percent as grants and 11.3 percent as technical assistance in 2019/20, the Report shows.<br /> Officials at the MoF say that the increasing share of loans in ODA reflects the result of Nepal’s eligibility in concessional loans from multilateral development banks and institutions.<br /> The portion of budgetary support in the ODA by development partners has gone up significantly in the last fiscal year. The report terms the rise in the share of budgetary support in ODA an ‘important shift’.<br /> According to the report, the portion of budgetary support has reached 36.9 percent of the total ODA from 15.2 percent.<br /> “The Report shows that Nepal still continues to receive substantial amounts of off-budget and off-treasury cooperation, though there has been a gradual improvement,” wrote Shree Krishna Nepal, in the ‘acknowledgements’ section of the report.<br /> Out of the total ODA that Nepal received, 25.6 percent, or $512.9million, was disbursed for Covid-19 response and recovery, according to the Report.<br /> Multilateral development partners’ assistance accounted for 71 percent while bilateral development partners’ assistance contributed 29 percent of the total ODA. The Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the United Nations were the top disbursing multilateral partners.<br /> The USA, the UK, India, China and Japan remained at the top of the list of bilateral partners disbursing ODA.<br /> “Though FY 2019/20 showed positive trends in the volume of ODA disbursements and use of budgetary support and other on-budget projects, it is unclear whether these changes represent real shifts in the development cooperation landscape of Nepal or these changes are only short-term responses to the global COVID-19 crisis,” read the report.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13006', 'image' => '20210408054826_ODA__.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 17:47:00', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13259', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Programme Expanded to 6 more Districts', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">The board announced the extension of the insurance programme in six more districts while organising an event on April 7.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi launched a virtual health insurance programme in Taplejung, Bara, Sarlahi, Dolakha, Manang, and Mustang during the event.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">With the extension, access to health insurance has now reached 75 districts across the country. The board is yet to launch the insurance programme in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Executive Director of the Board Damodar Basaula informed that the board is preparing to start the programme in the remaining two districts within this fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Inaugurating the programme, Health Minister Tripathi said that the government is serious about improving the health system. He also stressed the need for all the employees to be serious in making the programme effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister Tripathi has directed all concerned bodies to make the insurance facilities easily accessible to the people as some insured people are still complaining that they haven't been able to avail the facilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Likewise, the board has launched the health insurance program on the Nagarik App to help individuals view and download information online. The programme was started on April 8, 2019, from Kailali, Ilam, and Baglung to provide health insurance to all Nepalis.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13005', 'image' => '20210408050047_20210326044439_cba3a6cf93e9da58e7f6d9fc39688d07.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:58:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13258', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Upper Tamakoshi Hydel to be Ready by April 21, Power Production from mid-May ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. Major works such as intake, tunnel, transmission line, and substation have been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">There are now minor civil and mechanical works going on under the project. Although one of the national pride projects was expected to be completed before the upcoming Nepali New Year (2078BS), it was delayed because of Covid-19 and some technical glitches. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Lot-2 Hydro-mechanical contractor company has committed that the works as wielding and painting would be completed by April 21. Similarly, the installation of penstock pipe has been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Construction of embankment/intake, main tunnel, power house, tail race tunnel have also been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director at Nepal Electricity Authority and Chairperson of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd, Hitendra Dev Shakya, conducted an inspection visit and held discussion with project officials, consultants and contractors on the schedule of releasing water to the tunnel with speedy completion of the remaining works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Shakya shared that power production would begin from mid-May. - RSS </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">--- </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13004', 'image' => '20210408042508_20201206012152_1607211371.Clipboard13.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:24:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13257', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Confusion over Construction Model Delays Progress of Siddhababa Tunnel', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Department of Roads has already finalized Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model and sent the proposal to Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO). But the PPMO has neither approved the proposal nor has its standard document been endorsed by the cabinet, resulting in the inordinate delay. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Ministry of Finance had managed the source of funding for the construction of the tunnel. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Ministry of Finance had given the permission to the department to initiate the procurement process for the tunnel construction within a budget limit of Rs 10.15 billion on November 18, 2019.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> But the concerned authorities are yet to take a decision on which model to apply for the construction of the tunnel even one and a half years after the decision.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Shiva Prasad Nepal, spokesperson of DoR, said that the department had sent the proposal to PPMO to construct the tunnel in an EPC model after securing the source of funding.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under the EPC model, the contractor company makes the design on its own but the approval needs to be taken from the department, while the cost of repair and maintenance of the project needs to be borne by the company itself for five years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“Our country lacks the skilled manpower to design transport tunnel, so EPC model has been chosen to provide training to our human resources in spite of its higher costs,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The department has already prepared the required document for EPC. However, the PPMO has not approved the document stating it would prepare its own standard bidding document. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO argues that its document will be applicable for all projects across the country but the document prepared by the DoR for Siddababa tunnel will be applicable for only one particular project.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO has already submitted the document to the cabinet for approval. Due to the delay in approval, the contract management process has also been delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> “Since PPMO has said it will prepare the model itself, we are waiting for it,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Meanwhile, a set of norms for constructing tunnel has already been prepared. It will address issues like cost of tunnel, what materials to use, manpower mobilization rather than the contract management. There should be a standard document to invite the contract and terms required for it, Nepal said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Public Procurement Act has made provision for various kinds of contracts. Based on this provision, PPMO is preparing standard document on model like EPC. In this model, the responsibility of design rests entirely with the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under design and build model, which has already been implemented in the country, both the construction company and the department are responsible for the design and maintenance.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13003', 'image' => '20210408031917_20190825123459_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 15:17:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13256', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Ministry Directs Night-time Businesses, Restaurants to Shut Operations after 9pm', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.', '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"">April 7:</span></span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.</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"">Issuing a public notice on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Population said that it took a decision to close night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm keeping in view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.</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"">In its 10-point notice, the MoHP also directed local administrations to enforce the use of facemasks and take action against those who violate safety protocols in line with the Infectious Disease Act, 2020.</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 decision of the ministry comes in the wake of growing cases of Covid-19 in recent days.</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"">According to the MoHPA, 298 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Nepal on April 7.</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 public notice also urges local administrations to restrict the movement of people if active Covid-19 cases exceed 500 in small cities and 1000 in big cities.</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"">It urged all stakeholders to strictly comply with health safety protocols and avoid overcrowding and public vehicles in big cities where there is a high risk of infection. </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 MoHP urged stakeholders to operate shopping malls, theaters, party palaces, health clubs, swimming pools and temples by strictly enforcing health safety measures.</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"">It has also urged local governments and district administrations to encourage those who have returned from abroad to isolate themselves at their homes and monitor their status. Local governments have been asked to increase antigen and PCR tests and expand contact tracing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13002', 'image' => '20210408011602_20190101025132_DSC_0021.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 13:14:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13255', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Government to Collect Data on Financial Access during National Census', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS. According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, it is the first time such data are being collected in the census. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Detailed information would be collected on number of Nepali people absent in the country, ancestral language, and people living with disabilities, RSS further reported Director at the Central Bureau of Statistics, Badri Kumar Karki, reportedly shared this information. "National census this time is being conducted in a comprehensive and different way," RSS quoted Karki as saying. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, a seminar is currently being held at Dhangadhi for the necessary preparation of the national census. Training to supervisor, area census officer, and enumerators is being provided as part of the seminar. For the census, the households would be listed from May 9 to 28. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The ward level information would be gathered under community questionnaire- agricultural products, their exports, major source of revenue, ethnic communities facing extinct, marginalized community, and physical, health and social facilities at ward, status of disaster risk, loss caused by wild animals etc, RSS further reported. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13001', 'image' => '20210408115828_20161209015641_cbs.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 11:57:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13253', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sundar Yatayat to Add Four more Electric Buses', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. The company has been operating four electric buses in the valley at present.<br /> Chairman of Sundar Yatayat, Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, said that four additional buses are coming in the first phase as per an agreement with the Chinese company BAK to procure 25 electric buses.<br /> Chairman Thapa informed that preparations have been made to bring the four buses in the first phase to operate them within April. "The Chinese company has already started the process of sending the bus to Nepal," he said. <br /> At present, the company is operating three electric buses along the Ring Road and one on the Bhaktapur-Ratnapark route. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The company, which recently operated a bus to Kavre's Banepa as a test, is preparing to expand the service along the route after the arrival of the new buses. The company has said it will build a charging station in the meantime. The company currently has three charging stations – one each at Sitapaila, Chabahil, and Sukedhara.<br /> The government has been struggling to operate electric buses itself. The government, which had earlier given the responsibility to Sundar Yatayat for the purchase of 300 electric buses in July 2020, later withheld the money saying that the company could not buy the buses on time. After holding the money for one year, the government in January authorized Sajha Yatayat to procure the buses. “At present, we are preparing tenders for buying the buses,” said Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of the public transport company.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12999', 'image' => '20210407042049_20190904021637_20190820034730_6Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 16:19:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13252', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Production of Sugar Declines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). In the corresponding period of last fiscal year, 130,000 metric tons of sugar was produced in the country while the production this year is only 100,000 metric. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The process of crushing sugarcane in this year was completed a week ago. Since crushing sugarcanes has been completed for this year, SPA has estimated that about 100,000 metric tons of sugar has been produced so far. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to a report received by the association from sugar mills, 75,000 metric tons of sugar has already been produced while the data of three industries are yet to be received. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“If the data of the industry which is yet to received is added , production of sugar is estimated to reach 100,000 metric tons,” said Shashikanta Agrawal, president of the Association. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The production has declined this year compared to the previous years, states SPA. This year most of the sugarcane farmers have shifted to rice and wheat farming due to the problem of untimely payment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to Agrawal, payment is not the only issue behind the decline in production. “As per the cycle of production, sugarcane production declines every three years,” he said. Even if the same amount of fertilizer, seeds is used to produce sugar in the same area of land, the production declines by 20 to 25% in the second year compared to the first year, said Agrawal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Around 260,000 metric tons of sugar used to be produced till ten years ago. The domestic production has been affected due to smuggling of sugar and lack of timely payment to the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Until the last year, twelve sugar mills were in operation . But now, the number has declined to ten due to lack of sugarcane. According to the government data, the country consumes 250,000 metric tons of sugar.</span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmers yet to receive full payment</span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmer have not received the full payment from sugar mills yet. Rakesh Agrawal, member of the Sugarcane Farmers Struggle Committee, claimed that the farmers have not received full payment. He said if the payment is not made by mid May, farmers will visit Kathmandu again to stage protest programme. Farmers are hoping to receive the outstanding dues of Rs 200 million on the initiative of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12998', 'image' => '20210407012621_20201220120511_Sweet2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 13:25:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13251', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Raises Nepal’s Growth Projection to 2.9% for Current Fiscal Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). <br /> Releasing its World Economic Outlook (WEO) on Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised the growth forecast for Nepal from its earlier projection of 2.5 percent in October last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the projection made by the IMF’s flagship report WEO, Nepal’s economy will grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year after an estimated contraction of 1.9 percent in the last fiscal year (FY 2019/20). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal’s economy had grown by an average of 7.75 percent per year in the three-year period before the pandemic.<br /> IMF has projected Nepal’s economy to grow by 4.2 percent in the next fiscal year, and the growth is expected to reach 5.2 percent in the Fiscal Year 2025/26.<br /> Even when the country was under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government in its annual budget speech had set an unlikely target of achieving 7 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year against all odds.<br /> The IMF’s improved outlook for Nepal comes in line with a projection of stronger recovery of the global economy in 2021 and 2022 compared to its previous forecast.<br /> According to the WEO, the global economy is projected to grow by 6 percent in 2021, up by 0.5 percentage points from its January forecast. The global economy is likely to grow by 4.4 percent in 2022 from an estimated historic contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020 when the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the IMF.<br /> “Thanks to the ingenuity of the scientific community, hundreds of millions of people are being vaccinated and this is expected to power recoveries in many countries later this year,” Gita Gopinath, chief economist of the IMF, told a press briefing following the release of the WEO.<br /> “Economies also continue to adapt to new ways of working despite reduced mobility, leading to a stronger than anticipated rebound across regions. Additional fiscal support in large economies, particularly the United States, has further improved the outlook,” she added.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12997', 'image' => '20210406073839_IMF Growth.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 19:37:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13249', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Nepal and Qatar to Collaborate for Tourism Promotion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A press statement released by the NTB says that CEO Dr Regmi and Qatari Ambassador Yusuf agreed to work together to forge bilateral cooperation to promote tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Qatari envoy, hailing Nepal as a “unique gift of nature”, opined that Nepal could attain economic development through tourism provided Nepal underscores development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The natural beauty of Nepal is so mesmerizing. I am often spellbound by the beauty of Nepal. Many foreign tourists have not been able to make Nepal their destinations in lack of proper facility of transportation and expensive airfare for the foreigners,” he said, urging the authority concerned to pay attention to this issue. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He reaffirmed the Qatari government’s support in promotion of Nepal’s tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Similarly, CEO Regmi said that the government and private sector had been emphasizing development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regmi also said that Nepal had forwarded a new plan for promotion of tourism in Middle East countries including Qatar. He reassured that Nepal was ready to host Qatari tourists by providing them facilities they look for such as ‘Halal’ food, prayers room among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, there are direct flights between Nepal and Qatar and the Qataris willing to visit Nepal would not face any issue in immigration. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the NTB would spare no effort to facilitate the Qataris willing to visit Nepal.-- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12995', 'image' => '20210406052853_Flag-Pins-Nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 17:28:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13248', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Food Company Procures Paddy worth Rs 781 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. The company has procured 27,791 metric tons of paddy through its procurement centers and branches across the country as of March 25.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the procurement of paddy at minimum price fixed by the government is in the final stage for this fiscal year. The procurement process will end very soon as very few numbers of farmers have approached the company to sell paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company had aimed to procure 60,000 metric tons of paddy for this fiscal year which seems to be unattainable. Sharmila Neupane, spokesperson for FMTC, said it has been difficult to meet the target as there has been short supply of paddy for commercial purpose. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government keeps a stock of 33,000 metric tons of paddy for immediate supply during emergency like famine and epidemic. To increase the stock of paddy, FMTCL had recently invited tender to procure 5,000 metric tons of paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the company had been unable to procure wheat in the last fiscal year. It had procured 60 metric tons of wheat only though it had set target to procure 3,000 metric tons of wheat. In the current fiscal year, it is preparing to procure 5,000 metric tons of wheat. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company has started preparations for procurement as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has already finalized minimum price for wheat. The Ministry has set the minimum price at Rs 3,111 per quintal, which is an increase of Rs 96 from the earlier price of Rs 3,015 during last fiscal year. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12994', 'image' => '20210406042923_20190528010847_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 16:28:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13247', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Nationals Visiting Nepal for 'Hotel Quarantine'', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. However, the Indian nationals are not here for tourism propose but rather for quarantine measures.<br /> According to hoteliers, Indians come to stay in quarantine in hotels in Nepal.<br /> Indians come to Kathmandu due to the quarantine requirements before flying to work in the Gulf and other countries. Indians have started to stay in hotel quarantines in Kathmandu as they do not have to repeat it in the work destination country.<br /> According to Sajan Shakya, general secretary of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), 500 to 600 Indian nationals have been coming to Kathmandu daily for the last few weeks to stay in hotel quarantine.<br /> It has helped to keep the activities of hotels in Kathmandu running to some extent, he informed.<br /> "Some Indians are coming to Kathmandu," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The arriving Indians are not here for tourism purposes but to work in the Gulf countries. They are here in Kathmandu to meet the 14-day quarantine to fly to other countries for work, he added.<br /> Hotel occupancy in Nepal stood at 2 to 3 percent during the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, restrictions. However, it has slightly improved in the past 20 days with around 5 percent occupancy.<br /> Around 15,000 tourists visited Nepal in March. Hoteliers informed that the current number of tourists is low as the hotels can serve 2.5 million tourists.<br /> Even after the decline in number of coronavirus cases and the launch of Covid-19 vaccines, tourism professionals are skeptical of receiving sufficient tourists as new variants of the pathogen have been reported.<br /> Even at HAN's 47th annual general meeting, hoteliers said there was no immediate prospect of revival of the tourism sector, given coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty of tourist arrival.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12993', 'image' => '20210406123146_20201223013206_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 12:30:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13246', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Flights to and from Bharatpur Airport Disrupted ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the flights to Kathmandu and Pokhara airports from Bharatpur could not take place due to poor visibility. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Chief of Bharatpur Airport Yogendra Kunwar said that all flights connecting Bharatpur to Kathmandu and Pokhara could not take place due to poor visibility caused by pollution in the recent days. Buddha Air operates eight flights and Yeti Air has four daily flights to and from Bharatpur. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12992', 'image' => '20210406090956_My Effect.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 09:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13245', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Prepare Master Plan for Road Safety', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basant Kumar Nembang has instructed the subordinate bodies under the ministry to formulate a master plan for road construction across the country.<br /> At a meeting of the ministry-level Development Problem Solving Committee on April 4, Minister Nembang directed the subordinate bodies to formulate a master plan. Currently, the road network across the country has expanded to about 100,000 kilometers (km), and the Department of Roads is preparing a master plan to make them safe and of high quality.<br /> "As it is the construction season now, we should go to the project sites and give high priority to monitoring instead of going through the files. There should be coordination between the agencies," the minister said.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed the need to form a separate task force to resolve the issues of compensation and land acquisition.<br /> Nepal is currently working on a five-year road strategy plan. However, an official said that the minister instructed them to formulate a master plan to cover the overall road infrastructure.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed on a concrete strategy on what to do in the next decade and how to make road infrastructure safe, reliable, and quality. He claimed that the master plan will formulate a strategy for the coming decade.<br /> "The government's goal of extending the road network to all district headquarters has almost been achieved," he said. Therefore, the priority now is to develop reliable road infrastructure for safe travel, which the master plan will prioritize, he added.<br /> The government on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the roads connecting the headquarters of rural municipalities with the nearby blacktop road and has decided to initiate the road construction work in each electoral constituency.<br /> Officials of the department informed that a long-term plan is a must for quality road expansion.<br /> The Department of Roads directly oversees about 15,000 kilometers of national highways, auxiliary highways, and other roads after the country went into federalism. Likewise, the department has handed over other roads to the provinces and local governments.</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">According to the Economic Survey 2076/77, altogether 34,347 km roads have been constructed by the federal government and 61, 395 km roads by provincial governments and 95,742 km roads by local level governments.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-05', 'modified' => '2021-04-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12991', 'image' => '20210405061831_20210207092127_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-05 18:17:53', '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
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', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report. </span></span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report released on Thursday (April 8) says COVID-19 pandemic has already worsened some of those problems.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The rivalry between China and a US-led coalition of Western nations will likely intensify, fueled by military power shifts, demographics, technology and “hardening divisions over governance models,” says the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report titled Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World was produced by the US National Intelligence Council. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regional powers and non-state actors may exert greater influence, with the likely result “a more conflict-prone and volatile geopolitical environment” and weakened international cooperation, it said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report by top US intelligence analysts, which is produced every four years, assessed the political, economic, societal and other trends that likely will shape the national security environment in the next 20 years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“Our intent is to help policymakers and citizens ... prepare for an array of possible futures,” Reuters quoted the authors as mentioning in the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">They noted that they did not make any specific predictions and included input from diverse groups, from American students to African civil society activists.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Challenges like climate change, disease, financial crises and technological disruption “are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” producing “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic,” the report said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report said the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people marked the greatest “global disruption” since World War Two, with the consequences likely to last for years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">COVID-19, it said, exposed – and sometimes widened – disparities in healthcare, raised national debts, accelerated nationalism and political polarization, deepened inequality, fueled distrust in government and highlighted failed international cooperation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the process, it is slowing – and possibly reversing – progress in fighting poverty, disease and gender inequality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Many problems caused by the pandemic are forecast by the report to grow by 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“There is a certain set of trends that we’ve identified that seem to be accelerating or made more powerful because of the pandemic,” said an NIC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report posed five scenarios for what the world might look like in 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most optimistic - a “renaissance of democracies” - found that democratic governments would prove “better able to foster scientific research and technological innovation, catalyzing an economic boom,” enabling them to cope with domestic stresses and to stand up to international rivals.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most pessimistic scenario - “tragedy and mobilization” – posited how COVID-19 and global warming could devastate global food supplies, leading to riots in Philadelphia that kill “thousands of people.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-09', 'modified' => '2021-04-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13007', 'image' => '20210409104021_Eydg445WQAAnBZz.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-09 10:39:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13260', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Disbursements of official development assistance jump 21% to $2 billion in FY2019/20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received US$ 2. billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20. ', 'content' => '<p>April 8: Nepal has received US$ 2 billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> According to the ‘Development Cooperation Report, 2020’ launched by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, the ODA disbursement in the last fiscal year represents a 21.2 percent jump from $1.58 billion that Nepal had received as financial supports from bilateral and multilateral partners in the previous fiscal year 2018/19.<br /> Out of the total ODA, 69.9 percent was provided to Nepal as loans, 18.7 percent as grants and 11.3 percent as technical assistance in 2019/20, the Report shows.<br /> Officials at the MoF say that the increasing share of loans in ODA reflects the result of Nepal’s eligibility in concessional loans from multilateral development banks and institutions.<br /> The portion of budgetary support in the ODA by development partners has gone up significantly in the last fiscal year. The report terms the rise in the share of budgetary support in ODA an ‘important shift’.<br /> According to the report, the portion of budgetary support has reached 36.9 percent of the total ODA from 15.2 percent.<br /> “The Report shows that Nepal still continues to receive substantial amounts of off-budget and off-treasury cooperation, though there has been a gradual improvement,” wrote Shree Krishna Nepal, in the ‘acknowledgements’ section of the report.<br /> Out of the total ODA that Nepal received, 25.6 percent, or $512.9million, was disbursed for Covid-19 response and recovery, according to the Report.<br /> Multilateral development partners’ assistance accounted for 71 percent while bilateral development partners’ assistance contributed 29 percent of the total ODA. The Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the United Nations were the top disbursing multilateral partners.<br /> The USA, the UK, India, China and Japan remained at the top of the list of bilateral partners disbursing ODA.<br /> “Though FY 2019/20 showed positive trends in the volume of ODA disbursements and use of budgetary support and other on-budget projects, it is unclear whether these changes represent real shifts in the development cooperation landscape of Nepal or these changes are only short-term responses to the global COVID-19 crisis,” read the report.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13006', 'image' => '20210408054826_ODA__.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 17:47:00', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13259', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Programme Expanded to 6 more Districts', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">The board announced the extension of the insurance programme in six more districts while organising an event on April 7.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi launched a virtual health insurance programme in Taplejung, Bara, Sarlahi, Dolakha, Manang, and Mustang during the event.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">With the extension, access to health insurance has now reached 75 districts across the country. The board is yet to launch the insurance programme in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Executive Director of the Board Damodar Basaula informed that the board is preparing to start the programme in the remaining two districts within this fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Inaugurating the programme, Health Minister Tripathi said that the government is serious about improving the health system. He also stressed the need for all the employees to be serious in making the programme effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister Tripathi has directed all concerned bodies to make the insurance facilities easily accessible to the people as some insured people are still complaining that they haven't been able to avail the facilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Likewise, the board has launched the health insurance program on the Nagarik App to help individuals view and download information online. The programme was started on April 8, 2019, from Kailali, Ilam, and Baglung to provide health insurance to all Nepalis.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13005', 'image' => '20210408050047_20210326044439_cba3a6cf93e9da58e7f6d9fc39688d07.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:58:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13258', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Upper Tamakoshi Hydel to be Ready by April 21, Power Production from mid-May ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. Major works such as intake, tunnel, transmission line, and substation have been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">There are now minor civil and mechanical works going on under the project. Although one of the national pride projects was expected to be completed before the upcoming Nepali New Year (2078BS), it was delayed because of Covid-19 and some technical glitches. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Lot-2 Hydro-mechanical contractor company has committed that the works as wielding and painting would be completed by April 21. Similarly, the installation of penstock pipe has been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Construction of embankment/intake, main tunnel, power house, tail race tunnel have also been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director at Nepal Electricity Authority and Chairperson of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd, Hitendra Dev Shakya, conducted an inspection visit and held discussion with project officials, consultants and contractors on the schedule of releasing water to the tunnel with speedy completion of the remaining works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Shakya shared that power production would begin from mid-May. - RSS </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">--- </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13004', 'image' => '20210408042508_20201206012152_1607211371.Clipboard13.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:24:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13257', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Confusion over Construction Model Delays Progress of Siddhababa Tunnel', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Department of Roads has already finalized Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model and sent the proposal to Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO). But the PPMO has neither approved the proposal nor has its standard document been endorsed by the cabinet, resulting in the inordinate delay. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Ministry of Finance had managed the source of funding for the construction of the tunnel. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Ministry of Finance had given the permission to the department to initiate the procurement process for the tunnel construction within a budget limit of Rs 10.15 billion on November 18, 2019.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> But the concerned authorities are yet to take a decision on which model to apply for the construction of the tunnel even one and a half years after the decision.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Shiva Prasad Nepal, spokesperson of DoR, said that the department had sent the proposal to PPMO to construct the tunnel in an EPC model after securing the source of funding.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under the EPC model, the contractor company makes the design on its own but the approval needs to be taken from the department, while the cost of repair and maintenance of the project needs to be borne by the company itself for five years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“Our country lacks the skilled manpower to design transport tunnel, so EPC model has been chosen to provide training to our human resources in spite of its higher costs,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The department has already prepared the required document for EPC. However, the PPMO has not approved the document stating it would prepare its own standard bidding document. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO argues that its document will be applicable for all projects across the country but the document prepared by the DoR for Siddababa tunnel will be applicable for only one particular project.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO has already submitted the document to the cabinet for approval. Due to the delay in approval, the contract management process has also been delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> “Since PPMO has said it will prepare the model itself, we are waiting for it,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Meanwhile, a set of norms for constructing tunnel has already been prepared. It will address issues like cost of tunnel, what materials to use, manpower mobilization rather than the contract management. There should be a standard document to invite the contract and terms required for it, Nepal said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Public Procurement Act has made provision for various kinds of contracts. Based on this provision, PPMO is preparing standard document on model like EPC. In this model, the responsibility of design rests entirely with the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under design and build model, which has already been implemented in the country, both the construction company and the department are responsible for the design and maintenance.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13003', 'image' => '20210408031917_20190825123459_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 15:17:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13256', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Ministry Directs Night-time Businesses, Restaurants to Shut Operations after 9pm', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.', '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"">April 7:</span></span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.</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"">Issuing a public notice on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Population said that it took a decision to close night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm keeping in view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.</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"">In its 10-point notice, the MoHP also directed local administrations to enforce the use of facemasks and take action against those who violate safety protocols in line with the Infectious Disease Act, 2020.</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 decision of the ministry comes in the wake of growing cases of Covid-19 in recent days.</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"">According to the MoHPA, 298 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Nepal on April 7.</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 public notice also urges local administrations to restrict the movement of people if active Covid-19 cases exceed 500 in small cities and 1000 in big cities.</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"">It urged all stakeholders to strictly comply with health safety protocols and avoid overcrowding and public vehicles in big cities where there is a high risk of infection. </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 MoHP urged stakeholders to operate shopping malls, theaters, party palaces, health clubs, swimming pools and temples by strictly enforcing health safety measures.</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"">It has also urged local governments and district administrations to encourage those who have returned from abroad to isolate themselves at their homes and monitor their status. Local governments have been asked to increase antigen and PCR tests and expand contact tracing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13002', 'image' => '20210408011602_20190101025132_DSC_0021.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 13:14:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13255', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Government to Collect Data on Financial Access during National Census', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS. According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, it is the first time such data are being collected in the census. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Detailed information would be collected on number of Nepali people absent in the country, ancestral language, and people living with disabilities, RSS further reported Director at the Central Bureau of Statistics, Badri Kumar Karki, reportedly shared this information. "National census this time is being conducted in a comprehensive and different way," RSS quoted Karki as saying. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, a seminar is currently being held at Dhangadhi for the necessary preparation of the national census. Training to supervisor, area census officer, and enumerators is being provided as part of the seminar. For the census, the households would be listed from May 9 to 28. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The ward level information would be gathered under community questionnaire- agricultural products, their exports, major source of revenue, ethnic communities facing extinct, marginalized community, and physical, health and social facilities at ward, status of disaster risk, loss caused by wild animals etc, RSS further reported. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13001', 'image' => '20210408115828_20161209015641_cbs.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 11:57:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13253', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sundar Yatayat to Add Four more Electric Buses', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. The company has been operating four electric buses in the valley at present.<br /> Chairman of Sundar Yatayat, Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, said that four additional buses are coming in the first phase as per an agreement with the Chinese company BAK to procure 25 electric buses.<br /> Chairman Thapa informed that preparations have been made to bring the four buses in the first phase to operate them within April. "The Chinese company has already started the process of sending the bus to Nepal," he said. <br /> At present, the company is operating three electric buses along the Ring Road and one on the Bhaktapur-Ratnapark route. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The company, which recently operated a bus to Kavre's Banepa as a test, is preparing to expand the service along the route after the arrival of the new buses. The company has said it will build a charging station in the meantime. The company currently has three charging stations – one each at Sitapaila, Chabahil, and Sukedhara.<br /> The government has been struggling to operate electric buses itself. The government, which had earlier given the responsibility to Sundar Yatayat for the purchase of 300 electric buses in July 2020, later withheld the money saying that the company could not buy the buses on time. After holding the money for one year, the government in January authorized Sajha Yatayat to procure the buses. “At present, we are preparing tenders for buying the buses,” said Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of the public transport company.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12999', 'image' => '20210407042049_20190904021637_20190820034730_6Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 16:19:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13252', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Production of Sugar Declines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). In the corresponding period of last fiscal year, 130,000 metric tons of sugar was produced in the country while the production this year is only 100,000 metric. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The process of crushing sugarcane in this year was completed a week ago. Since crushing sugarcanes has been completed for this year, SPA has estimated that about 100,000 metric tons of sugar has been produced so far. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to a report received by the association from sugar mills, 75,000 metric tons of sugar has already been produced while the data of three industries are yet to be received. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“If the data of the industry which is yet to received is added , production of sugar is estimated to reach 100,000 metric tons,” said Shashikanta Agrawal, president of the Association. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The production has declined this year compared to the previous years, states SPA. This year most of the sugarcane farmers have shifted to rice and wheat farming due to the problem of untimely payment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to Agrawal, payment is not the only issue behind the decline in production. “As per the cycle of production, sugarcane production declines every three years,” he said. Even if the same amount of fertilizer, seeds is used to produce sugar in the same area of land, the production declines by 20 to 25% in the second year compared to the first year, said Agrawal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Around 260,000 metric tons of sugar used to be produced till ten years ago. The domestic production has been affected due to smuggling of sugar and lack of timely payment to the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Until the last year, twelve sugar mills were in operation . But now, the number has declined to ten due to lack of sugarcane. According to the government data, the country consumes 250,000 metric tons of sugar.</span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmers yet to receive full payment</span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmer have not received the full payment from sugar mills yet. Rakesh Agrawal, member of the Sugarcane Farmers Struggle Committee, claimed that the farmers have not received full payment. He said if the payment is not made by mid May, farmers will visit Kathmandu again to stage protest programme. Farmers are hoping to receive the outstanding dues of Rs 200 million on the initiative of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12998', 'image' => '20210407012621_20201220120511_Sweet2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 13:25:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13251', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Raises Nepal’s Growth Projection to 2.9% for Current Fiscal Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). <br /> Releasing its World Economic Outlook (WEO) on Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised the growth forecast for Nepal from its earlier projection of 2.5 percent in October last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the projection made by the IMF’s flagship report WEO, Nepal’s economy will grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year after an estimated contraction of 1.9 percent in the last fiscal year (FY 2019/20). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal’s economy had grown by an average of 7.75 percent per year in the three-year period before the pandemic.<br /> IMF has projected Nepal’s economy to grow by 4.2 percent in the next fiscal year, and the growth is expected to reach 5.2 percent in the Fiscal Year 2025/26.<br /> Even when the country was under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government in its annual budget speech had set an unlikely target of achieving 7 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year against all odds.<br /> The IMF’s improved outlook for Nepal comes in line with a projection of stronger recovery of the global economy in 2021 and 2022 compared to its previous forecast.<br /> According to the WEO, the global economy is projected to grow by 6 percent in 2021, up by 0.5 percentage points from its January forecast. The global economy is likely to grow by 4.4 percent in 2022 from an estimated historic contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020 when the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the IMF.<br /> “Thanks to the ingenuity of the scientific community, hundreds of millions of people are being vaccinated and this is expected to power recoveries in many countries later this year,” Gita Gopinath, chief economist of the IMF, told a press briefing following the release of the WEO.<br /> “Economies also continue to adapt to new ways of working despite reduced mobility, leading to a stronger than anticipated rebound across regions. Additional fiscal support in large economies, particularly the United States, has further improved the outlook,” she added.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12997', 'image' => '20210406073839_IMF Growth.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 19:37:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13249', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Nepal and Qatar to Collaborate for Tourism Promotion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A press statement released by the NTB says that CEO Dr Regmi and Qatari Ambassador Yusuf agreed to work together to forge bilateral cooperation to promote tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Qatari envoy, hailing Nepal as a “unique gift of nature”, opined that Nepal could attain economic development through tourism provided Nepal underscores development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The natural beauty of Nepal is so mesmerizing. I am often spellbound by the beauty of Nepal. Many foreign tourists have not been able to make Nepal their destinations in lack of proper facility of transportation and expensive airfare for the foreigners,” he said, urging the authority concerned to pay attention to this issue. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He reaffirmed the Qatari government’s support in promotion of Nepal’s tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Similarly, CEO Regmi said that the government and private sector had been emphasizing development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regmi also said that Nepal had forwarded a new plan for promotion of tourism in Middle East countries including Qatar. He reassured that Nepal was ready to host Qatari tourists by providing them facilities they look for such as ‘Halal’ food, prayers room among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, there are direct flights between Nepal and Qatar and the Qataris willing to visit Nepal would not face any issue in immigration. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the NTB would spare no effort to facilitate the Qataris willing to visit Nepal.-- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12995', 'image' => '20210406052853_Flag-Pins-Nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 17:28:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13248', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Food Company Procures Paddy worth Rs 781 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. The company has procured 27,791 metric tons of paddy through its procurement centers and branches across the country as of March 25.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the procurement of paddy at minimum price fixed by the government is in the final stage for this fiscal year. The procurement process will end very soon as very few numbers of farmers have approached the company to sell paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company had aimed to procure 60,000 metric tons of paddy for this fiscal year which seems to be unattainable. Sharmila Neupane, spokesperson for FMTC, said it has been difficult to meet the target as there has been short supply of paddy for commercial purpose. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government keeps a stock of 33,000 metric tons of paddy for immediate supply during emergency like famine and epidemic. To increase the stock of paddy, FMTCL had recently invited tender to procure 5,000 metric tons of paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the company had been unable to procure wheat in the last fiscal year. It had procured 60 metric tons of wheat only though it had set target to procure 3,000 metric tons of wheat. In the current fiscal year, it is preparing to procure 5,000 metric tons of wheat. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company has started preparations for procurement as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has already finalized minimum price for wheat. The Ministry has set the minimum price at Rs 3,111 per quintal, which is an increase of Rs 96 from the earlier price of Rs 3,015 during last fiscal year. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12994', 'image' => '20210406042923_20190528010847_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 16:28:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13247', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Nationals Visiting Nepal for 'Hotel Quarantine'', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. However, the Indian nationals are not here for tourism propose but rather for quarantine measures.<br /> According to hoteliers, Indians come to stay in quarantine in hotels in Nepal.<br /> Indians come to Kathmandu due to the quarantine requirements before flying to work in the Gulf and other countries. Indians have started to stay in hotel quarantines in Kathmandu as they do not have to repeat it in the work destination country.<br /> According to Sajan Shakya, general secretary of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), 500 to 600 Indian nationals have been coming to Kathmandu daily for the last few weeks to stay in hotel quarantine.<br /> It has helped to keep the activities of hotels in Kathmandu running to some extent, he informed.<br /> "Some Indians are coming to Kathmandu," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The arriving Indians are not here for tourism purposes but to work in the Gulf countries. They are here in Kathmandu to meet the 14-day quarantine to fly to other countries for work, he added.<br /> Hotel occupancy in Nepal stood at 2 to 3 percent during the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, restrictions. However, it has slightly improved in the past 20 days with around 5 percent occupancy.<br /> Around 15,000 tourists visited Nepal in March. Hoteliers informed that the current number of tourists is low as the hotels can serve 2.5 million tourists.<br /> Even after the decline in number of coronavirus cases and the launch of Covid-19 vaccines, tourism professionals are skeptical of receiving sufficient tourists as new variants of the pathogen have been reported.<br /> Even at HAN's 47th annual general meeting, hoteliers said there was no immediate prospect of revival of the tourism sector, given coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty of tourist arrival.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12993', 'image' => '20210406123146_20201223013206_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 12:30:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13246', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Flights to and from Bharatpur Airport Disrupted ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the flights to Kathmandu and Pokhara airports from Bharatpur could not take place due to poor visibility. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Chief of Bharatpur Airport Yogendra Kunwar said that all flights connecting Bharatpur to Kathmandu and Pokhara could not take place due to poor visibility caused by pollution in the recent days. Buddha Air operates eight flights and Yeti Air has four daily flights to and from Bharatpur. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12992', 'image' => '20210406090956_My Effect.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 09:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13245', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Prepare Master Plan for Road Safety', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basant Kumar Nembang has instructed the subordinate bodies under the ministry to formulate a master plan for road construction across the country.<br /> At a meeting of the ministry-level Development Problem Solving Committee on April 4, Minister Nembang directed the subordinate bodies to formulate a master plan. Currently, the road network across the country has expanded to about 100,000 kilometers (km), and the Department of Roads is preparing a master plan to make them safe and of high quality.<br /> "As it is the construction season now, we should go to the project sites and give high priority to monitoring instead of going through the files. There should be coordination between the agencies," the minister said.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed the need to form a separate task force to resolve the issues of compensation and land acquisition.<br /> Nepal is currently working on a five-year road strategy plan. However, an official said that the minister instructed them to formulate a master plan to cover the overall road infrastructure.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed on a concrete strategy on what to do in the next decade and how to make road infrastructure safe, reliable, and quality. He claimed that the master plan will formulate a strategy for the coming decade.<br /> "The government's goal of extending the road network to all district headquarters has almost been achieved," he said. Therefore, the priority now is to develop reliable road infrastructure for safe travel, which the master plan will prioritize, he added.<br /> The government on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the roads connecting the headquarters of rural municipalities with the nearby blacktop road and has decided to initiate the road construction work in each electoral constituency.<br /> Officials of the department informed that a long-term plan is a must for quality road expansion.<br /> The Department of Roads directly oversees about 15,000 kilometers of national highways, auxiliary highways, and other roads after the country went into federalism. Likewise, the department has handed over other roads to the provinces and local governments.</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">According to the Economic Survey 2076/77, altogether 34,347 km roads have been constructed by the federal government and 61, 395 km roads by provincial governments and 95,742 km roads by local level governments.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-05', 'modified' => '2021-04-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12991', 'image' => '20210405061831_20210207092127_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-05 18:17:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 9: Disease, the rich-poor gap, climate change and conflicts within and among nations will pose greater challenges in coming decades, states a US intelligence report. </span></span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:18pt"><span style="font-family:Preeti"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report released on Thursday (April 8) says COVID-19 pandemic has already worsened some of those problems.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The rivalry between China and a US-led coalition of Western nations will likely intensify, fueled by military power shifts, demographics, technology and “hardening divisions over governance models,” says the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report titled Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World was produced by the US National Intelligence Council. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regional powers and non-state actors may exert greater influence, with the likely result “a more conflict-prone and volatile geopolitical environment” and weakened international cooperation, it said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report by top US intelligence analysts, which is produced every four years, assessed the political, economic, societal and other trends that likely will shape the national security environment in the next 20 years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“Our intent is to help policymakers and citizens ... prepare for an array of possible futures,” Reuters quoted the authors as mentioning in the report.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">They noted that they did not make any specific predictions and included input from diverse groups, from American students to African civil society activists.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Challenges like climate change, disease, financial crises and technological disruption “are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” producing “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic,” the report said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to Reuters, the report said the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people marked the greatest “global disruption” since World War Two, with the consequences likely to last for years.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">COVID-19, it said, exposed – and sometimes widened – disparities in healthcare, raised national debts, accelerated nationalism and political polarization, deepened inequality, fueled distrust in government and highlighted failed international cooperation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In the process, it is slowing – and possibly reversing – progress in fighting poverty, disease and gender inequality.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Many problems caused by the pandemic are forecast by the report to grow by 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“There is a certain set of trends that we’ve identified that seem to be accelerating or made more powerful because of the pandemic,” said an NIC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The report posed five scenarios for what the world might look like in 2040.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most optimistic - a “renaissance of democracies” - found that democratic governments would prove “better able to foster scientific research and technological innovation, catalyzing an economic boom,” enabling them to cope with domestic stresses and to stand up to international rivals.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The most pessimistic scenario - “tragedy and mobilization” – posited how COVID-19 and global warming could devastate global food supplies, leading to riots in Philadelphia that kill “thousands of people.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-09', 'modified' => '2021-04-09', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13007', 'image' => '20210409104021_Eydg445WQAAnBZz.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-09 10:39:40', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13260', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Disbursements of official development assistance jump 21% to $2 billion in FY2019/20', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received US$ 2. billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20. ', 'content' => '<p>April 8: Nepal has received US$ 2 billion in official development assistance (ODA) from various bilateral and multilateral development partners in the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> According to the ‘Development Cooperation Report, 2020’ launched by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, the ODA disbursement in the last fiscal year represents a 21.2 percent jump from $1.58 billion that Nepal had received as financial supports from bilateral and multilateral partners in the previous fiscal year 2018/19.<br /> Out of the total ODA, 69.9 percent was provided to Nepal as loans, 18.7 percent as grants and 11.3 percent as technical assistance in 2019/20, the Report shows.<br /> Officials at the MoF say that the increasing share of loans in ODA reflects the result of Nepal’s eligibility in concessional loans from multilateral development banks and institutions.<br /> The portion of budgetary support in the ODA by development partners has gone up significantly in the last fiscal year. The report terms the rise in the share of budgetary support in ODA an ‘important shift’.<br /> According to the report, the portion of budgetary support has reached 36.9 percent of the total ODA from 15.2 percent.<br /> “The Report shows that Nepal still continues to receive substantial amounts of off-budget and off-treasury cooperation, though there has been a gradual improvement,” wrote Shree Krishna Nepal, in the ‘acknowledgements’ section of the report.<br /> Out of the total ODA that Nepal received, 25.6 percent, or $512.9million, was disbursed for Covid-19 response and recovery, according to the Report.<br /> Multilateral development partners’ assistance accounted for 71 percent while bilateral development partners’ assistance contributed 29 percent of the total ODA. The Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the United Nations were the top disbursing multilateral partners.<br /> The USA, the UK, India, China and Japan remained at the top of the list of bilateral partners disbursing ODA.<br /> “Though FY 2019/20 showed positive trends in the volume of ODA disbursements and use of budgetary support and other on-budget projects, it is unclear whether these changes represent real shifts in the development cooperation landscape of Nepal or these changes are only short-term responses to the global COVID-19 crisis,” read the report.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13006', 'image' => '20210408054826_ODA__.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 17:47:00', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13259', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Insurance Programme Expanded to 6 more Districts', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">April 8: The Health Insurance Board is expanding its health insurance programmes to six more districts. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">The board announced the extension of the insurance programme in six more districts while organising an event on April 7.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi launched a virtual health insurance programme in Taplejung, Bara, Sarlahi, Dolakha, Manang, and Mustang during the event.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">With the extension, access to health insurance has now reached 75 districts across the country. The board is yet to launch the insurance programme in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Executive Director of the Board Damodar Basaula informed that the board is preparing to start the programme in the remaining two districts within this fiscal year.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Inaugurating the programme, Health Minister Tripathi said that the government is serious about improving the health system. He also stressed the need for all the employees to be serious in making the programme effective.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Minister Tripathi has directed all concerned bodies to make the insurance facilities easily accessible to the people as some insured people are still complaining that they haven't been able to avail the facilities.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times">Likewise, the board has launched the health insurance program on the Nagarik App to help individuals view and download information online. The programme was started on April 8, 2019, from Kailali, Ilam, and Baglung to provide health insurance to all Nepalis.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13005', 'image' => '20210408050047_20210326044439_cba3a6cf93e9da58e7f6d9fc39688d07.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:58:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13258', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Upper Tamakoshi Hydel to be Ready by April 21, Power Production from mid-May ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The underconstruction Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) has reached final stage of construction. Major works such as intake, tunnel, transmission line, and substation have been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">There are now minor civil and mechanical works going on under the project. Although one of the national pride projects was expected to be completed before the upcoming Nepali New Year (2078BS), it was delayed because of Covid-19 and some technical glitches. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Lot-2 Hydro-mechanical contractor company has committed that the works as wielding and painting would be completed by April 21. Similarly, the installation of penstock pipe has been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Construction of embankment/intake, main tunnel, power house, tail race tunnel have also been completed. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Executive Director at Nepal Electricity Authority and Chairperson of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd, Hitendra Dev Shakya, conducted an inspection visit and held discussion with project officials, consultants and contractors on the schedule of releasing water to the tunnel with speedy completion of the remaining works. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Shakya shared that power production would begin from mid-May. - RSS </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">--- </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13004', 'image' => '20210408042508_20201206012152_1607211371.Clipboard13.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 16:24:30', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13257', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Confusion over Construction Model Delays Progress of Siddhababa Tunnel', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">April 8: Indecisiveness over the construction model of Siddhababa tunnel has delayed the construction of the most-awaited project along the Butwal- Palpa road section of Siddhartha Highway.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Department of Roads has already finalized Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model and sent the proposal to Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO). But the PPMO has neither approved the proposal nor has its standard document been endorsed by the cabinet, resulting in the inordinate delay. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Ministry of Finance had managed the source of funding for the construction of the tunnel. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Ministry of Finance had given the permission to the department to initiate the procurement process for the tunnel construction within a budget limit of Rs 10.15 billion on November 18, 2019.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> But the concerned authorities are yet to take a decision on which model to apply for the construction of the tunnel even one and a half years after the decision.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Shiva Prasad Nepal, spokesperson of DoR, said that the department had sent the proposal to PPMO to construct the tunnel in an EPC model after securing the source of funding.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under the EPC model, the contractor company makes the design on its own but the approval needs to be taken from the department, while the cost of repair and maintenance of the project needs to be borne by the company itself for five years. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“Our country lacks the skilled manpower to design transport tunnel, so EPC model has been chosen to provide training to our human resources in spite of its higher costs,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The department has already prepared the required document for EPC. However, the PPMO has not approved the document stating it would prepare its own standard bidding document. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO argues that its document will be applicable for all projects across the country but the document prepared by the DoR for Siddababa tunnel will be applicable for only one particular project.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The PPMO has already submitted the document to the cabinet for approval. Due to the delay in approval, the contract management process has also been delayed. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> “Since PPMO has said it will prepare the model itself, we are waiting for it,” said Nepal. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Meanwhile, a set of norms for constructing tunnel has already been prepared. It will address issues like cost of tunnel, what materials to use, manpower mobilization rather than the contract management. There should be a standard document to invite the contract and terms required for it, Nepal said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Public Procurement Act has made provision for various kinds of contracts. Based on this provision, PPMO is preparing standard document on model like EPC. In this model, the responsibility of design rests entirely with the construction company.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under design and build model, which has already been implemented in the country, both the construction company and the department are responsible for the design and maintenance.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13003', 'image' => '20210408031917_20190825123459_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 15:17:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13256', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Health Ministry Directs Night-time Businesses, Restaurants to Shut Operations after 9pm', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.', '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"">April 7:</span></span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government has decided to shut night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm.</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"">Issuing a public notice on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Population said that it took a decision to close night-time businesses and restaurants after 9 pm keeping in view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.</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"">In its 10-point notice, the MoHP also directed local administrations to enforce the use of facemasks and take action against those who violate safety protocols in line with the Infectious Disease Act, 2020.</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 decision of the ministry comes in the wake of growing cases of Covid-19 in recent days.</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"">According to the MoHPA, 298 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Nepal on April 7.</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 public notice also urges local administrations to restrict the movement of people if active Covid-19 cases exceed 500 in small cities and 1000 in big cities.</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"">It urged all stakeholders to strictly comply with health safety protocols and avoid overcrowding and public vehicles in big cities where there is a high risk of infection. </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 MoHP urged stakeholders to operate shopping malls, theaters, party palaces, health clubs, swimming pools and temples by strictly enforcing health safety measures.</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"">It has also urged local governments and district administrations to encourage those who have returned from abroad to isolate themselves at their homes and monitor their status. Local governments have been asked to increase antigen and PCR tests and expand contact tracing.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13002', 'image' => '20210408011602_20190101025132_DSC_0021.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 13:14:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13255', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Government to Collect Data on Financial Access during National Census', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 8: The government will be collecting data on people's financial access, bank account, number of houses built on government grant and their structure during the national census to be held next year, 2078 BS. According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, it is the first time such data are being collected in the census. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Detailed information would be collected on number of Nepali people absent in the country, ancestral language, and people living with disabilities, RSS further reported Director at the Central Bureau of Statistics, Badri Kumar Karki, reportedly shared this information. "National census this time is being conducted in a comprehensive and different way," RSS quoted Karki as saying. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, a seminar is currently being held at Dhangadhi for the necessary preparation of the national census. Training to supervisor, area census officer, and enumerators is being provided as part of the seminar. For the census, the households would be listed from May 9 to 28. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The ward level information would be gathered under community questionnaire- agricultural products, their exports, major source of revenue, ethnic communities facing extinct, marginalized community, and physical, health and social facilities at ward, status of disaster risk, loss caused by wild animals etc, RSS further reported. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-08', 'modified' => '2021-04-08', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13001', 'image' => '20210408115828_20161209015641_cbs.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-08 11:57:45', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13253', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sundar Yatayat to Add Four more Electric Buses', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 7: The Sundar Yatayat, a transportation company based in Kathmandu, is preparing to acquire four more electric buses. The company has been operating four electric buses in the valley at present.<br /> Chairman of Sundar Yatayat, Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, said that four additional buses are coming in the first phase as per an agreement with the Chinese company BAK to procure 25 electric buses.<br /> Chairman Thapa informed that preparations have been made to bring the four buses in the first phase to operate them within April. "The Chinese company has already started the process of sending the bus to Nepal," he said. <br /> At present, the company is operating three electric buses along the Ring Road and one on the Bhaktapur-Ratnapark route. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The company, which recently operated a bus to Kavre's Banepa as a test, is preparing to expand the service along the route after the arrival of the new buses. The company has said it will build a charging station in the meantime. The company currently has three charging stations – one each at Sitapaila, Chabahil, and Sukedhara.<br /> The government has been struggling to operate electric buses itself. The government, which had earlier given the responsibility to Sundar Yatayat for the purchase of 300 electric buses in July 2020, later withheld the money saying that the company could not buy the buses on time. After holding the money for one year, the government in January authorized Sajha Yatayat to procure the buses. “At present, we are preparing tenders for buying the buses,” said Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of the public transport company.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12999', 'image' => '20210407042049_20190904021637_20190820034730_6Copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 16:19:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13252', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Production of Sugar Declines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 7: Production of sugar has declined in the fiscal year compared to last year, according to the Sugar Producers Association (SPA). In the corresponding period of last fiscal year, 130,000 metric tons of sugar was produced in the country while the production this year is only 100,000 metric. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The process of crushing sugarcane in this year was completed a week ago. Since crushing sugarcanes has been completed for this year, SPA has estimated that about 100,000 metric tons of sugar has been produced so far. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to a report received by the association from sugar mills, 75,000 metric tons of sugar has already been produced while the data of three industries are yet to be received. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“If the data of the industry which is yet to received is added , production of sugar is estimated to reach 100,000 metric tons,” said Shashikanta Agrawal, president of the Association. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The production has declined this year compared to the previous years, states SPA. This year most of the sugarcane farmers have shifted to rice and wheat farming due to the problem of untimely payment.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to Agrawal, payment is not the only issue behind the decline in production. “As per the cycle of production, sugarcane production declines every three years,” he said. Even if the same amount of fertilizer, seeds is used to produce sugar in the same area of land, the production declines by 20 to 25% in the second year compared to the first year, said Agrawal. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Around 260,000 metric tons of sugar used to be produced till ten years ago. The domestic production has been affected due to smuggling of sugar and lack of timely payment to the farmers. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Until the last year, twelve sugar mills were in operation . But now, the number has declined to ten due to lack of sugarcane. According to the government data, the country consumes 250,000 metric tons of sugar.</span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmers yet to receive full payment</span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sugarcane farmer have not received the full payment from sugar mills yet. Rakesh Agrawal, member of the Sugarcane Farmers Struggle Committee, claimed that the farmers have not received full payment. He said if the payment is not made by mid May, farmers will visit Kathmandu again to stage protest programme. Farmers are hoping to receive the outstanding dues of Rs 200 million on the initiative of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-07', 'modified' => '2021-04-07', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12998', 'image' => '20210407012621_20201220120511_Sweet2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-07 13:25:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13251', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'IMF Raises Nepal’s Growth Projection to 2.9% for Current Fiscal Year ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">April 6: Nepal’s economy is likely to grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year, according to the latest projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). <br /> Releasing its World Economic Outlook (WEO) on Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised the growth forecast for Nepal from its earlier projection of 2.5 percent in October last year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the projection made by the IMF’s flagship report WEO, Nepal’s economy will grow by 2.9 percent in the current fiscal year after an estimated contraction of 1.9 percent in the last fiscal year (FY 2019/20). </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal’s economy had grown by an average of 7.75 percent per year in the three-year period before the pandemic.<br /> IMF has projected Nepal’s economy to grow by 4.2 percent in the next fiscal year, and the growth is expected to reach 5.2 percent in the Fiscal Year 2025/26.<br /> Even when the country was under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government in its annual budget speech had set an unlikely target of achieving 7 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year against all odds.<br /> The IMF’s improved outlook for Nepal comes in line with a projection of stronger recovery of the global economy in 2021 and 2022 compared to its previous forecast.<br /> According to the WEO, the global economy is projected to grow by 6 percent in 2021, up by 0.5 percentage points from its January forecast. The global economy is likely to grow by 4.4 percent in 2022 from an estimated historic contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020 when the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the IMF.<br /> “Thanks to the ingenuity of the scientific community, hundreds of millions of people are being vaccinated and this is expected to power recoveries in many countries later this year,” Gita Gopinath, chief economist of the IMF, told a press briefing following the release of the WEO.<br /> “Economies also continue to adapt to new ways of working despite reduced mobility, leading to a stronger than anticipated rebound across regions. Additional fiscal support in large economies, particularly the United States, has further improved the outlook,” she added.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12997', 'image' => '20210406073839_IMF Growth.JPG', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 19:37:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13249', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Nepal and Qatar to Collaborate for Tourism Promotion ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dr Dhananjay Regmi and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohamed Alhail held a meeting on Monday at the former’s office and discussed about prospects of collaboration between the two countries for tourism promotion. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A press statement released by the NTB says that CEO Dr Regmi and Qatari Ambassador Yusuf agreed to work together to forge bilateral cooperation to promote tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The Qatari envoy, hailing Nepal as a “unique gift of nature”, opined that Nepal could attain economic development through tourism provided Nepal underscores development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">“The natural beauty of Nepal is so mesmerizing. I am often spellbound by the beauty of Nepal. Many foreign tourists have not been able to make Nepal their destinations in lack of proper facility of transportation and expensive airfare for the foreigners,” he said, urging the authority concerned to pay attention to this issue. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He reaffirmed the Qatari government’s support in promotion of Nepal’s tourism. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Similarly, CEO Regmi said that the government and private sector had been emphasizing development of physical infrastructures. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Regmi also said that Nepal had forwarded a new plan for promotion of tourism in Middle East countries including Qatar. He reassured that Nepal was ready to host Qatari tourists by providing them facilities they look for such as ‘Halal’ food, prayers room among others. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to him, there are direct flights between Nepal and Qatar and the Qataris willing to visit Nepal would not face any issue in immigration. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">He said that the NTB would spare no effort to facilitate the Qataris willing to visit Nepal.-- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12995', 'image' => '20210406052853_Flag-Pins-Nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 17:28:19', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13248', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Food Company Procures Paddy worth Rs 781 Million', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">April 6: The state-owned Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) has procured paddy worth Rs 781 million in the current fiscal year year. The company has procured 27,791 metric tons of paddy through its procurement centers and branches across the country as of March 25.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company informed that the procurement of paddy at minimum price fixed by the government is in the final stage for this fiscal year. The procurement process will end very soon as very few numbers of farmers have approached the company to sell paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company had aimed to procure 60,000 metric tons of paddy for this fiscal year which seems to be unattainable. Sharmila Neupane, spokesperson for FMTC, said it has been difficult to meet the target as there has been short supply of paddy for commercial purpose. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government keeps a stock of 33,000 metric tons of paddy for immediate supply during emergency like famine and epidemic. To increase the stock of paddy, FMTCL had recently invited tender to procure 5,000 metric tons of paddy. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the company had been unable to procure wheat in the last fiscal year. It had procured 60 metric tons of wheat only though it had set target to procure 3,000 metric tons of wheat. In the current fiscal year, it is preparing to procure 5,000 metric tons of wheat. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The company has started preparations for procurement as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has already finalized minimum price for wheat. The Ministry has set the minimum price at Rs 3,111 per quintal, which is an increase of Rs 96 from the earlier price of Rs 3,015 during last fiscal year. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12994', 'image' => '20210406042923_20190528010847_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 16:28:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13247', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Indian Nationals Visiting Nepal for 'Hotel Quarantine'', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 6: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal has been growing. However, the Indian nationals are not here for tourism propose but rather for quarantine measures.<br /> According to hoteliers, Indians come to stay in quarantine in hotels in Nepal.<br /> Indians come to Kathmandu due to the quarantine requirements before flying to work in the Gulf and other countries. Indians have started to stay in hotel quarantines in Kathmandu as they do not have to repeat it in the work destination country.<br /> According to Sajan Shakya, general secretary of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), 500 to 600 Indian nationals have been coming to Kathmandu daily for the last few weeks to stay in hotel quarantine.<br /> It has helped to keep the activities of hotels in Kathmandu running to some extent, he informed.<br /> "Some Indians are coming to Kathmandu," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The arriving Indians are not here for tourism purposes but to work in the Gulf countries. They are here in Kathmandu to meet the 14-day quarantine to fly to other countries for work, he added.<br /> Hotel occupancy in Nepal stood at 2 to 3 percent during the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, restrictions. However, it has slightly improved in the past 20 days with around 5 percent occupancy.<br /> Around 15,000 tourists visited Nepal in March. Hoteliers informed that the current number of tourists is low as the hotels can serve 2.5 million tourists.<br /> Even after the decline in number of coronavirus cases and the launch of Covid-19 vaccines, tourism professionals are skeptical of receiving sufficient tourists as new variants of the pathogen have been reported.<br /> Even at HAN's 47th annual general meeting, hoteliers said there was no immediate prospect of revival of the tourism sector, given coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty of tourist arrival.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12993', 'image' => '20210406123146_20201223013206_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2 copy.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 12:30:47', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13246', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Flights to and from Bharatpur Airport Disrupted ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">April 6: All flights to and from Bharatpur Airport were affected on Monday (April 6) due to unfavourable weather. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the flights to Kathmandu and Pokhara airports from Bharatpur could not take place due to poor visibility. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Chief of Bharatpur Airport Yogendra Kunwar said that all flights connecting Bharatpur to Kathmandu and Pokhara could not take place due to poor visibility caused by pollution in the recent days. Buddha Air operates eight flights and Yeti Air has four daily flights to and from Bharatpur. </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-06', 'modified' => '2021-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12992', 'image' => '20210406090956_My Effect.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-06 09:09:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13245', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government to Prepare Master Plan for Road Safety', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">April 5: With the expansion of road networks in the country, the government is making preparations for a master plan to prioritize road safety and construction of quality infrastructure. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basant Kumar Nembang has instructed the subordinate bodies under the ministry to formulate a master plan for road construction across the country.<br /> At a meeting of the ministry-level Development Problem Solving Committee on April 4, Minister Nembang directed the subordinate bodies to formulate a master plan. Currently, the road network across the country has expanded to about 100,000 kilometers (km), and the Department of Roads is preparing a master plan to make them safe and of high quality.<br /> "As it is the construction season now, we should go to the project sites and give high priority to monitoring instead of going through the files. There should be coordination between the agencies," the minister said.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed the need to form a separate task force to resolve the issues of compensation and land acquisition.<br /> Nepal is currently working on a five-year road strategy plan. However, an official said that the minister instructed them to formulate a master plan to cover the overall road infrastructure.<br /> Minister Nembang stressed on a concrete strategy on what to do in the next decade and how to make road infrastructure safe, reliable, and quality. He claimed that the master plan will formulate a strategy for the coming decade.<br /> "The government's goal of extending the road network to all district headquarters has almost been achieved," he said. Therefore, the priority now is to develop reliable road infrastructure for safe travel, which the master plan will prioritize, he added.<br /> The government on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the roads connecting the headquarters of rural municipalities with the nearby blacktop road and has decided to initiate the road construction work in each electoral constituency.<br /> Officials of the department informed that a long-term plan is a must for quality road expansion.<br /> The Department of Roads directly oversees about 15,000 kilometers of national highways, auxiliary highways, and other roads after the country went into federalism. Likewise, the department has handed over other roads to the provinces and local governments.</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">According to the Economic Survey 2076/77, altogether 34,347 km roads have been constructed by the federal government and 61, 395 km roads by provincial governments and 95,742 km roads by local level governments.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-04-05', 'modified' => '2021-04-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12991', 'image' => '20210405061831_20210207092127_Clipboard01.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-04-05 18:17:53', '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
