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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2747',
			'article_category_id' => '154',
			'title' => 'Learning Curve News In Brief  (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Winners Selected for Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The selected students are requested to note down their account numbers &amp; visit the nearest branch of Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. in their respective districts to complete the documentation within 15 days from the date of issue of this advertisement, otherwise scholarship will stand cancelled.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU MBS-CMAT 2070 Results Out</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Faculty of Management, Examination controller division today published the results of MBS-CMAT-2070 conducted for the admissions in Masters of Business Studies (MBS) Semester system. Students securing 50 marks (i.e. 50%) in Entrance exam have been selected for the admission process. The last date for the admission is 2070/11/29. &nbsp;The result of students under reservation category will be published on Falgun 30, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Purbanchal University Publishes Centres for LLM Yr 1 Exam</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Purbanchal University, office of the examination management, Biratnagar today published the examination schedule of LLM first year. The examination of LLM First year is starting from Falgun 23, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>115 Students of Terathum Barred from SLC Exams</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As many as 115 students of the Terhathum district are to be deprived of attending School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations this year.</div>
<div>
	They are not allowed to appear in the exams for not meeting the mandatory provision of having 75 per cent of attendance in school as stipulated by the Education Regulations.</div>
<div>
	It is all because of sheer negligence on part of students and their guardians, said schools sources. According to the District Education Office, the Bhagawati Higher Secondary School has the highest number of 15 students followed by 11 in Singhabahini Higher Secondary, who are disallowed to appear in SLC examinations.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CIAA Directs Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to Publish Results</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday directed the Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to publish results of the examination held earlier to select teachers without further delay. The anti-graft body, however, said it is up to the TSC whether to publish the result right now or only after re-marking the</div>
<div>
	answer sheets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We found some minor human errors in marking answer sheets. The TSC itself will decide how to move ahead,&rdquo; CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The spokesperson said the directive was issued with the view that the process of hiring teachers should not be halted for a long time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU Entrance Test Date for Admissions in Masters</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Dean Office published urgent notice regarding entrance examination for Masters level admission according to semester system. The entrance exam will be held according to previously published notice on Falgun 17, 2070 in University campus, Kirtipur.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.',
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			'id' => '2746',
			'article_category_id' => '155',
			'title' => '“Ullens School Offering Progressive Education Through IB”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;">Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it&rsquo;s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate&rsquo;s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. <strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Please tell us about the IB programme.</strong></div>
<div>
	IB has four programmes-primary level, middle level, diploma level and career related certificate. Ullens School offers the IB programme for diploma level here in Nepal. The IB programme is basically a progressive education system. It does have an examination at the end of the programme as the course does not focus much on the examination. It is a process of learning to prepare students for the college. It makes students capable of doing research, independent studies. So, with the diploma programme, students are taught and provided skills that make them independent learner.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Since A-level and IB both offer international curriculum, what makes IB different from A-levels?</strong></div>
<div>
	A-level is more exams oriented. At the end of the programme, there is exam which determines your achievement of the 2 years. However, with IB, over the two years, there are various assessments which make up to 40 to 50 per cent of the final grade. It is the learning process IB emphasizes on. Similarly, in A-levels, one has to take 4 or 5 subjects whereas in IB, the students have to compulsorily take 6 subjects.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Tell us about the IB curriculum</strong></div>
<div>
	The course is designed in such a way that a student has to take 6 subjects, one from each group. Group one is the best language or the first language. At Ullens, we offer Nepali literature, English literature and English language and literature. The second group is the second best language or it could be a new language. We offer English, Spanish and French under this group. The third group is the social sciences or humanities group. We offer social and cultural anthropology, economics, business management and environmental systems. The fourth group is the regular sciences-physics, chemistry, biology and environment. The fifth group is the math group. There are different levels of maths. If you want to be an engineer, one needs to take higher level maths. If you just want to study Economics or business, he needs to take standard level maths and there is math studies which is for weaker students in maths. Finally, the sixth group is of arts. We offer theatre under it. The sixth group is optional. One can either take the sixth group or one more subject from the 5 other groups.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Besides these six subjects, IB diploma students have to complete the core part. In the core, we have three subjects. The first one is the extended essay. It is basically a research paper, a mini thesis. The second one is the theory of knowledge. This is basically a subject where one is challenged to ask critical questions. The third one is the non-academic part of the core and is called creativity, action and service.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>What are the chances of an IB student to go to US for higher studies?</strong></div>
<div>
	Records show that universities give priority to IB diploma holders because they know that IB curriculum prepares students for universities. Students who have done IB have to go through rigorous academic work. So, universities prefer IB students. However, I would not like to guarantee it. If you have good grades in IB, there are higher chances of getting admission to universities all around the world.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>How do you perceive the current and future status of IB programme in Nepal?</strong></div>
<div>
	I think it is really catching up. There are lots of parents wanting to know about the IB diploma programme. Students who are studying in India want to come back to Nepal because IB is offered here. Lots of schools in India offer IB but they are comparatively very expensive. So, those students are coming back. Another interesting thing is that more schools in Nepal are also showing interest towards this programme.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it’s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate’s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. Excerpts:',
			'sortorder' => '2586',
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			'id' => '2745',
			'article_category_id' => '146',
			'title' => 'Visual Edit Vol 4 Issue 10',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Visual Edit',
			'sortorder' => '2585',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2743',
			'article_category_id' => '144',
			'title' => 'For A Snow-ball Effect In Investment',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies. According to sources, the match-making event was very useful for the Danish companies to find suitable business partners in Nepal. Above everything, the event proved that Danish businessmen are really interested to invest in Nepal. This is a big vote of confidence to Nepal. Let&rsquo;s hope this event will trigger a snowball effect for foreign investment in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The situation of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nepal is not very encouraging. The country has received only Rs 18.9 billion FDI in the first seven months of the current fiscal year i.e. 2013/14 , Rs 19.94 billion in fiscal year 2012/13 and Rs 7.14 billion in the previous fiscal year. Against this backdrop, the initiative for business match-making taken by DANIDA is worth praising. It would be better if the international development agencies of other developed countries that are present in Nepal took their cue from DANIDA and organized similar match-making programmes in the future. Such efforts would be more fruitful than the annual grants they provide to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business match-making is a popular international practice today. Match-making events are very useful in gathering the right people (businessmen) at one platform to explore business and investment opportunities through interaction among them. Several summits and conferences related to business and investment are organized in the country annually. Such programmes could be used as a platform for business match-making with a little homework and pre-planning. There are exclusive match-making companies in Europe and other countries which want to attract FDI. These companies organize business match-making events on a regular basis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is huge prospect for such companies in Nepal. In Nepal, the match-making business could be a good business in itself. However, in the absence of exclusive match-making companies in the country, private sector umbrella organizations such as the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) should take the lead in business match making. After all, these umbrella organisations have been organizing a number of business summits and conferences every year for the past few years. The need is to use such summits and conferences as match-making events. If we can do this, genuine foreign investors will find genuine local partners to start new businesses or add strength to the existing ones.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The FNCCI in association with the government organized Nepal Economic Summit recently. In the Summit, FNCCI called on foreign investors to invest in 29 various projects. However, no foreign investor has come forward to invest in any of those projects so far. If this mega event were organised also as a match-making event, many foreign investors would have come and some of them might have shown interest in these projects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government, given the sad situation of FDI in the country, should do everything at its disposal to attract FDI. There is no harm if the government goes out of the way to attract foreign investment. For example, if foreign investors demand full tax exemptions for a certain period of time, the government should agree to such demands without any hesitation. This will surely help attract foreign investment. Foreign investment will create employment opportunities in the country. It would more than compensate the loss incurred by the tax exemption as foreign investment would create employment opportunities in the country. &nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies.',
			'sortorder' => '2584',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2742',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
			'sortorder' => '2583',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2741',
			'article_category_id' => '141',
			'title' => 'Nepal Political Economic News In Brief (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>PM for Early Repatriation of Bhutanese Refugees</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal&rsquo;s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible. &ldquo;I have requested him [Bhutanese Prime Minister] to create a favourable environment for the respectful return of the refugees to their homes at a time when most of their offspring have settled abroad under third country rehabilitation programme while the elderly are still languishing in the refugee camps&rdquo;, the Prime Minister said after his meeting with the Bhutanese PM.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Local Polls Date Soon: Singh</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has said that the government has already initiated the preparations for holding the local elections. During his meeting with the office-bearers of Local Development Journalists&acute; Society in the Capital on March 4, Singh said the government has started the process of formulating necessary laws and acts and revising the existing ones to hold the local election. He added that the date for local polls would be announced soon on the basis of political consensus.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Budget on Time: FinMin</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented on time. Speaking at an interaction programme in the Capital, on Thursday (March 6), Minister Mahat said, &ldquo;I assure you that the country will have a full budget this year on time.&rdquo; The budget for the year 2013-14 was presented on time after two years, in July last year.Similarly, Dr Mahat said that constitution writing, security, good governance and economic development were the government&rsquo;s top priorities at present. He informed journalists that the new government will soon bring its policies and programmes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Energy Minister Assures Power Supply in Evening</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government is planning regular power supply in the evening hours in the near future, according to Minister for Energy, Radha Gyawali. Addressing a function organised in the Capital to mark the International Women&rsquo;s Day, the Energy Minister said the people, mainly women and students, have been hit hard by power outage in the evening time. She then assured of no power outage in the evening (6 pm to 9 pm) everyday. Gyawali also said that the government was trying to end load-shedding within the next five years.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>&lsquo;Even This CA Can&rsquo;t Deliver Constitution&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung has ruled out the possibility of the present Constituent Asembly (CA) issuing the new constitution. Speaking at a press meet at Waling of Syangja district on March 8, Gurung said, &ldquo;Parties in the CA are quarreling with each other. People are pinning their hopes on such parties. But, it seems even this [Constituent] Assembly, too, cannot deliver the new constitution.&rdquo; Top leaders of the major four political parties were responsible for the dissolution of the previous CA, he claimed. Gurung also charged that the major parties tried to revive the 1990 Constitution through the first CA. &ldquo;But such efforts were aborted because of the protest by our party.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal’s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2740',
			'article_category_id' => '214',
			'title' => 'Weekly Round Up (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>First real Estate Survey</strong></span></div>
<div>
	In a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, &lsquo;Real Estate Business Survey 2014&rsquo;. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS. &ldquo;We have started collecting statistics from the real estate entrepreneurs from across the country,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;The Survey will find out the contribution of the real estate sector to the country&rsquo;s GDP. The commercial banks alone have invested more than Rs 61 billion in the real estate and housing sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Chief Secy Requests ADB to Make Assistance Effective</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel has stressed the need to make the assistance to Nepal by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) more effective. In a meeting with the members of the ADB Board of Directors at his office in Singha Durbar, Poudel said that the number of international consultants for ADB-funded projects needs to be decreased and the capacity of the civil servants associated with such projects needs to be enhanced. He also advised the visiting ADB Board Members to appoint Nepali consultants instead of foreign consultants in order to lower the project cost. In response, Mario Sander, executive director of ADB and leader of the delegation, said that Poudel&rsquo;s suggestions will be discussed by the full ADB Board of Directors once the visiting delegation returns to the ADB Headquarters, according to Mahendra Kumar Thapa, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Rs 192 mn Chinese Grant</strong></span></div>
<div>
	China has agreed to provide a grant assistance of nearly Rs 192 million to Nepal. An agreement to this effect was signed at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (March 5). Shanta Raj Subedi, the Finance Secretary of Nepal and Wu Chuntai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. The grant will be used for economic and technical cooperation projects and the projects of providing goods and materials agreed upon through consultations between the two countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal Int&rsquo;l Trade Fair Kicks Off</strong></span></div>
<div>
	With the aim to promote exportable Nepali products, Nepal International Trade Fair 2014 kicked off in the capital on Thursday (March 6). President Dr Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the five-day fair organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) at Brikutimandap. &ldquo;The fair would help boost the export of Nepali products and attract foreign investment,&rdquo; said Dr Yadav. Similarly, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya said the fair would be vital for expanding markets for the Nepali goods as the fair has the participation of domestic and international entrepreneurs. Commerce and Supplies Secretary Madhav Prasad Regmi said the government has taken initiatives for the promotion of exportable products identified by the MoCS. Around 350 stalls are featuring various goods from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand at the fair. The main attractions of the fair are a herb festival and a special exhibition of precious jewelries. The herb festival is set at the premises of the International Trade Fair while NITF-Gems and Jewelry Show is being held at hotel Yak &amp; Yeti Hotel. The organisers expect around 1,500 foreign and 3,000 domestic entrepreneurs at the fair. Over 200,000 people are expected to visit the fair.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>ADB&rsquo;s $ 30 mn for Bagmati Conservation</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide an assistance of US $ 30 million to Nepal for the implementation of the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP). Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ADB&rsquo;s country director for Nepal, Kenichi Yokoyama signed an agreement to this effect at the Ministry of Finance on March 6. Of the assistance amount, loan assistance consists of US $ 25.5 million and grant US $ 4.5 million. The BRBIP, whose total cost is US $ 36 million, is expected to be completed in five years. The government will contribute US $ 6 million to the total cost of the BRBIP which will be implemented by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation and the Department of Irrigation. The Ministry of Urban Development is the executing agency of the project.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'n a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, ‘Real Estate Business Survey 2014’. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS.',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2739',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Indian PM Keen To Visit Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Mannmohan Singh" src="/userfiles/images/np1(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 223px;" />Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The Indian Prime Minister is very positive about the proposal and has said he will try his best to come in an official visit to Nepal before the General Election in India next month,&rdquo; said the PM. He also said that the visit was successful. This was PM Koirala&rsquo;s first foreign visit after assuming office. Addressing the BIMSTEC summit, PM Koirala had said the efforts of the BIMSTEC should be geared towards freeing the people from the poverty trap as this region confronts the formidable challenges of poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Before leaving Myanmar, PM Koirala had met with Burmese nationals of Nepali origin and the Nepali community in the country. At a program organised at the Nepali embassy, he called on the Nepali community to invest in Nepal in areas prioritised by government such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism and infrastructure.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting',
			'sortorder' => '2580',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2738',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'BIMSTEC Members Agree To Expedite Trade',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The member states also reached agreements on Dispute Settlement Procedures and on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC free trade area.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The BIMSTEC Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) would expedite the process to close the deal on Trade in Goods by the end of 2014, and to continue efforts for finalising the agreement on Services and Investments, said the declaration adopted by the member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Summit also agreed to enhance cooperation in expanding skills and technology base of the member states through collaborations and partnerships, targeting micro, small and medium level enterprises. It was also decided to accelerate efforts for early finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Bimstec Technology Transfer Facility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lauding BIMSTEC&rsquo;s third Energy Ministerial Meet-2014 held in Nepal, the member states also stressed the need for enhancing regional cooperation in the energy sector while declaring Bhutan as the next stop for the fourth Bimstec Energy Ministerial Meet in 2015 and India&rsquo;s Bengaluru as the Bimstec Energy Centre.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The meeting also reiterated the commitment to continue and enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture and decided to intensify efforts through joint research programmes to increase productivity. &ldquo;Resolve to enhance cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development and promote capacity building in the area of disaster management,&rdquo; said the statement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The summit also reiterated the commitment to expand efforts to further people-to-people exchanges and linkages at various levels among the member states, including facilitating travels through the Bimstec Business Visa Scheme and Visa Exemption Scheme. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We have also agreed to implement the Bimstec Poverty Plan of Action adopted at the second Bimstec Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation held in January 2012 in Nepal,&rdquo; the statement said, welcoming the Sri Lankan offer to host the third edition in the first half of 2014. The seven-member regional body also agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the member states towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.',
			'sortorder' => '2579',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2727',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Man With A Balanced Lifestyle',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Ratna Raj Bajracharya, CEO of Global IME Bank, describes himself as a lovely person. A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable. &ldquo;Where there is a will, there is a way&rdquo; says Bajracharya who loves spending time with his family and sometimes even cooking for them. He leads a well-planned life and though he remains busy in work, he finds no problem in balancing work and home.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of travelling. He prefers visiting new places every time and this preference has dragged him to many countries across the world. &ldquo;I like visiting new places because they are exciting&rdquo; he says. Last year he went to Peru and Brazil along with his family. &ldquo;Holidays instil positive feelings and increases self-confidence. Similarly, it also helps enhancing productivity and vigour at work&rdquo;he said while sharing that he goes on a two-week vacation every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of reading books, especially non-fictions that motivate readers. Though he does not play any games, he loves watching games like tennis, football and cricket on TV. As a person who loathes idleness, he is always involved in something, be it at home or at office.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He loves listening to old Hindi, English and Nepali songs.He admires logical and sensible people and engages in rational discussions with them whether on social networking sites or in the real world. He has huge friendship base on facebook and opines that logical people are the asset of the nation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is passionate about his profession and has desires to make some contribution to the society for which he wishes to engage in social work in future.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable.',
			'sortorder' => '2578',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2733',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Kathmandu: World’s 5th Most Cheapest City',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div style="text-align: center;">
	<span style="font-size:10px;"><em>Photo Source :&nbsp;https://500px.com/photo/26501817/kathmandu-city-by-helminadia-ranford</em></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU&rsquo;s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last year, the city scored 50 points and was ranked 128th position in the WCOL index. India&rsquo;s financial hub Mumbai (ranked 131st) grabbed the top spot of least expensive city of the world followed by Pakistan&rsquo;s Karachi (130th) and Indian capital New Delhi (129th).&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	EIU prepared the index after an extensive survey on four factors - average USD prices of one kg loaf of bread, one bottle table wine, 20 branded cigarettes and one litre unleaded petrol. &nbsp;The survey, which has been carried out for more than 30 years, allows city-to-city comparisons, which is based on the city of New York that has an index set at 100 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The report finds that purchasing one kg loaf of bread in Kathmandu in current prices would cost USD 1.26 against USD 0.91 in Mumbai. The WCOL index informs that average price of one bottle table wine in Kathmandu is USD 18.98, cheaper by USD 1.61 compared to Mumbai where it costs USD 20.59. Similarly, the index puts average price of 20 branded cigarettes in Kathmandu at USD 1.53. Despite the price hike in the local market, the city saw price of a pack of branded cigarettes declining by 0.16 cents against last year&rsquo;s USD 1.69, the report states. Likewise, average price of one litre of unleaded petrol is USD 1.24 in Kathmandu, which is averaged at USD 1.21 in Mumbai.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Other least expensive cities in the list include Algiers (Algeria), Damascus (Syria), Bucharest (Romania), Panama City (Panama) and Saudi Arabian cities- Jeddah and Riyadh. The report also highlights some major issues in the cheapest cities. &ldquo;Outside India bargain hunters may be put off by the security risk in many of the countries in which the world&rsquo;s cheapest cities are found. Pakistan, Nepal, Syria and Algeria all feature in the bottom ten, but have had well documented security issues or domestic unrest,&rdquo; it says. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Singapore topped the index as the most expensive city in the world followed by Paris (France), Oslo (Norway), Zurich (Switzerland), Sydney (Australia), Caracas (Venezuela) Geneva (Switzerland), Melbourne (Australia), Tokyo (Japan) and Copenhagen (Denmark). According to the report, Tokyo fell down from the top spot due to the weaker Yen despite growing consumer confidence and price inflation.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2732',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'Begani Group Strengthening Its Network',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Gaurav Aryal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table align="right" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;" width="25">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<img alt="Amit Kumar Begani, CEO, Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s2%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 217px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div>
						<strong>Amit Kumar Begani</strong></div>
					<div>
						CEO, Begani Group</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	Begani Group&rsquo;s business seeds were sowed two decades ago with the launch of trading company by the first generation businessperson of the family. This trading company imported goods from China based on market and customer needs. Though initially small in quantity, later on the trade volume expanded. The company imported products ranging from shoes, umbrella to cars.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, presently the trading wing is not as active as it was in the past. At present, the group has shed the trader identity and is trying to develop &lsquo;manufacturing house&rsquo; identity for itself. The company started the manufacturing industry around one and a half decades ago. Amit Kumar Begani, CEO of the Group, who is the second generation businessperson in the family, says that his group produces vegetable ghee, vegetable oils in the food industry and woven fabrics in the plastic segment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Manufacturing Shift</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Food items were one of the major imports from China of the group&rsquo;s trading wing. While importing food items and sellingthem in the local market, Beganis comprehended the potential market for food products and decided to manufacture their own products instead of just trading. Considering the potential and prospects, the group started manufacturing vegetable ghee. In the days thereafter, the group gradually decreased the volume of imports of goods from China and started concentrating in the newly established venture.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present, the group is fully committed to the manufacturing sector though it has only two manufacturing companies, Nandan Ghee and Oil Industries and Nekon-KB Plasto Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, in its portfolio.The oil factory produces soyabean oil, sunflower oil and vegetable ghee under Nandan and Suruchi brands. Similarly, the plastic manufacturing unit produces packaging woven sacks for sugar, rice and other similar products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Elaborating on the factors for which the group invested in oil industry, Begani pointed that as a daily consumer product, the products have a stable and high demand. Similarly, he said that they invested in the plastic industry considering the need for supportive industry like theirs. He finds both of these industries essential for industrial development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market Positioning</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Terai and hilly regions are the niche market for the company&rsquo;s product. Though the company does not considers urban centres like Kathmandu as its target market, Begani informed that the Nandan and Suruchi oil brands do hold a small share of these markets. Likewise, the plastic factory has found its majority market abroad. Begani shares that 80 percent of woven fabrics and sacks are exported to India while 20 per cent is supplied to industrial customers within Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group has plans to improve its current market positioning. It is planning to expand its product portfolio and improve the quality of its existing products to gain competitive advantage in urban markets, where it looks forward to enter with a strongbranding and marketing campaign very soon. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><img alt="Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;width: 300px; height: 347px;" />New Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani feels that the investment climate is yet to become favourable for investing in new ventures. One of the reasons, he finds acute in feeling so, is power shortage. Considering this feeling, he says that his company is working towards consolidating its existing market along with extending marketing for the company&rsquo;s product to reach new regions and new customers. With reduced focus on the trading business, the company is focused on strengthening its manufacturing business while keeping itself open to start new ventures once the overall investment scenario, including power cut, improves in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Strengthening the Network</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani shares that company&rsquo;s products are doing fairly well in the targeted market segment. As targeted, the products are popular in the Terai and hilly region markets. The sale graph in this market has been steadily growing up. However, the focus in urban areas is missing, which the group is willing to rectify in the days to come.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For increasing the performance and visibility of the products in all parts of the country, the group is strengthening its distribution network. Begani says that one of the immediate plans of the company is to expedite branding and promotion activities. As of now, the group has expanded its network into around 40 towns and villages across the nation. &nbsp;Stating that within a year the company will meet its new marketing target, Begani says, &ldquo;a strong network is must for stronger branding and effective promotional campaigns.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Managing the Group</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As of now, the group is a family business and is managedby the father-son duo. All of its factories are located in Birgunj industrial town while its corporate office that looks after financial, marketing and other management responsibilities is in Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group, employees 1500 people in all of its companies. To keep them motivated the company organises various recreational programmes such as annual picnic along with other motivational packages. The HR department looks after the need of the company&rsquo;s human resource while making time induced and demand based amendments to company&rsquo;s HR policy.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Begani Group&rsquo;s Competitive Advantages</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Facing steep competition from national and international competitors that continue adding,&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								the group has remained constantly on its toes for carve its own niche market and remain ahead of its competitors. According to the group, some of the factors instrumental for its growth and market rankings are:</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Strategic Location</span></strong></div>
							<div>
								The group says that all of its factories and offices boast of an excellent infrastructure whether in physical network connectivity or human resource. Furthermore, this strategic location has allowed the group to enjoy quick access to every major markets in Nepal while maintaining quality standards in its chain of operation.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Quality Products</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani Group claims that its brands like Nandan and Suruchi and other products have been well established in the target markets for their quality and high performance reliability.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing latest technical advancement</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Moving in tandem with its customer needs, which is constantly increasing, Begani Group and its companies are not only equipped with competent laboratory but also have been using the latest technical advances.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Production Facilities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Group&rsquo;s production plants is managed and operated bya team of quality oriented and competent personals. The reliability of the facilities is translated into action through continuity in the supply of high quality products to its customers, says Begani. The group aims to manufacture high quality products with the most efficient facilities, satisfying all safety standards and regulations. &ldquo;Our plants are built based on the latest technology and equipped with advanced engineering control and safety devices to ensure the protection of our employees, environment, and the community,&rdquo; he adds.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Group&rsquo;s Strengths</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says that the group is flexible to innovate and launch new products that cater to the changing needs and demands of the market. &ldquo;We started with vegetable ghee and then added sunflower and soybean and mustard oil in our product range,&rdquo; says Begani. The company initially used to sell them in the packages of 15 kilograms but later adopted smaller packaging sizes to cater to general public&rsquo;s needs. &ldquo;Flexibility and making quick decisions is one of our strengths,&rdquo; boasts Begani.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market opportunities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								The group sees numerous opportunities developing in the market. The growing demand because of increased purchasing capacity of customers is one of the opportunities the group sees. Begani says that Nepali consumers have become more brand conscious these days because of increased international exposure. He adds that the demand for premium and quality products is increasing along with demand for new range of products such as olive oil.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Competition</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says the market competition is constantly increasing along with the swelling market size. He says that presence of 16 vegetable oil companies is making the competition tougher. Therefore, to overcome the competition, the group is focusing on branding to win over the competitors. He adds that the company is willing to bring its products to larger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara through stronger branding and higher quality promises. He reveals that within two to three years, these products will be making inroads in these cities.&nbsp;</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
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			'description' => 'Begani Group of companies is creating ground for its growth and concentrating on increasing market visibility of its products.',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2730',
			'article_category_id' => '156',
			'title' => 'The Hidden Pleasures Of Busywork',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Rachel Emma Silverman</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rote tasks&mdash;mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox&mdash;may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The study, led by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine along with colleagues at Microsoft Research, examined how employees&rsquo; mood and attention change when performing various activities at work, such as responding to email or checking Facebook -1.47 per cent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;With rote work, you get a feeling of accomplishment, but you haven&rsquo;t exerted a lot of mental activity,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;It gives you a feeling of fulfillment, but there&rsquo;s not frustration&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	or stress.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The researchers&rsquo; findings provide a picture of how boredom and focus change throughout the day&mdash;and what digital tasks make workers happiest.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Focus, they found, peaks in the mid-afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. and also rises in late morning, around 11 a.m., after workers have time to gear up. (After 3, however, workplace focus drops precipitously.) &nbsp;Meanwhile, people are most bored early in the afternoon, soon after lunch&mdash;and not surprisingly, on Mondays.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It takes time to ramp up and get into a focused and productive state,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t hit the ground running.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although the sample was small&mdash;just 32 Microsoft workers in a wide range of job titles&mdash;the researchers studied them intensely, collecting more than 1,500 hours of observational data and 91,000 data points about mood and attention. Participants were regularly prompted by pop-up questionnaires on their work screens day asking them to report how engaged and challenged they were by the task they were doing at that moment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Workers may say they want a challenge, but the researchers found that employees were actually less happy doing work they rated as difficult, involving a lot of attention and engagement, such as reading and responding to emails.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Focus involves a kind of stress and people aren&rsquo;t generally happy when they are stressed,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. By contrast, &ldquo;rote work is effortless, so you can get gratification for getting things done.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another mood booster? Facebook. The researchers found that occasionally &ldquo;grazing&rdquo; the social network seemed to provide a refreshing break for workers, boosting their happiness. &nbsp;Unlike responding to email or chit-chatting with colleagues, making a quick trip to Facebook doesn&rsquo;t require much focus or stress, Dr. Mark says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The research will be presented at a panel on workplace distraction at the SXSW Interactive conference on Saturday, and is forthcoming for publication in April at the Proceedings of the Computer-Human Interaction Conference 2014. (blogs.wsj.com)</div>',
			'published' => true,
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Rote tasks—mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox—may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2728',
			'article_category_id' => '153',
			'title' => 'Nepali RMG Waiting For Its Revival',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Since quota phase out Nepali readymade garment (RMG) industry has observed numerous ups and down along with huge challenges but the government is yet to show serious concern for its revival. During the industry&rsquo;s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the garment exporters, the industry is yet to see the light of day. Though there are queries for export orders and production but it&rsquo;s far below the satisfactory level. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s true that the industry is receiving queries from the international market mainly from the European Union but the queries and export orders are yet not satisfactory,&rdquo; Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary at the Garment Association - Nepal (GAN) said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Full implementation of Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on January 2005 ended 40 years of quota based trade of textiles and garment. The expiry of the quota system has not only resulted in the drastic decline of the Nepali RMG export but has also led to the closure of manufacturing units.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Though quota phase out has affected our industry but we are still waiting for the government to lobby for the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) in the United States which used to be the top garment importer of our country,&rdquo; said Agrawal. According to him, though the GSP facility is available in EU, the quantity of order still remains low. &ldquo;We need the government support and special programmes for the revival of the industry,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another major reason for this critical situation of the garment industry is insufficient commitment at the industry and policy making levels for responding to foreseen adjustment problems in trade without quota. &ldquo;We are committed towards capacity building and policy innovation for responding to the changed scenario through active coordination between private sector and the government&rdquo;, Agrawal said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present garment manufacturers are receiving orders for traditional readymade garments such as traditional stitching, designs and handmade embroidery. In midst of other troubles, the industry is also running sort of sufficient skilled labour force. &nbsp;Though comparative statistics of the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) show an increment of around 50 per cent in total garment exports in the past six months&rsquo;, exporters allude this increase to the spike in dollar exchange rates during the period. Total export of Nepali garment in 2012-13 was worth Rs 1.811 billion, which increased by 50.4 per cent with a total export of Rs 2.72 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year, states the TEPC statistics.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Export of Garment" src="/userfiles/images/f3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 314px;" />Present Scenario of Nepali Garment Industry&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Exporters looking forward for revising GSP facility to the US</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The US GSP programme for Nepal expired on July 31, 2013, which has further hit the declining export of Nepali RMG to its top buyer: United States. However the garment exporters are hopeful that the government will take initiatives to revise the GSP facility. During the first meeting of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in the US, Nepal had raised the issue of GSP facilitation for garments. Nepali entrepreneurs had also underlined the need to revise GSP during the first joint council meeting of Nepal and US to clear trade hurdles.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Proper cash incentive scheme can create new opportunities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has only fixed one per cent cash incentive for readymade garments. Earlier, it used to provide two to three per cent cash incentive. This amendment failed to encourage the overall export sector. Garment exporters, find this incentive scheme unjustified and call for revising it.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The garment industrialist waiting for the inclusion of Nepali Garment in the NTIS revised priority list</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Failure to increase the export figures and lack of new markets for products in the NTIS priority list has raised concerns among the exporters about the advantage of being listed in the priority list. According to the exporters the government should have included readymade garments along with woodcraft and stone craft in the NTIS priority products. Garments, carpets, pashmina and handicraft products were defined as special focus area for export promotion. Despite having a large share in the total exportable products of the country and despite being recognized as product with comparative advantage by the Nepal Trade and Competitiveness study, readymade garments still remains out of the NTIS priority products list.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Search for new destination&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepali readymade garment has plans to explore Australian market as its new export destination. According to GAN, Australia already has been importing large quantity of readymade garments from India, Bangladesh and Srilanka and it can be a good opportunity for the country if the Australian market could be researched. In the past single market concentration has hurt the Nepali readymade garment sector and this fact has necessitated the diversification of market for its products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepali Garments" src="/userfiles/images/f1%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 362px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'During the industry’s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.',
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	(int) 14 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2729',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Technical Analysis Of Nepse (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Trend</strong></span></div>
<div>
	After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors. Due to this decrease, Nepse also fell below its immediate support level of 806.82 points which indicates a bearish sentiment in the near term. Though the psychological support level remains at 800.00 points, the next support level is at 769.51 points. However, it is still above its 50-day moving average, which indicates that the market has not entered a bearish trend yet. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>RSI</strong></span></div>
<div>
	RSI is a form of leading indicator that is believed to be most effective during periods of sideways movement. Such indicators may create numerous buy and sell signals that are useful when the market is not clearly trending upwards or downwards. With the decreasing market, the RSI also fell by 16.90 points to settle at 53.28 levels, which indicated a greater selling pressure in recent times. If RSI maintains at this level within the neutral zone, it would indicate a balanced supply and demand scenario for stocks. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>MACD</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The MACD is a momentum oscillator formed by using two different types of moving averages, which provides specific buying or selling signals. When a MACD line crosses above the signal line, it is considered to be a positive sign and indicates a time to buy, and vice-versa. On March 04, 2014, the MACD line once again crossed below the Signal line indicating that the overall near term momentum may still be in the downward direction. As of the last trading day of the week, the MACD line and the Signal line ended at 9.72 and 12.32 points respectively, suggesting that the near term moving average is falling at a greater momentum than the longer term moving average.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>On Balance Volume (OBV)</strong></span></div>
<div>
	On Balance Volume is a momentum indicator that relates volume to the current price of index or security. If a price increase is supported by OBV, it confirms an uptrend, whereas if a price decrease is supported by OBV, it confirms a downtrend. In the past week, the OBV indicator has declined at a greater pace when compared to that of Nepse. The recent trend in volume suggests that the market has been in a selling mood this past week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Summary</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>(March 03 to 06, 2014)</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Close (March 06):</strong> 805.65</div>
<div>
	<strong>High (March 03):</strong> 811.04</div>
<div>
	<strong>Weekly Change:</strong> -20.05 (-2.43%)</div>
<div>
	<strong>Daily average Turnover:</strong> NPR 298.41 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Total Weekly Turnover: </strong>NPR 1193.67 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Support:</strong> 769.51</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Resistance:</strong> 831.86</div>
<div>
	<strong>RSI:</strong> 53.28</div>
<div>
	<strong>MACD Line:</strong> 9.72</div>
<div>
	<strong>Signal Line:</strong> 12.32</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-26',
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			'description' => 'After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2747',
			'article_category_id' => '154',
			'title' => 'Learning Curve News In Brief  (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Winners Selected for Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The selected students are requested to note down their account numbers &amp; visit the nearest branch of Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. in their respective districts to complete the documentation within 15 days from the date of issue of this advertisement, otherwise scholarship will stand cancelled.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU MBS-CMAT 2070 Results Out</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Faculty of Management, Examination controller division today published the results of MBS-CMAT-2070 conducted for the admissions in Masters of Business Studies (MBS) Semester system. Students securing 50 marks (i.e. 50%) in Entrance exam have been selected for the admission process. The last date for the admission is 2070/11/29. &nbsp;The result of students under reservation category will be published on Falgun 30, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Purbanchal University Publishes Centres for LLM Yr 1 Exam</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Purbanchal University, office of the examination management, Biratnagar today published the examination schedule of LLM first year. The examination of LLM First year is starting from Falgun 23, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>115 Students of Terathum Barred from SLC Exams</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As many as 115 students of the Terhathum district are to be deprived of attending School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations this year.</div>
<div>
	They are not allowed to appear in the exams for not meeting the mandatory provision of having 75 per cent of attendance in school as stipulated by the Education Regulations.</div>
<div>
	It is all because of sheer negligence on part of students and their guardians, said schools sources. According to the District Education Office, the Bhagawati Higher Secondary School has the highest number of 15 students followed by 11 in Singhabahini Higher Secondary, who are disallowed to appear in SLC examinations.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CIAA Directs Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to Publish Results</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday directed the Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to publish results of the examination held earlier to select teachers without further delay. The anti-graft body, however, said it is up to the TSC whether to publish the result right now or only after re-marking the</div>
<div>
	answer sheets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We found some minor human errors in marking answer sheets. The TSC itself will decide how to move ahead,&rdquo; CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The spokesperson said the directive was issued with the view that the process of hiring teachers should not be halted for a long time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU Entrance Test Date for Admissions in Masters</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Dean Office published urgent notice regarding entrance examination for Masters level admission according to semester system. The entrance exam will be held according to previously published notice on Falgun 17, 2070 in University campus, Kirtipur.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.',
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	(int) 1 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2746',
			'article_category_id' => '155',
			'title' => '“Ullens School Offering Progressive Education Through IB”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;">Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it&rsquo;s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate&rsquo;s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. <strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Please tell us about the IB programme.</strong></div>
<div>
	IB has four programmes-primary level, middle level, diploma level and career related certificate. Ullens School offers the IB programme for diploma level here in Nepal. The IB programme is basically a progressive education system. It does have an examination at the end of the programme as the course does not focus much on the examination. It is a process of learning to prepare students for the college. It makes students capable of doing research, independent studies. So, with the diploma programme, students are taught and provided skills that make them independent learner.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Since A-level and IB both offer international curriculum, what makes IB different from A-levels?</strong></div>
<div>
	A-level is more exams oriented. At the end of the programme, there is exam which determines your achievement of the 2 years. However, with IB, over the two years, there are various assessments which make up to 40 to 50 per cent of the final grade. It is the learning process IB emphasizes on. Similarly, in A-levels, one has to take 4 or 5 subjects whereas in IB, the students have to compulsorily take 6 subjects.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Tell us about the IB curriculum</strong></div>
<div>
	The course is designed in such a way that a student has to take 6 subjects, one from each group. Group one is the best language or the first language. At Ullens, we offer Nepali literature, English literature and English language and literature. The second group is the second best language or it could be a new language. We offer English, Spanish and French under this group. The third group is the social sciences or humanities group. We offer social and cultural anthropology, economics, business management and environmental systems. The fourth group is the regular sciences-physics, chemistry, biology and environment. The fifth group is the math group. There are different levels of maths. If you want to be an engineer, one needs to take higher level maths. If you just want to study Economics or business, he needs to take standard level maths and there is math studies which is for weaker students in maths. Finally, the sixth group is of arts. We offer theatre under it. The sixth group is optional. One can either take the sixth group or one more subject from the 5 other groups.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Besides these six subjects, IB diploma students have to complete the core part. In the core, we have three subjects. The first one is the extended essay. It is basically a research paper, a mini thesis. The second one is the theory of knowledge. This is basically a subject where one is challenged to ask critical questions. The third one is the non-academic part of the core and is called creativity, action and service.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>What are the chances of an IB student to go to US for higher studies?</strong></div>
<div>
	Records show that universities give priority to IB diploma holders because they know that IB curriculum prepares students for universities. Students who have done IB have to go through rigorous academic work. So, universities prefer IB students. However, I would not like to guarantee it. If you have good grades in IB, there are higher chances of getting admission to universities all around the world.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>How do you perceive the current and future status of IB programme in Nepal?</strong></div>
<div>
	I think it is really catching up. There are lots of parents wanting to know about the IB diploma programme. Students who are studying in India want to come back to Nepal because IB is offered here. Lots of schools in India offer IB but they are comparatively very expensive. So, those students are coming back. Another interesting thing is that more schools in Nepal are also showing interest towards this programme.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it’s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate’s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. Excerpts:',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2745',
			'article_category_id' => '146',
			'title' => 'Visual Edit Vol 4 Issue 10',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Visual Edit',
			'sortorder' => '2585',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2743',
			'article_category_id' => '144',
			'title' => 'For A Snow-ball Effect In Investment',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies. According to sources, the match-making event was very useful for the Danish companies to find suitable business partners in Nepal. Above everything, the event proved that Danish businessmen are really interested to invest in Nepal. This is a big vote of confidence to Nepal. Let&rsquo;s hope this event will trigger a snowball effect for foreign investment in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The situation of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nepal is not very encouraging. The country has received only Rs 18.9 billion FDI in the first seven months of the current fiscal year i.e. 2013/14 , Rs 19.94 billion in fiscal year 2012/13 and Rs 7.14 billion in the previous fiscal year. Against this backdrop, the initiative for business match-making taken by DANIDA is worth praising. It would be better if the international development agencies of other developed countries that are present in Nepal took their cue from DANIDA and organized similar match-making programmes in the future. Such efforts would be more fruitful than the annual grants they provide to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business match-making is a popular international practice today. Match-making events are very useful in gathering the right people (businessmen) at one platform to explore business and investment opportunities through interaction among them. Several summits and conferences related to business and investment are organized in the country annually. Such programmes could be used as a platform for business match-making with a little homework and pre-planning. There are exclusive match-making companies in Europe and other countries which want to attract FDI. These companies organize business match-making events on a regular basis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is huge prospect for such companies in Nepal. In Nepal, the match-making business could be a good business in itself. However, in the absence of exclusive match-making companies in the country, private sector umbrella organizations such as the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) should take the lead in business match making. After all, these umbrella organisations have been organizing a number of business summits and conferences every year for the past few years. The need is to use such summits and conferences as match-making events. If we can do this, genuine foreign investors will find genuine local partners to start new businesses or add strength to the existing ones.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The FNCCI in association with the government organized Nepal Economic Summit recently. In the Summit, FNCCI called on foreign investors to invest in 29 various projects. However, no foreign investor has come forward to invest in any of those projects so far. If this mega event were organised also as a match-making event, many foreign investors would have come and some of them might have shown interest in these projects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government, given the sad situation of FDI in the country, should do everything at its disposal to attract FDI. There is no harm if the government goes out of the way to attract foreign investment. For example, if foreign investors demand full tax exemptions for a certain period of time, the government should agree to such demands without any hesitation. This will surely help attract foreign investment. Foreign investment will create employment opportunities in the country. It would more than compensate the loss incurred by the tax exemption as foreign investment would create employment opportunities in the country. &nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies.',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2742',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2741',
			'article_category_id' => '141',
			'title' => 'Nepal Political Economic News In Brief (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>PM for Early Repatriation of Bhutanese Refugees</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal&rsquo;s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible. &ldquo;I have requested him [Bhutanese Prime Minister] to create a favourable environment for the respectful return of the refugees to their homes at a time when most of their offspring have settled abroad under third country rehabilitation programme while the elderly are still languishing in the refugee camps&rdquo;, the Prime Minister said after his meeting with the Bhutanese PM.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Local Polls Date Soon: Singh</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has said that the government has already initiated the preparations for holding the local elections. During his meeting with the office-bearers of Local Development Journalists&acute; Society in the Capital on March 4, Singh said the government has started the process of formulating necessary laws and acts and revising the existing ones to hold the local election. He added that the date for local polls would be announced soon on the basis of political consensus.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Budget on Time: FinMin</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented on time. Speaking at an interaction programme in the Capital, on Thursday (March 6), Minister Mahat said, &ldquo;I assure you that the country will have a full budget this year on time.&rdquo; The budget for the year 2013-14 was presented on time after two years, in July last year.Similarly, Dr Mahat said that constitution writing, security, good governance and economic development were the government&rsquo;s top priorities at present. He informed journalists that the new government will soon bring its policies and programmes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Energy Minister Assures Power Supply in Evening</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government is planning regular power supply in the evening hours in the near future, according to Minister for Energy, Radha Gyawali. Addressing a function organised in the Capital to mark the International Women&rsquo;s Day, the Energy Minister said the people, mainly women and students, have been hit hard by power outage in the evening time. She then assured of no power outage in the evening (6 pm to 9 pm) everyday. Gyawali also said that the government was trying to end load-shedding within the next five years.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>&lsquo;Even This CA Can&rsquo;t Deliver Constitution&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung has ruled out the possibility of the present Constituent Asembly (CA) issuing the new constitution. Speaking at a press meet at Waling of Syangja district on March 8, Gurung said, &ldquo;Parties in the CA are quarreling with each other. People are pinning their hopes on such parties. But, it seems even this [Constituent] Assembly, too, cannot deliver the new constitution.&rdquo; Top leaders of the major four political parties were responsible for the dissolution of the previous CA, he claimed. Gurung also charged that the major parties tried to revive the 1990 Constitution through the first CA. &ldquo;But such efforts were aborted because of the protest by our party.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal’s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible.',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2740',
			'article_category_id' => '214',
			'title' => 'Weekly Round Up (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>First real Estate Survey</strong></span></div>
<div>
	In a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, &lsquo;Real Estate Business Survey 2014&rsquo;. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS. &ldquo;We have started collecting statistics from the real estate entrepreneurs from across the country,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;The Survey will find out the contribution of the real estate sector to the country&rsquo;s GDP. The commercial banks alone have invested more than Rs 61 billion in the real estate and housing sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Chief Secy Requests ADB to Make Assistance Effective</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel has stressed the need to make the assistance to Nepal by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) more effective. In a meeting with the members of the ADB Board of Directors at his office in Singha Durbar, Poudel said that the number of international consultants for ADB-funded projects needs to be decreased and the capacity of the civil servants associated with such projects needs to be enhanced. He also advised the visiting ADB Board Members to appoint Nepali consultants instead of foreign consultants in order to lower the project cost. In response, Mario Sander, executive director of ADB and leader of the delegation, said that Poudel&rsquo;s suggestions will be discussed by the full ADB Board of Directors once the visiting delegation returns to the ADB Headquarters, according to Mahendra Kumar Thapa, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Rs 192 mn Chinese Grant</strong></span></div>
<div>
	China has agreed to provide a grant assistance of nearly Rs 192 million to Nepal. An agreement to this effect was signed at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (March 5). Shanta Raj Subedi, the Finance Secretary of Nepal and Wu Chuntai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. The grant will be used for economic and technical cooperation projects and the projects of providing goods and materials agreed upon through consultations between the two countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal Int&rsquo;l Trade Fair Kicks Off</strong></span></div>
<div>
	With the aim to promote exportable Nepali products, Nepal International Trade Fair 2014 kicked off in the capital on Thursday (March 6). President Dr Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the five-day fair organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) at Brikutimandap. &ldquo;The fair would help boost the export of Nepali products and attract foreign investment,&rdquo; said Dr Yadav. Similarly, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya said the fair would be vital for expanding markets for the Nepali goods as the fair has the participation of domestic and international entrepreneurs. Commerce and Supplies Secretary Madhav Prasad Regmi said the government has taken initiatives for the promotion of exportable products identified by the MoCS. Around 350 stalls are featuring various goods from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand at the fair. The main attractions of the fair are a herb festival and a special exhibition of precious jewelries. The herb festival is set at the premises of the International Trade Fair while NITF-Gems and Jewelry Show is being held at hotel Yak &amp; Yeti Hotel. The organisers expect around 1,500 foreign and 3,000 domestic entrepreneurs at the fair. Over 200,000 people are expected to visit the fair.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>ADB&rsquo;s $ 30 mn for Bagmati Conservation</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide an assistance of US $ 30 million to Nepal for the implementation of the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP). Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ADB&rsquo;s country director for Nepal, Kenichi Yokoyama signed an agreement to this effect at the Ministry of Finance on March 6. Of the assistance amount, loan assistance consists of US $ 25.5 million and grant US $ 4.5 million. The BRBIP, whose total cost is US $ 36 million, is expected to be completed in five years. The government will contribute US $ 6 million to the total cost of the BRBIP which will be implemented by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation and the Department of Irrigation. The Ministry of Urban Development is the executing agency of the project.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'n a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, ‘Real Estate Business Survey 2014’. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS.',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2739',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Indian PM Keen To Visit Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Mannmohan Singh" src="/userfiles/images/np1(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 223px;" />Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The Indian Prime Minister is very positive about the proposal and has said he will try his best to come in an official visit to Nepal before the General Election in India next month,&rdquo; said the PM. He also said that the visit was successful. This was PM Koirala&rsquo;s first foreign visit after assuming office. Addressing the BIMSTEC summit, PM Koirala had said the efforts of the BIMSTEC should be geared towards freeing the people from the poverty trap as this region confronts the formidable challenges of poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Before leaving Myanmar, PM Koirala had met with Burmese nationals of Nepali origin and the Nepali community in the country. At a program organised at the Nepali embassy, he called on the Nepali community to invest in Nepal in areas prioritised by government such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism and infrastructure.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting',
			'sortorder' => '2580',
			'image' => null,
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2738',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'BIMSTEC Members Agree To Expedite Trade',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The member states also reached agreements on Dispute Settlement Procedures and on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC free trade area.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The BIMSTEC Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) would expedite the process to close the deal on Trade in Goods by the end of 2014, and to continue efforts for finalising the agreement on Services and Investments, said the declaration adopted by the member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Summit also agreed to enhance cooperation in expanding skills and technology base of the member states through collaborations and partnerships, targeting micro, small and medium level enterprises. It was also decided to accelerate efforts for early finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Bimstec Technology Transfer Facility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lauding BIMSTEC&rsquo;s third Energy Ministerial Meet-2014 held in Nepal, the member states also stressed the need for enhancing regional cooperation in the energy sector while declaring Bhutan as the next stop for the fourth Bimstec Energy Ministerial Meet in 2015 and India&rsquo;s Bengaluru as the Bimstec Energy Centre.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The meeting also reiterated the commitment to continue and enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture and decided to intensify efforts through joint research programmes to increase productivity. &ldquo;Resolve to enhance cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development and promote capacity building in the area of disaster management,&rdquo; said the statement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The summit also reiterated the commitment to expand efforts to further people-to-people exchanges and linkages at various levels among the member states, including facilitating travels through the Bimstec Business Visa Scheme and Visa Exemption Scheme. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We have also agreed to implement the Bimstec Poverty Plan of Action adopted at the second Bimstec Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation held in January 2012 in Nepal,&rdquo; the statement said, welcoming the Sri Lankan offer to host the third edition in the first half of 2014. The seven-member regional body also agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the member states towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.',
			'sortorder' => '2579',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2727',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Man With A Balanced Lifestyle',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Ratna Raj Bajracharya, CEO of Global IME Bank, describes himself as a lovely person. A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable. &ldquo;Where there is a will, there is a way&rdquo; says Bajracharya who loves spending time with his family and sometimes even cooking for them. He leads a well-planned life and though he remains busy in work, he finds no problem in balancing work and home.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of travelling. He prefers visiting new places every time and this preference has dragged him to many countries across the world. &ldquo;I like visiting new places because they are exciting&rdquo; he says. Last year he went to Peru and Brazil along with his family. &ldquo;Holidays instil positive feelings and increases self-confidence. Similarly, it also helps enhancing productivity and vigour at work&rdquo;he said while sharing that he goes on a two-week vacation every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of reading books, especially non-fictions that motivate readers. Though he does not play any games, he loves watching games like tennis, football and cricket on TV. As a person who loathes idleness, he is always involved in something, be it at home or at office.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He loves listening to old Hindi, English and Nepali songs.He admires logical and sensible people and engages in rational discussions with them whether on social networking sites or in the real world. He has huge friendship base on facebook and opines that logical people are the asset of the nation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is passionate about his profession and has desires to make some contribution to the society for which he wishes to engage in social work in future.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable.',
			'sortorder' => '2578',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2733',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Kathmandu: World’s 5th Most Cheapest City',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div style="text-align: center;">
	<span style="font-size:10px;"><em>Photo Source :&nbsp;https://500px.com/photo/26501817/kathmandu-city-by-helminadia-ranford</em></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU&rsquo;s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last year, the city scored 50 points and was ranked 128th position in the WCOL index. India&rsquo;s financial hub Mumbai (ranked 131st) grabbed the top spot of least expensive city of the world followed by Pakistan&rsquo;s Karachi (130th) and Indian capital New Delhi (129th).&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	EIU prepared the index after an extensive survey on four factors - average USD prices of one kg loaf of bread, one bottle table wine, 20 branded cigarettes and one litre unleaded petrol. &nbsp;The survey, which has been carried out for more than 30 years, allows city-to-city comparisons, which is based on the city of New York that has an index set at 100 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The report finds that purchasing one kg loaf of bread in Kathmandu in current prices would cost USD 1.26 against USD 0.91 in Mumbai. The WCOL index informs that average price of one bottle table wine in Kathmandu is USD 18.98, cheaper by USD 1.61 compared to Mumbai where it costs USD 20.59. Similarly, the index puts average price of 20 branded cigarettes in Kathmandu at USD 1.53. Despite the price hike in the local market, the city saw price of a pack of branded cigarettes declining by 0.16 cents against last year&rsquo;s USD 1.69, the report states. Likewise, average price of one litre of unleaded petrol is USD 1.24 in Kathmandu, which is averaged at USD 1.21 in Mumbai.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Other least expensive cities in the list include Algiers (Algeria), Damascus (Syria), Bucharest (Romania), Panama City (Panama) and Saudi Arabian cities- Jeddah and Riyadh. The report also highlights some major issues in the cheapest cities. &ldquo;Outside India bargain hunters may be put off by the security risk in many of the countries in which the world&rsquo;s cheapest cities are found. Pakistan, Nepal, Syria and Algeria all feature in the bottom ten, but have had well documented security issues or domestic unrest,&rdquo; it says. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Singapore topped the index as the most expensive city in the world followed by Paris (France), Oslo (Norway), Zurich (Switzerland), Sydney (Australia), Caracas (Venezuela) Geneva (Switzerland), Melbourne (Australia), Tokyo (Japan) and Copenhagen (Denmark). According to the report, Tokyo fell down from the top spot due to the weaker Yen despite growing consumer confidence and price inflation.</div>',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2732',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'Begani Group Strengthening Its Network',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Gaurav Aryal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table align="right" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;" width="25">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<img alt="Amit Kumar Begani, CEO, Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s2%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 217px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div>
						<strong>Amit Kumar Begani</strong></div>
					<div>
						CEO, Begani Group</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	Begani Group&rsquo;s business seeds were sowed two decades ago with the launch of trading company by the first generation businessperson of the family. This trading company imported goods from China based on market and customer needs. Though initially small in quantity, later on the trade volume expanded. The company imported products ranging from shoes, umbrella to cars.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, presently the trading wing is not as active as it was in the past. At present, the group has shed the trader identity and is trying to develop &lsquo;manufacturing house&rsquo; identity for itself. The company started the manufacturing industry around one and a half decades ago. Amit Kumar Begani, CEO of the Group, who is the second generation businessperson in the family, says that his group produces vegetable ghee, vegetable oils in the food industry and woven fabrics in the plastic segment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Manufacturing Shift</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Food items were one of the major imports from China of the group&rsquo;s trading wing. While importing food items and sellingthem in the local market, Beganis comprehended the potential market for food products and decided to manufacture their own products instead of just trading. Considering the potential and prospects, the group started manufacturing vegetable ghee. In the days thereafter, the group gradually decreased the volume of imports of goods from China and started concentrating in the newly established venture.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present, the group is fully committed to the manufacturing sector though it has only two manufacturing companies, Nandan Ghee and Oil Industries and Nekon-KB Plasto Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, in its portfolio.The oil factory produces soyabean oil, sunflower oil and vegetable ghee under Nandan and Suruchi brands. Similarly, the plastic manufacturing unit produces packaging woven sacks for sugar, rice and other similar products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Elaborating on the factors for which the group invested in oil industry, Begani pointed that as a daily consumer product, the products have a stable and high demand. Similarly, he said that they invested in the plastic industry considering the need for supportive industry like theirs. He finds both of these industries essential for industrial development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market Positioning</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Terai and hilly regions are the niche market for the company&rsquo;s product. Though the company does not considers urban centres like Kathmandu as its target market, Begani informed that the Nandan and Suruchi oil brands do hold a small share of these markets. Likewise, the plastic factory has found its majority market abroad. Begani shares that 80 percent of woven fabrics and sacks are exported to India while 20 per cent is supplied to industrial customers within Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group has plans to improve its current market positioning. It is planning to expand its product portfolio and improve the quality of its existing products to gain competitive advantage in urban markets, where it looks forward to enter with a strongbranding and marketing campaign very soon. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><img alt="Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;width: 300px; height: 347px;" />New Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani feels that the investment climate is yet to become favourable for investing in new ventures. One of the reasons, he finds acute in feeling so, is power shortage. Considering this feeling, he says that his company is working towards consolidating its existing market along with extending marketing for the company&rsquo;s product to reach new regions and new customers. With reduced focus on the trading business, the company is focused on strengthening its manufacturing business while keeping itself open to start new ventures once the overall investment scenario, including power cut, improves in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Strengthening the Network</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani shares that company&rsquo;s products are doing fairly well in the targeted market segment. As targeted, the products are popular in the Terai and hilly region markets. The sale graph in this market has been steadily growing up. However, the focus in urban areas is missing, which the group is willing to rectify in the days to come.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For increasing the performance and visibility of the products in all parts of the country, the group is strengthening its distribution network. Begani says that one of the immediate plans of the company is to expedite branding and promotion activities. As of now, the group has expanded its network into around 40 towns and villages across the nation. &nbsp;Stating that within a year the company will meet its new marketing target, Begani says, &ldquo;a strong network is must for stronger branding and effective promotional campaigns.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Managing the Group</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As of now, the group is a family business and is managedby the father-son duo. All of its factories are located in Birgunj industrial town while its corporate office that looks after financial, marketing and other management responsibilities is in Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group, employees 1500 people in all of its companies. To keep them motivated the company organises various recreational programmes such as annual picnic along with other motivational packages. The HR department looks after the need of the company&rsquo;s human resource while making time induced and demand based amendments to company&rsquo;s HR policy.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Begani Group&rsquo;s Competitive Advantages</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Facing steep competition from national and international competitors that continue adding,&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								the group has remained constantly on its toes for carve its own niche market and remain ahead of its competitors. According to the group, some of the factors instrumental for its growth and market rankings are:</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Strategic Location</span></strong></div>
							<div>
								The group says that all of its factories and offices boast of an excellent infrastructure whether in physical network connectivity or human resource. Furthermore, this strategic location has allowed the group to enjoy quick access to every major markets in Nepal while maintaining quality standards in its chain of operation.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Quality Products</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani Group claims that its brands like Nandan and Suruchi and other products have been well established in the target markets for their quality and high performance reliability.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing latest technical advancement</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Moving in tandem with its customer needs, which is constantly increasing, Begani Group and its companies are not only equipped with competent laboratory but also have been using the latest technical advances.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Production Facilities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Group&rsquo;s production plants is managed and operated bya team of quality oriented and competent personals. The reliability of the facilities is translated into action through continuity in the supply of high quality products to its customers, says Begani. The group aims to manufacture high quality products with the most efficient facilities, satisfying all safety standards and regulations. &ldquo;Our plants are built based on the latest technology and equipped with advanced engineering control and safety devices to ensure the protection of our employees, environment, and the community,&rdquo; he adds.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Group&rsquo;s Strengths</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says that the group is flexible to innovate and launch new products that cater to the changing needs and demands of the market. &ldquo;We started with vegetable ghee and then added sunflower and soybean and mustard oil in our product range,&rdquo; says Begani. The company initially used to sell them in the packages of 15 kilograms but later adopted smaller packaging sizes to cater to general public&rsquo;s needs. &ldquo;Flexibility and making quick decisions is one of our strengths,&rdquo; boasts Begani.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market opportunities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								The group sees numerous opportunities developing in the market. The growing demand because of increased purchasing capacity of customers is one of the opportunities the group sees. Begani says that Nepali consumers have become more brand conscious these days because of increased international exposure. He adds that the demand for premium and quality products is increasing along with demand for new range of products such as olive oil.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Competition</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says the market competition is constantly increasing along with the swelling market size. He says that presence of 16 vegetable oil companies is making the competition tougher. Therefore, to overcome the competition, the group is focusing on branding to win over the competitors. He adds that the company is willing to bring its products to larger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara through stronger branding and higher quality promises. He reveals that within two to three years, these products will be making inroads in these cities.&nbsp;</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
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			'description' => 'Begani Group of companies is creating ground for its growth and concentrating on increasing market visibility of its products.',
			'sortorder' => '2576',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2730',
			'article_category_id' => '156',
			'title' => 'The Hidden Pleasures Of Busywork',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Rachel Emma Silverman</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rote tasks&mdash;mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox&mdash;may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The study, led by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine along with colleagues at Microsoft Research, examined how employees&rsquo; mood and attention change when performing various activities at work, such as responding to email or checking Facebook -1.47 per cent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;With rote work, you get a feeling of accomplishment, but you haven&rsquo;t exerted a lot of mental activity,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;It gives you a feeling of fulfillment, but there&rsquo;s not frustration&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	or stress.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The researchers&rsquo; findings provide a picture of how boredom and focus change throughout the day&mdash;and what digital tasks make workers happiest.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Focus, they found, peaks in the mid-afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. and also rises in late morning, around 11 a.m., after workers have time to gear up. (After 3, however, workplace focus drops precipitously.) &nbsp;Meanwhile, people are most bored early in the afternoon, soon after lunch&mdash;and not surprisingly, on Mondays.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It takes time to ramp up and get into a focused and productive state,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t hit the ground running.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although the sample was small&mdash;just 32 Microsoft workers in a wide range of job titles&mdash;the researchers studied them intensely, collecting more than 1,500 hours of observational data and 91,000 data points about mood and attention. Participants were regularly prompted by pop-up questionnaires on their work screens day asking them to report how engaged and challenged they were by the task they were doing at that moment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Workers may say they want a challenge, but the researchers found that employees were actually less happy doing work they rated as difficult, involving a lot of attention and engagement, such as reading and responding to emails.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Focus involves a kind of stress and people aren&rsquo;t generally happy when they are stressed,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. By contrast, &ldquo;rote work is effortless, so you can get gratification for getting things done.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another mood booster? Facebook. The researchers found that occasionally &ldquo;grazing&rdquo; the social network seemed to provide a refreshing break for workers, boosting their happiness. &nbsp;Unlike responding to email or chit-chatting with colleagues, making a quick trip to Facebook doesn&rsquo;t require much focus or stress, Dr. Mark says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The research will be presented at a panel on workplace distraction at the SXSW Interactive conference on Saturday, and is forthcoming for publication in April at the Proceedings of the Computer-Human Interaction Conference 2014. (blogs.wsj.com)</div>',
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			'description' => 'Rote tasks—mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox—may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2728',
			'article_category_id' => '153',
			'title' => 'Nepali RMG Waiting For Its Revival',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Since quota phase out Nepali readymade garment (RMG) industry has observed numerous ups and down along with huge challenges but the government is yet to show serious concern for its revival. During the industry&rsquo;s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the garment exporters, the industry is yet to see the light of day. Though there are queries for export orders and production but it&rsquo;s far below the satisfactory level. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s true that the industry is receiving queries from the international market mainly from the European Union but the queries and export orders are yet not satisfactory,&rdquo; Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary at the Garment Association - Nepal (GAN) said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Full implementation of Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on January 2005 ended 40 years of quota based trade of textiles and garment. The expiry of the quota system has not only resulted in the drastic decline of the Nepali RMG export but has also led to the closure of manufacturing units.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Though quota phase out has affected our industry but we are still waiting for the government to lobby for the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) in the United States which used to be the top garment importer of our country,&rdquo; said Agrawal. According to him, though the GSP facility is available in EU, the quantity of order still remains low. &ldquo;We need the government support and special programmes for the revival of the industry,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another major reason for this critical situation of the garment industry is insufficient commitment at the industry and policy making levels for responding to foreseen adjustment problems in trade without quota. &ldquo;We are committed towards capacity building and policy innovation for responding to the changed scenario through active coordination between private sector and the government&rdquo;, Agrawal said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present garment manufacturers are receiving orders for traditional readymade garments such as traditional stitching, designs and handmade embroidery. In midst of other troubles, the industry is also running sort of sufficient skilled labour force. &nbsp;Though comparative statistics of the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) show an increment of around 50 per cent in total garment exports in the past six months&rsquo;, exporters allude this increase to the spike in dollar exchange rates during the period. Total export of Nepali garment in 2012-13 was worth Rs 1.811 billion, which increased by 50.4 per cent with a total export of Rs 2.72 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year, states the TEPC statistics.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Export of Garment" src="/userfiles/images/f3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 314px;" />Present Scenario of Nepali Garment Industry&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Exporters looking forward for revising GSP facility to the US</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The US GSP programme for Nepal expired on July 31, 2013, which has further hit the declining export of Nepali RMG to its top buyer: United States. However the garment exporters are hopeful that the government will take initiatives to revise the GSP facility. During the first meeting of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in the US, Nepal had raised the issue of GSP facilitation for garments. Nepali entrepreneurs had also underlined the need to revise GSP during the first joint council meeting of Nepal and US to clear trade hurdles.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Proper cash incentive scheme can create new opportunities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has only fixed one per cent cash incentive for readymade garments. Earlier, it used to provide two to three per cent cash incentive. This amendment failed to encourage the overall export sector. Garment exporters, find this incentive scheme unjustified and call for revising it.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The garment industrialist waiting for the inclusion of Nepali Garment in the NTIS revised priority list</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Failure to increase the export figures and lack of new markets for products in the NTIS priority list has raised concerns among the exporters about the advantage of being listed in the priority list. According to the exporters the government should have included readymade garments along with woodcraft and stone craft in the NTIS priority products. Garments, carpets, pashmina and handicraft products were defined as special focus area for export promotion. Despite having a large share in the total exportable products of the country and despite being recognized as product with comparative advantage by the Nepal Trade and Competitiveness study, readymade garments still remains out of the NTIS priority products list.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Search for new destination&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepali readymade garment has plans to explore Australian market as its new export destination. According to GAN, Australia already has been importing large quantity of readymade garments from India, Bangladesh and Srilanka and it can be a good opportunity for the country if the Australian market could be researched. In the past single market concentration has hurt the Nepali readymade garment sector and this fact has necessitated the diversification of market for its products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepali Garments" src="/userfiles/images/f1%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 362px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
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			'description' => 'During the industry’s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.',
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	(int) 14 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2729',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Technical Analysis Of Nepse (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Trend</strong></span></div>
<div>
	After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors. Due to this decrease, Nepse also fell below its immediate support level of 806.82 points which indicates a bearish sentiment in the near term. Though the psychological support level remains at 800.00 points, the next support level is at 769.51 points. However, it is still above its 50-day moving average, which indicates that the market has not entered a bearish trend yet. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>RSI</strong></span></div>
<div>
	RSI is a form of leading indicator that is believed to be most effective during periods of sideways movement. Such indicators may create numerous buy and sell signals that are useful when the market is not clearly trending upwards or downwards. With the decreasing market, the RSI also fell by 16.90 points to settle at 53.28 levels, which indicated a greater selling pressure in recent times. If RSI maintains at this level within the neutral zone, it would indicate a balanced supply and demand scenario for stocks. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>MACD</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The MACD is a momentum oscillator formed by using two different types of moving averages, which provides specific buying or selling signals. When a MACD line crosses above the signal line, it is considered to be a positive sign and indicates a time to buy, and vice-versa. On March 04, 2014, the MACD line once again crossed below the Signal line indicating that the overall near term momentum may still be in the downward direction. As of the last trading day of the week, the MACD line and the Signal line ended at 9.72 and 12.32 points respectively, suggesting that the near term moving average is falling at a greater momentum than the longer term moving average.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>On Balance Volume (OBV)</strong></span></div>
<div>
	On Balance Volume is a momentum indicator that relates volume to the current price of index or security. If a price increase is supported by OBV, it confirms an uptrend, whereas if a price decrease is supported by OBV, it confirms a downtrend. In the past week, the OBV indicator has declined at a greater pace when compared to that of Nepse. The recent trend in volume suggests that the market has been in a selling mood this past week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Summary</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>(March 03 to 06, 2014)</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Close (March 06):</strong> 805.65</div>
<div>
	<strong>High (March 03):</strong> 811.04</div>
<div>
	<strong>Weekly Change:</strong> -20.05 (-2.43%)</div>
<div>
	<strong>Daily average Turnover:</strong> NPR 298.41 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Total Weekly Turnover: </strong>NPR 1193.67 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Support:</strong> 769.51</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Resistance:</strong> 831.86</div>
<div>
	<strong>RSI:</strong> 53.28</div>
<div>
	<strong>MACD Line:</strong> 9.72</div>
<div>
	<strong>Signal Line:</strong> 12.32</div>',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2747',
			'article_category_id' => '154',
			'title' => 'Learning Curve News In Brief  (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Winners Selected for Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The selected students are requested to note down their account numbers &amp; visit the nearest branch of Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. in their respective districts to complete the documentation within 15 days from the date of issue of this advertisement, otherwise scholarship will stand cancelled.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU MBS-CMAT 2070 Results Out</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Faculty of Management, Examination controller division today published the results of MBS-CMAT-2070 conducted for the admissions in Masters of Business Studies (MBS) Semester system. Students securing 50 marks (i.e. 50%) in Entrance exam have been selected for the admission process. The last date for the admission is 2070/11/29. &nbsp;The result of students under reservation category will be published on Falgun 30, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Purbanchal University Publishes Centres for LLM Yr 1 Exam</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Purbanchal University, office of the examination management, Biratnagar today published the examination schedule of LLM first year. The examination of LLM First year is starting from Falgun 23, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>115 Students of Terathum Barred from SLC Exams</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As many as 115 students of the Terhathum district are to be deprived of attending School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations this year.</div>
<div>
	They are not allowed to appear in the exams for not meeting the mandatory provision of having 75 per cent of attendance in school as stipulated by the Education Regulations.</div>
<div>
	It is all because of sheer negligence on part of students and their guardians, said schools sources. According to the District Education Office, the Bhagawati Higher Secondary School has the highest number of 15 students followed by 11 in Singhabahini Higher Secondary, who are disallowed to appear in SLC examinations.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CIAA Directs Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to Publish Results</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday directed the Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to publish results of the examination held earlier to select teachers without further delay. The anti-graft body, however, said it is up to the TSC whether to publish the result right now or only after re-marking the</div>
<div>
	answer sheets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We found some minor human errors in marking answer sheets. The TSC itself will decide how to move ahead,&rdquo; CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The spokesperson said the directive was issued with the view that the process of hiring teachers should not be halted for a long time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU Entrance Test Date for Admissions in Masters</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Dean Office published urgent notice regarding entrance examination for Masters level admission according to semester system. The entrance exam will be held according to previously published notice on Falgun 17, 2070 in University campus, Kirtipur.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.',
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			'id' => '2746',
			'article_category_id' => '155',
			'title' => '“Ullens School Offering Progressive Education Through IB”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;">Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it&rsquo;s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate&rsquo;s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. <strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Please tell us about the IB programme.</strong></div>
<div>
	IB has four programmes-primary level, middle level, diploma level and career related certificate. Ullens School offers the IB programme for diploma level here in Nepal. The IB programme is basically a progressive education system. It does have an examination at the end of the programme as the course does not focus much on the examination. It is a process of learning to prepare students for the college. It makes students capable of doing research, independent studies. So, with the diploma programme, students are taught and provided skills that make them independent learner.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Since A-level and IB both offer international curriculum, what makes IB different from A-levels?</strong></div>
<div>
	A-level is more exams oriented. At the end of the programme, there is exam which determines your achievement of the 2 years. However, with IB, over the two years, there are various assessments which make up to 40 to 50 per cent of the final grade. It is the learning process IB emphasizes on. Similarly, in A-levels, one has to take 4 or 5 subjects whereas in IB, the students have to compulsorily take 6 subjects.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Tell us about the IB curriculum</strong></div>
<div>
	The course is designed in such a way that a student has to take 6 subjects, one from each group. Group one is the best language or the first language. At Ullens, we offer Nepali literature, English literature and English language and literature. The second group is the second best language or it could be a new language. We offer English, Spanish and French under this group. The third group is the social sciences or humanities group. We offer social and cultural anthropology, economics, business management and environmental systems. The fourth group is the regular sciences-physics, chemistry, biology and environment. The fifth group is the math group. There are different levels of maths. If you want to be an engineer, one needs to take higher level maths. If you just want to study Economics or business, he needs to take standard level maths and there is math studies which is for weaker students in maths. Finally, the sixth group is of arts. We offer theatre under it. The sixth group is optional. One can either take the sixth group or one more subject from the 5 other groups.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Besides these six subjects, IB diploma students have to complete the core part. In the core, we have three subjects. The first one is the extended essay. It is basically a research paper, a mini thesis. The second one is the theory of knowledge. This is basically a subject where one is challenged to ask critical questions. The third one is the non-academic part of the core and is called creativity, action and service.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>What are the chances of an IB student to go to US for higher studies?</strong></div>
<div>
	Records show that universities give priority to IB diploma holders because they know that IB curriculum prepares students for universities. Students who have done IB have to go through rigorous academic work. So, universities prefer IB students. However, I would not like to guarantee it. If you have good grades in IB, there are higher chances of getting admission to universities all around the world.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>How do you perceive the current and future status of IB programme in Nepal?</strong></div>
<div>
	I think it is really catching up. There are lots of parents wanting to know about the IB diploma programme. Students who are studying in India want to come back to Nepal because IB is offered here. Lots of schools in India offer IB but they are comparatively very expensive. So, those students are coming back. Another interesting thing is that more schools in Nepal are also showing interest towards this programme.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it’s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate’s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. Excerpts:',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2745',
			'article_category_id' => '146',
			'title' => 'Visual Edit Vol 4 Issue 10',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'Visual Edit',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2743',
			'article_category_id' => '144',
			'title' => 'For A Snow-ball Effect In Investment',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies. According to sources, the match-making event was very useful for the Danish companies to find suitable business partners in Nepal. Above everything, the event proved that Danish businessmen are really interested to invest in Nepal. This is a big vote of confidence to Nepal. Let&rsquo;s hope this event will trigger a snowball effect for foreign investment in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The situation of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nepal is not very encouraging. The country has received only Rs 18.9 billion FDI in the first seven months of the current fiscal year i.e. 2013/14 , Rs 19.94 billion in fiscal year 2012/13 and Rs 7.14 billion in the previous fiscal year. Against this backdrop, the initiative for business match-making taken by DANIDA is worth praising. It would be better if the international development agencies of other developed countries that are present in Nepal took their cue from DANIDA and organized similar match-making programmes in the future. Such efforts would be more fruitful than the annual grants they provide to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business match-making is a popular international practice today. Match-making events are very useful in gathering the right people (businessmen) at one platform to explore business and investment opportunities through interaction among them. Several summits and conferences related to business and investment are organized in the country annually. Such programmes could be used as a platform for business match-making with a little homework and pre-planning. There are exclusive match-making companies in Europe and other countries which want to attract FDI. These companies organize business match-making events on a regular basis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is huge prospect for such companies in Nepal. In Nepal, the match-making business could be a good business in itself. However, in the absence of exclusive match-making companies in the country, private sector umbrella organizations such as the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) should take the lead in business match making. After all, these umbrella organisations have been organizing a number of business summits and conferences every year for the past few years. The need is to use such summits and conferences as match-making events. If we can do this, genuine foreign investors will find genuine local partners to start new businesses or add strength to the existing ones.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The FNCCI in association with the government organized Nepal Economic Summit recently. In the Summit, FNCCI called on foreign investors to invest in 29 various projects. However, no foreign investor has come forward to invest in any of those projects so far. If this mega event were organised also as a match-making event, many foreign investors would have come and some of them might have shown interest in these projects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government, given the sad situation of FDI in the country, should do everything at its disposal to attract FDI. There is no harm if the government goes out of the way to attract foreign investment. For example, if foreign investors demand full tax exemptions for a certain period of time, the government should agree to such demands without any hesitation. This will surely help attract foreign investment. Foreign investment will create employment opportunities in the country. It would more than compensate the loss incurred by the tax exemption as foreign investment would create employment opportunities in the country. &nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2742',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2741',
			'article_category_id' => '141',
			'title' => 'Nepal Political Economic News In Brief (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>PM for Early Repatriation of Bhutanese Refugees</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal&rsquo;s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible. &ldquo;I have requested him [Bhutanese Prime Minister] to create a favourable environment for the respectful return of the refugees to their homes at a time when most of their offspring have settled abroad under third country rehabilitation programme while the elderly are still languishing in the refugee camps&rdquo;, the Prime Minister said after his meeting with the Bhutanese PM.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Local Polls Date Soon: Singh</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has said that the government has already initiated the preparations for holding the local elections. During his meeting with the office-bearers of Local Development Journalists&acute; Society in the Capital on March 4, Singh said the government has started the process of formulating necessary laws and acts and revising the existing ones to hold the local election. He added that the date for local polls would be announced soon on the basis of political consensus.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Budget on Time: FinMin</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented on time. Speaking at an interaction programme in the Capital, on Thursday (March 6), Minister Mahat said, &ldquo;I assure you that the country will have a full budget this year on time.&rdquo; The budget for the year 2013-14 was presented on time after two years, in July last year.Similarly, Dr Mahat said that constitution writing, security, good governance and economic development were the government&rsquo;s top priorities at present. He informed journalists that the new government will soon bring its policies and programmes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Energy Minister Assures Power Supply in Evening</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government is planning regular power supply in the evening hours in the near future, according to Minister for Energy, Radha Gyawali. Addressing a function organised in the Capital to mark the International Women&rsquo;s Day, the Energy Minister said the people, mainly women and students, have been hit hard by power outage in the evening time. She then assured of no power outage in the evening (6 pm to 9 pm) everyday. Gyawali also said that the government was trying to end load-shedding within the next five years.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>&lsquo;Even This CA Can&rsquo;t Deliver Constitution&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung has ruled out the possibility of the present Constituent Asembly (CA) issuing the new constitution. Speaking at a press meet at Waling of Syangja district on March 8, Gurung said, &ldquo;Parties in the CA are quarreling with each other. People are pinning their hopes on such parties. But, it seems even this [Constituent] Assembly, too, cannot deliver the new constitution.&rdquo; Top leaders of the major four political parties were responsible for the dissolution of the previous CA, he claimed. Gurung also charged that the major parties tried to revive the 1990 Constitution through the first CA. &ldquo;But such efforts were aborted because of the protest by our party.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal’s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2740',
			'article_category_id' => '214',
			'title' => 'Weekly Round Up (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>First real Estate Survey</strong></span></div>
<div>
	In a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, &lsquo;Real Estate Business Survey 2014&rsquo;. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS. &ldquo;We have started collecting statistics from the real estate entrepreneurs from across the country,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;The Survey will find out the contribution of the real estate sector to the country&rsquo;s GDP. The commercial banks alone have invested more than Rs 61 billion in the real estate and housing sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Chief Secy Requests ADB to Make Assistance Effective</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel has stressed the need to make the assistance to Nepal by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) more effective. In a meeting with the members of the ADB Board of Directors at his office in Singha Durbar, Poudel said that the number of international consultants for ADB-funded projects needs to be decreased and the capacity of the civil servants associated with such projects needs to be enhanced. He also advised the visiting ADB Board Members to appoint Nepali consultants instead of foreign consultants in order to lower the project cost. In response, Mario Sander, executive director of ADB and leader of the delegation, said that Poudel&rsquo;s suggestions will be discussed by the full ADB Board of Directors once the visiting delegation returns to the ADB Headquarters, according to Mahendra Kumar Thapa, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Rs 192 mn Chinese Grant</strong></span></div>
<div>
	China has agreed to provide a grant assistance of nearly Rs 192 million to Nepal. An agreement to this effect was signed at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (March 5). Shanta Raj Subedi, the Finance Secretary of Nepal and Wu Chuntai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. The grant will be used for economic and technical cooperation projects and the projects of providing goods and materials agreed upon through consultations between the two countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal Int&rsquo;l Trade Fair Kicks Off</strong></span></div>
<div>
	With the aim to promote exportable Nepali products, Nepal International Trade Fair 2014 kicked off in the capital on Thursday (March 6). President Dr Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the five-day fair organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) at Brikutimandap. &ldquo;The fair would help boost the export of Nepali products and attract foreign investment,&rdquo; said Dr Yadav. Similarly, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya said the fair would be vital for expanding markets for the Nepali goods as the fair has the participation of domestic and international entrepreneurs. Commerce and Supplies Secretary Madhav Prasad Regmi said the government has taken initiatives for the promotion of exportable products identified by the MoCS. Around 350 stalls are featuring various goods from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand at the fair. The main attractions of the fair are a herb festival and a special exhibition of precious jewelries. The herb festival is set at the premises of the International Trade Fair while NITF-Gems and Jewelry Show is being held at hotel Yak &amp; Yeti Hotel. The organisers expect around 1,500 foreign and 3,000 domestic entrepreneurs at the fair. Over 200,000 people are expected to visit the fair.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>ADB&rsquo;s $ 30 mn for Bagmati Conservation</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide an assistance of US $ 30 million to Nepal for the implementation of the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP). Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ADB&rsquo;s country director for Nepal, Kenichi Yokoyama signed an agreement to this effect at the Ministry of Finance on March 6. Of the assistance amount, loan assistance consists of US $ 25.5 million and grant US $ 4.5 million. The BRBIP, whose total cost is US $ 36 million, is expected to be completed in five years. The government will contribute US $ 6 million to the total cost of the BRBIP which will be implemented by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation and the Department of Irrigation. The Ministry of Urban Development is the executing agency of the project.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'n a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, ‘Real Estate Business Survey 2014’. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2739',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Indian PM Keen To Visit Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Mannmohan Singh" src="/userfiles/images/np1(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 223px;" />Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The Indian Prime Minister is very positive about the proposal and has said he will try his best to come in an official visit to Nepal before the General Election in India next month,&rdquo; said the PM. He also said that the visit was successful. This was PM Koirala&rsquo;s first foreign visit after assuming office. Addressing the BIMSTEC summit, PM Koirala had said the efforts of the BIMSTEC should be geared towards freeing the people from the poverty trap as this region confronts the formidable challenges of poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Before leaving Myanmar, PM Koirala had met with Burmese nationals of Nepali origin and the Nepali community in the country. At a program organised at the Nepali embassy, he called on the Nepali community to invest in Nepal in areas prioritised by government such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism and infrastructure.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting',
			'sortorder' => '2580',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2738',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'BIMSTEC Members Agree To Expedite Trade',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The member states also reached agreements on Dispute Settlement Procedures and on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC free trade area.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The BIMSTEC Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) would expedite the process to close the deal on Trade in Goods by the end of 2014, and to continue efforts for finalising the agreement on Services and Investments, said the declaration adopted by the member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Summit also agreed to enhance cooperation in expanding skills and technology base of the member states through collaborations and partnerships, targeting micro, small and medium level enterprises. It was also decided to accelerate efforts for early finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Bimstec Technology Transfer Facility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lauding BIMSTEC&rsquo;s third Energy Ministerial Meet-2014 held in Nepal, the member states also stressed the need for enhancing regional cooperation in the energy sector while declaring Bhutan as the next stop for the fourth Bimstec Energy Ministerial Meet in 2015 and India&rsquo;s Bengaluru as the Bimstec Energy Centre.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The meeting also reiterated the commitment to continue and enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture and decided to intensify efforts through joint research programmes to increase productivity. &ldquo;Resolve to enhance cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development and promote capacity building in the area of disaster management,&rdquo; said the statement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The summit also reiterated the commitment to expand efforts to further people-to-people exchanges and linkages at various levels among the member states, including facilitating travels through the Bimstec Business Visa Scheme and Visa Exemption Scheme. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We have also agreed to implement the Bimstec Poverty Plan of Action adopted at the second Bimstec Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation held in January 2012 in Nepal,&rdquo; the statement said, welcoming the Sri Lankan offer to host the third edition in the first half of 2014. The seven-member regional body also agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the member states towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.',
			'sortorder' => '2579',
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	),
	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2727',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Man With A Balanced Lifestyle',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Ratna Raj Bajracharya, CEO of Global IME Bank, describes himself as a lovely person. A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable. &ldquo;Where there is a will, there is a way&rdquo; says Bajracharya who loves spending time with his family and sometimes even cooking for them. He leads a well-planned life and though he remains busy in work, he finds no problem in balancing work and home.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of travelling. He prefers visiting new places every time and this preference has dragged him to many countries across the world. &ldquo;I like visiting new places because they are exciting&rdquo; he says. Last year he went to Peru and Brazil along with his family. &ldquo;Holidays instil positive feelings and increases self-confidence. Similarly, it also helps enhancing productivity and vigour at work&rdquo;he said while sharing that he goes on a two-week vacation every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of reading books, especially non-fictions that motivate readers. Though he does not play any games, he loves watching games like tennis, football and cricket on TV. As a person who loathes idleness, he is always involved in something, be it at home or at office.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He loves listening to old Hindi, English and Nepali songs.He admires logical and sensible people and engages in rational discussions with them whether on social networking sites or in the real world. He has huge friendship base on facebook and opines that logical people are the asset of the nation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is passionate about his profession and has desires to make some contribution to the society for which he wishes to engage in social work in future.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable.',
			'sortorder' => '2578',
			'image' => null,
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2733',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Kathmandu: World’s 5th Most Cheapest City',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div style="text-align: center;">
	<span style="font-size:10px;"><em>Photo Source :&nbsp;https://500px.com/photo/26501817/kathmandu-city-by-helminadia-ranford</em></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU&rsquo;s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last year, the city scored 50 points and was ranked 128th position in the WCOL index. India&rsquo;s financial hub Mumbai (ranked 131st) grabbed the top spot of least expensive city of the world followed by Pakistan&rsquo;s Karachi (130th) and Indian capital New Delhi (129th).&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	EIU prepared the index after an extensive survey on four factors - average USD prices of one kg loaf of bread, one bottle table wine, 20 branded cigarettes and one litre unleaded petrol. &nbsp;The survey, which has been carried out for more than 30 years, allows city-to-city comparisons, which is based on the city of New York that has an index set at 100 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The report finds that purchasing one kg loaf of bread in Kathmandu in current prices would cost USD 1.26 against USD 0.91 in Mumbai. The WCOL index informs that average price of one bottle table wine in Kathmandu is USD 18.98, cheaper by USD 1.61 compared to Mumbai where it costs USD 20.59. Similarly, the index puts average price of 20 branded cigarettes in Kathmandu at USD 1.53. Despite the price hike in the local market, the city saw price of a pack of branded cigarettes declining by 0.16 cents against last year&rsquo;s USD 1.69, the report states. Likewise, average price of one litre of unleaded petrol is USD 1.24 in Kathmandu, which is averaged at USD 1.21 in Mumbai.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Other least expensive cities in the list include Algiers (Algeria), Damascus (Syria), Bucharest (Romania), Panama City (Panama) and Saudi Arabian cities- Jeddah and Riyadh. The report also highlights some major issues in the cheapest cities. &ldquo;Outside India bargain hunters may be put off by the security risk in many of the countries in which the world&rsquo;s cheapest cities are found. Pakistan, Nepal, Syria and Algeria all feature in the bottom ten, but have had well documented security issues or domestic unrest,&rdquo; it says. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Singapore topped the index as the most expensive city in the world followed by Paris (France), Oslo (Norway), Zurich (Switzerland), Sydney (Australia), Caracas (Venezuela) Geneva (Switzerland), Melbourne (Australia), Tokyo (Japan) and Copenhagen (Denmark). According to the report, Tokyo fell down from the top spot due to the weaker Yen despite growing consumer confidence and price inflation.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2015-02-26',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.',
			'sortorder' => '2577',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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	),
	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2732',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'Begani Group Strengthening Its Network',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Gaurav Aryal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table align="right" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;" width="25">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<img alt="Amit Kumar Begani, CEO, Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s2%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 217px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div>
						<strong>Amit Kumar Begani</strong></div>
					<div>
						CEO, Begani Group</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	Begani Group&rsquo;s business seeds were sowed two decades ago with the launch of trading company by the first generation businessperson of the family. This trading company imported goods from China based on market and customer needs. Though initially small in quantity, later on the trade volume expanded. The company imported products ranging from shoes, umbrella to cars.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, presently the trading wing is not as active as it was in the past. At present, the group has shed the trader identity and is trying to develop &lsquo;manufacturing house&rsquo; identity for itself. The company started the manufacturing industry around one and a half decades ago. Amit Kumar Begani, CEO of the Group, who is the second generation businessperson in the family, says that his group produces vegetable ghee, vegetable oils in the food industry and woven fabrics in the plastic segment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Manufacturing Shift</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Food items were one of the major imports from China of the group&rsquo;s trading wing. While importing food items and sellingthem in the local market, Beganis comprehended the potential market for food products and decided to manufacture their own products instead of just trading. Considering the potential and prospects, the group started manufacturing vegetable ghee. In the days thereafter, the group gradually decreased the volume of imports of goods from China and started concentrating in the newly established venture.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present, the group is fully committed to the manufacturing sector though it has only two manufacturing companies, Nandan Ghee and Oil Industries and Nekon-KB Plasto Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, in its portfolio.The oil factory produces soyabean oil, sunflower oil and vegetable ghee under Nandan and Suruchi brands. Similarly, the plastic manufacturing unit produces packaging woven sacks for sugar, rice and other similar products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Elaborating on the factors for which the group invested in oil industry, Begani pointed that as a daily consumer product, the products have a stable and high demand. Similarly, he said that they invested in the plastic industry considering the need for supportive industry like theirs. He finds both of these industries essential for industrial development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market Positioning</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Terai and hilly regions are the niche market for the company&rsquo;s product. Though the company does not considers urban centres like Kathmandu as its target market, Begani informed that the Nandan and Suruchi oil brands do hold a small share of these markets. Likewise, the plastic factory has found its majority market abroad. Begani shares that 80 percent of woven fabrics and sacks are exported to India while 20 per cent is supplied to industrial customers within Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group has plans to improve its current market positioning. It is planning to expand its product portfolio and improve the quality of its existing products to gain competitive advantage in urban markets, where it looks forward to enter with a strongbranding and marketing campaign very soon. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><img alt="Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;width: 300px; height: 347px;" />New Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani feels that the investment climate is yet to become favourable for investing in new ventures. One of the reasons, he finds acute in feeling so, is power shortage. Considering this feeling, he says that his company is working towards consolidating its existing market along with extending marketing for the company&rsquo;s product to reach new regions and new customers. With reduced focus on the trading business, the company is focused on strengthening its manufacturing business while keeping itself open to start new ventures once the overall investment scenario, including power cut, improves in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Strengthening the Network</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani shares that company&rsquo;s products are doing fairly well in the targeted market segment. As targeted, the products are popular in the Terai and hilly region markets. The sale graph in this market has been steadily growing up. However, the focus in urban areas is missing, which the group is willing to rectify in the days to come.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For increasing the performance and visibility of the products in all parts of the country, the group is strengthening its distribution network. Begani says that one of the immediate plans of the company is to expedite branding and promotion activities. As of now, the group has expanded its network into around 40 towns and villages across the nation. &nbsp;Stating that within a year the company will meet its new marketing target, Begani says, &ldquo;a strong network is must for stronger branding and effective promotional campaigns.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Managing the Group</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As of now, the group is a family business and is managedby the father-son duo. All of its factories are located in Birgunj industrial town while its corporate office that looks after financial, marketing and other management responsibilities is in Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group, employees 1500 people in all of its companies. To keep them motivated the company organises various recreational programmes such as annual picnic along with other motivational packages. The HR department looks after the need of the company&rsquo;s human resource while making time induced and demand based amendments to company&rsquo;s HR policy.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Begani Group&rsquo;s Competitive Advantages</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Facing steep competition from national and international competitors that continue adding,&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								the group has remained constantly on its toes for carve its own niche market and remain ahead of its competitors. According to the group, some of the factors instrumental for its growth and market rankings are:</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Strategic Location</span></strong></div>
							<div>
								The group says that all of its factories and offices boast of an excellent infrastructure whether in physical network connectivity or human resource. Furthermore, this strategic location has allowed the group to enjoy quick access to every major markets in Nepal while maintaining quality standards in its chain of operation.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Quality Products</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani Group claims that its brands like Nandan and Suruchi and other products have been well established in the target markets for their quality and high performance reliability.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing latest technical advancement</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Moving in tandem with its customer needs, which is constantly increasing, Begani Group and its companies are not only equipped with competent laboratory but also have been using the latest technical advances.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Production Facilities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Group&rsquo;s production plants is managed and operated bya team of quality oriented and competent personals. The reliability of the facilities is translated into action through continuity in the supply of high quality products to its customers, says Begani. The group aims to manufacture high quality products with the most efficient facilities, satisfying all safety standards and regulations. &ldquo;Our plants are built based on the latest technology and equipped with advanced engineering control and safety devices to ensure the protection of our employees, environment, and the community,&rdquo; he adds.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Group&rsquo;s Strengths</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says that the group is flexible to innovate and launch new products that cater to the changing needs and demands of the market. &ldquo;We started with vegetable ghee and then added sunflower and soybean and mustard oil in our product range,&rdquo; says Begani. The company initially used to sell them in the packages of 15 kilograms but later adopted smaller packaging sizes to cater to general public&rsquo;s needs. &ldquo;Flexibility and making quick decisions is one of our strengths,&rdquo; boasts Begani.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market opportunities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								The group sees numerous opportunities developing in the market. The growing demand because of increased purchasing capacity of customers is one of the opportunities the group sees. Begani says that Nepali consumers have become more brand conscious these days because of increased international exposure. He adds that the demand for premium and quality products is increasing along with demand for new range of products such as olive oil.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Competition</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says the market competition is constantly increasing along with the swelling market size. He says that presence of 16 vegetable oil companies is making the competition tougher. Therefore, to overcome the competition, the group is focusing on branding to win over the competitors. He adds that the company is willing to bring its products to larger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara through stronger branding and higher quality promises. He reveals that within two to three years, these products will be making inroads in these cities.&nbsp;</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Begani Group of companies is creating ground for its growth and concentrating on increasing market visibility of its products.',
			'sortorder' => '2576',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2730',
			'article_category_id' => '156',
			'title' => 'The Hidden Pleasures Of Busywork',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Rachel Emma Silverman</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rote tasks&mdash;mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox&mdash;may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The study, led by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine along with colleagues at Microsoft Research, examined how employees&rsquo; mood and attention change when performing various activities at work, such as responding to email or checking Facebook -1.47 per cent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;With rote work, you get a feeling of accomplishment, but you haven&rsquo;t exerted a lot of mental activity,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;It gives you a feeling of fulfillment, but there&rsquo;s not frustration&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	or stress.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The researchers&rsquo; findings provide a picture of how boredom and focus change throughout the day&mdash;and what digital tasks make workers happiest.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Focus, they found, peaks in the mid-afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. and also rises in late morning, around 11 a.m., after workers have time to gear up. (After 3, however, workplace focus drops precipitously.) &nbsp;Meanwhile, people are most bored early in the afternoon, soon after lunch&mdash;and not surprisingly, on Mondays.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It takes time to ramp up and get into a focused and productive state,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t hit the ground running.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although the sample was small&mdash;just 32 Microsoft workers in a wide range of job titles&mdash;the researchers studied them intensely, collecting more than 1,500 hours of observational data and 91,000 data points about mood and attention. Participants were regularly prompted by pop-up questionnaires on their work screens day asking them to report how engaged and challenged they were by the task they were doing at that moment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Workers may say they want a challenge, but the researchers found that employees were actually less happy doing work they rated as difficult, involving a lot of attention and engagement, such as reading and responding to emails.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Focus involves a kind of stress and people aren&rsquo;t generally happy when they are stressed,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. By contrast, &ldquo;rote work is effortless, so you can get gratification for getting things done.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another mood booster? Facebook. The researchers found that occasionally &ldquo;grazing&rdquo; the social network seemed to provide a refreshing break for workers, boosting their happiness. &nbsp;Unlike responding to email or chit-chatting with colleagues, making a quick trip to Facebook doesn&rsquo;t require much focus or stress, Dr. Mark says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The research will be presented at a panel on workplace distraction at the SXSW Interactive conference on Saturday, and is forthcoming for publication in April at the Proceedings of the Computer-Human Interaction Conference 2014. (blogs.wsj.com)</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Rote tasks—mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox—may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2728',
			'article_category_id' => '153',
			'title' => 'Nepali RMG Waiting For Its Revival',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Since quota phase out Nepali readymade garment (RMG) industry has observed numerous ups and down along with huge challenges but the government is yet to show serious concern for its revival. During the industry&rsquo;s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the garment exporters, the industry is yet to see the light of day. Though there are queries for export orders and production but it&rsquo;s far below the satisfactory level. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s true that the industry is receiving queries from the international market mainly from the European Union but the queries and export orders are yet not satisfactory,&rdquo; Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary at the Garment Association - Nepal (GAN) said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Full implementation of Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on January 2005 ended 40 years of quota based trade of textiles and garment. The expiry of the quota system has not only resulted in the drastic decline of the Nepali RMG export but has also led to the closure of manufacturing units.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Though quota phase out has affected our industry but we are still waiting for the government to lobby for the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) in the United States which used to be the top garment importer of our country,&rdquo; said Agrawal. According to him, though the GSP facility is available in EU, the quantity of order still remains low. &ldquo;We need the government support and special programmes for the revival of the industry,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another major reason for this critical situation of the garment industry is insufficient commitment at the industry and policy making levels for responding to foreseen adjustment problems in trade without quota. &ldquo;We are committed towards capacity building and policy innovation for responding to the changed scenario through active coordination between private sector and the government&rdquo;, Agrawal said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present garment manufacturers are receiving orders for traditional readymade garments such as traditional stitching, designs and handmade embroidery. In midst of other troubles, the industry is also running sort of sufficient skilled labour force. &nbsp;Though comparative statistics of the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) show an increment of around 50 per cent in total garment exports in the past six months&rsquo;, exporters allude this increase to the spike in dollar exchange rates during the period. Total export of Nepali garment in 2012-13 was worth Rs 1.811 billion, which increased by 50.4 per cent with a total export of Rs 2.72 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year, states the TEPC statistics.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Export of Garment" src="/userfiles/images/f3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 314px;" />Present Scenario of Nepali Garment Industry&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Exporters looking forward for revising GSP facility to the US</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The US GSP programme for Nepal expired on July 31, 2013, which has further hit the declining export of Nepali RMG to its top buyer: United States. However the garment exporters are hopeful that the government will take initiatives to revise the GSP facility. During the first meeting of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in the US, Nepal had raised the issue of GSP facilitation for garments. Nepali entrepreneurs had also underlined the need to revise GSP during the first joint council meeting of Nepal and US to clear trade hurdles.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Proper cash incentive scheme can create new opportunities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has only fixed one per cent cash incentive for readymade garments. Earlier, it used to provide two to three per cent cash incentive. This amendment failed to encourage the overall export sector. Garment exporters, find this incentive scheme unjustified and call for revising it.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The garment industrialist waiting for the inclusion of Nepali Garment in the NTIS revised priority list</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Failure to increase the export figures and lack of new markets for products in the NTIS priority list has raised concerns among the exporters about the advantage of being listed in the priority list. According to the exporters the government should have included readymade garments along with woodcraft and stone craft in the NTIS priority products. Garments, carpets, pashmina and handicraft products were defined as special focus area for export promotion. Despite having a large share in the total exportable products of the country and despite being recognized as product with comparative advantage by the Nepal Trade and Competitiveness study, readymade garments still remains out of the NTIS priority products list.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Search for new destination&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepali readymade garment has plans to explore Australian market as its new export destination. According to GAN, Australia already has been importing large quantity of readymade garments from India, Bangladesh and Srilanka and it can be a good opportunity for the country if the Australian market could be researched. In the past single market concentration has hurt the Nepali readymade garment sector and this fact has necessitated the diversification of market for its products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepali Garments" src="/userfiles/images/f1%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 362px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
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			'description' => 'During the industry’s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2729',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Technical Analysis Of Nepse (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Trend</strong></span></div>
<div>
	After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors. Due to this decrease, Nepse also fell below its immediate support level of 806.82 points which indicates a bearish sentiment in the near term. Though the psychological support level remains at 800.00 points, the next support level is at 769.51 points. However, it is still above its 50-day moving average, which indicates that the market has not entered a bearish trend yet. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>RSI</strong></span></div>
<div>
	RSI is a form of leading indicator that is believed to be most effective during periods of sideways movement. Such indicators may create numerous buy and sell signals that are useful when the market is not clearly trending upwards or downwards. With the decreasing market, the RSI also fell by 16.90 points to settle at 53.28 levels, which indicated a greater selling pressure in recent times. If RSI maintains at this level within the neutral zone, it would indicate a balanced supply and demand scenario for stocks. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>MACD</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The MACD is a momentum oscillator formed by using two different types of moving averages, which provides specific buying or selling signals. When a MACD line crosses above the signal line, it is considered to be a positive sign and indicates a time to buy, and vice-versa. On March 04, 2014, the MACD line once again crossed below the Signal line indicating that the overall near term momentum may still be in the downward direction. As of the last trading day of the week, the MACD line and the Signal line ended at 9.72 and 12.32 points respectively, suggesting that the near term moving average is falling at a greater momentum than the longer term moving average.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>On Balance Volume (OBV)</strong></span></div>
<div>
	On Balance Volume is a momentum indicator that relates volume to the current price of index or security. If a price increase is supported by OBV, it confirms an uptrend, whereas if a price decrease is supported by OBV, it confirms a downtrend. In the past week, the OBV indicator has declined at a greater pace when compared to that of Nepse. The recent trend in volume suggests that the market has been in a selling mood this past week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Summary</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>(March 03 to 06, 2014)</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Close (March 06):</strong> 805.65</div>
<div>
	<strong>High (March 03):</strong> 811.04</div>
<div>
	<strong>Weekly Change:</strong> -20.05 (-2.43%)</div>
<div>
	<strong>Daily average Turnover:</strong> NPR 298.41 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Total Weekly Turnover: </strong>NPR 1193.67 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Support:</strong> 769.51</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Resistance:</strong> 831.86</div>
<div>
	<strong>RSI:</strong> 53.28</div>
<div>
	<strong>MACD Line:</strong> 9.72</div>
<div>
	<strong>Signal Line:</strong> 12.32</div>',
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Code Context
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2747',
			'article_category_id' => '154',
			'title' => 'Learning Curve News In Brief  (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Winners Selected for Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The selected students are requested to note down their account numbers &amp; visit the nearest branch of Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. in their respective districts to complete the documentation within 15 days from the date of issue of this advertisement, otherwise scholarship will stand cancelled.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU MBS-CMAT 2070 Results Out</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Faculty of Management, Examination controller division today published the results of MBS-CMAT-2070 conducted for the admissions in Masters of Business Studies (MBS) Semester system. Students securing 50 marks (i.e. 50%) in Entrance exam have been selected for the admission process. The last date for the admission is 2070/11/29. &nbsp;The result of students under reservation category will be published on Falgun 30, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Purbanchal University Publishes Centres for LLM Yr 1 Exam</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Purbanchal University, office of the examination management, Biratnagar today published the examination schedule of LLM first year. The examination of LLM First year is starting from Falgun 23, 2070.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>115 Students of Terathum Barred from SLC Exams</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As many as 115 students of the Terhathum district are to be deprived of attending School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations this year.</div>
<div>
	They are not allowed to appear in the exams for not meeting the mandatory provision of having 75 per cent of attendance in school as stipulated by the Education Regulations.</div>
<div>
	It is all because of sheer negligence on part of students and their guardians, said schools sources. According to the District Education Office, the Bhagawati Higher Secondary School has the highest number of 15 students followed by 11 in Singhabahini Higher Secondary, who are disallowed to appear in SLC examinations.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CIAA Directs Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to Publish Results</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday directed the Teachers&rsquo; Service Commission (TSC) to publish results of the examination held earlier to select teachers without further delay. The anti-graft body, however, said it is up to the TSC whether to publish the result right now or only after re-marking the</div>
<div>
	answer sheets.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We found some minor human errors in marking answer sheets. The TSC itself will decide how to move ahead,&rdquo; CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The spokesperson said the directive was issued with the view that the process of hiring teachers should not be halted for a long time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>TU Entrance Test Date for Admissions in Masters</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Tribhuvan University, Dean Office published urgent notice regarding entrance examination for Masters level admission according to semester system. The entrance exam will be held according to previously published notice on Falgun 17, 2070 in University campus, Kirtipur.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Embassy of India, Kathmandu announced the results of Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for 2013-14. In the 11th Batch, 2000 meritorious students studying in Class XI have been selected for this scholarship. The scholarship amount is NRs.2000/- per month. Nepal SBI bank ltd. has opened bank account for each student and account number is displayed against the name of the student.',
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			'id' => '2746',
			'article_category_id' => '155',
			'title' => '“Ullens School Offering Progressive Education Through IB”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;">Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it&rsquo;s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate&rsquo;s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. <strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Please tell us about the IB programme.</strong></div>
<div>
	IB has four programmes-primary level, middle level, diploma level and career related certificate. Ullens School offers the IB programme for diploma level here in Nepal. The IB programme is basically a progressive education system. It does have an examination at the end of the programme as the course does not focus much on the examination. It is a process of learning to prepare students for the college. It makes students capable of doing research, independent studies. So, with the diploma programme, students are taught and provided skills that make them independent learner.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Since A-level and IB both offer international curriculum, what makes IB different from A-levels?</strong></div>
<div>
	A-level is more exams oriented. At the end of the programme, there is exam which determines your achievement of the 2 years. However, with IB, over the two years, there are various assessments which make up to 40 to 50 per cent of the final grade. It is the learning process IB emphasizes on. Similarly, in A-levels, one has to take 4 or 5 subjects whereas in IB, the students have to compulsorily take 6 subjects.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Tell us about the IB curriculum</strong></div>
<div>
	The course is designed in such a way that a student has to take 6 subjects, one from each group. Group one is the best language or the first language. At Ullens, we offer Nepali literature, English literature and English language and literature. The second group is the second best language or it could be a new language. We offer English, Spanish and French under this group. The third group is the social sciences or humanities group. We offer social and cultural anthropology, economics, business management and environmental systems. The fourth group is the regular sciences-physics, chemistry, biology and environment. The fifth group is the math group. There are different levels of maths. If you want to be an engineer, one needs to take higher level maths. If you just want to study Economics or business, he needs to take standard level maths and there is math studies which is for weaker students in maths. Finally, the sixth group is of arts. We offer theatre under it. The sixth group is optional. One can either take the sixth group or one more subject from the 5 other groups.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Besides these six subjects, IB diploma students have to complete the core part. In the core, we have three subjects. The first one is the extended essay. It is basically a research paper, a mini thesis. The second one is the theory of knowledge. This is basically a subject where one is challenged to ask critical questions. The third one is the non-academic part of the core and is called creativity, action and service.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>What are the chances of an IB student to go to US for higher studies?</strong></div>
<div>
	Records show that universities give priority to IB diploma holders because they know that IB curriculum prepares students for universities. Students who have done IB have to go through rigorous academic work. So, universities prefer IB students. However, I would not like to guarantee it. If you have good grades in IB, there are higher chances of getting admission to universities all around the world.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>How do you perceive the current and future status of IB programme in Nepal?</strong></div>
<div>
	I think it is really catching up. There are lots of parents wanting to know about the IB diploma programme. Students who are studying in India want to come back to Nepal because IB is offered here. Lots of schools in India offer IB but they are comparatively very expensive. So, those students are coming back. Another interesting thing is that more schools in Nepal are also showing interest towards this programme.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Ullens School is the only school in Nepal that has been providing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started IB diploma in 2009. IB is an international degree and it’s headquarter is in Switzerland. Dinesh Lal Shrestha, IB coordinator of Ullens School recently talked to The Corporate’s Rashika Pokharel about this programme and its prospects. Excerpts:',
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			'title' => 'Visual Edit Vol 4 Issue 10',
			'sub_title' => '',
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			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'Visual Edit',
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			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies. According to sources, the match-making event was very useful for the Danish companies to find suitable business partners in Nepal. Above everything, the event proved that Danish businessmen are really interested to invest in Nepal. This is a big vote of confidence to Nepal. Let&rsquo;s hope this event will trigger a snowball effect for foreign investment in Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The situation of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nepal is not very encouraging. The country has received only Rs 18.9 billion FDI in the first seven months of the current fiscal year i.e. 2013/14 , Rs 19.94 billion in fiscal year 2012/13 and Rs 7.14 billion in the previous fiscal year. Against this backdrop, the initiative for business match-making taken by DANIDA is worth praising. It would be better if the international development agencies of other developed countries that are present in Nepal took their cue from DANIDA and organized similar match-making programmes in the future. Such efforts would be more fruitful than the annual grants they provide to Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business match-making is a popular international practice today. Match-making events are very useful in gathering the right people (businessmen) at one platform to explore business and investment opportunities through interaction among them. Several summits and conferences related to business and investment are organized in the country annually. Such programmes could be used as a platform for business match-making with a little homework and pre-planning. There are exclusive match-making companies in Europe and other countries which want to attract FDI. These companies organize business match-making events on a regular basis.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is huge prospect for such companies in Nepal. In Nepal, the match-making business could be a good business in itself. However, in the absence of exclusive match-making companies in the country, private sector umbrella organizations such as the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) should take the lead in business match making. After all, these umbrella organisations have been organizing a number of business summits and conferences every year for the past few years. The need is to use such summits and conferences as match-making events. If we can do this, genuine foreign investors will find genuine local partners to start new businesses or add strength to the existing ones.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The FNCCI in association with the government organized Nepal Economic Summit recently. In the Summit, FNCCI called on foreign investors to invest in 29 various projects. However, no foreign investor has come forward to invest in any of those projects so far. If this mega event were organised also as a match-making event, many foreign investors would have come and some of them might have shown interest in these projects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government, given the sad situation of FDI in the country, should do everything at its disposal to attract FDI. There is no harm if the government goes out of the way to attract foreign investment. For example, if foreign investors demand full tax exemptions for a certain period of time, the government should agree to such demands without any hesitation. This will surely help attract foreign investment. Foreign investment will create employment opportunities in the country. It would more than compensate the loss incurred by the tax exemption as foreign investment would create employment opportunities in the country. &nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Representatives of a dozen Danish companies visited Nepal last week seeking investment opportunities and business partners in the country. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) even organised a business match-making event in Kathmandu which was attended by 50 Nepali companies.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2742',
			'article_category_id' => '145',
			'title' => 'Infrastructure Development For Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By Sushil Ghimire</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country&rsquo;s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the situation of Nepal&rsquo;s tourism is far from being satisfactory. The reason behind such a situation is the political instability, coupled with general and vehicular strikes which can take place anytime. Such strikes create problems for the tourists to reach their hotels from the airport and from their hotels to other destinations. Such strikes also instill fear in the minds of the tourists. The result is: Nepal has been receiving only those tourists who are committed to visit Nepal. The tourists who leave their home countries for leisure trips abroad think twice before deciding to visit Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Tourism development in Nepal faced a number of hurdles during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But no tourist was harmed during the insurgency period. It was a positive development. However, the environment of terror created by the armed conflict seriously affected tourist arrivals in the country. The conflict also affected the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. Tourist arrival figures showed some improvement following the start of the peace process. Tourist arrivals increased by up to 25 per cent in the years following the start of the peace process in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, this is not enough for the development of tourism and economic prosperity in the country. We must develop tourism related infrastructures and we must expand road and aerial transportation. Similarly, we must maintain law and order in the country. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, doesn&rsquo;t have enough aircraft in its fleet. This is a major bottleneck in the development of&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepali tourism.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The government has already ordered to buy two aircraft for NAC. Similarly, the process to buy six aircraft from China has also started. Likewise, four twin-otters which are not in a condition to fly and are therefore parked at the hanger at Tribhuvan International Airport are going to be repaired. These developments are going to increase the number of flights and tourist arrivals in the future.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Moreover, we are trying to develop infrastructures in the Lumbini region so as to promote Buddha&rsquo;s birthplace as the main pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the globe. We have not been able to operate direct flights to and from countries like South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and China where a majority of the world&rsquo;s Buddhists live. This has affected the tourist arrivals from these countries.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the good news is that the process to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into an international airport has moved forward. Buddhists from around the globe will be able to make a direct visit to Lumbini once the international airport is built there within the next three years. The government has attached high priority to Lumbini. A master plan for the development of places like Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Niglihawa and Devdaha which are directly related with Buddha&rsquo;s life has been prepared. The plan is to link these places through a single road network and develop them as the Buddha circuit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	So far, the trend is such that tourists coming to Lumbini spend a couple of hours there and return. The challenge now is to extend their stay in Lumbini. To extend the tourists&rsquo; stay in Lumbini, we must develop infrastructures there. That&rsquo;s why the master plan has been made. Another important long-term plan named &lsquo;Vision 2020&rsquo; has been implemented in order to increase the tourist arrivals to two million over the next one decade. If we can implement this long-term plan without any hitches, we can receive even more tourists&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	in the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Though a small country, Nepal is quite rich in geographical diversity. The country stands a very good chance of being developed as a popular destination for adventure sports and tourism. One of the initiatives to grab this chance is the formation of a Mountain Sports Association at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Association has already started to organize both indoor and outdoor sports in the hilly and mountainous regions. Such sports include Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Badminton and athletics. Tourists who come from places that are at the sea level or even below the sea level are going to enjoy such sports organized at an altitude of 4000 to 5000 metres in Nepal. The Everest and Dhaulagiri marathons are being organized under the same programme.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Alongside the traditional tourism activities like trekking, mountaineering, jungle safari, pilgrimage and cultural tours, adventure sports is being developed as one of the diversified tourism products that Nepal has to offer. Adventure sports have very good prospects in Nepal because of its cool climate, round-the-year sunny days and clear skies. What&rsquo;s more, the young generation of the middle and upper middle class in neighbouring India and China has developed a special liking for travelling, trekking, and adventurous sports. It would be a good support to the economy if our adventure sports could attract them and youth from other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Today the rest of the world knows about Nepal &ndash; be it because of Lord Budhha or Mt Everest or perhaps even the decade-long armed Maoist conflict. What it means is we now need advertise new tourism destinations and products. For this we need to encourage domestic tourism because domestic tourists are a strong means of publicity.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	To grab all these opportunities in tourism, we need to develop the country&rsquo;s infrastructures. There should be enough roads, bridges and flights to reach any corner of the country; such infrastructures should be developed as early as possible. The reason is it&rsquo;s not possible to reach every destination on foot. We should have enough hotels, restaurants and home-stay packages at all our tourist destinations. Similarly, the tourism industry needs skilled and trained tour guides and porters. The state has already moved ahead with the plan to develop the country&rsquo;s tourism sector by managing all the above-mentioned issues. What we urgently need now is cooperation among all &ndash; the government, private sector and the local people. If we can work together, Nepal can become a great tourist destination over the next one decade.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
	<em>(The author is Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.)</em></div>',
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			'description' => 'Nepal’s tourism industry began with mountaineering, after the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. Since then, tourism in Nepal has come a long way; it has gradually been linked with the country’s cultural, religious and natural beauty. Today Nepal has earned the identity of an ideal destination for adventure, cultural, religious and leisure tourism.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2741',
			'article_category_id' => '141',
			'title' => 'Nepal Political Economic News In Brief (10-16 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>PM for Early Repatriation of Bhutanese Refugees</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal&rsquo;s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible. &ldquo;I have requested him [Bhutanese Prime Minister] to create a favourable environment for the respectful return of the refugees to their homes at a time when most of their offspring have settled abroad under third country rehabilitation programme while the elderly are still languishing in the refugee camps&rdquo;, the Prime Minister said after his meeting with the Bhutanese PM.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Local Polls Date Soon: Singh</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has said that the government has already initiated the preparations for holding the local elections. During his meeting with the office-bearers of Local Development Journalists&acute; Society in the Capital on March 4, Singh said the government has started the process of formulating necessary laws and acts and revising the existing ones to hold the local election. He added that the date for local polls would be announced soon on the basis of political consensus.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Budget on Time: FinMin</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented on time. Speaking at an interaction programme in the Capital, on Thursday (March 6), Minister Mahat said, &ldquo;I assure you that the country will have a full budget this year on time.&rdquo; The budget for the year 2013-14 was presented on time after two years, in July last year.Similarly, Dr Mahat said that constitution writing, security, good governance and economic development were the government&rsquo;s top priorities at present. He informed journalists that the new government will soon bring its policies and programmes.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Energy Minister Assures Power Supply in Evening</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government is planning regular power supply in the evening hours in the near future, according to Minister for Energy, Radha Gyawali. Addressing a function organised in the Capital to mark the International Women&rsquo;s Day, the Energy Minister said the people, mainly women and students, have been hit hard by power outage in the evening time. She then assured of no power outage in the evening (6 pm to 9 pm) everyday. Gyawali also said that the government was trying to end load-shedding within the next five years.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>&lsquo;Even This CA Can&rsquo;t Deliver Constitution&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung has ruled out the possibility of the present Constituent Asembly (CA) issuing the new constitution. Speaking at a press meet at Waling of Syangja district on March 8, Gurung said, &ldquo;Parties in the CA are quarreling with each other. People are pinning their hopes on such parties. But, it seems even this [Constituent] Assembly, too, cannot deliver the new constitution.&rdquo; Top leaders of the major four political parties were responsible for the dissolution of the previous CA, he claimed. Gurung also charged that the major parties tried to revive the 1990 Constitution through the first CA. &ldquo;But such efforts were aborted because of the protest by our party.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal’s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2740',
			'article_category_id' => '214',
			'title' => 'Weekly Round Up (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>First real Estate Survey</strong></span></div>
<div>
	In a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, &lsquo;Real Estate Business Survey 2014&rsquo;. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS. &ldquo;We have started collecting statistics from the real estate entrepreneurs from across the country,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;The Survey will find out the contribution of the real estate sector to the country&rsquo;s GDP. The commercial banks alone have invested more than Rs 61 billion in the real estate and housing sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Chief Secy Requests ADB to Make Assistance Effective</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel has stressed the need to make the assistance to Nepal by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) more effective. In a meeting with the members of the ADB Board of Directors at his office in Singha Durbar, Poudel said that the number of international consultants for ADB-funded projects needs to be decreased and the capacity of the civil servants associated with such projects needs to be enhanced. He also advised the visiting ADB Board Members to appoint Nepali consultants instead of foreign consultants in order to lower the project cost. In response, Mario Sander, executive director of ADB and leader of the delegation, said that Poudel&rsquo;s suggestions will be discussed by the full ADB Board of Directors once the visiting delegation returns to the ADB Headquarters, according to Mahendra Kumar Thapa, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Rs 192 mn Chinese Grant</strong></span></div>
<div>
	China has agreed to provide a grant assistance of nearly Rs 192 million to Nepal. An agreement to this effect was signed at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (March 5). Shanta Raj Subedi, the Finance Secretary of Nepal and Wu Chuntai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. The grant will be used for economic and technical cooperation projects and the projects of providing goods and materials agreed upon through consultations between the two countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Nepal Int&rsquo;l Trade Fair Kicks Off</strong></span></div>
<div>
	With the aim to promote exportable Nepali products, Nepal International Trade Fair 2014 kicked off in the capital on Thursday (March 6). President Dr Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the five-day fair organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) at Brikutimandap. &ldquo;The fair would help boost the export of Nepali products and attract foreign investment,&rdquo; said Dr Yadav. Similarly, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya said the fair would be vital for expanding markets for the Nepali goods as the fair has the participation of domestic and international entrepreneurs. Commerce and Supplies Secretary Madhav Prasad Regmi said the government has taken initiatives for the promotion of exportable products identified by the MoCS. Around 350 stalls are featuring various goods from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand at the fair. The main attractions of the fair are a herb festival and a special exhibition of precious jewelries. The herb festival is set at the premises of the International Trade Fair while NITF-Gems and Jewelry Show is being held at hotel Yak &amp; Yeti Hotel. The organisers expect around 1,500 foreign and 3,000 domestic entrepreneurs at the fair. Over 200,000 people are expected to visit the fair.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>ADB&rsquo;s $ 30 mn for Bagmati Conservation</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide an assistance of US $ 30 million to Nepal for the implementation of the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP). Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ADB&rsquo;s country director for Nepal, Kenichi Yokoyama signed an agreement to this effect at the Ministry of Finance on March 6. Of the assistance amount, loan assistance consists of US $ 25.5 million and grant US $ 4.5 million. The BRBIP, whose total cost is US $ 36 million, is expected to be completed in five years. The government will contribute US $ 6 million to the total cost of the BRBIP which will be implemented by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation and the Department of Irrigation. The Ministry of Urban Development is the executing agency of the project.&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'n a bid to assess the contribution of the real estate and housing sector to the economy, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has started, for the first time, ‘Real Estate Business Survey 2014’. The Survey which began on February 13 will include nearly 500 real estate entrepreneurs across the country, according to Suman Aryal, deputy director general of CBS.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2739',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Indian PM Keen To Visit Nepal',
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			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Mannmohan Singh" src="/userfiles/images/np1(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 223px;" />Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The Indian Prime Minister is very positive about the proposal and has said he will try his best to come in an official visit to Nepal before the General Election in India next month,&rdquo; said the PM. He also said that the visit was successful. This was PM Koirala&rsquo;s first foreign visit after assuming office. Addressing the BIMSTEC summit, PM Koirala had said the efforts of the BIMSTEC should be geared towards freeing the people from the poverty trap as this region confronts the formidable challenges of poverty.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Before leaving Myanmar, PM Koirala had met with Burmese nationals of Nepali origin and the Nepali community in the country. At a program organised at the Nepali embassy, he called on the Nepali community to invest in Nepal in areas prioritised by government such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism and infrastructure.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is positive about visiting Nepal. Dr Singh said so during a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, last week. PM Koirala who returned home with the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC on Thursday (March 6) told a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that he had extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during their meeting',
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			'id' => '2738',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'BIMSTEC Members Agree To Expedite Trade',
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			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The member states also reached agreements on Dispute Settlement Procedures and on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC free trade area.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The BIMSTEC Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) would expedite the process to close the deal on Trade in Goods by the end of 2014, and to continue efforts for finalising the agreement on Services and Investments, said the declaration adopted by the member states.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Summit also agreed to enhance cooperation in expanding skills and technology base of the member states through collaborations and partnerships, targeting micro, small and medium level enterprises. It was also decided to accelerate efforts for early finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Bimstec Technology Transfer Facility.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lauding BIMSTEC&rsquo;s third Energy Ministerial Meet-2014 held in Nepal, the member states also stressed the need for enhancing regional cooperation in the energy sector while declaring Bhutan as the next stop for the fourth Bimstec Energy Ministerial Meet in 2015 and India&rsquo;s Bengaluru as the Bimstec Energy Centre.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The meeting also reiterated the commitment to continue and enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture and decided to intensify efforts through joint research programmes to increase productivity. &ldquo;Resolve to enhance cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development and promote capacity building in the area of disaster management,&rdquo; said the statement.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The summit also reiterated the commitment to expand efforts to further people-to-people exchanges and linkages at various levels among the member states, including facilitating travels through the Bimstec Business Visa Scheme and Visa Exemption Scheme. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We have also agreed to implement the Bimstec Poverty Plan of Action adopted at the second Bimstec Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation held in January 2012 in Nepal,&rdquo; the statement said, welcoming the Sri Lankan offer to host the third edition in the first half of 2014. The seven-member regional body also agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the member states towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change.</div>',
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			'description' => 'The Third Summit of BIMSTEC concluded in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on March 4 with several key decisions, including one to finalise the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods as per the previously agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2727',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Man With A Balanced Lifestyle',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Ratna Raj Bajracharya, CEO of Global IME Bank, describes himself as a lovely person. A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable. &ldquo;Where there is a will, there is a way&rdquo; says Bajracharya who loves spending time with his family and sometimes even cooking for them. He leads a well-planned life and though he remains busy in work, he finds no problem in balancing work and home.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of travelling. He prefers visiting new places every time and this preference has dragged him to many countries across the world. &ldquo;I like visiting new places because they are exciting&rdquo; he says. Last year he went to Peru and Brazil along with his family. &ldquo;Holidays instil positive feelings and increases self-confidence. Similarly, it also helps enhancing productivity and vigour at work&rdquo;he said while sharing that he goes on a two-week vacation every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is very fond of reading books, especially non-fictions that motivate readers. Though he does not play any games, he loves watching games like tennis, football and cricket on TV. As a person who loathes idleness, he is always involved in something, be it at home or at office.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He loves listening to old Hindi, English and Nepali songs.He admires logical and sensible people and engages in rational discussions with them whether on social networking sites or in the real world. He has huge friendship base on facebook and opines that logical people are the asset of the nation.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Bajracharya is passionate about his profession and has desires to make some contribution to the society for which he wishes to engage in social work in future.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'A very positive person by nature, Bajracharya believes that problems are always solvable.',
			'sortorder' => '2578',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2733',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Kathmandu: World’s 5th Most Cheapest City',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div style="text-align: center;">
	<span style="font-size:10px;"><em>Photo Source :&nbsp;https://500px.com/photo/26501817/kathmandu-city-by-helminadia-ranford</em></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU&rsquo;s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last year, the city scored 50 points and was ranked 128th position in the WCOL index. India&rsquo;s financial hub Mumbai (ranked 131st) grabbed the top spot of least expensive city of the world followed by Pakistan&rsquo;s Karachi (130th) and Indian capital New Delhi (129th).&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	EIU prepared the index after an extensive survey on four factors - average USD prices of one kg loaf of bread, one bottle table wine, 20 branded cigarettes and one litre unleaded petrol. &nbsp;The survey, which has been carried out for more than 30 years, allows city-to-city comparisons, which is based on the city of New York that has an index set at 100 points.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The report finds that purchasing one kg loaf of bread in Kathmandu in current prices would cost USD 1.26 against USD 0.91 in Mumbai. The WCOL index informs that average price of one bottle table wine in Kathmandu is USD 18.98, cheaper by USD 1.61 compared to Mumbai where it costs USD 20.59. Similarly, the index puts average price of 20 branded cigarettes in Kathmandu at USD 1.53. Despite the price hike in the local market, the city saw price of a pack of branded cigarettes declining by 0.16 cents against last year&rsquo;s USD 1.69, the report states. Likewise, average price of one litre of unleaded petrol is USD 1.24 in Kathmandu, which is averaged at USD 1.21 in Mumbai.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Other least expensive cities in the list include Algiers (Algeria), Damascus (Syria), Bucharest (Romania), Panama City (Panama) and Saudi Arabian cities- Jeddah and Riyadh. The report also highlights some major issues in the cheapest cities. &ldquo;Outside India bargain hunters may be put off by the security risk in many of the countries in which the world&rsquo;s cheapest cities are found. Pakistan, Nepal, Syria and Algeria all feature in the bottom ten, but have had well documented security issues or domestic unrest,&rdquo; it says. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Singapore topped the index as the most expensive city in the world followed by Paris (France), Oslo (Norway), Zurich (Switzerland), Sydney (Australia), Caracas (Venezuela) Geneva (Switzerland), Melbourne (Australia), Tokyo (Japan) and Copenhagen (Denmark). According to the report, Tokyo fell down from the top spot due to the weaker Yen despite growing consumer confidence and price inflation.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2015-02-26',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Costs of living in Kathmandu may be frightening for Nepalis with average income. A latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), however, has shown different finding. According to the EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) 2014 index, Kathmandu is among the least expensive cities in the world. The metropolis is placed 5th in the list of 10 least expensive cities. The index measures cost of living in 131 cities across 93 countries. This year, Kathmandu moved up one place to 127th spot, scoring 44 points.',
			'sortorder' => '2577',
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	),
	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2732',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'Begani Group Strengthening Its Network',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Gaurav Aryal</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table align="right" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;" width="25">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<img alt="Amit Kumar Begani, CEO, Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s2%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 217px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div>
						<strong>Amit Kumar Begani</strong></div>
					<div>
						CEO, Begani Group</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	Begani Group&rsquo;s business seeds were sowed two decades ago with the launch of trading company by the first generation businessperson of the family. This trading company imported goods from China based on market and customer needs. Though initially small in quantity, later on the trade volume expanded. The company imported products ranging from shoes, umbrella to cars.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, presently the trading wing is not as active as it was in the past. At present, the group has shed the trader identity and is trying to develop &lsquo;manufacturing house&rsquo; identity for itself. The company started the manufacturing industry around one and a half decades ago. Amit Kumar Begani, CEO of the Group, who is the second generation businessperson in the family, says that his group produces vegetable ghee, vegetable oils in the food industry and woven fabrics in the plastic segment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Manufacturing Shift</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Food items were one of the major imports from China of the group&rsquo;s trading wing. While importing food items and sellingthem in the local market, Beganis comprehended the potential market for food products and decided to manufacture their own products instead of just trading. Considering the potential and prospects, the group started manufacturing vegetable ghee. In the days thereafter, the group gradually decreased the volume of imports of goods from China and started concentrating in the newly established venture.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present, the group is fully committed to the manufacturing sector though it has only two manufacturing companies, Nandan Ghee and Oil Industries and Nekon-KB Plasto Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, in its portfolio.The oil factory produces soyabean oil, sunflower oil and vegetable ghee under Nandan and Suruchi brands. Similarly, the plastic manufacturing unit produces packaging woven sacks for sugar, rice and other similar products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Elaborating on the factors for which the group invested in oil industry, Begani pointed that as a daily consumer product, the products have a stable and high demand. Similarly, he said that they invested in the plastic industry considering the need for supportive industry like theirs. He finds both of these industries essential for industrial development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market Positioning</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Terai and hilly regions are the niche market for the company&rsquo;s product. Though the company does not considers urban centres like Kathmandu as its target market, Begani informed that the Nandan and Suruchi oil brands do hold a small share of these markets. Likewise, the plastic factory has found its majority market abroad. Begani shares that 80 percent of woven fabrics and sacks are exported to India while 20 per cent is supplied to industrial customers within Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group has plans to improve its current market positioning. It is planning to expand its product portfolio and improve the quality of its existing products to gain competitive advantage in urban markets, where it looks forward to enter with a strongbranding and marketing campaign very soon. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><img alt="Begani Group" src="/userfiles/images/s3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;width: 300px; height: 347px;" />New Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani feels that the investment climate is yet to become favourable for investing in new ventures. One of the reasons, he finds acute in feeling so, is power shortage. Considering this feeling, he says that his company is working towards consolidating its existing market along with extending marketing for the company&rsquo;s product to reach new regions and new customers. With reduced focus on the trading business, the company is focused on strengthening its manufacturing business while keeping itself open to start new ventures once the overall investment scenario, including power cut, improves in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Strengthening the Network</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Begani shares that company&rsquo;s products are doing fairly well in the targeted market segment. As targeted, the products are popular in the Terai and hilly region markets. The sale graph in this market has been steadily growing up. However, the focus in urban areas is missing, which the group is willing to rectify in the days to come.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For increasing the performance and visibility of the products in all parts of the country, the group is strengthening its distribution network. Begani says that one of the immediate plans of the company is to expedite branding and promotion activities. As of now, the group has expanded its network into around 40 towns and villages across the nation. &nbsp;Stating that within a year the company will meet its new marketing target, Begani says, &ldquo;a strong network is must for stronger branding and effective promotional campaigns.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Managing the Group</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As of now, the group is a family business and is managedby the father-son duo. All of its factories are located in Birgunj industrial town while its corporate office that looks after financial, marketing and other management responsibilities is in Kathmandu.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group, employees 1500 people in all of its companies. To keep them motivated the company organises various recreational programmes such as annual picnic along with other motivational packages. The HR department looks after the need of the company&rsquo;s human resource while making time induced and demand based amendments to company&rsquo;s HR policy.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Begani Group&rsquo;s Competitive Advantages</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Facing steep competition from national and international competitors that continue adding,&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								the group has remained constantly on its toes for carve its own niche market and remain ahead of its competitors. According to the group, some of the factors instrumental for its growth and market rankings are:</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Strategic Location</span></strong></div>
							<div>
								The group says that all of its factories and offices boast of an excellent infrastructure whether in physical network connectivity or human resource. Furthermore, this strategic location has allowed the group to enjoy quick access to every major markets in Nepal while maintaining quality standards in its chain of operation.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Quality Products</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani Group claims that its brands like Nandan and Suruchi and other products have been well established in the target markets for their quality and high performance reliability.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing latest technical advancement</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Moving in tandem with its customer needs, which is constantly increasing, Begani Group and its companies are not only equipped with competent laboratory but also have been using the latest technical advances.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Production Facilities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Group&rsquo;s production plants is managed and operated bya team of quality oriented and competent personals. The reliability of the facilities is translated into action through continuity in the supply of high quality products to its customers, says Begani. The group aims to manufacture high quality products with the most efficient facilities, satisfying all safety standards and regulations. &ldquo;Our plants are built based on the latest technology and equipped with advanced engineering control and safety devices to ensure the protection of our employees, environment, and the community,&rdquo; he adds.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Group&rsquo;s Strengths</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says that the group is flexible to innovate and launch new products that cater to the changing needs and demands of the market. &ldquo;We started with vegetable ghee and then added sunflower and soybean and mustard oil in our product range,&rdquo; says Begani. The company initially used to sell them in the packages of 15 kilograms but later adopted smaller packaging sizes to cater to general public&rsquo;s needs. &ldquo;Flexibility and making quick decisions is one of our strengths,&rdquo; boasts Begani.</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Market opportunities</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								The group sees numerous opportunities developing in the market. The growing demand because of increased purchasing capacity of customers is one of the opportunities the group sees. Begani says that Nepali consumers have become more brand conscious these days because of increased international exposure. He adds that the demand for premium and quality products is increasing along with demand for new range of products such as olive oil.&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								&nbsp;</div>
							<div>
								<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Competition</strong></span></div>
							<div>
								Begani says the market competition is constantly increasing along with the swelling market size. He says that presence of 16 vegetable oil companies is making the competition tougher. Therefore, to overcome the competition, the group is focusing on branding to win over the competitors. He adds that the company is willing to bring its products to larger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara through stronger branding and higher quality promises. He reveals that within two to three years, these products will be making inroads in these cities.&nbsp;</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Begani Group of companies is creating ground for its growth and concentrating on increasing market visibility of its products.',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2730',
			'article_category_id' => '156',
			'title' => 'The Hidden Pleasures Of Busywork',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Rachel Emma Silverman</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Rote tasks&mdash;mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox&mdash;may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The study, led by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine along with colleagues at Microsoft Research, examined how employees&rsquo; mood and attention change when performing various activities at work, such as responding to email or checking Facebook -1.47 per cent.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;With rote work, you get a feeling of accomplishment, but you haven&rsquo;t exerted a lot of mental activity,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;It gives you a feeling of fulfillment, but there&rsquo;s not frustration&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	or stress.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The researchers&rsquo; findings provide a picture of how boredom and focus change throughout the day&mdash;and what digital tasks make workers happiest.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Focus, they found, peaks in the mid-afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. and also rises in late morning, around 11 a.m., after workers have time to gear up. (After 3, however, workplace focus drops precipitously.) &nbsp;Meanwhile, people are most bored early in the afternoon, soon after lunch&mdash;and not surprisingly, on Mondays.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It takes time to ramp up and get into a focused and productive state,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t hit the ground running.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although the sample was small&mdash;just 32 Microsoft workers in a wide range of job titles&mdash;the researchers studied them intensely, collecting more than 1,500 hours of observational data and 91,000 data points about mood and attention. Participants were regularly prompted by pop-up questionnaires on their work screens day asking them to report how engaged and challenged they were by the task they were doing at that moment.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Workers may say they want a challenge, but the researchers found that employees were actually less happy doing work they rated as difficult, involving a lot of attention and engagement, such as reading and responding to emails.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Focus involves a kind of stress and people aren&rsquo;t generally happy when they are stressed,&rdquo; says Dr. Mark. By contrast, &ldquo;rote work is effortless, so you can get gratification for getting things done.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another mood booster? Facebook. The researchers found that occasionally &ldquo;grazing&rdquo; the social network seemed to provide a refreshing break for workers, boosting their happiness. &nbsp;Unlike responding to email or chit-chatting with colleagues, making a quick trip to Facebook doesn&rsquo;t require much focus or stress, Dr. Mark says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The research will be presented at a panel on workplace distraction at the SXSW Interactive conference on Saturday, and is forthcoming for publication in April at the Proceedings of the Computer-Human Interaction Conference 2014. (blogs.wsj.com)</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-10',
			'keywords' => 'the corporate weekly from Nepal, nepali corporate events – news – interviews – reviews, nepali corporate focus, nepali corporate status and news, news from nepali corporate industry, corporate happenings – events – news from nepal',
			'description' => 'Rote tasks—mindless at-work activities such as surfing the Web or deleting the inbox—may sound a bit mind-numbing. But new research has found that people are actually happiest on the job doing unchallenging assignments.',
			'sortorder' => '2575',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2728',
			'article_category_id' => '153',
			'title' => 'Nepali RMG Waiting For Its Revival',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Since quota phase out Nepali readymade garment (RMG) industry has observed numerous ups and down along with huge challenges but the government is yet to show serious concern for its revival. During the industry&rsquo;s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the garment exporters, the industry is yet to see the light of day. Though there are queries for export orders and production but it&rsquo;s far below the satisfactory level. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s true that the industry is receiving queries from the international market mainly from the European Union but the queries and export orders are yet not satisfactory,&rdquo; Ashok Kumar Agrawal, general secretary at the Garment Association - Nepal (GAN) said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Full implementation of Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on January 2005 ended 40 years of quota based trade of textiles and garment. The expiry of the quota system has not only resulted in the drastic decline of the Nepali RMG export but has also led to the closure of manufacturing units.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;Though quota phase out has affected our industry but we are still waiting for the government to lobby for the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) in the United States which used to be the top garment importer of our country,&rdquo; said Agrawal. According to him, though the GSP facility is available in EU, the quantity of order still remains low. &ldquo;We need the government support and special programmes for the revival of the industry,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Another major reason for this critical situation of the garment industry is insufficient commitment at the industry and policy making levels for responding to foreseen adjustment problems in trade without quota. &ldquo;We are committed towards capacity building and policy innovation for responding to the changed scenario through active coordination between private sector and the government&rdquo;, Agrawal said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	At present garment manufacturers are receiving orders for traditional readymade garments such as traditional stitching, designs and handmade embroidery. In midst of other troubles, the industry is also running sort of sufficient skilled labour force. &nbsp;Though comparative statistics of the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) show an increment of around 50 per cent in total garment exports in the past six months&rsquo;, exporters allude this increase to the spike in dollar exchange rates during the period. Total export of Nepali garment in 2012-13 was worth Rs 1.811 billion, which increased by 50.4 per cent with a total export of Rs 2.72 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year, states the TEPC statistics.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Export of Garment" src="/userfiles/images/f3%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 200px; height: 314px;" />Present Scenario of Nepali Garment Industry&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Exporters looking forward for revising GSP facility to the US</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The US GSP programme for Nepal expired on July 31, 2013, which has further hit the declining export of Nepali RMG to its top buyer: United States. However the garment exporters are hopeful that the government will take initiatives to revise the GSP facility. During the first meeting of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in the US, Nepal had raised the issue of GSP facilitation for garments. Nepali entrepreneurs had also underlined the need to revise GSP during the first joint council meeting of Nepal and US to clear trade hurdles.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Proper cash incentive scheme can create new opportunities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has only fixed one per cent cash incentive for readymade garments. Earlier, it used to provide two to three per cent cash incentive. This amendment failed to encourage the overall export sector. Garment exporters, find this incentive scheme unjustified and call for revising it.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The garment industrialist waiting for the inclusion of Nepali Garment in the NTIS revised priority list</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Failure to increase the export figures and lack of new markets for products in the NTIS priority list has raised concerns among the exporters about the advantage of being listed in the priority list. According to the exporters the government should have included readymade garments along with woodcraft and stone craft in the NTIS priority products. Garments, carpets, pashmina and handicraft products were defined as special focus area for export promotion. Despite having a large share in the total exportable products of the country and despite being recognized as product with comparative advantage by the Nepal Trade and Competitiveness study, readymade garments still remains out of the NTIS priority products list.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Search for new destination&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Nepali readymade garment has plans to explore Australian market as its new export destination. According to GAN, Australia already has been importing large quantity of readymade garments from India, Bangladesh and Srilanka and it can be a good opportunity for the country if the Australian market could be researched. In the past single market concentration has hurt the Nepali readymade garment sector and this fact has necessitated the diversification of market for its products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepali Garments" src="/userfiles/images/f1%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 362px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
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			'description' => 'During the industry’s heyday, the sector alone used to export RMG products worth more than Rs 12 billion but recent statistics do not show any distinct progress.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2729',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Technical Analysis Of Nepse (3 - 9 March 2014)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Trend</strong></span></div>
<div>
	After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors. Due to this decrease, Nepse also fell below its immediate support level of 806.82 points which indicates a bearish sentiment in the near term. Though the psychological support level remains at 800.00 points, the next support level is at 769.51 points. However, it is still above its 50-day moving average, which indicates that the market has not entered a bearish trend yet. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>RSI</strong></span></div>
<div>
	RSI is a form of leading indicator that is believed to be most effective during periods of sideways movement. Such indicators may create numerous buy and sell signals that are useful when the market is not clearly trending upwards or downwards. With the decreasing market, the RSI also fell by 16.90 points to settle at 53.28 levels, which indicated a greater selling pressure in recent times. If RSI maintains at this level within the neutral zone, it would indicate a balanced supply and demand scenario for stocks. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>MACD</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The MACD is a momentum oscillator formed by using two different types of moving averages, which provides specific buying or selling signals. When a MACD line crosses above the signal line, it is considered to be a positive sign and indicates a time to buy, and vice-versa. On March 04, 2014, the MACD line once again crossed below the Signal line indicating that the overall near term momentum may still be in the downward direction. As of the last trading day of the week, the MACD line and the Signal line ended at 9.72 and 12.32 points respectively, suggesting that the near term moving average is falling at a greater momentum than the longer term moving average.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>On Balance Volume (OBV)</strong></span></div>
<div>
	On Balance Volume is a momentum indicator that relates volume to the current price of index or security. If a price increase is supported by OBV, it confirms an uptrend, whereas if a price decrease is supported by OBV, it confirms a downtrend. In the past week, the OBV indicator has declined at a greater pace when compared to that of Nepse. The recent trend in volume suggests that the market has been in a selling mood this past week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Market Summary</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>(March 03 to 06, 2014)</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Close (March 06):</strong> 805.65</div>
<div>
	<strong>High (March 03):</strong> 811.04</div>
<div>
	<strong>Weekly Change:</strong> -20.05 (-2.43%)</div>
<div>
	<strong>Daily average Turnover:</strong> NPR 298.41 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Total Weekly Turnover: </strong>NPR 1193.67 Million</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Support:</strong> 769.51</div>
<div>
	<strong>Immediate Resistance:</strong> 831.86</div>
<div>
	<strong>RSI:</strong> 53.28</div>
<div>
	<strong>MACD Line:</strong> 9.72</div>
<div>
	<strong>Signal Line:</strong> 12.32</div>',
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			'created' => '2014-03-10',
			'modified' => '2014-03-26',
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			'description' => 'After 4 weeks of continued positive gains, Nepse ended this week on a lower note. Declining three of the four trading days, the stock index decreased by 20.05 (-2.43%) to end at 805.65 points the last week. One of the major reasons for the recent downtrend can be attributed to news about the central bank tightening margin lending so as to divert loans into productive sectors.',
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