China Eases One-Child Policy

Nov 30, -0001 0 1 minutes 41 seconds to read

…

4 Out Of 5 Farmers Lack Access To Loans

Nov 30, -0001 0 1 minutes 41 seconds to read

…

ADB Ups Support For Projects Promoting Sustainable Development

Nov 30, -0001 0 1 minutes 31 seconds to read

…

NE Group: Expanding Perpetually

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…

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Business Briefs (23 - 29 December 2013)

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No Laughing Matter

The Sweet Rewards of Power

By Madan Lamsal

. . .
read more »

NEPSE

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			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China&#39;s top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country&#39;s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People&#39;s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November. The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country. They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation. Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age - which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbours, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the Standing Committee also decided to China&#39;s notorious labour camps. &nbsp;The decision to close the labour camps puts an end to a controversial punishment system long criticised for its human rights abuses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The network, which was created in the 1950s based on the Soviet Gulag, allowed the Chinese police to send anyone to prison for up to four years without a trial. A labour camp sentence was almost impossible to appeal. China had 260 labour camps holding 160,000 inmates at the start of this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Watch.</div>
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			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers,&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the Report, 3,831,093 households in the country own land. Out of them, only 835,921 households (21.81 per cent) have availed agro loans. This means a whopping 2,995,172 households do not have access to bank loans. The Report says that of the total farm households, 42 per cent have said that they need agro loans.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Nepal Bankers&rsquo; Association and CEO of Citizens Bank International, Rajan Singh Bhandari informed The Corporate that though banks have increased their investment in the agriculture sector, the banks have not been able to take financial services to all farmers. &ldquo;The commercial banks lack the capacity to take financial services to all the farming households in the country,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Development Bankers Association, Nepal, and CEO of Kaliash Development Bank, Krishna Raj Lamichhane accepts that the agricultural loan flow from the BFIs at present is not enough. &ldquo;We need a special policy to increase farmers&rsquo; access to financial services,&rdquo; says Lamichhane.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The latest census shows that of the farmers who have taken loans for agricultural purpose, 34.57 per cent have borrowed from their relatives. Similarly, 16.61 per cent of such farmers have borrowed from the Agricultural Development Bank, 8.67 per cent from the commercial banks, 15.67 per cent from cooperatives, 9.73 per cent from farmers&rsquo; groups, 12.95 per cent from women&rsquo;s groups, and 5.78 per cent have borrowed from &lsquo;others&rsquo;.</div>',
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a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.',
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			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. &quot;Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific&rsquo;s Future&quot; shows that in 2011&ndash;2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts. The projects promoted growth while at the same time enhancing access to basic services such as water supply, education, and health, and helping beneficiaries mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, among others. &quot;During the same period, ADB approved 112 projects with an environmental sustainability focus totaling more than $13 billion ― a 50% increase over the previous two years. It invested $4.4 billion in clean energy-related initiatives to provide an additional 2,125 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity across the region over 2011 and 2012,&quot; informed the report.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In response to the growing climate change threat, in 2012 alone, ADB approved climate-related finance of $3.4 billion while transport investments, including low-carbon projects, in 2012 totaled nearly $4 billion. According to the report, at the corporate level, ADB promoted sustainability by further reducing the per person use of water, electricity, and paper, and the waste generated at its headquarters, where 77% of its staff work.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	ADB is consistently run with the lowest overhead among multinational development banks, according to Standard and Poor&rsquo;s. In 2012, ADB became the first multilateral development bank to attain ISO 50001 certification for energy management, with measures taken to &ldquo;green&rdquo; its headquarters building, including installing solar panels and collecting rainwater. To improve access to information, an updated Public Communications Policy was launched in 2012.</div>',
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			'description' => 'The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. "Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific’s Future" shows that in 2011–2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts',
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			'title' => 'NE Group: Expanding Perpetually',
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			'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="Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman, NE Group" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 222px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div style="text-align: center;">
						<div>
							<strong>Ravi Bhakta Shrestha</strong></div>
						<div>
							<em>Vice Chairman, NE Group</em></div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal&rsquo;s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With a belief and optimism for the better future, NE Group has some growth plans up its sleeve to expand in the days to come. The group that has been primarily been concentrated in the manufacturing and trade sectors is now looking into the service industry with much enthusiasm and dedication. Shrestha says that his group will be exploring more into the health and tourism sectors where it already has some investments.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing Prospects</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Shrestha optimistically says, &ldquo;We see numerous potentials in the future. The political situation has now shown signs of improvement. Once we achieve the much awaited stability, there are many reasons to get encouraged.&rdquo; Not only NE Group, but the business community will be more confident to make investments through domestic as well as foreign sources, he adds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Foreseeing the brighter days to come, the group promises to venture into newer sectors like herbal industry and high value agriculture. Hydropower is also one of the priority sectors of the group. Shrestha reveals that talks are going on with South Korean investors regarding energy development but added that details are yet to be finalised.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group sees itself prosper in the service industry. So, the group is planning to come up with boutique hotels outside the Kathmandu valley. Though Shrestha denied elaborating into details, he says that the group has identified a couple of places for establishing hotel. Likewise, the group is also planning to expand its SRL Diagnostic Centre as a wellness centre. He claims that SRL Diagnostics laboratory is South East Asia&rsquo;s largest diagnostic lab and the group has established it here which he says is the most modern lab in Nepal. Shrestha is hopeful that a couple of projects in the service sector will be launched within a year or two.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With an aim to expand into the tourism sector, the group has acquired 1,020,144 shares held by Oberoi Hotels Pvt Ltd, an international hotel chain, in Soaltee Hotel Ltd. Sibkrim Land and Industries, subsidiary of the group acquired the entire stakes worth Rs 142.82 million in 2012.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Prime Focus</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The prime line of business for the group has always remained manufacturing and trading but has now expanded into banking, insurance, distribution, international trading, consulting services and project development. Similarly, the group also has presence in hospitality, health and education sector. &nbsp;Likewise, the group is one of the major promoters in United Insurance and Himalayan Bank Limited. Shrestha claims that United Insurance comes among top five insurance companies of Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group used to export some of its products to the foreign markets but Shrestha now says that the domestic market has surged a lot so, the group has been concentrating only in the domestic market at present.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a recent move into the food and beverage business, the group has recently opened Barista-Lavazza, a chain of Italian coffee shops in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group has trusted multinational brand names as joint venture in its portfolio. With a joint venture with Unilever, it has been producing numerous consumer products needed for the domestic market from its factory in Hetauda. Shrestha says that it is the listed company &nbsp;that provides highest dividend to its shareholders every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="NE GROUP" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 319px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Management Approach</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though the group was established as a family owned business, it has now taken the path of professionally managed corporate house. Shrestha says that it is the need of the time that has increased the value of human resource. &ldquo;Success depends on the quality of human resource,&rdquo; he says. The group has given utmost value to professionalism. And, it has assigned individual professionals with relevant responsibilities who look after the companies and regularly brief to the board of directors that gives necessary suggestions and takes action as needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group is employing 250 people in its companies and factories. Human resource management is also done by the HR department of each of the companies. A weekly meeting is held where the issues are communicated and necessary action is taken. &ldquo;The group is moving ahead in a purely professional and independent fashion,&rdquo; says Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CSR Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The group with a promise to give back to the society established IJ charitable trust in 1981. &nbsp;According to Shrestha, the Trust, a non-profit and self-funded organisation, is most active in aiding the good health and education of underprivileged children. Likewise it has been making contributions also for the preservation of Nepali culture. The Trust has also created a long-term sustainable fund for the Paediatric department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to provide financial help to needy children for medical treatment. It also honours renowned writers, artists and ethnic persons who have made significant contributions to the society. In 1985, the Trust established the I.J pioneer High School in Hattiban, Lalitpur which provides quality education and extra-curricular activities to more than seven hundred students. The school also provides free scholarship to 100 needy and talented students each year, shares Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<div>
									<div>
										<div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Growth as a Group</strong></span></div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												NE Group of today once was a small garment store, a family owned business initiated by Ravi Bhakta Shrestha&rsquo;s grandfather. The garment store gradually expanded into a business of money exchange service when there were no banks and other financial services in the country.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the trade relationship with India kept on growing along with the growth of trade volume with the southern neighbour, first generation businessmen of Shrestha family also involved in trading of tea. The trading business did not limit to India alone. Shrestha says that his family was the first in Nepal to establish trade relationship with South Korea in 1968. Then South Korea&rsquo;s economy was rapidly growing. Shrestha used to import garments and construction materials from there. However, the licensing system prohibited the group to expand the trade volume as it wished. Similarly, in the trade front, the group once exported some products like musk and peacock feathers to international market.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												As an important milestone towards industrial concentration, the NE Group in partnership with Jalan group of India acquired Ganapati Cotton Mill in Biratnagar that had remained closed for quite some time. However, the factory was again closed down after operating for few years because of labour and other issues. Likewise, the group acquired Nepal Synthetic Industry in Hetauda and expanded it. The group also once had two iron mills in Biratnagar and Hetauda.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the business moved onto Shrestha&rsquo;s shoulder, he kept on expanding his family business, following the footsteps of his father. He says that one of the most important and biggest moves he made was signing an agreement with Unilever. This tie-up has given extra edge to the group in its growth as a large business house that it is today, says Shrestha.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Some Companies and Subsidiaries of NE Group</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/sl%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 92px;" />National Ice Cream Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													This company was established in 2009 as a joint venture between NE Group and The Nanglo Group. National Ice Cream Pvt Ltd produces premium frozen dessert in a state-of-the-art 18,500 sq ft manufacturing unit located at Balaju Industrial District, Kathmandu. The company claims that it has ensured high quality and maintenance of stringent hygiene standards throughout the manufacturing and distribution cycle with a fulltime team of professional food and dairy technologists. The company produces ice cream under Azzabko brand. Azzabko products are available in over 500 retail stores, restaurants and hotels across the country.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="NICM" src="/userfiles/images/sl1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 133px;" />NICM</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2006, National Investment &amp; Capital Market Limited (NICM) provides Asset Management, Investment Banking, Research, Consultancy And Training services all under one roof. The management is supported by Citizen Investment Trust, a public fund manager and merchant banker. NICM has an issued capital of Rs 150 million and is due to be listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<img alt="National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 69px;" /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd, established in 1996 is a large scale industrial until at Hetauda Industrial Estate, Makwanpur manufacturing laundry soaps, powdered detergents and hair oil. The company provides back-end production and packaging capabilities for the leading brands of Unilever Nepal such as OK laundry soap and Wheel detergent powder.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Unilever Nepal Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl3%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 110px;" />Unilever Nepal Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 1993 as a joint venture between Hindustan Unilever (formerly Hindustan Lever) and Sibkrim Land &amp; Industrial Co (a subsidiary of NE Group), Unilever aims to meet the everyday needs of Nepali household, to anticipate the aspiration of consumers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services to raise their quality of life. The company manufactures international brands such as Sunsilk Hair products, Close Up, Pepsodent, Wheel Detergent Powder, OK Laundry Soap, Axe Deodorants, Dove, Fair and Lovely, Lifebouy, Lux, Lakme, Ponds and Vaseline amongst others. The company is listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="United Insurance Co Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl4%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 112px;" />United Insurance Co Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													United Insurance started its operation on December 1, 1993 (Mangsir16, 2050) after its registration with the Company Registrar&rsquo;s Office and approval by Insurance Board. The company is promoted by leading industrialists and reputed trading and commercial houses of Nepal and is publically listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange. The authorised capital of the company is Rs 150 million.&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Life Care Services Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl5%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 65px;" />Life Care Services Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2010 as a joint venture between Life Care Services Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of NE Group) and Super Religare Reference Laboratories India, it is one of the largest diagnostic networks in South and South-East Asia. Through SRL&rsquo;s expertise, the lab provides international standard diagnostic services in the country offering over 3500 tests covering most diseases. The lab is located at Mahrajgunj, Kathmandu and boasts 12 collections centres across the country in cities such as Dharan, Pokahara, Biratnagar, Nepalganj, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Dhangadi, Dharan and Janakpur.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
											</div>
										</div>
									</div>
								</div>
							</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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' => 'As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal’s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.',
			'sortorder' => '2205',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2360',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Nepse’s Bull Run Looses Steam',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Sanjeev Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country&rsquo;s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The fall in Nepse was attributed by decrease in all sub-indices traded in the day. Insurance sub-index was the biggest loser with a fall of 71.19 points (3.31%). Similarly, the sub-indices of Hotel, Commercial banks and Hydropower fell by 28.46 points, 6.11 points and 17.91 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index lost (11.75 points) followed by Finance sub-index (0.21 points) and development Banks (0.47 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Sunday total 991,476 units of share of 108 companies were traded through 3,138 transactions, which worth Rs. 402.81 million&rsquo;s turnover. The total market capitalization was registered at Rs 792.44 billion.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Corrected by 8 points Last Week</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Snapping 6 weeks of straight gains, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index made correction of 8 points last week. Nepse, retreated back from 805.65 points of previous week&rsquo;s closing to close at 787.36 points last week. As the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Dr Yubaraj Khatowoda warns investors about the risks posed by &lsquo;stock market bubble&rsquo;; the benchmark index slips from its near five-year high level. Similarly, the profit booking strategy of exuberant investors also contributed to Nepse&rsquo;s correction. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For the week ending 27th December, the number of transaction at Nepse totaled to 15,000 with bought and sold of 537.30 million units of shares worth Rs 2.27 billion in the stock market. In the mean time weekly turnover increased by 7.85 per cent, compared to the previous week. Likewise, the number of transaction and number of share units went up by 53.01 per cent and 7.45 per cent respectively for the week.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the weekly turnover, shares of the Nepal Bank Limited reached the top spot in the market. The bank also climbed to no 1 spot in terms of the number of units of share being transacted for the week. Nepal Telecom, meanwhile, maintained its top spot in terms of market capitalization for the week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On the first day (Sunday), Nepse index, edged down by 10.46 points to settle at 795.19 points. The second day (Monday) of the weekly trading marked another decline, with the Nepse losing 26.47 points to close at 768.72. On the third day (Tuesday), the index tested the immediate support at 753, however, bounced back and rose by 8.86 points to close at 777.58. On Wednesday, the stock market was closed due to Christmas holiday. The last day of the weekly trading (Thursday) Nepse index attempted to break a resistant at 806. But, it could not succeed and returned back. However, for the day Nepse gained 10.46 points to settle at 787.36.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last week marked the volatility of share prices of most of the sub-indices. Insurance sub-index was the biggest gainer with a rise of 93.69 points. This is the second consecutive weekly gain for the Insurance sub-index. Similarly, the sub-index of finance companies and development banks gained 2.91 points and 0.59 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index was the biggest loser (21.31 points) for the week followed by Banking sub-index (13.97 points), Hydropower (10.14 points) and Hotel (8.32 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Sensitive Index of Nepse, which represents the share trading of class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies (most of which are considered as blue chip stocks) went down by 2.47 points. Manufacturing sub-index remained same as earlier weeks.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although shares of 139 companies were transacted during the week, 55 companies observed a gain, while shares price of 56 companies declined last week. Shares price of 28 companies remained unchanged over the period.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepse Index" src="/userfiles/images/indx%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 372px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country’s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class ‘A’ listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.',
			'sortorder' => '2204',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2359',
			'article_category_id' => '135',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Trade Expo- 2014',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:18px;">Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Pradeep Kumar Kedia" src="/userfiles/images/VC%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 229px;" />&lsquo;The Expo can form the basis of rapid economic development.&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Pradeep Kumar Kedia</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Sr. Vice President, BiCCI</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The international trade expo, which is going to be held in Birgunj, a major commercial hub of the country, is a solid way to promote trade. It can also be utilized as a platform to better manage our internal and external markets. For instance, the Expo will be a good platform for exchanging information about our local products including their specialties and comparative advantage. This will be important as we have found that in many cases even the domestic consumers are ignorant about the domestic products. This ignorance is a big hurdle in promoting the local products in the domestic market.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will bring the producers and consumers together at the same platform, two-way communication about the various aspects of the products displayed in the Expo will be possible. This will greatly promote the use of domestic products. Import substitution is not possible without the easy availability of and enough information about the domestic products. Thus, the Expo will be a good opportunity for reducing imports and promoting the consumption of domestic products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will feature products and technologies from outside the country as well, we can expect a lot of interaction on the diversity of products and their usability. This will help in increasing productivity through the exchange of technology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is incurring a huge trade deficit at present. The export import ratio is 1:8 at present. The Expo will help increase our exports and thus there is a huge possibility of reducing the trade deficit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have a huge trade deficit with India for the simple reason that the bulk of our international trade is with India. As a high number of Indian producers and traders will participate in the Expo, we can be hopeful that the interaction with them will help in promoting our exports to the southern neighbour. In this way the Expo will be a golden opportunity which can form the basis of the country&rsquo;s rapid economic growth. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="KC Lamichane,  Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa" src="/userfiles/images/VC1%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 227px;" />&lsquo;Good opportunity for economic development&rsquo;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>KC Lamichane&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The country should march forward to the direction of social and economic transformation by institutionalizing the political change. There is always a threat of losing political achievements if the economic situation of the country is not sound. There is unfavourable environment for industrial development and degradation of the rule of law at present which leads to sluggish economic development. Economic activities amidst such instability can lead the country towards economic stability.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We consider Birgunj as the financial capital of the country as 70 per cent of total industrial investment and 60 per cent of commercial transaction takes place in this city. With this background, &lsquo;Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014&rsquo; is being organized by Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Minds Nepal in association with other commercial houses in Birgunj.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The organizers are expecting a business transaction of around Rs 200million while around 500,000 visitors are anticipated to visit the Expo. The organizers have various other bases to anticipate the success of this Expo. Since Birgunj is located near the border, Indian citizens are also expected to visit this Expo. The commercialization of local products and promotion of local and international services in the Expo can play the role in promoting export, strengthening economic mechanisms and import substitution.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The world has moved ahead in technology. Moving forward by incorporating the technology can increase competitiveness. The Nepali economy can develop with the use of new technologies. The economic activities in the country have been sluggish with the decline in the productive sector. The Expo can play a significant role to reenergize the Nepali economy in the international market.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Expo should focus mainly on two things. First, it should announce the Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor as an industrial corridor by mounting some kind of pressure on the state for infrastructure development. Similarly, this Expo will help in the creation of jobs, sharing of technical knowledge and exploring market for goods and services.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We need cooperation and coordination among all the concerned stakeholders to make the Expo a grand success.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Ravindra Kumar Barnawal" src="/userfiles/images/VC2%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 231px;" />&lsquo;The Expo will have a multidimensional effect&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Ravindra Kumar Barnawal</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Secretary, Birgunj&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Coordinator</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Stall booking sub-committee</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Nepal-India Business&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Expo-2014</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepal-India Expo Trade that is to be held in Birgunj is a golden opportunity for Nepal and other neighboring countries to flourish their business. It is equally important for the other countries as well as this Expo will provide them the platform to create market for their services and technology. Apart from Nepal and India, products from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan will be displayed in the Expo. Even though the main aim of this Expo is to flourish trade, it is undoubtedly true that it will leave a positive impact on other sectors as well. Thus, its effects are multidimensional. The trade Expo will not only help to provide international recognition to Nepali products, but also to promote our products in the Indian market. &nbsp;The Expo that is scheduled to take place in Birgunj, the economic capital of Nepal, will help to set a milestone in the growth of the national economy while also providing opportunity for increment for exports. It can be guaranteed that while helping in the development of the industrial sector, the Expo will also help in solving the problem of unemployment. Even today, 7 hundred thousands of Nepali manpower is working abroad which has caused shortage of skilled manpower here in the country. Such types of Expo will be productive in leading the country towards economic growth by increasing internal as well as external trade through industrialization. Similarly, the Expo will also contribute in minimizing business loses through increase in exports. As the bulk of our trade deficit is with India, the Expo should focus on lowering the trade deficit. The Expo will also provide an opportunity to resolve bilateral trade barriers. Nepal&rsquo;s agricultural sector is still traditional and we have not been able to focus on production of goods that have comparative advantage. So, it is essential that we take information about agricultural technology from India and even if we decide to adopt it, we can expect the outcome to be positive. Likewise, the Expo equally focuses on diversification. The Expo will also provide trainings from experienced trainers on various issues such as branding of education, trade and products and corporate communication.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:',
			'sortorder' => '2203',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2312',
			'article_category_id' => '46',
			'title' => '“Nepal-India-China Trilateral Mechanism Needed For Nepal’s Power Development”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 16px;">Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also. &nbsp;Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people &nbsp;and assists in sustainable development.&nbsp;<strong>Kul Man Ghising</strong>, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to&nbsp;<strong>Siromani Dhungana</strong>&nbsp;of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal&rsquo;s hydropower sector.&nbsp;<strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What is the progress of power projects being developed by your company?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We have four projects under Chilime Hydropower Company, namely Sanjen, Mid-Bhotekoshi, Rasuwagadhi and Bemdang. We have been developing all these projects through our subsidiary companies -- Sanjen Jalavidhyut Company, Madhya Bhotekohi Jalavidhyut Company, Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company and Bemdang Khola. Mid-Bhotekoshi with an installed capacity of 102 MW in Sindhupalchowk district is being developed through Madhya Bhotekoshi. Sanjen is &nbsp;developing two projects&ndash;Sanjen of 42.5 MW and Upper Sanjen &nbsp;of 14.8 MW capacity in Rasuwa district. Rasuwagadhi Hydropower is developing a new project - 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Project in Rasuwa district. We have almost completed all pre-construction tasks including procurement process and taking EIA certificate and other clearances. All these projects will start construction by the end of the current fiscal year. Among these four projects, the progress of Sanjen is rapid. We have planned to complete all works of Sanjen project by 2016 and other projects by 2017.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The first project developed by your company is often cited as an ideal model for Nepal&rsquo;s power projects. And more examples of such successful model were expected from your company. But none of the projects in the pipeline viz. Sanjen, Madhya Bhote Koshi and Rasuwagadhi are complete so far. Why this delay?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	I do not think there is delay in the progress of projects. We have been working on all projects according to the project timeframe developed by the company. In Nepal, pre-construction works take almost 60 per cent of time required to develop hydropower projects. We have lengthy procedural formalities to complete before starting the actual construction. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have already completed works that include getting approval from various ministries and government agencies, tunnel testing, infrastructure development at the site among others. Given the usual standard in Nepal, it should be considered as a great achievement for any hydro company to start construction work within three years of acquiring licence. Within three years, we have prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other ground works necessary to start the construction of the project.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	No project can be undertaken without financing. It was challenging to identify proper financing channels. We managed to arrange equity participation from our partners including Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Chilime and the public. But debt financing was really important and it is our achievement to have convinced Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to invest in our projects within a year.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Financing is not possible without reaching Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NEA and DPR is essential for entering into PPA. These are time-consuming processes. Hydropower companies have to go through many hurdles to enter into PPA in Nepal. Companies have been chasing NEA for years to get PPA approved. Process of getting environmental impact assessment (EIA) certificate is unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal. Government agencies compel hydro companies to wait for 2/3 years to acquire EIA certificate. That&rsquo;s not all. Ministry of Forestry takes another 2/3 years to provide consent for chopping trees in project sites. &nbsp;It takes five years just to complete the process at the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forestry. These all pre-construction processes are unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Adding to it, as a public company we have to follow lengthy procurement process that takes around one to two years to complete. Despite all these hurdles, we have been working aggressively to complete all projects in the stipulated time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;In Nepal, no project has been completed in less than 10 years of its initiation. Administrative hassles have been causing the delay in completing pre-construction works. Sometimes, I feel these are unnecessary hurdles. The government should focus on easing off these hassles, if it wants to propel hydropower development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director, Chilime Hydropower Company Limited" src="/userfiles/images/intr2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 250px; height: 368px;" />Some private sector power developers have also pointed out that Chilime is specially favoured by the government and the Nepal Electricity Authority in various respects, such as PPA rate and the choice of projects. What is your assessment?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As a public company, we have to face dozens of hurdles to develop a hydropower project. First, we have to face problem in public dealings during land acquisition. We follow transparent methods in public dealing and do not pick up influential persons to get them on our side andstart work. Even at the ministry, our projects are processed by taking more time than other private sector companies. The allegations that Chilime has got special privileges are completely baseless. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Developers often complain about the increasing demands of the locals in the project site. How is the situation in projects being developed by Chilime?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We should not always blame locals for friction in the development of hydro projects. Local people do not always put irrelevant and irrational demands. Power developers should take care of their logical demands. They should maintain transparency in their deals. For a project to be sustainable, deprived people should also get project benefits. This is what we do in our projects. Providing benefits only to a handful of local people always creates trouble.. The activities which are not transparent and are aimed at appeasing a handful of locals are major reasons behind problems at the local level. Power developers should ensure that the project benefits locals through employment opportunities, infrastructure development among others. We have been doing all these activities at the local level and maintained transparency in our dealings. We have decided to float shares to locals on equal basis to create sense of ownership on the project among them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>One major problem cited in the development of hydropower in Nepal is the lack of capital. To address this problem, legal provisions have been reviewed and the developers have been allowed to raise money from the general public by issuing shares them even before the project construction starts. Why don&rsquo;t the developers use this facility to raise fund?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	There is a great possibility of rasing the capital through issuing shares to the general people. But, Security Board of Nepal&rsquo;s (SEBON) regulation does not allows to issue shares to the general people without solving equity issue among the promoters. Private sector is not very &nbsp;much eager to submit equity details of all the promoters. Due to equity issue, it is not easy to float shares to the public from the private sector power developers. Majority of power developers do not want to issue shares to the public.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the recent days, people&rsquo;s attraction in buying shares clearly hints that we can generate capital by floating shares to the public. Even generating equity is not a big problem in Nepal. We have enough fund but our problem is how to manage fund. Trust on developers is also equally important before floating shares. All developers can not be as trustworthy as Chilime. If developers fail to make profit, people will not invest in shares of hydro companies in the future. This part also should be considered.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Some analysts suggest that developing hydropower projects in Nepal with an aim to export power to India will benefit Nepal because of the seasonal variation in the water flow and peak demand of electricity in Nepal and India. What is your opinion on this?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Due to seasonal hydrology, energy management is indeed a challenging task in Nepal. Currently, NEA is responsible to manage energy in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of transmission line for interconnection is a must. Optimum utilization of hydro energy is not possible in the country without interconnection. All power generators should be connected in the national power grid to utilize hydro potential to its full capacity. Interconnection with India means getting connected with the entire South Asian region. It would be really good if we can develop cross-border or regional transmission line.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But first, we have to put optimum efforts to develop more power projects so that we can reach the level of a power surplus country. The demand of power will automatically go up in the domestic market too if we generate enough power. More factories &nbsp;will come up here if we can ensure sufficient power supply to them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What other &nbsp;legal and administrative hurdles are there in developing a hydro project? &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has failed to expedite procedure in hydro projects development especially the administrative procedures. It should remove all administrative hassles if it really wants rapid growth in the hydro power sector. We have already talked about the year-long procedural hurdles that exist in various government agencies.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are some unnecessary and irrational taxes levied on hydropower projects in Nepal. Besides the royalty that the projects have to pay the government, &nbsp;Ministry of Forestry charges one per cent tax on power developers which does not match with government&rsquo;s commitment of facilitating hydropower sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Power trading company is necessary to manage energy market in Nepal. We don&rsquo;t have a reliable entity to manage electricity market. NEA is the entity which is signing PPA in Nepal. And this PPA &nbsp;is not based on scientific approach. PPA rates should be decided on the basis of several factors including condition of the project site. . It should be transparent and scientific if Nepal has to be a power surplus nation.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the government should form a scientific pricing mechanism. The price of electricity should not be the same during peak &nbsp;and normal hours. It should focus its effort on all these aspects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	PPA in terms of dollar has been raised and the government should address this issue along with making the PPA bankable.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The balance sheet of NEA is not convincing to foreign power developers. Foreign investors cannot be assured of the safety oftheir investment when they have to sign agreement with a company that is in such huge loss. If the government cannot provide sovereign guarantee, it should provide payment guarantee. Additionally, in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the government should ensure security mechanism to boost confidence of foreign developers.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What challenges and opportunities do you see in Nepal&rsquo;s hydro power sector?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Our nearest power market is India and there are potential investors in China. We can bring investors from China and use Indian power market. We can make a trilateral mechanism and develop trilateral business since we have resources, India has market and China has capital to invest.Investment in joint venture among these three countries will be mutually beneficial and can create unique opportunities for all. Chilime model is sufficient to generate power if domestic market is the only target. But, if we want prosperity from hydropower sector, we have to attract foreign power developers and for that we have to open avenues in foreign markets.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age  interview news & articles, interview news & articles from new business age nepal, interview headlines from nepal,  current and latest interview news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali interview economic news and events,  ongoing  interview news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also.  Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people  and assists in sustainable development. Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to Siromani Dhungana of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal’s hydropower sector. Excerpts:',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2311',
			'article_category_id' => '47',
			'title' => 'A Liberal Feminist',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<strong>--By Sujan Tiwari</strong></div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		After years of working in education sector and in areas of women empowerment and entrepreneurship development, Sharma has recently entered into politics. Sharma, who likes to call herself a social entrepreneur, is also a candidate for the Constituent Assembly polls under Proportional Representation electoral system from Madhesi People&#39;s Rights Forum in the recent CA Elections. &ldquo;Politics will be my major focus from now onwards. I will bring forth the issues of women, youth and employment through politics,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has been working in the education sector since last 15 years, and believes that education is the most fundamental need. She has played the role of a pioneer in introducing Tourism Studies at the academic level in Nepal by starting Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management in 1996. &ldquo;I was inspired to open the college as tourism is the top most potential that Nepal has. I started the college to take tourism and education hand in hand. This is the first college to provide formal tourism education in Nepal,&rdquo; says she. According to her, this is the only college in South Asia that offers Bachelor level courses&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		in Tourism. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		The college provides academic courses like Bachelor in Travel and Tourism Management, Bachelor in Hotel management and Masters in Travel and Tourism Management. &ldquo;My intention for starting the college was to merge education with tourism and help in providing employment through it. As Travel and Tourism Management is a professional course, the employment rate is very high, at around 98 per cent,&rdquo; informed Sharma. She is also the Founder Director of Kaasthamandap Vidhalaya.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Early Life</strong></span></div>
	<strong style="font-size: 14px;"><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsnlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 328px;" /></strong>
	<div>
		Sharma was born in Dillibazar of Kathmandu to Late Rohini Prasad Pant and Janaki Devi. &nbsp;She says she enjoyed a childhood that was very happy and well provided for. &ldquo;I grew up with my elder brother and little sister. We were taught from our childhood to care for others, and for those who are less fortunate,&rdquo; recalls Sharma. &nbsp;She did her schooling from Saint Mary&rsquo;s School. Sharma says she was brought up in a very disciplined environment, both at home and at school. &nbsp;She believes all her traits and characters developed from her education and upbringing.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma still remembers not having any definite career goals as a young girl. &ldquo;As I grew up in well to do family, I didn&rsquo;t gave much thought to career when I was young, but still I had the feeling that I should somehow contribute to the society,&rdquo; says she. After school, she did her Intermediates from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Girls College, and later went to Delhi to study Interior Designing. After completing the course, she returned to Kathmandu. At that time, Interior Designing was quite a new thing. She tried a few jobs, but didn&rsquo;t continue it as she didn&rsquo;t see much prospect in it back then.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&ldquo;I again pursued my education, and did my Masters in Sociology from Patan Multiple Campus,&rdquo; shares Sharma. She has also received numerous professional trainings including Conflict Transformation Across Cultures from SIT Graduate Institute Vermont, USA and Social Healing and Leadership in Peace building. It was the same time when Nepal was suffering from armed conflict, and the training helped to give her life a new direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Philosophies</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		As an enterprising and creative woman, Sharma strongly believes that economic empowerment is the key to uplift women. &ldquo;I believe in self employment and creativity. Through many associations, I have assisted numerous women empower themselves through skill development, trainings and through micro-credit projects,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has played an instrumental role in conflict management in the then war-torn areas like Kailali and Rukum. She got involved with organizations like Women Entrepreneur&rsquo;s Association and Karuna Centre. &nbsp;Also, her major involvement was in area of women empowerment through entrepreneurship development and employment generation. After the conflict ended, she was engaged in peace building process in communities. She has conducted numerous researches on Micro Enterprise Development in many remote areas of Nepal. &nbsp;Sharma is also the Board Member Institute for Conflict Management, Peace and Development (ICPD) and a Life Member of Human Rights Association of Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Along with advocating for equal rights for women, Sharma also believes that responsibilities should be equally divided between male and female. &ldquo;Though the structure of our society is patriarchal, but it&rsquo;s gradually changing. We should open our arms to change, but should not let go of our culture and values,&rdquo; says Sharma. &nbsp;However, she strictly disapproves of women working only in the households. &ldquo;Women can contribute economically, and they should look after their family as well,&rdquo; says she. She also believes in economic evaluation of women&rsquo;s household work.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsntlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 347px;" />Personal Side</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma is married to Pranesh Sharma, and says her relation with her husband is based on respect and friendship. &ldquo;We are very compatible with each other, and share everything, no matter how small or big. I think every relation should be based on friendship for it to last forever,&rdquo; says she. A mother of a son and a daughter- Pranav and Pallavi, Sharma says that she is blessed with a very happy and close-knit family.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma starts her day with a cup of tea with her husband. She believes in keeping herself fit, and goes to gym every day. &nbsp;Her days are spent in meetings, in managing her college and in various organizations. Refusing to do any work on Saturdays, she relaxes on weekends and watches TV and reads biographies of famous personalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The Road Ahead</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma has recently entered into politics, and plans to make it her major focus in the days to come. &ldquo;I was always interested in politics, but I wanted to have adequate resources, skill and knowledge first. Now I think I am capable of contributing through politics,&rdquo; shares Sharma. Sharma recalls advocating and lobbying with the government for women empowerment through FWEAN. That&rsquo;s when she figured out that there were many difference in policy making level, and more women were needed there. &ldquo;All the decisions are made at the upper level, and it need more voice from women. That level could only be reached through politics. That&rsquo;s another reason why I am in politics now,&rdquo; says she. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Given the present situation of women in Nepal, Sharma thinks that they need some priority, so that they can have a level playing field. She advocates for reservation for women until they are equally placed. &nbsp;&ldquo;As women lack numerous opportunities in our country, they need some push for a certain time, until they can face the competition with men&rdquo;, says she. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		According to Sharma, women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves first, and should move ahead with a strong and positive attitude. &ldquo;Follow three Ds, determination, dedication and finally the devotion for a cause. Success will surely come your way,&rdquo; advises Sharma.</div>
</div>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age personality news & articles, personality news & articles from new business age nepal, personality headlines from nepal,  current and latest personality news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali personality economic news and events,  ongoing  personality news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chhaya Sharma, Chairperson of Women’s Committee-Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Founder/Director of Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management says that education is the major driving force for development of society, community and country as a whole. “When people are educated, they become aware of their rights and will fight for it,” says Sharma who is also the Immediate Past President of Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN).',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2314',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Private-Public Initiatives Can Revolutionise The Dairy Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Siromani Dhungana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is a huge demand for milk in the domestic market, says president of the Dairy Industries Association, Pradeep Maharjan, adding that domestic market has been witnessing a shortfall of around half a million litres of milk every day.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Investment from the corporate sector is a must to end the existing gap between demand and supply of dairy products, he opined adding that the government should facilitate the entire process from cow farming to marketing of dairy products.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Currently, corporate sector is engaged only in production phase, he informed. &ldquo;Around 30 dairy industries are involved in milk business and most of them sell pasteurized pack in the market. The need is, however, that milk production should be increased and government should lure massive investment from the big investors.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;He indicated two areas where the government should immediately take action to invite corporate sector in the entire milk production business. First, the government should introduce policy for contract farming whereby big corporations can invest in cow farming to run their own dairy industry. On the other, the government should facilitate the land leasing process for big corporate houses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate investment is not possible unless the government can ensure security of investment, he added. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Director at Nepal Dairy Development Board, Dr Balak Chaudhary blamed the government&rsquo;s dillydally in regulation of the dairy industry. &ldquo;The Dairy Development Corporation, a government entity which is a competitor in the dairy industry, is also playing the role of a regulator at present,&rdquo; he said, adding that the government should dare to establish a separate and powerful regulatory body to attract more investment in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There has not been a scientific study on the demand for milk and milk products, he revealed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Around 800 diary manufacturing units have been operating in the domestic market at present. Of them, very few have given their products corporate form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Some Dairy Facts</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		&bull;Large share of milk (around 75%) goes to the consumers through informal channels where quality is a big concern</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes quality is an issue in the formal channel of milk distribution as well</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Very little competition from cooperatives due to dominance of government-owned Dairy Development Corporation</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Farmers do not share the benefits of high demand due to lack of infrastructure&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk production is scattered over a large number of farmers producing miniscule quantities</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk distribution is limited largely to urban and semi-urban areas</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of policy focus on strengthening indigenous breeds of cows</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Because of low access to credit and risk-taking ability, farmers cannot increase their herd size</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Weak regulatory mechanism</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of very essential laws</div>
</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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 dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2330',
			'article_category_id' => '160',
			'title' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sortorder' => '2199',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2354',
			'article_category_id' => '150',
			'title' => 'Business Briefs (23 - 29 December 2013)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Hyundai Unveils Grand i10</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm. There is an option of of 5-speed manual transmission and Automatic Transmission. The company is offering a discount of up to 150,000 as an introductory offer.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Honda&rsquo;s &lsquo;Enlighten Your Life&rsquo; Offer &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Syakar Trading Company Pvt Ltd has announced a new scheme titled &lsquo;Enlighten your life&rsquo; this winter. Under this scheme, on every purchase of Honda generator and power products priced below Rs 150,000, customers will get a free carry bag, jacket and wall clock. On purchasing the generators and power products priced above Rs 150,000, a luggage bag and jacket is offered for free. The scheme is available in all showrooms, branches and dealers of Honda across the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>KIS-Multi Device Launched</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Sagar Software and Traders, in co-operation with Kaspersky Labs, have launched Kaspersky Internet Security &ndash; Multi Device 2014 antivirus in the market. According to the company, it is a new security product that provides premium protection for the world&rsquo;s most commonly-used devices. &lsquo;This solution protects not only Windows PCs, but also Android smartphones and tablets and Mac computers, allowing for the easily securing of any combination of devices with one activation code,&rsquo; says a statement. The software comes in 5-devices/1-year pack at introductory price of Rs 5000.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Pashupati Paints Announces Winners &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Pashupati Paints has announced the silver coin winners for the 11th lucky draw of its &lsquo;Win A Home Contest&rsquo;. The unique numbers of the five winners are 1244031, 2237978, 2357915, 2486125 and 4133253. The winners are randomly selected through computerized software. Under this contest, customers buying Pashupati Paints products like Luxuria, Luxuria Ecosafe, Ex-coat, Excoat Plus and One Way worth Rs 20,000 and above receive a scratch card which has the Unique Lucky Number. The bumper prize for this contest is an apartment at Downtown Housing. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'description' => 'Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2353',
			'article_category_id' => '201',
			'title' => 'Dressing Up For A Formal Meeting',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Angila Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn1.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 150px; height: 454px;" />Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate meetings are mostly formal in nature, are held in formal setup and involve formal talks. So, to gel into this formal environment, it is necessary for us to maintain formal composer while being their part.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business meetings demand smartness. One should avoid wearing jeans and other casual clothes like T-Shirts and polo&rsquo;s with sneakers while attending a business meeting. It is important that you remember you are attending a &lsquo;Business&rsquo; meeting and not a friend&rsquo;s birthday party while dressing up.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One mistake that some of us make, while attending a business meeting or a party, is that we choose clothes for the meeting in a hurry and thus, miss from having a smart look in hurry. So, firstly, it is important to select clothes prior the event.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Men</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a man, it is important to get facial hair shaved to look presentable for a meeting. Suits are supposed to be perfect for a meeting. However, it is okay if you opt for a well ironed shirt and a pair of trousers. In business world, suit and tie is a perfect match and widely accepted dressing style. While choosing suits, make sure you choose dark colors rather than bright colors. Also make sure your suit fits well as bagginess is not pleasing to eyes and therefore would destroy your smart look.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On a final note, make sure that you comb your hair neatly before leaving for the meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 125px; height: 314px;" /></p>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Women</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a business meeting, women should go for a knee length skirt or try a pantsuit. This adds a formal as well as attractive element to your personality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you tie your hair up into a ponytail or simply make a bun out of it.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One thing that should be well considered is that one should avoid wearing short dresses and low-cut shirts to a business meeting. You surely would not want to be an eye-candy in a business meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you apply the correct amount of make-up and lipstick. Don&rsquo;t overdo with makeup as they can make you look out of the place for a business meeting.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-24',
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			'description' => 'Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.',
			'sortorder' => '2197',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2322',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Cooperation In Hydropower For Mutual Benefit: Indian Envoy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It is important for Nepal to develop hydropower and Nepal should work with India,&rdquo; Ambassador Rae said, adding that he was &ldquo;very optimistic and confident&rdquo; that Nepal would move ahead in that direction.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;For mutual benefit, it is necessary too,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In another context, the Indian envoy said India was willing to inject more investment in Nepal and hoped that Nepal will have peace and stability following the Nov 19 Constituent Assembly elections. &ldquo;Soon there will be a new government and certainly we will bring new dynamism in bilateral relations,&rdquo; Rae said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Indian Embassy had organized the press conference to inform the media about the Indo-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meet and the India Investrade held on Dec 20-22. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The IGC used to work as a traditional regulatory body for bilateral trade and transit issues, but it should now develop a forum to promote bilateral trade,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He said the existing framework of the IGC should be expanded, private-public partnership should be promoted and private sectors from both countries should provide feedback to the IGC that will help in decision-making and also work out to bring investment in diverse fields.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We need to develop a mechanism to incorporate the private sector where the government mechanism can address concerns put forth by the private players,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He expressed concern over the low foreign direct investment (FDI) from India, which is around Rs.40.60 billion at a time when many Indian companies are buying properties and making their fortunes across the globe.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;There are lots of issues from both sides which need to be discussed... It may be political reasons or may be policy ones or infrastructure,&rdquo; the ambassador said when asked why there was low FDI from India.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.',
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			'id' => '2352',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Balanced Personality',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Family has an important place in his life. &ldquo;Family and work are like the two wheels of a cart which need to be balanced well,&rdquo; says Udas while opining that one should never have problem in managing time for one&rsquo;s family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas has no specific hobby as such and thus enjoys everything. For him holidays provide space for oneself and help in rejuvenating mind. He stresses on the need for taking holidays at regular intervals.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He finds himself lucky for having Pokhara as his hometown. He goes there when he feels the need to relax. Of his vacation visits, Udas recalls his South India trip to be one of the most memorable trips. He had trekked there with backpacks.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas is an adventurous person too and likes sports bike. He loves riding bikes on highways. &ldquo;Long rides on outskirts of the city, helps a person to explore new destination and save time for oneself,&rdquo; he says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He has extreme fascination for football and enjoys playing it most of the time.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In his leisure, Udas watches BBC, National Geographic and other informational channels. He also loves watching inspirational videos on YouTube. He likes reading short books and articles on business and philosophy and scans the web for them on regular basis. He dislikes reading long books.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He believes in meeting new people for rejuvenating perception and ideas. He has active profiles on social media channels and uses them when he gets some moment&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	for himself.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2014-01-01',
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			'description' => 'Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.',
			'sortorder' => '2195',
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			'id' => '2350',
			'article_category_id' => '206',
			'title' => 'Lenovo Y And Z Series Combining Power And Beauty',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design. It is a gaming laptop with a display of 15.6 inch HD with 1920 by 1080 resolution. In addition to the display, the Lenovo Idea pad Y510p consists of JBL speakers with Dolby Home Theater V4. It is equipped with intelligent touchpad which makes it easy for the user to scroll, zoom and rotate. The Lenovo has a slight edge, though, with a more advanced GeForce GT 755M GPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and Condusiv&#39;s Express Cache system, which utilises a 24GB SSD to accelerate the loading of commonly used applications.Unlike other Windows 8 laptops in the market, Lenovo Idea pad 510p lacks touch screen. The users will have to rely on the mouse for clicking. The only problem is the smaller-than-average backspace key, but in general the keyboard is ergonomically sound. The wide, buttonless touchpad works well, too, and its matte finish gives it a tactile texture that lends itself well to Windows 8&rsquo;s gestures. The power-packed IdeaPad Y510P is priced at Rs 1, 25,000 in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Another Lenovo product in the market is the Lenovo Idea pad Z580. This 15.6 inch laptop has 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. It is equipped with 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB 5,400-rpm hard drive and an Intel HD 4000 GPU which will not cause any obstacle while doing multiple tasks. It consists of 1TB hard disk which gives the user plenty of space to store media files and data. It also houses a thermal management system that adjusts the fan-speed and maintains an optimized performance. Its intelligent touchpad helps for easy zoom, rotate and scroll functions. It has integrated stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater v4 that enhance the surrounding sound experience. &nbsp;The laptop also comes with two USB3 ports, two USB2 ports and a multi-format card reader, making it incredibly flexible when it comes to connecting up your external storage, and an HDMI port means you can connect it to an external display to play back what&rsquo;s stored on the hard disk. The laptop is available in 2 versions, one with Core i5 processor and another with Core i7 processor. The Z580 with Core i5 processor carries a price tag of Rs 75,000, whereas the i7 variant is priced at Rs 95,000.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design.',
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View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2363',
			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'China Eases One-Child Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China&#39;s top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country&#39;s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People&#39;s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November. The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country. They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation. Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age - which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbours, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the Standing Committee also decided to China&#39;s notorious labour camps. &nbsp;The decision to close the labour camps puts an end to a controversial punishment system long criticised for its human rights abuses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The network, which was created in the 1950s based on the Soviet Gulag, allowed the Chinese police to send anyone to prison for up to four years without a trial. A labour camp sentence was almost impossible to appeal. China had 260 labour camps holding 160,000 inmates at the start of this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Watch.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-31',
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			'description' => 'China's top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country's one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November.',
			'sortorder' => '2208',
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			'id' => '2365',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => '4 Out Of 5 Farmers Lack Access To Loans',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers,&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the Report, 3,831,093 households in the country own land. Out of them, only 835,921 households (21.81 per cent) have availed agro loans. This means a whopping 2,995,172 households do not have access to bank loans. The Report says that of the total farm households, 42 per cent have said that they need agro loans.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Nepal Bankers&rsquo; Association and CEO of Citizens Bank International, Rajan Singh Bhandari informed The Corporate that though banks have increased their investment in the agriculture sector, the banks have not been able to take financial services to all farmers. &ldquo;The commercial banks lack the capacity to take financial services to all the farming households in the country,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Development Bankers Association, Nepal, and CEO of Kaliash Development Bank, Krishna Raj Lamichhane accepts that the agricultural loan flow from the BFIs at present is not enough. &ldquo;We need a special policy to increase farmers&rsquo; access to financial services,&rdquo; says Lamichhane.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The latest census shows that of the farmers who have taken loans for agricultural purpose, 34.57 per cent have borrowed from their relatives. Similarly, 16.61 per cent of such farmers have borrowed from the Agricultural Development Bank, 8.67 per cent from the commercial banks, 15.67 per cent from cooperatives, 9.73 per cent from farmers&rsquo; groups, 12.95 per cent from women&rsquo;s groups, and 5.78 per cent have borrowed from &lsquo;others&rsquo;.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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' => 'Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers, 
a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.',
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		'Article' => array(
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			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'ADB Ups Support For Projects Promoting Sustainable Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. &quot;Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific&rsquo;s Future&quot; shows that in 2011&ndash;2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts. The projects promoted growth while at the same time enhancing access to basic services such as water supply, education, and health, and helping beneficiaries mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, among others. &quot;During the same period, ADB approved 112 projects with an environmental sustainability focus totaling more than $13 billion ― a 50% increase over the previous two years. It invested $4.4 billion in clean energy-related initiatives to provide an additional 2,125 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity across the region over 2011 and 2012,&quot; informed the report.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In response to the growing climate change threat, in 2012 alone, ADB approved climate-related finance of $3.4 billion while transport investments, including low-carbon projects, in 2012 totaled nearly $4 billion. According to the report, at the corporate level, ADB promoted sustainability by further reducing the per person use of water, electricity, and paper, and the waste generated at its headquarters, where 77% of its staff work.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	ADB is consistently run with the lowest overhead among multinational development banks, according to Standard and Poor&rsquo;s. In 2012, ADB became the first multilateral development bank to attain ISO 50001 certification for energy management, with measures taken to &ldquo;green&rdquo; its headquarters building, including installing solar panels and collecting rainwater. To improve access to information, an updated Public Communications Policy was launched in 2012.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. "Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific’s Future" shows that in 2011–2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts',
			'sortorder' => '2206',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2358',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'NE Group: Expanding Perpetually',
			'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="Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman, NE Group" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 222px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div style="text-align: center;">
						<div>
							<strong>Ravi Bhakta Shrestha</strong></div>
						<div>
							<em>Vice Chairman, NE Group</em></div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal&rsquo;s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With a belief and optimism for the better future, NE Group has some growth plans up its sleeve to expand in the days to come. The group that has been primarily been concentrated in the manufacturing and trade sectors is now looking into the service industry with much enthusiasm and dedication. Shrestha says that his group will be exploring more into the health and tourism sectors where it already has some investments.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing Prospects</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Shrestha optimistically says, &ldquo;We see numerous potentials in the future. The political situation has now shown signs of improvement. Once we achieve the much awaited stability, there are many reasons to get encouraged.&rdquo; Not only NE Group, but the business community will be more confident to make investments through domestic as well as foreign sources, he adds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Foreseeing the brighter days to come, the group promises to venture into newer sectors like herbal industry and high value agriculture. Hydropower is also one of the priority sectors of the group. Shrestha reveals that talks are going on with South Korean investors regarding energy development but added that details are yet to be finalised.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group sees itself prosper in the service industry. So, the group is planning to come up with boutique hotels outside the Kathmandu valley. Though Shrestha denied elaborating into details, he says that the group has identified a couple of places for establishing hotel. Likewise, the group is also planning to expand its SRL Diagnostic Centre as a wellness centre. He claims that SRL Diagnostics laboratory is South East Asia&rsquo;s largest diagnostic lab and the group has established it here which he says is the most modern lab in Nepal. Shrestha is hopeful that a couple of projects in the service sector will be launched within a year or two.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With an aim to expand into the tourism sector, the group has acquired 1,020,144 shares held by Oberoi Hotels Pvt Ltd, an international hotel chain, in Soaltee Hotel Ltd. Sibkrim Land and Industries, subsidiary of the group acquired the entire stakes worth Rs 142.82 million in 2012.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Prime Focus</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The prime line of business for the group has always remained manufacturing and trading but has now expanded into banking, insurance, distribution, international trading, consulting services and project development. Similarly, the group also has presence in hospitality, health and education sector. &nbsp;Likewise, the group is one of the major promoters in United Insurance and Himalayan Bank Limited. Shrestha claims that United Insurance comes among top five insurance companies of Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group used to export some of its products to the foreign markets but Shrestha now says that the domestic market has surged a lot so, the group has been concentrating only in the domestic market at present.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a recent move into the food and beverage business, the group has recently opened Barista-Lavazza, a chain of Italian coffee shops in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group has trusted multinational brand names as joint venture in its portfolio. With a joint venture with Unilever, it has been producing numerous consumer products needed for the domestic market from its factory in Hetauda. Shrestha says that it is the listed company &nbsp;that provides highest dividend to its shareholders every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="NE GROUP" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 319px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Management Approach</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though the group was established as a family owned business, it has now taken the path of professionally managed corporate house. Shrestha says that it is the need of the time that has increased the value of human resource. &ldquo;Success depends on the quality of human resource,&rdquo; he says. The group has given utmost value to professionalism. And, it has assigned individual professionals with relevant responsibilities who look after the companies and regularly brief to the board of directors that gives necessary suggestions and takes action as needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group is employing 250 people in its companies and factories. Human resource management is also done by the HR department of each of the companies. A weekly meeting is held where the issues are communicated and necessary action is taken. &ldquo;The group is moving ahead in a purely professional and independent fashion,&rdquo; says Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CSR Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The group with a promise to give back to the society established IJ charitable trust in 1981. &nbsp;According to Shrestha, the Trust, a non-profit and self-funded organisation, is most active in aiding the good health and education of underprivileged children. Likewise it has been making contributions also for the preservation of Nepali culture. The Trust has also created a long-term sustainable fund for the Paediatric department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to provide financial help to needy children for medical treatment. It also honours renowned writers, artists and ethnic persons who have made significant contributions to the society. In 1985, the Trust established the I.J pioneer High School in Hattiban, Lalitpur which provides quality education and extra-curricular activities to more than seven hundred students. The school also provides free scholarship to 100 needy and talented students each year, shares Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<div>
									<div>
										<div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Growth as a Group</strong></span></div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												NE Group of today once was a small garment store, a family owned business initiated by Ravi Bhakta Shrestha&rsquo;s grandfather. The garment store gradually expanded into a business of money exchange service when there were no banks and other financial services in the country.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the trade relationship with India kept on growing along with the growth of trade volume with the southern neighbour, first generation businessmen of Shrestha family also involved in trading of tea. The trading business did not limit to India alone. Shrestha says that his family was the first in Nepal to establish trade relationship with South Korea in 1968. Then South Korea&rsquo;s economy was rapidly growing. Shrestha used to import garments and construction materials from there. However, the licensing system prohibited the group to expand the trade volume as it wished. Similarly, in the trade front, the group once exported some products like musk and peacock feathers to international market.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												As an important milestone towards industrial concentration, the NE Group in partnership with Jalan group of India acquired Ganapati Cotton Mill in Biratnagar that had remained closed for quite some time. However, the factory was again closed down after operating for few years because of labour and other issues. Likewise, the group acquired Nepal Synthetic Industry in Hetauda and expanded it. The group also once had two iron mills in Biratnagar and Hetauda.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the business moved onto Shrestha&rsquo;s shoulder, he kept on expanding his family business, following the footsteps of his father. He says that one of the most important and biggest moves he made was signing an agreement with Unilever. This tie-up has given extra edge to the group in its growth as a large business house that it is today, says Shrestha.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Some Companies and Subsidiaries of NE Group</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/sl%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 92px;" />National Ice Cream Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													This company was established in 2009 as a joint venture between NE Group and The Nanglo Group. National Ice Cream Pvt Ltd produces premium frozen dessert in a state-of-the-art 18,500 sq ft manufacturing unit located at Balaju Industrial District, Kathmandu. The company claims that it has ensured high quality and maintenance of stringent hygiene standards throughout the manufacturing and distribution cycle with a fulltime team of professional food and dairy technologists. The company produces ice cream under Azzabko brand. Azzabko products are available in over 500 retail stores, restaurants and hotels across the country.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="NICM" src="/userfiles/images/sl1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 133px;" />NICM</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2006, National Investment &amp; Capital Market Limited (NICM) provides Asset Management, Investment Banking, Research, Consultancy And Training services all under one roof. The management is supported by Citizen Investment Trust, a public fund manager and merchant banker. NICM has an issued capital of Rs 150 million and is due to be listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<img alt="National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 69px;" /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd, established in 1996 is a large scale industrial until at Hetauda Industrial Estate, Makwanpur manufacturing laundry soaps, powdered detergents and hair oil. The company provides back-end production and packaging capabilities for the leading brands of Unilever Nepal such as OK laundry soap and Wheel detergent powder.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Unilever Nepal Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl3%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 110px;" />Unilever Nepal Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 1993 as a joint venture between Hindustan Unilever (formerly Hindustan Lever) and Sibkrim Land &amp; Industrial Co (a subsidiary of NE Group), Unilever aims to meet the everyday needs of Nepali household, to anticipate the aspiration of consumers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services to raise their quality of life. The company manufactures international brands such as Sunsilk Hair products, Close Up, Pepsodent, Wheel Detergent Powder, OK Laundry Soap, Axe Deodorants, Dove, Fair and Lovely, Lifebouy, Lux, Lakme, Ponds and Vaseline amongst others. The company is listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="United Insurance Co Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl4%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 112px;" />United Insurance Co Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													United Insurance started its operation on December 1, 1993 (Mangsir16, 2050) after its registration with the Company Registrar&rsquo;s Office and approval by Insurance Board. The company is promoted by leading industrialists and reputed trading and commercial houses of Nepal and is publically listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange. The authorised capital of the company is Rs 150 million.&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Life Care Services Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl5%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 65px;" />Life Care Services Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2010 as a joint venture between Life Care Services Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of NE Group) and Super Religare Reference Laboratories India, it is one of the largest diagnostic networks in South and South-East Asia. Through SRL&rsquo;s expertise, the lab provides international standard diagnostic services in the country offering over 3500 tests covering most diseases. The lab is located at Mahrajgunj, Kathmandu and boasts 12 collections centres across the country in cities such as Dharan, Pokahara, Biratnagar, Nepalganj, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Dhangadi, Dharan and Janakpur.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
											</div>
										</div>
									</div>
								</div>
							</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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' => 'As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal’s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.',
			'sortorder' => '2205',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2360',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Nepse’s Bull Run Looses Steam',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Sanjeev Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country&rsquo;s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The fall in Nepse was attributed by decrease in all sub-indices traded in the day. Insurance sub-index was the biggest loser with a fall of 71.19 points (3.31%). Similarly, the sub-indices of Hotel, Commercial banks and Hydropower fell by 28.46 points, 6.11 points and 17.91 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index lost (11.75 points) followed by Finance sub-index (0.21 points) and development Banks (0.47 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Sunday total 991,476 units of share of 108 companies were traded through 3,138 transactions, which worth Rs. 402.81 million&rsquo;s turnover. The total market capitalization was registered at Rs 792.44 billion.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Corrected by 8 points Last Week</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Snapping 6 weeks of straight gains, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index made correction of 8 points last week. Nepse, retreated back from 805.65 points of previous week&rsquo;s closing to close at 787.36 points last week. As the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Dr Yubaraj Khatowoda warns investors about the risks posed by &lsquo;stock market bubble&rsquo;; the benchmark index slips from its near five-year high level. Similarly, the profit booking strategy of exuberant investors also contributed to Nepse&rsquo;s correction. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For the week ending 27th December, the number of transaction at Nepse totaled to 15,000 with bought and sold of 537.30 million units of shares worth Rs 2.27 billion in the stock market. In the mean time weekly turnover increased by 7.85 per cent, compared to the previous week. Likewise, the number of transaction and number of share units went up by 53.01 per cent and 7.45 per cent respectively for the week.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the weekly turnover, shares of the Nepal Bank Limited reached the top spot in the market. The bank also climbed to no 1 spot in terms of the number of units of share being transacted for the week. Nepal Telecom, meanwhile, maintained its top spot in terms of market capitalization for the week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On the first day (Sunday), Nepse index, edged down by 10.46 points to settle at 795.19 points. The second day (Monday) of the weekly trading marked another decline, with the Nepse losing 26.47 points to close at 768.72. On the third day (Tuesday), the index tested the immediate support at 753, however, bounced back and rose by 8.86 points to close at 777.58. On Wednesday, the stock market was closed due to Christmas holiday. The last day of the weekly trading (Thursday) Nepse index attempted to break a resistant at 806. But, it could not succeed and returned back. However, for the day Nepse gained 10.46 points to settle at 787.36.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last week marked the volatility of share prices of most of the sub-indices. Insurance sub-index was the biggest gainer with a rise of 93.69 points. This is the second consecutive weekly gain for the Insurance sub-index. Similarly, the sub-index of finance companies and development banks gained 2.91 points and 0.59 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index was the biggest loser (21.31 points) for the week followed by Banking sub-index (13.97 points), Hydropower (10.14 points) and Hotel (8.32 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Sensitive Index of Nepse, which represents the share trading of class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies (most of which are considered as blue chip stocks) went down by 2.47 points. Manufacturing sub-index remained same as earlier weeks.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although shares of 139 companies were transacted during the week, 55 companies observed a gain, while shares price of 56 companies declined last week. Shares price of 28 companies remained unchanged over the period.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepse Index" src="/userfiles/images/indx%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 372px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country’s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class ‘A’ listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.',
			'sortorder' => '2204',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2359',
			'article_category_id' => '135',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Trade Expo- 2014',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:18px;">Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Pradeep Kumar Kedia" src="/userfiles/images/VC%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 229px;" />&lsquo;The Expo can form the basis of rapid economic development.&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Pradeep Kumar Kedia</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Sr. Vice President, BiCCI</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The international trade expo, which is going to be held in Birgunj, a major commercial hub of the country, is a solid way to promote trade. It can also be utilized as a platform to better manage our internal and external markets. For instance, the Expo will be a good platform for exchanging information about our local products including their specialties and comparative advantage. This will be important as we have found that in many cases even the domestic consumers are ignorant about the domestic products. This ignorance is a big hurdle in promoting the local products in the domestic market.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will bring the producers and consumers together at the same platform, two-way communication about the various aspects of the products displayed in the Expo will be possible. This will greatly promote the use of domestic products. Import substitution is not possible without the easy availability of and enough information about the domestic products. Thus, the Expo will be a good opportunity for reducing imports and promoting the consumption of domestic products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will feature products and technologies from outside the country as well, we can expect a lot of interaction on the diversity of products and their usability. This will help in increasing productivity through the exchange of technology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is incurring a huge trade deficit at present. The export import ratio is 1:8 at present. The Expo will help increase our exports and thus there is a huge possibility of reducing the trade deficit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have a huge trade deficit with India for the simple reason that the bulk of our international trade is with India. As a high number of Indian producers and traders will participate in the Expo, we can be hopeful that the interaction with them will help in promoting our exports to the southern neighbour. In this way the Expo will be a golden opportunity which can form the basis of the country&rsquo;s rapid economic growth. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="KC Lamichane,  Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa" src="/userfiles/images/VC1%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 227px;" />&lsquo;Good opportunity for economic development&rsquo;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>KC Lamichane&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The country should march forward to the direction of social and economic transformation by institutionalizing the political change. There is always a threat of losing political achievements if the economic situation of the country is not sound. There is unfavourable environment for industrial development and degradation of the rule of law at present which leads to sluggish economic development. Economic activities amidst such instability can lead the country towards economic stability.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We consider Birgunj as the financial capital of the country as 70 per cent of total industrial investment and 60 per cent of commercial transaction takes place in this city. With this background, &lsquo;Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014&rsquo; is being organized by Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Minds Nepal in association with other commercial houses in Birgunj.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The organizers are expecting a business transaction of around Rs 200million while around 500,000 visitors are anticipated to visit the Expo. The organizers have various other bases to anticipate the success of this Expo. Since Birgunj is located near the border, Indian citizens are also expected to visit this Expo. The commercialization of local products and promotion of local and international services in the Expo can play the role in promoting export, strengthening economic mechanisms and import substitution.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The world has moved ahead in technology. Moving forward by incorporating the technology can increase competitiveness. The Nepali economy can develop with the use of new technologies. The economic activities in the country have been sluggish with the decline in the productive sector. The Expo can play a significant role to reenergize the Nepali economy in the international market.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Expo should focus mainly on two things. First, it should announce the Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor as an industrial corridor by mounting some kind of pressure on the state for infrastructure development. Similarly, this Expo will help in the creation of jobs, sharing of technical knowledge and exploring market for goods and services.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We need cooperation and coordination among all the concerned stakeholders to make the Expo a grand success.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Ravindra Kumar Barnawal" src="/userfiles/images/VC2%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 231px;" />&lsquo;The Expo will have a multidimensional effect&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Ravindra Kumar Barnawal</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Secretary, Birgunj&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Coordinator</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Stall booking sub-committee</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Nepal-India Business&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Expo-2014</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepal-India Expo Trade that is to be held in Birgunj is a golden opportunity for Nepal and other neighboring countries to flourish their business. It is equally important for the other countries as well as this Expo will provide them the platform to create market for their services and technology. Apart from Nepal and India, products from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan will be displayed in the Expo. Even though the main aim of this Expo is to flourish trade, it is undoubtedly true that it will leave a positive impact on other sectors as well. Thus, its effects are multidimensional. The trade Expo will not only help to provide international recognition to Nepali products, but also to promote our products in the Indian market. &nbsp;The Expo that is scheduled to take place in Birgunj, the economic capital of Nepal, will help to set a milestone in the growth of the national economy while also providing opportunity for increment for exports. It can be guaranteed that while helping in the development of the industrial sector, the Expo will also help in solving the problem of unemployment. Even today, 7 hundred thousands of Nepali manpower is working abroad which has caused shortage of skilled manpower here in the country. Such types of Expo will be productive in leading the country towards economic growth by increasing internal as well as external trade through industrialization. Similarly, the Expo will also contribute in minimizing business loses through increase in exports. As the bulk of our trade deficit is with India, the Expo should focus on lowering the trade deficit. The Expo will also provide an opportunity to resolve bilateral trade barriers. Nepal&rsquo;s agricultural sector is still traditional and we have not been able to focus on production of goods that have comparative advantage. So, it is essential that we take information about agricultural technology from India and even if we decide to adopt it, we can expect the outcome to be positive. Likewise, the Expo equally focuses on diversification. The Expo will also provide trainings from experienced trainers on various issues such as branding of education, trade and products and corporate communication.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:',
			'sortorder' => '2203',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2312',
			'article_category_id' => '46',
			'title' => '“Nepal-India-China Trilateral Mechanism Needed For Nepal’s Power Development”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 16px;">Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also. &nbsp;Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people &nbsp;and assists in sustainable development.&nbsp;<strong>Kul Man Ghising</strong>, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to&nbsp;<strong>Siromani Dhungana</strong>&nbsp;of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal&rsquo;s hydropower sector.&nbsp;<strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What is the progress of power projects being developed by your company?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We have four projects under Chilime Hydropower Company, namely Sanjen, Mid-Bhotekoshi, Rasuwagadhi and Bemdang. We have been developing all these projects through our subsidiary companies -- Sanjen Jalavidhyut Company, Madhya Bhotekohi Jalavidhyut Company, Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company and Bemdang Khola. Mid-Bhotekoshi with an installed capacity of 102 MW in Sindhupalchowk district is being developed through Madhya Bhotekoshi. Sanjen is &nbsp;developing two projects&ndash;Sanjen of 42.5 MW and Upper Sanjen &nbsp;of 14.8 MW capacity in Rasuwa district. Rasuwagadhi Hydropower is developing a new project - 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Project in Rasuwa district. We have almost completed all pre-construction tasks including procurement process and taking EIA certificate and other clearances. All these projects will start construction by the end of the current fiscal year. Among these four projects, the progress of Sanjen is rapid. We have planned to complete all works of Sanjen project by 2016 and other projects by 2017.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The first project developed by your company is often cited as an ideal model for Nepal&rsquo;s power projects. And more examples of such successful model were expected from your company. But none of the projects in the pipeline viz. Sanjen, Madhya Bhote Koshi and Rasuwagadhi are complete so far. Why this delay?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	I do not think there is delay in the progress of projects. We have been working on all projects according to the project timeframe developed by the company. In Nepal, pre-construction works take almost 60 per cent of time required to develop hydropower projects. We have lengthy procedural formalities to complete before starting the actual construction. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have already completed works that include getting approval from various ministries and government agencies, tunnel testing, infrastructure development at the site among others. Given the usual standard in Nepal, it should be considered as a great achievement for any hydro company to start construction work within three years of acquiring licence. Within three years, we have prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other ground works necessary to start the construction of the project.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	No project can be undertaken without financing. It was challenging to identify proper financing channels. We managed to arrange equity participation from our partners including Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Chilime and the public. But debt financing was really important and it is our achievement to have convinced Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to invest in our projects within a year.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Financing is not possible without reaching Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NEA and DPR is essential for entering into PPA. These are time-consuming processes. Hydropower companies have to go through many hurdles to enter into PPA in Nepal. Companies have been chasing NEA for years to get PPA approved. Process of getting environmental impact assessment (EIA) certificate is unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal. Government agencies compel hydro companies to wait for 2/3 years to acquire EIA certificate. That&rsquo;s not all. Ministry of Forestry takes another 2/3 years to provide consent for chopping trees in project sites. &nbsp;It takes five years just to complete the process at the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forestry. These all pre-construction processes are unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Adding to it, as a public company we have to follow lengthy procurement process that takes around one to two years to complete. Despite all these hurdles, we have been working aggressively to complete all projects in the stipulated time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;In Nepal, no project has been completed in less than 10 years of its initiation. Administrative hassles have been causing the delay in completing pre-construction works. Sometimes, I feel these are unnecessary hurdles. The government should focus on easing off these hassles, if it wants to propel hydropower development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director, Chilime Hydropower Company Limited" src="/userfiles/images/intr2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 250px; height: 368px;" />Some private sector power developers have also pointed out that Chilime is specially favoured by the government and the Nepal Electricity Authority in various respects, such as PPA rate and the choice of projects. What is your assessment?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As a public company, we have to face dozens of hurdles to develop a hydropower project. First, we have to face problem in public dealings during land acquisition. We follow transparent methods in public dealing and do not pick up influential persons to get them on our side andstart work. Even at the ministry, our projects are processed by taking more time than other private sector companies. The allegations that Chilime has got special privileges are completely baseless. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Developers often complain about the increasing demands of the locals in the project site. How is the situation in projects being developed by Chilime?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We should not always blame locals for friction in the development of hydro projects. Local people do not always put irrelevant and irrational demands. Power developers should take care of their logical demands. They should maintain transparency in their deals. For a project to be sustainable, deprived people should also get project benefits. This is what we do in our projects. Providing benefits only to a handful of local people always creates trouble.. The activities which are not transparent and are aimed at appeasing a handful of locals are major reasons behind problems at the local level. Power developers should ensure that the project benefits locals through employment opportunities, infrastructure development among others. We have been doing all these activities at the local level and maintained transparency in our dealings. We have decided to float shares to locals on equal basis to create sense of ownership on the project among them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>One major problem cited in the development of hydropower in Nepal is the lack of capital. To address this problem, legal provisions have been reviewed and the developers have been allowed to raise money from the general public by issuing shares them even before the project construction starts. Why don&rsquo;t the developers use this facility to raise fund?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	There is a great possibility of rasing the capital through issuing shares to the general people. But, Security Board of Nepal&rsquo;s (SEBON) regulation does not allows to issue shares to the general people without solving equity issue among the promoters. Private sector is not very &nbsp;much eager to submit equity details of all the promoters. Due to equity issue, it is not easy to float shares to the public from the private sector power developers. Majority of power developers do not want to issue shares to the public.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the recent days, people&rsquo;s attraction in buying shares clearly hints that we can generate capital by floating shares to the public. Even generating equity is not a big problem in Nepal. We have enough fund but our problem is how to manage fund. Trust on developers is also equally important before floating shares. All developers can not be as trustworthy as Chilime. If developers fail to make profit, people will not invest in shares of hydro companies in the future. This part also should be considered.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Some analysts suggest that developing hydropower projects in Nepal with an aim to export power to India will benefit Nepal because of the seasonal variation in the water flow and peak demand of electricity in Nepal and India. What is your opinion on this?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Due to seasonal hydrology, energy management is indeed a challenging task in Nepal. Currently, NEA is responsible to manage energy in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of transmission line for interconnection is a must. Optimum utilization of hydro energy is not possible in the country without interconnection. All power generators should be connected in the national power grid to utilize hydro potential to its full capacity. Interconnection with India means getting connected with the entire South Asian region. It would be really good if we can develop cross-border or regional transmission line.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But first, we have to put optimum efforts to develop more power projects so that we can reach the level of a power surplus country. The demand of power will automatically go up in the domestic market too if we generate enough power. More factories &nbsp;will come up here if we can ensure sufficient power supply to them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What other &nbsp;legal and administrative hurdles are there in developing a hydro project? &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has failed to expedite procedure in hydro projects development especially the administrative procedures. It should remove all administrative hassles if it really wants rapid growth in the hydro power sector. We have already talked about the year-long procedural hurdles that exist in various government agencies.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are some unnecessary and irrational taxes levied on hydropower projects in Nepal. Besides the royalty that the projects have to pay the government, &nbsp;Ministry of Forestry charges one per cent tax on power developers which does not match with government&rsquo;s commitment of facilitating hydropower sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Power trading company is necessary to manage energy market in Nepal. We don&rsquo;t have a reliable entity to manage electricity market. NEA is the entity which is signing PPA in Nepal. And this PPA &nbsp;is not based on scientific approach. PPA rates should be decided on the basis of several factors including condition of the project site. . It should be transparent and scientific if Nepal has to be a power surplus nation.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the government should form a scientific pricing mechanism. The price of electricity should not be the same during peak &nbsp;and normal hours. It should focus its effort on all these aspects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	PPA in terms of dollar has been raised and the government should address this issue along with making the PPA bankable.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The balance sheet of NEA is not convincing to foreign power developers. Foreign investors cannot be assured of the safety oftheir investment when they have to sign agreement with a company that is in such huge loss. If the government cannot provide sovereign guarantee, it should provide payment guarantee. Additionally, in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the government should ensure security mechanism to boost confidence of foreign developers.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What challenges and opportunities do you see in Nepal&rsquo;s hydro power sector?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Our nearest power market is India and there are potential investors in China. We can bring investors from China and use Indian power market. We can make a trilateral mechanism and develop trilateral business since we have resources, India has market and China has capital to invest.Investment in joint venture among these three countries will be mutually beneficial and can create unique opportunities for all. Chilime model is sufficient to generate power if domestic market is the only target. But, if we want prosperity from hydropower sector, we have to attract foreign power developers and for that we have to open avenues in foreign markets.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age  interview news & articles, interview news & articles from new business age nepal, interview headlines from nepal,  current and latest interview news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali interview economic news and events,  ongoing  interview news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also.  Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people  and assists in sustainable development. Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to Siromani Dhungana of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal’s hydropower sector. Excerpts:',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2311',
			'article_category_id' => '47',
			'title' => 'A Liberal Feminist',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<strong>--By Sujan Tiwari</strong></div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		After years of working in education sector and in areas of women empowerment and entrepreneurship development, Sharma has recently entered into politics. Sharma, who likes to call herself a social entrepreneur, is also a candidate for the Constituent Assembly polls under Proportional Representation electoral system from Madhesi People&#39;s Rights Forum in the recent CA Elections. &ldquo;Politics will be my major focus from now onwards. I will bring forth the issues of women, youth and employment through politics,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has been working in the education sector since last 15 years, and believes that education is the most fundamental need. She has played the role of a pioneer in introducing Tourism Studies at the academic level in Nepal by starting Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management in 1996. &ldquo;I was inspired to open the college as tourism is the top most potential that Nepal has. I started the college to take tourism and education hand in hand. This is the first college to provide formal tourism education in Nepal,&rdquo; says she. According to her, this is the only college in South Asia that offers Bachelor level courses&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		in Tourism. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		The college provides academic courses like Bachelor in Travel and Tourism Management, Bachelor in Hotel management and Masters in Travel and Tourism Management. &ldquo;My intention for starting the college was to merge education with tourism and help in providing employment through it. As Travel and Tourism Management is a professional course, the employment rate is very high, at around 98 per cent,&rdquo; informed Sharma. She is also the Founder Director of Kaasthamandap Vidhalaya.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Early Life</strong></span></div>
	<strong style="font-size: 14px;"><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsnlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 328px;" /></strong>
	<div>
		Sharma was born in Dillibazar of Kathmandu to Late Rohini Prasad Pant and Janaki Devi. &nbsp;She says she enjoyed a childhood that was very happy and well provided for. &ldquo;I grew up with my elder brother and little sister. We were taught from our childhood to care for others, and for those who are less fortunate,&rdquo; recalls Sharma. &nbsp;She did her schooling from Saint Mary&rsquo;s School. Sharma says she was brought up in a very disciplined environment, both at home and at school. &nbsp;She believes all her traits and characters developed from her education and upbringing.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma still remembers not having any definite career goals as a young girl. &ldquo;As I grew up in well to do family, I didn&rsquo;t gave much thought to career when I was young, but still I had the feeling that I should somehow contribute to the society,&rdquo; says she. After school, she did her Intermediates from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Girls College, and later went to Delhi to study Interior Designing. After completing the course, she returned to Kathmandu. At that time, Interior Designing was quite a new thing. She tried a few jobs, but didn&rsquo;t continue it as she didn&rsquo;t see much prospect in it back then.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&ldquo;I again pursued my education, and did my Masters in Sociology from Patan Multiple Campus,&rdquo; shares Sharma. She has also received numerous professional trainings including Conflict Transformation Across Cultures from SIT Graduate Institute Vermont, USA and Social Healing and Leadership in Peace building. It was the same time when Nepal was suffering from armed conflict, and the training helped to give her life a new direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Philosophies</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		As an enterprising and creative woman, Sharma strongly believes that economic empowerment is the key to uplift women. &ldquo;I believe in self employment and creativity. Through many associations, I have assisted numerous women empower themselves through skill development, trainings and through micro-credit projects,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has played an instrumental role in conflict management in the then war-torn areas like Kailali and Rukum. She got involved with organizations like Women Entrepreneur&rsquo;s Association and Karuna Centre. &nbsp;Also, her major involvement was in area of women empowerment through entrepreneurship development and employment generation. After the conflict ended, she was engaged in peace building process in communities. She has conducted numerous researches on Micro Enterprise Development in many remote areas of Nepal. &nbsp;Sharma is also the Board Member Institute for Conflict Management, Peace and Development (ICPD) and a Life Member of Human Rights Association of Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Along with advocating for equal rights for women, Sharma also believes that responsibilities should be equally divided between male and female. &ldquo;Though the structure of our society is patriarchal, but it&rsquo;s gradually changing. We should open our arms to change, but should not let go of our culture and values,&rdquo; says Sharma. &nbsp;However, she strictly disapproves of women working only in the households. &ldquo;Women can contribute economically, and they should look after their family as well,&rdquo; says she. She also believes in economic evaluation of women&rsquo;s household work.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsntlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 347px;" />Personal Side</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma is married to Pranesh Sharma, and says her relation with her husband is based on respect and friendship. &ldquo;We are very compatible with each other, and share everything, no matter how small or big. I think every relation should be based on friendship for it to last forever,&rdquo; says she. A mother of a son and a daughter- Pranav and Pallavi, Sharma says that she is blessed with a very happy and close-knit family.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma starts her day with a cup of tea with her husband. She believes in keeping herself fit, and goes to gym every day. &nbsp;Her days are spent in meetings, in managing her college and in various organizations. Refusing to do any work on Saturdays, she relaxes on weekends and watches TV and reads biographies of famous personalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The Road Ahead</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma has recently entered into politics, and plans to make it her major focus in the days to come. &ldquo;I was always interested in politics, but I wanted to have adequate resources, skill and knowledge first. Now I think I am capable of contributing through politics,&rdquo; shares Sharma. Sharma recalls advocating and lobbying with the government for women empowerment through FWEAN. That&rsquo;s when she figured out that there were many difference in policy making level, and more women were needed there. &ldquo;All the decisions are made at the upper level, and it need more voice from women. That level could only be reached through politics. That&rsquo;s another reason why I am in politics now,&rdquo; says she. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Given the present situation of women in Nepal, Sharma thinks that they need some priority, so that they can have a level playing field. She advocates for reservation for women until they are equally placed. &nbsp;&ldquo;As women lack numerous opportunities in our country, they need some push for a certain time, until they can face the competition with men&rdquo;, says she. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		According to Sharma, women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves first, and should move ahead with a strong and positive attitude. &ldquo;Follow three Ds, determination, dedication and finally the devotion for a cause. Success will surely come your way,&rdquo; advises Sharma.</div>
</div>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age personality news & articles, personality news & articles from new business age nepal, personality headlines from nepal,  current and latest personality news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali personality economic news and events,  ongoing  personality news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chhaya Sharma, Chairperson of Women’s Committee-Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Founder/Director of Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management says that education is the major driving force for development of society, community and country as a whole. “When people are educated, they become aware of their rights and will fight for it,” says Sharma who is also the Immediate Past President of Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN).',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2314',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Private-Public Initiatives Can Revolutionise The Dairy Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Siromani Dhungana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is a huge demand for milk in the domestic market, says president of the Dairy Industries Association, Pradeep Maharjan, adding that domestic market has been witnessing a shortfall of around half a million litres of milk every day.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Investment from the corporate sector is a must to end the existing gap between demand and supply of dairy products, he opined adding that the government should facilitate the entire process from cow farming to marketing of dairy products.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Currently, corporate sector is engaged only in production phase, he informed. &ldquo;Around 30 dairy industries are involved in milk business and most of them sell pasteurized pack in the market. The need is, however, that milk production should be increased and government should lure massive investment from the big investors.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;He indicated two areas where the government should immediately take action to invite corporate sector in the entire milk production business. First, the government should introduce policy for contract farming whereby big corporations can invest in cow farming to run their own dairy industry. On the other, the government should facilitate the land leasing process for big corporate houses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate investment is not possible unless the government can ensure security of investment, he added. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Director at Nepal Dairy Development Board, Dr Balak Chaudhary blamed the government&rsquo;s dillydally in regulation of the dairy industry. &ldquo;The Dairy Development Corporation, a government entity which is a competitor in the dairy industry, is also playing the role of a regulator at present,&rdquo; he said, adding that the government should dare to establish a separate and powerful regulatory body to attract more investment in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There has not been a scientific study on the demand for milk and milk products, he revealed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Around 800 diary manufacturing units have been operating in the domestic market at present. Of them, very few have given their products corporate form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Some Dairy Facts</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		&bull;Large share of milk (around 75%) goes to the consumers through informal channels where quality is a big concern</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes quality is an issue in the formal channel of milk distribution as well</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Very little competition from cooperatives due to dominance of government-owned Dairy Development Corporation</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Farmers do not share the benefits of high demand due to lack of infrastructure&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk production is scattered over a large number of farmers producing miniscule quantities</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk distribution is limited largely to urban and semi-urban areas</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of policy focus on strengthening indigenous breeds of cows</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Because of low access to credit and risk-taking ability, farmers cannot increase their herd size</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Weak regulatory mechanism</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of very essential laws</div>
</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-23',
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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' => 'The dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2330',
			'article_category_id' => '160',
			'title' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
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			'description' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sortorder' => '2199',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2354',
			'article_category_id' => '150',
			'title' => 'Business Briefs (23 - 29 December 2013)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Hyundai Unveils Grand i10</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm. There is an option of of 5-speed manual transmission and Automatic Transmission. The company is offering a discount of up to 150,000 as an introductory offer.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Honda&rsquo;s &lsquo;Enlighten Your Life&rsquo; Offer &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Syakar Trading Company Pvt Ltd has announced a new scheme titled &lsquo;Enlighten your life&rsquo; this winter. Under this scheme, on every purchase of Honda generator and power products priced below Rs 150,000, customers will get a free carry bag, jacket and wall clock. On purchasing the generators and power products priced above Rs 150,000, a luggage bag and jacket is offered for free. The scheme is available in all showrooms, branches and dealers of Honda across the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>KIS-Multi Device Launched</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Sagar Software and Traders, in co-operation with Kaspersky Labs, have launched Kaspersky Internet Security &ndash; Multi Device 2014 antivirus in the market. According to the company, it is a new security product that provides premium protection for the world&rsquo;s most commonly-used devices. &lsquo;This solution protects not only Windows PCs, but also Android smartphones and tablets and Mac computers, allowing for the easily securing of any combination of devices with one activation code,&rsquo; says a statement. The software comes in 5-devices/1-year pack at introductory price of Rs 5000.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Pashupati Paints Announces Winners &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Pashupati Paints has announced the silver coin winners for the 11th lucky draw of its &lsquo;Win A Home Contest&rsquo;. The unique numbers of the five winners are 1244031, 2237978, 2357915, 2486125 and 4133253. The winners are randomly selected through computerized software. Under this contest, customers buying Pashupati Paints products like Luxuria, Luxuria Ecosafe, Ex-coat, Excoat Plus and One Way worth Rs 20,000 and above receive a scratch card which has the Unique Lucky Number. The bumper prize for this contest is an apartment at Downtown Housing. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2353',
			'article_category_id' => '201',
			'title' => 'Dressing Up For A Formal Meeting',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Angila Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn1.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 150px; height: 454px;" />Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate meetings are mostly formal in nature, are held in formal setup and involve formal talks. So, to gel into this formal environment, it is necessary for us to maintain formal composer while being their part.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business meetings demand smartness. One should avoid wearing jeans and other casual clothes like T-Shirts and polo&rsquo;s with sneakers while attending a business meeting. It is important that you remember you are attending a &lsquo;Business&rsquo; meeting and not a friend&rsquo;s birthday party while dressing up.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One mistake that some of us make, while attending a business meeting or a party, is that we choose clothes for the meeting in a hurry and thus, miss from having a smart look in hurry. So, firstly, it is important to select clothes prior the event.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Men</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a man, it is important to get facial hair shaved to look presentable for a meeting. Suits are supposed to be perfect for a meeting. However, it is okay if you opt for a well ironed shirt and a pair of trousers. In business world, suit and tie is a perfect match and widely accepted dressing style. While choosing suits, make sure you choose dark colors rather than bright colors. Also make sure your suit fits well as bagginess is not pleasing to eyes and therefore would destroy your smart look.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On a final note, make sure that you comb your hair neatly before leaving for the meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 125px; height: 314px;" /></p>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Women</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a business meeting, women should go for a knee length skirt or try a pantsuit. This adds a formal as well as attractive element to your personality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you tie your hair up into a ponytail or simply make a bun out of it.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One thing that should be well considered is that one should avoid wearing short dresses and low-cut shirts to a business meeting. You surely would not want to be an eye-candy in a business meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you apply the correct amount of make-up and lipstick. Don&rsquo;t overdo with makeup as they can make you look out of the place for a business meeting.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.',
			'sortorder' => '2197',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2322',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Cooperation In Hydropower For Mutual Benefit: Indian Envoy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It is important for Nepal to develop hydropower and Nepal should work with India,&rdquo; Ambassador Rae said, adding that he was &ldquo;very optimistic and confident&rdquo; that Nepal would move ahead in that direction.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;For mutual benefit, it is necessary too,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In another context, the Indian envoy said India was willing to inject more investment in Nepal and hoped that Nepal will have peace and stability following the Nov 19 Constituent Assembly elections. &ldquo;Soon there will be a new government and certainly we will bring new dynamism in bilateral relations,&rdquo; Rae said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Indian Embassy had organized the press conference to inform the media about the Indo-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meet and the India Investrade held on Dec 20-22. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The IGC used to work as a traditional regulatory body for bilateral trade and transit issues, but it should now develop a forum to promote bilateral trade,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He said the existing framework of the IGC should be expanded, private-public partnership should be promoted and private sectors from both countries should provide feedback to the IGC that will help in decision-making and also work out to bring investment in diverse fields.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We need to develop a mechanism to incorporate the private sector where the government mechanism can address concerns put forth by the private players,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He expressed concern over the low foreign direct investment (FDI) from India, which is around Rs.40.60 billion at a time when many Indian companies are buying properties and making their fortunes across the globe.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;There are lots of issues from both sides which need to be discussed... It may be political reasons or may be policy ones or infrastructure,&rdquo; the ambassador said when asked why there was low FDI from India.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
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			'description' => 'Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.',
			'sortorder' => '2196',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2352',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Balanced Personality',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Family has an important place in his life. &ldquo;Family and work are like the two wheels of a cart which need to be balanced well,&rdquo; says Udas while opining that one should never have problem in managing time for one&rsquo;s family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas has no specific hobby as such and thus enjoys everything. For him holidays provide space for oneself and help in rejuvenating mind. He stresses on the need for taking holidays at regular intervals.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He finds himself lucky for having Pokhara as his hometown. He goes there when he feels the need to relax. Of his vacation visits, Udas recalls his South India trip to be one of the most memorable trips. He had trekked there with backpacks.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas is an adventurous person too and likes sports bike. He loves riding bikes on highways. &ldquo;Long rides on outskirts of the city, helps a person to explore new destination and save time for oneself,&rdquo; he says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He has extreme fascination for football and enjoys playing it most of the time.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In his leisure, Udas watches BBC, National Geographic and other informational channels. He also loves watching inspirational videos on YouTube. He likes reading short books and articles on business and philosophy and scans the web for them on regular basis. He dislikes reading long books.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He believes in meeting new people for rejuvenating perception and ideas. He has active profiles on social media channels and uses them when he gets some moment&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	for himself.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2014-01-01',
			'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' => 'Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.',
			'sortorder' => '2195',
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	(int) 14 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2350',
			'article_category_id' => '206',
			'title' => 'Lenovo Y And Z Series Combining Power And Beauty',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design. It is a gaming laptop with a display of 15.6 inch HD with 1920 by 1080 resolution. In addition to the display, the Lenovo Idea pad Y510p consists of JBL speakers with Dolby Home Theater V4. It is equipped with intelligent touchpad which makes it easy for the user to scroll, zoom and rotate. The Lenovo has a slight edge, though, with a more advanced GeForce GT 755M GPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and Condusiv&#39;s Express Cache system, which utilises a 24GB SSD to accelerate the loading of commonly used applications.Unlike other Windows 8 laptops in the market, Lenovo Idea pad 510p lacks touch screen. The users will have to rely on the mouse for clicking. The only problem is the smaller-than-average backspace key, but in general the keyboard is ergonomically sound. The wide, buttonless touchpad works well, too, and its matte finish gives it a tactile texture that lends itself well to Windows 8&rsquo;s gestures. The power-packed IdeaPad Y510P is priced at Rs 1, 25,000 in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Another Lenovo product in the market is the Lenovo Idea pad Z580. This 15.6 inch laptop has 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. It is equipped with 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB 5,400-rpm hard drive and an Intel HD 4000 GPU which will not cause any obstacle while doing multiple tasks. It consists of 1TB hard disk which gives the user plenty of space to store media files and data. It also houses a thermal management system that adjusts the fan-speed and maintains an optimized performance. Its intelligent touchpad helps for easy zoom, rotate and scroll functions. It has integrated stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater v4 that enhance the surrounding sound experience. &nbsp;The laptop also comes with two USB3 ports, two USB2 ports and a multi-format card reader, making it incredibly flexible when it comes to connecting up your external storage, and an HDMI port means you can connect it to an external display to play back what&rsquo;s stored on the hard disk. The laptop is available in 2 versions, one with Core i5 processor and another with Core i7 processor. The Z580 with Core i5 processor carries a price tag of Rs 75,000, whereas the i7 variant is priced at Rs 95,000.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design.',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2363',
			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'China Eases One-Child Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China&#39;s top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country&#39;s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People&#39;s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November. The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country. They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation. Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age - which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbours, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the Standing Committee also decided to China&#39;s notorious labour camps. &nbsp;The decision to close the labour camps puts an end to a controversial punishment system long criticised for its human rights abuses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The network, which was created in the 1950s based on the Soviet Gulag, allowed the Chinese police to send anyone to prison for up to four years without a trial. A labour camp sentence was almost impossible to appeal. China had 260 labour camps holding 160,000 inmates at the start of this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Watch.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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' => 'China's top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country's one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November.',
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			'id' => '2365',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => '4 Out Of 5 Farmers Lack Access To Loans',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers,&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the Report, 3,831,093 households in the country own land. Out of them, only 835,921 households (21.81 per cent) have availed agro loans. This means a whopping 2,995,172 households do not have access to bank loans. The Report says that of the total farm households, 42 per cent have said that they need agro loans.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Nepal Bankers&rsquo; Association and CEO of Citizens Bank International, Rajan Singh Bhandari informed The Corporate that though banks have increased their investment in the agriculture sector, the banks have not been able to take financial services to all farmers. &ldquo;The commercial banks lack the capacity to take financial services to all the farming households in the country,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Development Bankers Association, Nepal, and CEO of Kaliash Development Bank, Krishna Raj Lamichhane accepts that the agricultural loan flow from the BFIs at present is not enough. &ldquo;We need a special policy to increase farmers&rsquo; access to financial services,&rdquo; says Lamichhane.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The latest census shows that of the farmers who have taken loans for agricultural purpose, 34.57 per cent have borrowed from their relatives. Similarly, 16.61 per cent of such farmers have borrowed from the Agricultural Development Bank, 8.67 per cent from the commercial banks, 15.67 per cent from cooperatives, 9.73 per cent from farmers&rsquo; groups, 12.95 per cent from women&rsquo;s groups, and 5.78 per cent have borrowed from &lsquo;others&rsquo;.</div>',
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			'description' => 'Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers, 
a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.',
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			'id' => '2362',
			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'ADB Ups Support For Projects Promoting Sustainable Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. &quot;Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific&rsquo;s Future&quot; shows that in 2011&ndash;2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts. The projects promoted growth while at the same time enhancing access to basic services such as water supply, education, and health, and helping beneficiaries mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, among others. &quot;During the same period, ADB approved 112 projects with an environmental sustainability focus totaling more than $13 billion ― a 50% increase over the previous two years. It invested $4.4 billion in clean energy-related initiatives to provide an additional 2,125 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity across the region over 2011 and 2012,&quot; informed the report.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In response to the growing climate change threat, in 2012 alone, ADB approved climate-related finance of $3.4 billion while transport investments, including low-carbon projects, in 2012 totaled nearly $4 billion. According to the report, at the corporate level, ADB promoted sustainability by further reducing the per person use of water, electricity, and paper, and the waste generated at its headquarters, where 77% of its staff work.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	ADB is consistently run with the lowest overhead among multinational development banks, according to Standard and Poor&rsquo;s. In 2012, ADB became the first multilateral development bank to attain ISO 50001 certification for energy management, with measures taken to &ldquo;green&rdquo; its headquarters building, including installing solar panels and collecting rainwater. To improve access to information, an updated Public Communications Policy was launched in 2012.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. "Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific’s Future" shows that in 2011–2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts',
			'sortorder' => '2206',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2358',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'NE Group: Expanding Perpetually',
			'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="Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman, NE Group" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 222px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div style="text-align: center;">
						<div>
							<strong>Ravi Bhakta Shrestha</strong></div>
						<div>
							<em>Vice Chairman, NE Group</em></div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal&rsquo;s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With a belief and optimism for the better future, NE Group has some growth plans up its sleeve to expand in the days to come. The group that has been primarily been concentrated in the manufacturing and trade sectors is now looking into the service industry with much enthusiasm and dedication. Shrestha says that his group will be exploring more into the health and tourism sectors where it already has some investments.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing Prospects</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Shrestha optimistically says, &ldquo;We see numerous potentials in the future. The political situation has now shown signs of improvement. Once we achieve the much awaited stability, there are many reasons to get encouraged.&rdquo; Not only NE Group, but the business community will be more confident to make investments through domestic as well as foreign sources, he adds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Foreseeing the brighter days to come, the group promises to venture into newer sectors like herbal industry and high value agriculture. Hydropower is also one of the priority sectors of the group. Shrestha reveals that talks are going on with South Korean investors regarding energy development but added that details are yet to be finalised.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group sees itself prosper in the service industry. So, the group is planning to come up with boutique hotels outside the Kathmandu valley. Though Shrestha denied elaborating into details, he says that the group has identified a couple of places for establishing hotel. Likewise, the group is also planning to expand its SRL Diagnostic Centre as a wellness centre. He claims that SRL Diagnostics laboratory is South East Asia&rsquo;s largest diagnostic lab and the group has established it here which he says is the most modern lab in Nepal. Shrestha is hopeful that a couple of projects in the service sector will be launched within a year or two.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With an aim to expand into the tourism sector, the group has acquired 1,020,144 shares held by Oberoi Hotels Pvt Ltd, an international hotel chain, in Soaltee Hotel Ltd. Sibkrim Land and Industries, subsidiary of the group acquired the entire stakes worth Rs 142.82 million in 2012.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Prime Focus</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The prime line of business for the group has always remained manufacturing and trading but has now expanded into banking, insurance, distribution, international trading, consulting services and project development. Similarly, the group also has presence in hospitality, health and education sector. &nbsp;Likewise, the group is one of the major promoters in United Insurance and Himalayan Bank Limited. Shrestha claims that United Insurance comes among top five insurance companies of Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group used to export some of its products to the foreign markets but Shrestha now says that the domestic market has surged a lot so, the group has been concentrating only in the domestic market at present.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a recent move into the food and beverage business, the group has recently opened Barista-Lavazza, a chain of Italian coffee shops in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group has trusted multinational brand names as joint venture in its portfolio. With a joint venture with Unilever, it has been producing numerous consumer products needed for the domestic market from its factory in Hetauda. Shrestha says that it is the listed company &nbsp;that provides highest dividend to its shareholders every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="NE GROUP" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 319px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Management Approach</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though the group was established as a family owned business, it has now taken the path of professionally managed corporate house. Shrestha says that it is the need of the time that has increased the value of human resource. &ldquo;Success depends on the quality of human resource,&rdquo; he says. The group has given utmost value to professionalism. And, it has assigned individual professionals with relevant responsibilities who look after the companies and regularly brief to the board of directors that gives necessary suggestions and takes action as needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group is employing 250 people in its companies and factories. Human resource management is also done by the HR department of each of the companies. A weekly meeting is held where the issues are communicated and necessary action is taken. &ldquo;The group is moving ahead in a purely professional and independent fashion,&rdquo; says Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CSR Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The group with a promise to give back to the society established IJ charitable trust in 1981. &nbsp;According to Shrestha, the Trust, a non-profit and self-funded organisation, is most active in aiding the good health and education of underprivileged children. Likewise it has been making contributions also for the preservation of Nepali culture. The Trust has also created a long-term sustainable fund for the Paediatric department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to provide financial help to needy children for medical treatment. It also honours renowned writers, artists and ethnic persons who have made significant contributions to the society. In 1985, the Trust established the I.J pioneer High School in Hattiban, Lalitpur which provides quality education and extra-curricular activities to more than seven hundred students. The school also provides free scholarship to 100 needy and talented students each year, shares Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<div>
									<div>
										<div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Growth as a Group</strong></span></div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												NE Group of today once was a small garment store, a family owned business initiated by Ravi Bhakta Shrestha&rsquo;s grandfather. The garment store gradually expanded into a business of money exchange service when there were no banks and other financial services in the country.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the trade relationship with India kept on growing along with the growth of trade volume with the southern neighbour, first generation businessmen of Shrestha family also involved in trading of tea. The trading business did not limit to India alone. Shrestha says that his family was the first in Nepal to establish trade relationship with South Korea in 1968. Then South Korea&rsquo;s economy was rapidly growing. Shrestha used to import garments and construction materials from there. However, the licensing system prohibited the group to expand the trade volume as it wished. Similarly, in the trade front, the group once exported some products like musk and peacock feathers to international market.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												As an important milestone towards industrial concentration, the NE Group in partnership with Jalan group of India acquired Ganapati Cotton Mill in Biratnagar that had remained closed for quite some time. However, the factory was again closed down after operating for few years because of labour and other issues. Likewise, the group acquired Nepal Synthetic Industry in Hetauda and expanded it. The group also once had two iron mills in Biratnagar and Hetauda.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the business moved onto Shrestha&rsquo;s shoulder, he kept on expanding his family business, following the footsteps of his father. He says that one of the most important and biggest moves he made was signing an agreement with Unilever. This tie-up has given extra edge to the group in its growth as a large business house that it is today, says Shrestha.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Some Companies and Subsidiaries of NE Group</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/sl%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 92px;" />National Ice Cream Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													This company was established in 2009 as a joint venture between NE Group and The Nanglo Group. National Ice Cream Pvt Ltd produces premium frozen dessert in a state-of-the-art 18,500 sq ft manufacturing unit located at Balaju Industrial District, Kathmandu. The company claims that it has ensured high quality and maintenance of stringent hygiene standards throughout the manufacturing and distribution cycle with a fulltime team of professional food and dairy technologists. The company produces ice cream under Azzabko brand. Azzabko products are available in over 500 retail stores, restaurants and hotels across the country.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="NICM" src="/userfiles/images/sl1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 133px;" />NICM</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2006, National Investment &amp; Capital Market Limited (NICM) provides Asset Management, Investment Banking, Research, Consultancy And Training services all under one roof. The management is supported by Citizen Investment Trust, a public fund manager and merchant banker. NICM has an issued capital of Rs 150 million and is due to be listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<img alt="National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 69px;" /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd, established in 1996 is a large scale industrial until at Hetauda Industrial Estate, Makwanpur manufacturing laundry soaps, powdered detergents and hair oil. The company provides back-end production and packaging capabilities for the leading brands of Unilever Nepal such as OK laundry soap and Wheel detergent powder.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Unilever Nepal Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl3%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 110px;" />Unilever Nepal Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 1993 as a joint venture between Hindustan Unilever (formerly Hindustan Lever) and Sibkrim Land &amp; Industrial Co (a subsidiary of NE Group), Unilever aims to meet the everyday needs of Nepali household, to anticipate the aspiration of consumers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services to raise their quality of life. The company manufactures international brands such as Sunsilk Hair products, Close Up, Pepsodent, Wheel Detergent Powder, OK Laundry Soap, Axe Deodorants, Dove, Fair and Lovely, Lifebouy, Lux, Lakme, Ponds and Vaseline amongst others. The company is listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="United Insurance Co Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl4%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 112px;" />United Insurance Co Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													United Insurance started its operation on December 1, 1993 (Mangsir16, 2050) after its registration with the Company Registrar&rsquo;s Office and approval by Insurance Board. The company is promoted by leading industrialists and reputed trading and commercial houses of Nepal and is publically listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange. The authorised capital of the company is Rs 150 million.&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Life Care Services Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl5%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 65px;" />Life Care Services Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2010 as a joint venture between Life Care Services Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of NE Group) and Super Religare Reference Laboratories India, it is one of the largest diagnostic networks in South and South-East Asia. Through SRL&rsquo;s expertise, the lab provides international standard diagnostic services in the country offering over 3500 tests covering most diseases. The lab is located at Mahrajgunj, Kathmandu and boasts 12 collections centres across the country in cities such as Dharan, Pokahara, Biratnagar, Nepalganj, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Dhangadi, Dharan and Janakpur.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
											</div>
										</div>
									</div>
								</div>
							</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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' => 'As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal’s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.',
			'sortorder' => '2205',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2360',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Nepse’s Bull Run Looses Steam',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Sanjeev Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country&rsquo;s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The fall in Nepse was attributed by decrease in all sub-indices traded in the day. Insurance sub-index was the biggest loser with a fall of 71.19 points (3.31%). Similarly, the sub-indices of Hotel, Commercial banks and Hydropower fell by 28.46 points, 6.11 points and 17.91 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index lost (11.75 points) followed by Finance sub-index (0.21 points) and development Banks (0.47 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Sunday total 991,476 units of share of 108 companies were traded through 3,138 transactions, which worth Rs. 402.81 million&rsquo;s turnover. The total market capitalization was registered at Rs 792.44 billion.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Corrected by 8 points Last Week</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Snapping 6 weeks of straight gains, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index made correction of 8 points last week. Nepse, retreated back from 805.65 points of previous week&rsquo;s closing to close at 787.36 points last week. As the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Dr Yubaraj Khatowoda warns investors about the risks posed by &lsquo;stock market bubble&rsquo;; the benchmark index slips from its near five-year high level. Similarly, the profit booking strategy of exuberant investors also contributed to Nepse&rsquo;s correction. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For the week ending 27th December, the number of transaction at Nepse totaled to 15,000 with bought and sold of 537.30 million units of shares worth Rs 2.27 billion in the stock market. In the mean time weekly turnover increased by 7.85 per cent, compared to the previous week. Likewise, the number of transaction and number of share units went up by 53.01 per cent and 7.45 per cent respectively for the week.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the weekly turnover, shares of the Nepal Bank Limited reached the top spot in the market. The bank also climbed to no 1 spot in terms of the number of units of share being transacted for the week. Nepal Telecom, meanwhile, maintained its top spot in terms of market capitalization for the week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On the first day (Sunday), Nepse index, edged down by 10.46 points to settle at 795.19 points. The second day (Monday) of the weekly trading marked another decline, with the Nepse losing 26.47 points to close at 768.72. On the third day (Tuesday), the index tested the immediate support at 753, however, bounced back and rose by 8.86 points to close at 777.58. On Wednesday, the stock market was closed due to Christmas holiday. The last day of the weekly trading (Thursday) Nepse index attempted to break a resistant at 806. But, it could not succeed and returned back. However, for the day Nepse gained 10.46 points to settle at 787.36.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last week marked the volatility of share prices of most of the sub-indices. Insurance sub-index was the biggest gainer with a rise of 93.69 points. This is the second consecutive weekly gain for the Insurance sub-index. Similarly, the sub-index of finance companies and development banks gained 2.91 points and 0.59 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index was the biggest loser (21.31 points) for the week followed by Banking sub-index (13.97 points), Hydropower (10.14 points) and Hotel (8.32 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Sensitive Index of Nepse, which represents the share trading of class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies (most of which are considered as blue chip stocks) went down by 2.47 points. Manufacturing sub-index remained same as earlier weeks.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although shares of 139 companies were transacted during the week, 55 companies observed a gain, while shares price of 56 companies declined last week. Shares price of 28 companies remained unchanged over the period.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepse Index" src="/userfiles/images/indx%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 372px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country’s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class ‘A’ listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.',
			'sortorder' => '2204',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2359',
			'article_category_id' => '135',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Trade Expo- 2014',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:18px;">Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Pradeep Kumar Kedia" src="/userfiles/images/VC%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 229px;" />&lsquo;The Expo can form the basis of rapid economic development.&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Pradeep Kumar Kedia</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Sr. Vice President, BiCCI</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The international trade expo, which is going to be held in Birgunj, a major commercial hub of the country, is a solid way to promote trade. It can also be utilized as a platform to better manage our internal and external markets. For instance, the Expo will be a good platform for exchanging information about our local products including their specialties and comparative advantage. This will be important as we have found that in many cases even the domestic consumers are ignorant about the domestic products. This ignorance is a big hurdle in promoting the local products in the domestic market.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will bring the producers and consumers together at the same platform, two-way communication about the various aspects of the products displayed in the Expo will be possible. This will greatly promote the use of domestic products. Import substitution is not possible without the easy availability of and enough information about the domestic products. Thus, the Expo will be a good opportunity for reducing imports and promoting the consumption of domestic products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will feature products and technologies from outside the country as well, we can expect a lot of interaction on the diversity of products and their usability. This will help in increasing productivity through the exchange of technology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is incurring a huge trade deficit at present. The export import ratio is 1:8 at present. The Expo will help increase our exports and thus there is a huge possibility of reducing the trade deficit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have a huge trade deficit with India for the simple reason that the bulk of our international trade is with India. As a high number of Indian producers and traders will participate in the Expo, we can be hopeful that the interaction with them will help in promoting our exports to the southern neighbour. In this way the Expo will be a golden opportunity which can form the basis of the country&rsquo;s rapid economic growth. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="KC Lamichane,  Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa" src="/userfiles/images/VC1%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 227px;" />&lsquo;Good opportunity for economic development&rsquo;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>KC Lamichane&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The country should march forward to the direction of social and economic transformation by institutionalizing the political change. There is always a threat of losing political achievements if the economic situation of the country is not sound. There is unfavourable environment for industrial development and degradation of the rule of law at present which leads to sluggish economic development. Economic activities amidst such instability can lead the country towards economic stability.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We consider Birgunj as the financial capital of the country as 70 per cent of total industrial investment and 60 per cent of commercial transaction takes place in this city. With this background, &lsquo;Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014&rsquo; is being organized by Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Minds Nepal in association with other commercial houses in Birgunj.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The organizers are expecting a business transaction of around Rs 200million while around 500,000 visitors are anticipated to visit the Expo. The organizers have various other bases to anticipate the success of this Expo. Since Birgunj is located near the border, Indian citizens are also expected to visit this Expo. The commercialization of local products and promotion of local and international services in the Expo can play the role in promoting export, strengthening economic mechanisms and import substitution.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The world has moved ahead in technology. Moving forward by incorporating the technology can increase competitiveness. The Nepali economy can develop with the use of new technologies. The economic activities in the country have been sluggish with the decline in the productive sector. The Expo can play a significant role to reenergize the Nepali economy in the international market.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Expo should focus mainly on two things. First, it should announce the Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor as an industrial corridor by mounting some kind of pressure on the state for infrastructure development. Similarly, this Expo will help in the creation of jobs, sharing of technical knowledge and exploring market for goods and services.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We need cooperation and coordination among all the concerned stakeholders to make the Expo a grand success.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Ravindra Kumar Barnawal" src="/userfiles/images/VC2%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 231px;" />&lsquo;The Expo will have a multidimensional effect&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Ravindra Kumar Barnawal</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Secretary, Birgunj&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Coordinator</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Stall booking sub-committee</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Nepal-India Business&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Expo-2014</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepal-India Expo Trade that is to be held in Birgunj is a golden opportunity for Nepal and other neighboring countries to flourish their business. It is equally important for the other countries as well as this Expo will provide them the platform to create market for their services and technology. Apart from Nepal and India, products from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan will be displayed in the Expo. Even though the main aim of this Expo is to flourish trade, it is undoubtedly true that it will leave a positive impact on other sectors as well. Thus, its effects are multidimensional. The trade Expo will not only help to provide international recognition to Nepali products, but also to promote our products in the Indian market. &nbsp;The Expo that is scheduled to take place in Birgunj, the economic capital of Nepal, will help to set a milestone in the growth of the national economy while also providing opportunity for increment for exports. It can be guaranteed that while helping in the development of the industrial sector, the Expo will also help in solving the problem of unemployment. Even today, 7 hundred thousands of Nepali manpower is working abroad which has caused shortage of skilled manpower here in the country. Such types of Expo will be productive in leading the country towards economic growth by increasing internal as well as external trade through industrialization. Similarly, the Expo will also contribute in minimizing business loses through increase in exports. As the bulk of our trade deficit is with India, the Expo should focus on lowering the trade deficit. The Expo will also provide an opportunity to resolve bilateral trade barriers. Nepal&rsquo;s agricultural sector is still traditional and we have not been able to focus on production of goods that have comparative advantage. So, it is essential that we take information about agricultural technology from India and even if we decide to adopt it, we can expect the outcome to be positive. Likewise, the Expo equally focuses on diversification. The Expo will also provide trainings from experienced trainers on various issues such as branding of education, trade and products and corporate communication.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:',
			'sortorder' => '2203',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2312',
			'article_category_id' => '46',
			'title' => '“Nepal-India-China Trilateral Mechanism Needed For Nepal’s Power Development”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 16px;">Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also. &nbsp;Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people &nbsp;and assists in sustainable development.&nbsp;<strong>Kul Man Ghising</strong>, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to&nbsp;<strong>Siromani Dhungana</strong>&nbsp;of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal&rsquo;s hydropower sector.&nbsp;<strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What is the progress of power projects being developed by your company?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We have four projects under Chilime Hydropower Company, namely Sanjen, Mid-Bhotekoshi, Rasuwagadhi and Bemdang. We have been developing all these projects through our subsidiary companies -- Sanjen Jalavidhyut Company, Madhya Bhotekohi Jalavidhyut Company, Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company and Bemdang Khola. Mid-Bhotekoshi with an installed capacity of 102 MW in Sindhupalchowk district is being developed through Madhya Bhotekoshi. Sanjen is &nbsp;developing two projects&ndash;Sanjen of 42.5 MW and Upper Sanjen &nbsp;of 14.8 MW capacity in Rasuwa district. Rasuwagadhi Hydropower is developing a new project - 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Project in Rasuwa district. We have almost completed all pre-construction tasks including procurement process and taking EIA certificate and other clearances. All these projects will start construction by the end of the current fiscal year. Among these four projects, the progress of Sanjen is rapid. We have planned to complete all works of Sanjen project by 2016 and other projects by 2017.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The first project developed by your company is often cited as an ideal model for Nepal&rsquo;s power projects. And more examples of such successful model were expected from your company. But none of the projects in the pipeline viz. Sanjen, Madhya Bhote Koshi and Rasuwagadhi are complete so far. Why this delay?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	I do not think there is delay in the progress of projects. We have been working on all projects according to the project timeframe developed by the company. In Nepal, pre-construction works take almost 60 per cent of time required to develop hydropower projects. We have lengthy procedural formalities to complete before starting the actual construction. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have already completed works that include getting approval from various ministries and government agencies, tunnel testing, infrastructure development at the site among others. Given the usual standard in Nepal, it should be considered as a great achievement for any hydro company to start construction work within three years of acquiring licence. Within three years, we have prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other ground works necessary to start the construction of the project.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	No project can be undertaken without financing. It was challenging to identify proper financing channels. We managed to arrange equity participation from our partners including Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Chilime and the public. But debt financing was really important and it is our achievement to have convinced Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to invest in our projects within a year.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Financing is not possible without reaching Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NEA and DPR is essential for entering into PPA. These are time-consuming processes. Hydropower companies have to go through many hurdles to enter into PPA in Nepal. Companies have been chasing NEA for years to get PPA approved. Process of getting environmental impact assessment (EIA) certificate is unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal. Government agencies compel hydro companies to wait for 2/3 years to acquire EIA certificate. That&rsquo;s not all. Ministry of Forestry takes another 2/3 years to provide consent for chopping trees in project sites. &nbsp;It takes five years just to complete the process at the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forestry. These all pre-construction processes are unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Adding to it, as a public company we have to follow lengthy procurement process that takes around one to two years to complete. Despite all these hurdles, we have been working aggressively to complete all projects in the stipulated time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;In Nepal, no project has been completed in less than 10 years of its initiation. Administrative hassles have been causing the delay in completing pre-construction works. Sometimes, I feel these are unnecessary hurdles. The government should focus on easing off these hassles, if it wants to propel hydropower development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director, Chilime Hydropower Company Limited" src="/userfiles/images/intr2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 250px; height: 368px;" />Some private sector power developers have also pointed out that Chilime is specially favoured by the government and the Nepal Electricity Authority in various respects, such as PPA rate and the choice of projects. What is your assessment?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As a public company, we have to face dozens of hurdles to develop a hydropower project. First, we have to face problem in public dealings during land acquisition. We follow transparent methods in public dealing and do not pick up influential persons to get them on our side andstart work. Even at the ministry, our projects are processed by taking more time than other private sector companies. The allegations that Chilime has got special privileges are completely baseless. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Developers often complain about the increasing demands of the locals in the project site. How is the situation in projects being developed by Chilime?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We should not always blame locals for friction in the development of hydro projects. Local people do not always put irrelevant and irrational demands. Power developers should take care of their logical demands. They should maintain transparency in their deals. For a project to be sustainable, deprived people should also get project benefits. This is what we do in our projects. Providing benefits only to a handful of local people always creates trouble.. The activities which are not transparent and are aimed at appeasing a handful of locals are major reasons behind problems at the local level. Power developers should ensure that the project benefits locals through employment opportunities, infrastructure development among others. We have been doing all these activities at the local level and maintained transparency in our dealings. We have decided to float shares to locals on equal basis to create sense of ownership on the project among them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>One major problem cited in the development of hydropower in Nepal is the lack of capital. To address this problem, legal provisions have been reviewed and the developers have been allowed to raise money from the general public by issuing shares them even before the project construction starts. Why don&rsquo;t the developers use this facility to raise fund?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	There is a great possibility of rasing the capital through issuing shares to the general people. But, Security Board of Nepal&rsquo;s (SEBON) regulation does not allows to issue shares to the general people without solving equity issue among the promoters. Private sector is not very &nbsp;much eager to submit equity details of all the promoters. Due to equity issue, it is not easy to float shares to the public from the private sector power developers. Majority of power developers do not want to issue shares to the public.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the recent days, people&rsquo;s attraction in buying shares clearly hints that we can generate capital by floating shares to the public. Even generating equity is not a big problem in Nepal. We have enough fund but our problem is how to manage fund. Trust on developers is also equally important before floating shares. All developers can not be as trustworthy as Chilime. If developers fail to make profit, people will not invest in shares of hydro companies in the future. This part also should be considered.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Some analysts suggest that developing hydropower projects in Nepal with an aim to export power to India will benefit Nepal because of the seasonal variation in the water flow and peak demand of electricity in Nepal and India. What is your opinion on this?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Due to seasonal hydrology, energy management is indeed a challenging task in Nepal. Currently, NEA is responsible to manage energy in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of transmission line for interconnection is a must. Optimum utilization of hydro energy is not possible in the country without interconnection. All power generators should be connected in the national power grid to utilize hydro potential to its full capacity. Interconnection with India means getting connected with the entire South Asian region. It would be really good if we can develop cross-border or regional transmission line.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But first, we have to put optimum efforts to develop more power projects so that we can reach the level of a power surplus country. The demand of power will automatically go up in the domestic market too if we generate enough power. More factories &nbsp;will come up here if we can ensure sufficient power supply to them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What other &nbsp;legal and administrative hurdles are there in developing a hydro project? &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has failed to expedite procedure in hydro projects development especially the administrative procedures. It should remove all administrative hassles if it really wants rapid growth in the hydro power sector. We have already talked about the year-long procedural hurdles that exist in various government agencies.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are some unnecessary and irrational taxes levied on hydropower projects in Nepal. Besides the royalty that the projects have to pay the government, &nbsp;Ministry of Forestry charges one per cent tax on power developers which does not match with government&rsquo;s commitment of facilitating hydropower sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Power trading company is necessary to manage energy market in Nepal. We don&rsquo;t have a reliable entity to manage electricity market. NEA is the entity which is signing PPA in Nepal. And this PPA &nbsp;is not based on scientific approach. PPA rates should be decided on the basis of several factors including condition of the project site. . It should be transparent and scientific if Nepal has to be a power surplus nation.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the government should form a scientific pricing mechanism. The price of electricity should not be the same during peak &nbsp;and normal hours. It should focus its effort on all these aspects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	PPA in terms of dollar has been raised and the government should address this issue along with making the PPA bankable.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The balance sheet of NEA is not convincing to foreign power developers. Foreign investors cannot be assured of the safety oftheir investment when they have to sign agreement with a company that is in such huge loss. If the government cannot provide sovereign guarantee, it should provide payment guarantee. Additionally, in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the government should ensure security mechanism to boost confidence of foreign developers.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What challenges and opportunities do you see in Nepal&rsquo;s hydro power sector?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Our nearest power market is India and there are potential investors in China. We can bring investors from China and use Indian power market. We can make a trilateral mechanism and develop trilateral business since we have resources, India has market and China has capital to invest.Investment in joint venture among these three countries will be mutually beneficial and can create unique opportunities for all. Chilime model is sufficient to generate power if domestic market is the only target. But, if we want prosperity from hydropower sector, we have to attract foreign power developers and for that we have to open avenues in foreign markets.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age  interview news & articles, interview news & articles from new business age nepal, interview headlines from nepal,  current and latest interview news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali interview economic news and events,  ongoing  interview news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also.  Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people  and assists in sustainable development. Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to Siromani Dhungana of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal’s hydropower sector. Excerpts:',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2311',
			'article_category_id' => '47',
			'title' => 'A Liberal Feminist',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<strong>--By Sujan Tiwari</strong></div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		After years of working in education sector and in areas of women empowerment and entrepreneurship development, Sharma has recently entered into politics. Sharma, who likes to call herself a social entrepreneur, is also a candidate for the Constituent Assembly polls under Proportional Representation electoral system from Madhesi People&#39;s Rights Forum in the recent CA Elections. &ldquo;Politics will be my major focus from now onwards. I will bring forth the issues of women, youth and employment through politics,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has been working in the education sector since last 15 years, and believes that education is the most fundamental need. She has played the role of a pioneer in introducing Tourism Studies at the academic level in Nepal by starting Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management in 1996. &ldquo;I was inspired to open the college as tourism is the top most potential that Nepal has. I started the college to take tourism and education hand in hand. This is the first college to provide formal tourism education in Nepal,&rdquo; says she. According to her, this is the only college in South Asia that offers Bachelor level courses&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		in Tourism. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		The college provides academic courses like Bachelor in Travel and Tourism Management, Bachelor in Hotel management and Masters in Travel and Tourism Management. &ldquo;My intention for starting the college was to merge education with tourism and help in providing employment through it. As Travel and Tourism Management is a professional course, the employment rate is very high, at around 98 per cent,&rdquo; informed Sharma. She is also the Founder Director of Kaasthamandap Vidhalaya.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Early Life</strong></span></div>
	<strong style="font-size: 14px;"><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsnlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 328px;" /></strong>
	<div>
		Sharma was born in Dillibazar of Kathmandu to Late Rohini Prasad Pant and Janaki Devi. &nbsp;She says she enjoyed a childhood that was very happy and well provided for. &ldquo;I grew up with my elder brother and little sister. We were taught from our childhood to care for others, and for those who are less fortunate,&rdquo; recalls Sharma. &nbsp;She did her schooling from Saint Mary&rsquo;s School. Sharma says she was brought up in a very disciplined environment, both at home and at school. &nbsp;She believes all her traits and characters developed from her education and upbringing.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma still remembers not having any definite career goals as a young girl. &ldquo;As I grew up in well to do family, I didn&rsquo;t gave much thought to career when I was young, but still I had the feeling that I should somehow contribute to the society,&rdquo; says she. After school, she did her Intermediates from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Girls College, and later went to Delhi to study Interior Designing. After completing the course, she returned to Kathmandu. At that time, Interior Designing was quite a new thing. She tried a few jobs, but didn&rsquo;t continue it as she didn&rsquo;t see much prospect in it back then.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&ldquo;I again pursued my education, and did my Masters in Sociology from Patan Multiple Campus,&rdquo; shares Sharma. She has also received numerous professional trainings including Conflict Transformation Across Cultures from SIT Graduate Institute Vermont, USA and Social Healing and Leadership in Peace building. It was the same time when Nepal was suffering from armed conflict, and the training helped to give her life a new direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Philosophies</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		As an enterprising and creative woman, Sharma strongly believes that economic empowerment is the key to uplift women. &ldquo;I believe in self employment and creativity. Through many associations, I have assisted numerous women empower themselves through skill development, trainings and through micro-credit projects,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has played an instrumental role in conflict management in the then war-torn areas like Kailali and Rukum. She got involved with organizations like Women Entrepreneur&rsquo;s Association and Karuna Centre. &nbsp;Also, her major involvement was in area of women empowerment through entrepreneurship development and employment generation. After the conflict ended, she was engaged in peace building process in communities. She has conducted numerous researches on Micro Enterprise Development in many remote areas of Nepal. &nbsp;Sharma is also the Board Member Institute for Conflict Management, Peace and Development (ICPD) and a Life Member of Human Rights Association of Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Along with advocating for equal rights for women, Sharma also believes that responsibilities should be equally divided between male and female. &ldquo;Though the structure of our society is patriarchal, but it&rsquo;s gradually changing. We should open our arms to change, but should not let go of our culture and values,&rdquo; says Sharma. &nbsp;However, she strictly disapproves of women working only in the households. &ldquo;Women can contribute economically, and they should look after their family as well,&rdquo; says she. She also believes in economic evaluation of women&rsquo;s household work.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsntlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 347px;" />Personal Side</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma is married to Pranesh Sharma, and says her relation with her husband is based on respect and friendship. &ldquo;We are very compatible with each other, and share everything, no matter how small or big. I think every relation should be based on friendship for it to last forever,&rdquo; says she. A mother of a son and a daughter- Pranav and Pallavi, Sharma says that she is blessed with a very happy and close-knit family.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma starts her day with a cup of tea with her husband. She believes in keeping herself fit, and goes to gym every day. &nbsp;Her days are spent in meetings, in managing her college and in various organizations. Refusing to do any work on Saturdays, she relaxes on weekends and watches TV and reads biographies of famous personalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The Road Ahead</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma has recently entered into politics, and plans to make it her major focus in the days to come. &ldquo;I was always interested in politics, but I wanted to have adequate resources, skill and knowledge first. Now I think I am capable of contributing through politics,&rdquo; shares Sharma. Sharma recalls advocating and lobbying with the government for women empowerment through FWEAN. That&rsquo;s when she figured out that there were many difference in policy making level, and more women were needed there. &ldquo;All the decisions are made at the upper level, and it need more voice from women. That level could only be reached through politics. That&rsquo;s another reason why I am in politics now,&rdquo; says she. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Given the present situation of women in Nepal, Sharma thinks that they need some priority, so that they can have a level playing field. She advocates for reservation for women until they are equally placed. &nbsp;&ldquo;As women lack numerous opportunities in our country, they need some push for a certain time, until they can face the competition with men&rdquo;, says she. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		According to Sharma, women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves first, and should move ahead with a strong and positive attitude. &ldquo;Follow three Ds, determination, dedication and finally the devotion for a cause. Success will surely come your way,&rdquo; advises Sharma.</div>
</div>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age personality news & articles, personality news & articles from new business age nepal, personality headlines from nepal,  current and latest personality news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali personality economic news and events,  ongoing  personality news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chhaya Sharma, Chairperson of Women’s Committee-Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Founder/Director of Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management says that education is the major driving force for development of society, community and country as a whole. “When people are educated, they become aware of their rights and will fight for it,” says Sharma who is also the Immediate Past President of Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN).',
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			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Private-Public Initiatives Can Revolutionise The Dairy Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Siromani Dhungana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is a huge demand for milk in the domestic market, says president of the Dairy Industries Association, Pradeep Maharjan, adding that domestic market has been witnessing a shortfall of around half a million litres of milk every day.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Investment from the corporate sector is a must to end the existing gap between demand and supply of dairy products, he opined adding that the government should facilitate the entire process from cow farming to marketing of dairy products.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Currently, corporate sector is engaged only in production phase, he informed. &ldquo;Around 30 dairy industries are involved in milk business and most of them sell pasteurized pack in the market. The need is, however, that milk production should be increased and government should lure massive investment from the big investors.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;He indicated two areas where the government should immediately take action to invite corporate sector in the entire milk production business. First, the government should introduce policy for contract farming whereby big corporations can invest in cow farming to run their own dairy industry. On the other, the government should facilitate the land leasing process for big corporate houses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate investment is not possible unless the government can ensure security of investment, he added. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Director at Nepal Dairy Development Board, Dr Balak Chaudhary blamed the government&rsquo;s dillydally in regulation of the dairy industry. &ldquo;The Dairy Development Corporation, a government entity which is a competitor in the dairy industry, is also playing the role of a regulator at present,&rdquo; he said, adding that the government should dare to establish a separate and powerful regulatory body to attract more investment in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There has not been a scientific study on the demand for milk and milk products, he revealed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Around 800 diary manufacturing units have been operating in the domestic market at present. Of them, very few have given their products corporate form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Some Dairy Facts</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		&bull;Large share of milk (around 75%) goes to the consumers through informal channels where quality is a big concern</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes quality is an issue in the formal channel of milk distribution as well</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Very little competition from cooperatives due to dominance of government-owned Dairy Development Corporation</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Farmers do not share the benefits of high demand due to lack of infrastructure&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk production is scattered over a large number of farmers producing miniscule quantities</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk distribution is limited largely to urban and semi-urban areas</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of policy focus on strengthening indigenous breeds of cows</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Because of low access to credit and risk-taking ability, farmers cannot increase their herd size</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Weak regulatory mechanism</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of very essential laws</div>
</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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 dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2330',
			'article_category_id' => '160',
			'title' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sortorder' => '2199',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2354',
			'article_category_id' => '150',
			'title' => 'Business Briefs (23 - 29 December 2013)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Hyundai Unveils Grand i10</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm. There is an option of of 5-speed manual transmission and Automatic Transmission. The company is offering a discount of up to 150,000 as an introductory offer.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Honda&rsquo;s &lsquo;Enlighten Your Life&rsquo; Offer &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Syakar Trading Company Pvt Ltd has announced a new scheme titled &lsquo;Enlighten your life&rsquo; this winter. Under this scheme, on every purchase of Honda generator and power products priced below Rs 150,000, customers will get a free carry bag, jacket and wall clock. On purchasing the generators and power products priced above Rs 150,000, a luggage bag and jacket is offered for free. The scheme is available in all showrooms, branches and dealers of Honda across the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>KIS-Multi Device Launched</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Sagar Software and Traders, in co-operation with Kaspersky Labs, have launched Kaspersky Internet Security &ndash; Multi Device 2014 antivirus in the market. According to the company, it is a new security product that provides premium protection for the world&rsquo;s most commonly-used devices. &lsquo;This solution protects not only Windows PCs, but also Android smartphones and tablets and Mac computers, allowing for the easily securing of any combination of devices with one activation code,&rsquo; says a statement. The software comes in 5-devices/1-year pack at introductory price of Rs 5000.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Pashupati Paints Announces Winners &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Pashupati Paints has announced the silver coin winners for the 11th lucky draw of its &lsquo;Win A Home Contest&rsquo;. The unique numbers of the five winners are 1244031, 2237978, 2357915, 2486125 and 4133253. The winners are randomly selected through computerized software. Under this contest, customers buying Pashupati Paints products like Luxuria, Luxuria Ecosafe, Ex-coat, Excoat Plus and One Way worth Rs 20,000 and above receive a scratch card which has the Unique Lucky Number. The bumper prize for this contest is an apartment at Downtown Housing. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
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			'description' => 'Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2353',
			'article_category_id' => '201',
			'title' => 'Dressing Up For A Formal Meeting',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Angila Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn1.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 150px; height: 454px;" />Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate meetings are mostly formal in nature, are held in formal setup and involve formal talks. So, to gel into this formal environment, it is necessary for us to maintain formal composer while being their part.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business meetings demand smartness. One should avoid wearing jeans and other casual clothes like T-Shirts and polo&rsquo;s with sneakers while attending a business meeting. It is important that you remember you are attending a &lsquo;Business&rsquo; meeting and not a friend&rsquo;s birthday party while dressing up.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One mistake that some of us make, while attending a business meeting or a party, is that we choose clothes for the meeting in a hurry and thus, miss from having a smart look in hurry. So, firstly, it is important to select clothes prior the event.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Men</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a man, it is important to get facial hair shaved to look presentable for a meeting. Suits are supposed to be perfect for a meeting. However, it is okay if you opt for a well ironed shirt and a pair of trousers. In business world, suit and tie is a perfect match and widely accepted dressing style. While choosing suits, make sure you choose dark colors rather than bright colors. Also make sure your suit fits well as bagginess is not pleasing to eyes and therefore would destroy your smart look.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On a final note, make sure that you comb your hair neatly before leaving for the meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 125px; height: 314px;" /></p>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Women</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a business meeting, women should go for a knee length skirt or try a pantsuit. This adds a formal as well as attractive element to your personality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you tie your hair up into a ponytail or simply make a bun out of it.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One thing that should be well considered is that one should avoid wearing short dresses and low-cut shirts to a business meeting. You surely would not want to be an eye-candy in a business meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you apply the correct amount of make-up and lipstick. Don&rsquo;t overdo with makeup as they can make you look out of the place for a business meeting.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.',
			'sortorder' => '2197',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2322',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Cooperation In Hydropower For Mutual Benefit: Indian Envoy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It is important for Nepal to develop hydropower and Nepal should work with India,&rdquo; Ambassador Rae said, adding that he was &ldquo;very optimistic and confident&rdquo; that Nepal would move ahead in that direction.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;For mutual benefit, it is necessary too,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In another context, the Indian envoy said India was willing to inject more investment in Nepal and hoped that Nepal will have peace and stability following the Nov 19 Constituent Assembly elections. &ldquo;Soon there will be a new government and certainly we will bring new dynamism in bilateral relations,&rdquo; Rae said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Indian Embassy had organized the press conference to inform the media about the Indo-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meet and the India Investrade held on Dec 20-22. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The IGC used to work as a traditional regulatory body for bilateral trade and transit issues, but it should now develop a forum to promote bilateral trade,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He said the existing framework of the IGC should be expanded, private-public partnership should be promoted and private sectors from both countries should provide feedback to the IGC that will help in decision-making and also work out to bring investment in diverse fields.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We need to develop a mechanism to incorporate the private sector where the government mechanism can address concerns put forth by the private players,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He expressed concern over the low foreign direct investment (FDI) from India, which is around Rs.40.60 billion at a time when many Indian companies are buying properties and making their fortunes across the globe.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;There are lots of issues from both sides which need to be discussed... It may be political reasons or may be policy ones or infrastructure,&rdquo; the ambassador said when asked why there was low FDI from India.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2352',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Balanced Personality',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Family has an important place in his life. &ldquo;Family and work are like the two wheels of a cart which need to be balanced well,&rdquo; says Udas while opining that one should never have problem in managing time for one&rsquo;s family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas has no specific hobby as such and thus enjoys everything. For him holidays provide space for oneself and help in rejuvenating mind. He stresses on the need for taking holidays at regular intervals.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He finds himself lucky for having Pokhara as his hometown. He goes there when he feels the need to relax. Of his vacation visits, Udas recalls his South India trip to be one of the most memorable trips. He had trekked there with backpacks.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas is an adventurous person too and likes sports bike. He loves riding bikes on highways. &ldquo;Long rides on outskirts of the city, helps a person to explore new destination and save time for oneself,&rdquo; he says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He has extreme fascination for football and enjoys playing it most of the time.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In his leisure, Udas watches BBC, National Geographic and other informational channels. He also loves watching inspirational videos on YouTube. He likes reading short books and articles on business and philosophy and scans the web for them on regular basis. He dislikes reading long books.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He believes in meeting new people for rejuvenating perception and ideas. He has active profiles on social media channels and uses them when he gets some moment&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	for himself.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2014-01-01',
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			'description' => 'Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.',
			'sortorder' => '2195',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2350',
			'article_category_id' => '206',
			'title' => 'Lenovo Y And Z Series Combining Power And Beauty',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design. It is a gaming laptop with a display of 15.6 inch HD with 1920 by 1080 resolution. In addition to the display, the Lenovo Idea pad Y510p consists of JBL speakers with Dolby Home Theater V4. It is equipped with intelligent touchpad which makes it easy for the user to scroll, zoom and rotate. The Lenovo has a slight edge, though, with a more advanced GeForce GT 755M GPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and Condusiv&#39;s Express Cache system, which utilises a 24GB SSD to accelerate the loading of commonly used applications.Unlike other Windows 8 laptops in the market, Lenovo Idea pad 510p lacks touch screen. The users will have to rely on the mouse for clicking. The only problem is the smaller-than-average backspace key, but in general the keyboard is ergonomically sound. The wide, buttonless touchpad works well, too, and its matte finish gives it a tactile texture that lends itself well to Windows 8&rsquo;s gestures. The power-packed IdeaPad Y510P is priced at Rs 1, 25,000 in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Another Lenovo product in the market is the Lenovo Idea pad Z580. This 15.6 inch laptop has 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. It is equipped with 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB 5,400-rpm hard drive and an Intel HD 4000 GPU which will not cause any obstacle while doing multiple tasks. It consists of 1TB hard disk which gives the user plenty of space to store media files and data. It also houses a thermal management system that adjusts the fan-speed and maintains an optimized performance. Its intelligent touchpad helps for easy zoom, rotate and scroll functions. It has integrated stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater v4 that enhance the surrounding sound experience. &nbsp;The laptop also comes with two USB3 ports, two USB2 ports and a multi-format card reader, making it incredibly flexible when it comes to connecting up your external storage, and an HDMI port means you can connect it to an external display to play back what&rsquo;s stored on the hard disk. The laptop is available in 2 versions, one with Core i5 processor and another with Core i7 processor. The Z580 with Core i5 processor carries a price tag of Rs 75,000, whereas the i7 variant is priced at Rs 95,000.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-24',
			'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' => 'Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design.',
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Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2363',
			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'China Eases One-Child Policy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China&#39;s top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country&#39;s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People&#39;s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November. The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country. They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation. Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age - which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbours, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the Standing Committee also decided to China&#39;s notorious labour camps. &nbsp;The decision to close the labour camps puts an end to a controversial punishment system long criticised for its human rights abuses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The network, which was created in the 1950s based on the Soviet Gulag, allowed the Chinese police to send anyone to prison for up to four years without a trial. A labour camp sentence was almost impossible to appeal. China had 260 labour camps holding 160,000 inmates at the start of this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Watch.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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' => 'China's top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country's one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. A proposal to abolish re-education through labour camps was also approved. The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November.',
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			'id' => '2365',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => '4 Out Of 5 Farmers Lack Access To Loans',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers,&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the Report, 3,831,093 households in the country own land. Out of them, only 835,921 households (21.81 per cent) have availed agro loans. This means a whopping 2,995,172 households do not have access to bank loans. The Report says that of the total farm households, 42 per cent have said that they need agro loans.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Nepal Bankers&rsquo; Association and CEO of Citizens Bank International, Rajan Singh Bhandari informed The Corporate that though banks have increased their investment in the agriculture sector, the banks have not been able to take financial services to all farmers. &ldquo;The commercial banks lack the capacity to take financial services to all the farming households in the country,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	President of Development Bankers Association, Nepal, and CEO of Kaliash Development Bank, Krishna Raj Lamichhane accepts that the agricultural loan flow from the BFIs at present is not enough. &ldquo;We need a special policy to increase farmers&rsquo; access to financial services,&rdquo; says Lamichhane.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The latest census shows that of the farmers who have taken loans for agricultural purpose, 34.57 per cent have borrowed from their relatives. Similarly, 16.61 per cent of such farmers have borrowed from the Agricultural Development Bank, 8.67 per cent from the commercial banks, 15.67 per cent from cooperatives, 9.73 per cent from farmers&rsquo; groups, 12.95 per cent from women&rsquo;s groups, and 5.78 per cent have borrowed from &lsquo;others&rsquo;.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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' => 'Of the total farm households in the country, nearly 79 percent lack access to formal financial services provided by banks and financial institutions (BFIs). According to bankers, 
a huge majority of farmers do not have access to agro loans as the BFIs are yet to penetrate the rural areas. The process of sanctioning loans to farmers is not hassle-free even where the BFIs are present, as revealed by the National Agriculture Census Report 2011/12.',
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			'id' => '2362',
			'article_category_id' => '138',
			'title' => 'ADB Ups Support For Projects Promoting Sustainable Development',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. &quot;Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific&rsquo;s Future&quot; shows that in 2011&ndash;2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts. The projects promoted growth while at the same time enhancing access to basic services such as water supply, education, and health, and helping beneficiaries mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, among others. &quot;During the same period, ADB approved 112 projects with an environmental sustainability focus totaling more than $13 billion ― a 50% increase over the previous two years. It invested $4.4 billion in clean energy-related initiatives to provide an additional 2,125 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity across the region over 2011 and 2012,&quot; informed the report.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In response to the growing climate change threat, in 2012 alone, ADB approved climate-related finance of $3.4 billion while transport investments, including low-carbon projects, in 2012 totaled nearly $4 billion. According to the report, at the corporate level, ADB promoted sustainability by further reducing the per person use of water, electricity, and paper, and the waste generated at its headquarters, where 77% of its staff work.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	ADB is consistently run with the lowest overhead among multinational development banks, according to Standard and Poor&rsquo;s. In 2012, ADB became the first multilateral development bank to attain ISO 50001 certification for energy management, with measures taken to &ldquo;green&rdquo; its headquarters building, including installing solar panels and collecting rainwater. To improve access to information, an updated Public Communications Policy was launched in 2012.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-31',
			'modified' => '2013-12-31',
			'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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sharply increased support for projects promoting sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally sound growth in Asia and the Pacific, says a new report. "Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report: Investing in Asia and the Pacific’s Future" shows that in 2011–2012, ADB approved projects totaling $43 billion - up 10% from the previous two years - that helped create and expand economic opportunities in the region while taking into account economic, social, and environmental impacts',
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2358',
			'article_category_id' => '122',
			'title' => 'NE Group: Expanding Perpetually',
			'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="Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman, NE Group" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 200px; height: 222px;" /></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
				<div align="center">
					<div style="text-align: center;">
						<div>
							<strong>Ravi Bhakta Shrestha</strong></div>
						<div>
							<em>Vice Chairman, NE Group</em></div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<div>
	As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal&rsquo;s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With a belief and optimism for the better future, NE Group has some growth plans up its sleeve to expand in the days to come. The group that has been primarily been concentrated in the manufacturing and trade sectors is now looking into the service industry with much enthusiasm and dedication. Shrestha says that his group will be exploring more into the health and tourism sectors where it already has some investments.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Harnessing Prospects</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Shrestha optimistically says, &ldquo;We see numerous potentials in the future. The political situation has now shown signs of improvement. Once we achieve the much awaited stability, there are many reasons to get encouraged.&rdquo; Not only NE Group, but the business community will be more confident to make investments through domestic as well as foreign sources, he adds.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Foreseeing the brighter days to come, the group promises to venture into newer sectors like herbal industry and high value agriculture. Hydropower is also one of the priority sectors of the group. Shrestha reveals that talks are going on with South Korean investors regarding energy development but added that details are yet to be finalised.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group sees itself prosper in the service industry. So, the group is planning to come up with boutique hotels outside the Kathmandu valley. Though Shrestha denied elaborating into details, he says that the group has identified a couple of places for establishing hotel. Likewise, the group is also planning to expand its SRL Diagnostic Centre as a wellness centre. He claims that SRL Diagnostics laboratory is South East Asia&rsquo;s largest diagnostic lab and the group has established it here which he says is the most modern lab in Nepal. Shrestha is hopeful that a couple of projects in the service sector will be launched within a year or two.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With an aim to expand into the tourism sector, the group has acquired 1,020,144 shares held by Oberoi Hotels Pvt Ltd, an international hotel chain, in Soaltee Hotel Ltd. Sibkrim Land and Industries, subsidiary of the group acquired the entire stakes worth Rs 142.82 million in 2012.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Prime Focus</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The prime line of business for the group has always remained manufacturing and trading but has now expanded into banking, insurance, distribution, international trading, consulting services and project development. Similarly, the group also has presence in hospitality, health and education sector. &nbsp;Likewise, the group is one of the major promoters in United Insurance and Himalayan Bank Limited. Shrestha claims that United Insurance comes among top five insurance companies of Nepal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group used to export some of its products to the foreign markets but Shrestha now says that the domestic market has surged a lot so, the group has been concentrating only in the domestic market at present.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As a recent move into the food and beverage business, the group has recently opened Barista-Lavazza, a chain of Italian coffee shops in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the manufacturing sector, the group has trusted multinational brand names as joint venture in its portfolio. With a joint venture with Unilever, it has been producing numerous consumer products needed for the domestic market from its factory in Hetauda. Shrestha says that it is the listed company &nbsp;that provides highest dividend to its shareholders every year.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="NE GROUP" src="/userfiles/images/sptlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 319px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Management Approach</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Though the group was established as a family owned business, it has now taken the path of professionally managed corporate house. Shrestha says that it is the need of the time that has increased the value of human resource. &ldquo;Success depends on the quality of human resource,&rdquo; he says. The group has given utmost value to professionalism. And, it has assigned individual professionals with relevant responsibilities who look after the companies and regularly brief to the board of directors that gives necessary suggestions and takes action as needed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The group is employing 250 people in its companies and factories. Human resource management is also done by the HR department of each of the companies. A weekly meeting is held where the issues are communicated and necessary action is taken. &ldquo;The group is moving ahead in a purely professional and independent fashion,&rdquo; says Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CSR Activities</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The group with a promise to give back to the society established IJ charitable trust in 1981. &nbsp;According to Shrestha, the Trust, a non-profit and self-funded organisation, is most active in aiding the good health and education of underprivileged children. Likewise it has been making contributions also for the preservation of Nepali culture. The Trust has also created a long-term sustainable fund for the Paediatric department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to provide financial help to needy children for medical treatment. It also honours renowned writers, artists and ethnic persons who have made significant contributions to the society. In 1985, the Trust established the I.J pioneer High School in Hattiban, Lalitpur which provides quality education and extra-curricular activities to more than seven hundred students. The school also provides free scholarship to 100 needy and talented students each year, shares Shrestha.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="99%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#E5E4E2">
				<div>
					<div>
						<div>
							<div>
								<div>
									<div>
										<div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Growth as a Group</strong></span></div>
											<div style="text-align: center;">
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												NE Group of today once was a small garment store, a family owned business initiated by Ravi Bhakta Shrestha&rsquo;s grandfather. The garment store gradually expanded into a business of money exchange service when there were no banks and other financial services in the country.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the trade relationship with India kept on growing along with the growth of trade volume with the southern neighbour, first generation businessmen of Shrestha family also involved in trading of tea. The trading business did not limit to India alone. Shrestha says that his family was the first in Nepal to establish trade relationship with South Korea in 1968. Then South Korea&rsquo;s economy was rapidly growing. Shrestha used to import garments and construction materials from there. However, the licensing system prohibited the group to expand the trade volume as it wished. Similarly, in the trade front, the group once exported some products like musk and peacock feathers to international market.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												As an important milestone towards industrial concentration, the NE Group in partnership with Jalan group of India acquired Ganapati Cotton Mill in Biratnagar that had remained closed for quite some time. However, the factory was again closed down after operating for few years because of labour and other issues. Likewise, the group acquired Nepal Synthetic Industry in Hetauda and expanded it. The group also once had two iron mills in Biratnagar and Hetauda.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												When the business moved onto Shrestha&rsquo;s shoulder, he kept on expanding his family business, following the footsteps of his father. He says that one of the most important and biggest moves he made was signing an agreement with Unilever. This tie-up has given extra edge to the group in its growth as a large business house that it is today, says Shrestha.</div>
											<div>
												&nbsp;</div>
											<div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Some Companies and Subsidiaries of NE Group</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/sl%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 92px;" />National Ice Cream Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													This company was established in 2009 as a joint venture between NE Group and The Nanglo Group. National Ice Cream Pvt Ltd produces premium frozen dessert in a state-of-the-art 18,500 sq ft manufacturing unit located at Balaju Industrial District, Kathmandu. The company claims that it has ensured high quality and maintenance of stringent hygiene standards throughout the manufacturing and distribution cycle with a fulltime team of professional food and dairy technologists. The company produces ice cream under Azzabko brand. Azzabko products are available in over 500 retail stores, restaurants and hotels across the country.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="NICM" src="/userfiles/images/sl1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 133px;" />NICM</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2006, National Investment &amp; Capital Market Limited (NICM) provides Asset Management, Investment Banking, Research, Consultancy And Training services all under one roof. The management is supported by Citizen Investment Trust, a public fund manager and merchant banker. NICM has an issued capital of Rs 150 million and is due to be listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<img alt="National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 69px;" /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													National Soap Industries Pvt Ltd, established in 1996 is a large scale industrial until at Hetauda Industrial Estate, Makwanpur manufacturing laundry soaps, powdered detergents and hair oil. The company provides back-end production and packaging capabilities for the leading brands of Unilever Nepal such as OK laundry soap and Wheel detergent powder.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Unilever Nepal Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl3%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 110px;" />Unilever Nepal Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 1993 as a joint venture between Hindustan Unilever (formerly Hindustan Lever) and Sibkrim Land &amp; Industrial Co (a subsidiary of NE Group), Unilever aims to meet the everyday needs of Nepali household, to anticipate the aspiration of consumers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services to raise their quality of life. The company manufactures international brands such as Sunsilk Hair products, Close Up, Pepsodent, Wheel Detergent Powder, OK Laundry Soap, Axe Deodorants, Dove, Fair and Lovely, Lifebouy, Lux, Lakme, Ponds and Vaseline amongst others. The company is listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="United Insurance Co Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl4%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 100px; height: 112px;" />United Insurance Co Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													United Insurance started its operation on December 1, 1993 (Mangsir16, 2050) after its registration with the Company Registrar&rsquo;s Office and approval by Insurance Board. The company is promoted by leading industrialists and reputed trading and commercial houses of Nepal and is publically listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange. The authorised capital of the company is Rs 150 million.&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
												<div>
													<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Life Care Services Pvt Ltd" src="/userfiles/images/sl5%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 100px; height: 65px;" />Life Care Services Pvt Ltd</strong></span></div>
												<div>
													Established in 2010 as a joint venture between Life Care Services Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of NE Group) and Super Religare Reference Laboratories India, it is one of the largest diagnostic networks in South and South-East Asia. Through SRL&rsquo;s expertise, the lab provides international standard diagnostic services in the country offering over 3500 tests covering most diseases. The lab is located at Mahrajgunj, Kathmandu and boasts 12 collections centres across the country in cities such as Dharan, Pokahara, Biratnagar, Nepalganj, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Dhangadi, Dharan and Janakpur.</div>
												<div>
													&nbsp;</div>
											</div>
										</div>
									</div>
								</div>
							</div>
						</div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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' => 'As any other business houses, NE Group also envisions securing the top position among Nepal’s corporate groups. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Vice Chairman of NE Group is content with the growth his business has been able to achieve so far, despite the turbulent economic and political environment of the country that has been in the scene. Similar to the business fraternity that stood the test of time, the group has held its roots strong to come this far since its inception.',
			'sortorder' => '2205',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2360',
			'article_category_id' => '109',
			'title' => 'Nepse’s Bull Run Looses Steam',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Sanjeev Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country&rsquo;s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The fall in Nepse was attributed by decrease in all sub-indices traded in the day. Insurance sub-index was the biggest loser with a fall of 71.19 points (3.31%). Similarly, the sub-indices of Hotel, Commercial banks and Hydropower fell by 28.46 points, 6.11 points and 17.91 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index lost (11.75 points) followed by Finance sub-index (0.21 points) and development Banks (0.47 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Sunday total 991,476 units of share of 108 companies were traded through 3,138 transactions, which worth Rs. 402.81 million&rsquo;s turnover. The total market capitalization was registered at Rs 792.44 billion.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Corrected by 8 points Last Week</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Snapping 6 weeks of straight gains, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index made correction of 8 points last week. Nepse, retreated back from 805.65 points of previous week&rsquo;s closing to close at 787.36 points last week. As the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Dr Yubaraj Khatowoda warns investors about the risks posed by &lsquo;stock market bubble&rsquo;; the benchmark index slips from its near five-year high level. Similarly, the profit booking strategy of exuberant investors also contributed to Nepse&rsquo;s correction. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For the week ending 27th December, the number of transaction at Nepse totaled to 15,000 with bought and sold of 537.30 million units of shares worth Rs 2.27 billion in the stock market. In the mean time weekly turnover increased by 7.85 per cent, compared to the previous week. Likewise, the number of transaction and number of share units went up by 53.01 per cent and 7.45 per cent respectively for the week.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	According to the weekly turnover, shares of the Nepal Bank Limited reached the top spot in the market. The bank also climbed to no 1 spot in terms of the number of units of share being transacted for the week. Nepal Telecom, meanwhile, maintained its top spot in terms of market capitalization for the week. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On the first day (Sunday), Nepse index, edged down by 10.46 points to settle at 795.19 points. The second day (Monday) of the weekly trading marked another decline, with the Nepse losing 26.47 points to close at 768.72. On the third day (Tuesday), the index tested the immediate support at 753, however, bounced back and rose by 8.86 points to close at 777.58. On Wednesday, the stock market was closed due to Christmas holiday. The last day of the weekly trading (Thursday) Nepse index attempted to break a resistant at 806. But, it could not succeed and returned back. However, for the day Nepse gained 10.46 points to settle at 787.36.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Last week marked the volatility of share prices of most of the sub-indices. Insurance sub-index was the biggest gainer with a rise of 93.69 points. This is the second consecutive weekly gain for the Insurance sub-index. Similarly, the sub-index of finance companies and development banks gained 2.91 points and 0.59 points respectively. The &lsquo;Other&rsquo; sub-index was the biggest loser (21.31 points) for the week followed by Banking sub-index (13.97 points), Hydropower (10.14 points) and Hotel (8.32 points). &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Sensitive Index of Nepse, which represents the share trading of class &lsquo;A&rsquo; listed companies (most of which are considered as blue chip stocks) went down by 2.47 points. Manufacturing sub-index remained same as earlier weeks.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Although shares of 139 companies were transacted during the week, 55 companies observed a gain, while shares price of 56 companies declined last week. Shares price of 28 companies remained unchanged over the period.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="Nepse Index" src="/userfiles/images/indx%20(Copy)(1).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 372px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Stock Exchange Limited (Nepse) index, the barometer of country’s capital market dropped by almost 7.57 points on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. The bench mark index, which closed at 787.36 on Thursday-- the last trading day of previous week settled at 779.79 points on Sunday. Following the Nepse, Sensitive index representing class ‘A’ listed companies in the secondary market, loses 2.07 points to settle at 174.73.',
			'sortorder' => '2204',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2359',
			'article_category_id' => '135',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Trade Expo- 2014',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:18px;">Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:</span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Pradeep Kumar Kedia" src="/userfiles/images/VC%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 229px;" />&lsquo;The Expo can form the basis of rapid economic development.&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Pradeep Kumar Kedia</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Sr. Vice President, BiCCI</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The international trade expo, which is going to be held in Birgunj, a major commercial hub of the country, is a solid way to promote trade. It can also be utilized as a platform to better manage our internal and external markets. For instance, the Expo will be a good platform for exchanging information about our local products including their specialties and comparative advantage. This will be important as we have found that in many cases even the domestic consumers are ignorant about the domestic products. This ignorance is a big hurdle in promoting the local products in the domestic market.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will bring the producers and consumers together at the same platform, two-way communication about the various aspects of the products displayed in the Expo will be possible. This will greatly promote the use of domestic products. Import substitution is not possible without the easy availability of and enough information about the domestic products. Thus, the Expo will be a good opportunity for reducing imports and promoting the consumption of domestic products.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	As the Expo will feature products and technologies from outside the country as well, we can expect a lot of interaction on the diversity of products and their usability. This will help in increasing productivity through the exchange of technology.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Nepal is incurring a huge trade deficit at present. The export import ratio is 1:8 at present. The Expo will help increase our exports and thus there is a huge possibility of reducing the trade deficit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have a huge trade deficit with India for the simple reason that the bulk of our international trade is with India. As a high number of Indian producers and traders will participate in the Expo, we can be hopeful that the interaction with them will help in promoting our exports to the southern neighbour. In this way the Expo will be a golden opportunity which can form the basis of the country&rsquo;s rapid economic growth. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="KC Lamichane,  Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa" src="/userfiles/images/VC1%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 227px;" />&lsquo;Good opportunity for economic development&rsquo;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>KC Lamichane&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Chairman, Federation of Nepali Journalists, Parsa</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The country should march forward to the direction of social and economic transformation by institutionalizing the political change. There is always a threat of losing political achievements if the economic situation of the country is not sound. There is unfavourable environment for industrial development and degradation of the rule of law at present which leads to sluggish economic development. Economic activities amidst such instability can lead the country towards economic stability.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We consider Birgunj as the financial capital of the country as 70 per cent of total industrial investment and 60 per cent of commercial transaction takes place in this city. With this background, &lsquo;Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014&rsquo; is being organized by Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Minds Nepal in association with other commercial houses in Birgunj.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The organizers are expecting a business transaction of around Rs 200million while around 500,000 visitors are anticipated to visit the Expo. The organizers have various other bases to anticipate the success of this Expo. Since Birgunj is located near the border, Indian citizens are also expected to visit this Expo. The commercialization of local products and promotion of local and international services in the Expo can play the role in promoting export, strengthening economic mechanisms and import substitution.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The world has moved ahead in technology. Moving forward by incorporating the technology can increase competitiveness. The Nepali economy can develop with the use of new technologies. The economic activities in the country have been sluggish with the decline in the productive sector. The Expo can play a significant role to reenergize the Nepali economy in the international market.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Expo should focus mainly on two things. First, it should announce the Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor as an industrial corridor by mounting some kind of pressure on the state for infrastructure development. Similarly, this Expo will help in the creation of jobs, sharing of technical knowledge and exploring market for goods and services.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We need cooperation and coordination among all the concerned stakeholders to make the Expo a grand success.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="Ravindra Kumar Barnawal" src="/userfiles/images/VC2%20(Copy).jpg" style="
float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;width: 200px; height: 231px;" />&lsquo;The Expo will have a multidimensional effect&rsquo;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	<strong>Ravindra Kumar Barnawal</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Secretary, Birgunj&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Coordinator</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Stall booking sub-committee</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Nepal-India Business&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	<strong>Expo-2014</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Nepal-India Expo Trade that is to be held in Birgunj is a golden opportunity for Nepal and other neighboring countries to flourish their business. It is equally important for the other countries as well as this Expo will provide them the platform to create market for their services and technology. Apart from Nepal and India, products from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan will be displayed in the Expo. Even though the main aim of this Expo is to flourish trade, it is undoubtedly true that it will leave a positive impact on other sectors as well. Thus, its effects are multidimensional. The trade Expo will not only help to provide international recognition to Nepali products, but also to promote our products in the Indian market. &nbsp;The Expo that is scheduled to take place in Birgunj, the economic capital of Nepal, will help to set a milestone in the growth of the national economy while also providing opportunity for increment for exports. It can be guaranteed that while helping in the development of the industrial sector, the Expo will also help in solving the problem of unemployment. Even today, 7 hundred thousands of Nepali manpower is working abroad which has caused shortage of skilled manpower here in the country. Such types of Expo will be productive in leading the country towards economic growth by increasing internal as well as external trade through industrialization. Similarly, the Expo will also contribute in minimizing business loses through increase in exports. As the bulk of our trade deficit is with India, the Expo should focus on lowering the trade deficit. The Expo will also provide an opportunity to resolve bilateral trade barriers. Nepal&rsquo;s agricultural sector is still traditional and we have not been able to focus on production of goods that have comparative advantage. So, it is essential that we take information about agricultural technology from India and even if we decide to adopt it, we can expect the outcome to be positive. Likewise, the Expo equally focuses on diversification. The Expo will also provide trainings from experienced trainers on various issues such as branding of education, trade and products and corporate communication.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-30',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Birgunj is going to host Nepal-India Trade Expo-2014 from February 13 to 20. Here is what different stakeholders of the expo have to say about the event:',
			'sortorder' => '2203',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2312',
			'article_category_id' => '46',
			'title' => '“Nepal-India-China Trilateral Mechanism Needed For Nepal’s Power Development”',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 16px;">Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also. &nbsp;Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people &nbsp;and assists in sustainable development.&nbsp;<strong>Kul Man Ghising</strong>, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to&nbsp;<strong>Siromani Dhungana</strong>&nbsp;of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal&rsquo;s hydropower sector.&nbsp;<strong>Excerpts:</strong></span></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What is the progress of power projects being developed by your company?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We have four projects under Chilime Hydropower Company, namely Sanjen, Mid-Bhotekoshi, Rasuwagadhi and Bemdang. We have been developing all these projects through our subsidiary companies -- Sanjen Jalavidhyut Company, Madhya Bhotekohi Jalavidhyut Company, Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company and Bemdang Khola. Mid-Bhotekoshi with an installed capacity of 102 MW in Sindhupalchowk district is being developed through Madhya Bhotekoshi. Sanjen is &nbsp;developing two projects&ndash;Sanjen of 42.5 MW and Upper Sanjen &nbsp;of 14.8 MW capacity in Rasuwa district. Rasuwagadhi Hydropower is developing a new project - 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Project in Rasuwa district. We have almost completed all pre-construction tasks including procurement process and taking EIA certificate and other clearances. All these projects will start construction by the end of the current fiscal year. Among these four projects, the progress of Sanjen is rapid. We have planned to complete all works of Sanjen project by 2016 and other projects by 2017.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The first project developed by your company is often cited as an ideal model for Nepal&rsquo;s power projects. And more examples of such successful model were expected from your company. But none of the projects in the pipeline viz. Sanjen, Madhya Bhote Koshi and Rasuwagadhi are complete so far. Why this delay?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	I do not think there is delay in the progress of projects. We have been working on all projects according to the project timeframe developed by the company. In Nepal, pre-construction works take almost 60 per cent of time required to develop hydropower projects. We have lengthy procedural formalities to complete before starting the actual construction. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	We have already completed works that include getting approval from various ministries and government agencies, tunnel testing, infrastructure development at the site among others. Given the usual standard in Nepal, it should be considered as a great achievement for any hydro company to start construction work within three years of acquiring licence. Within three years, we have prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other ground works necessary to start the construction of the project.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	No project can be undertaken without financing. It was challenging to identify proper financing channels. We managed to arrange equity participation from our partners including Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Chilime and the public. But debt financing was really important and it is our achievement to have convinced Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to invest in our projects within a year.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Financing is not possible without reaching Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NEA and DPR is essential for entering into PPA. These are time-consuming processes. Hydropower companies have to go through many hurdles to enter into PPA in Nepal. Companies have been chasing NEA for years to get PPA approved. Process of getting environmental impact assessment (EIA) certificate is unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal. Government agencies compel hydro companies to wait for 2/3 years to acquire EIA certificate. That&rsquo;s not all. Ministry of Forestry takes another 2/3 years to provide consent for chopping trees in project sites. &nbsp;It takes five years just to complete the process at the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forestry. These all pre-construction processes are unnecessarily lengthy in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Adding to it, as a public company we have to follow lengthy procurement process that takes around one to two years to complete. Despite all these hurdles, we have been working aggressively to complete all projects in the stipulated time.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;In Nepal, no project has been completed in less than 10 years of its initiation. Administrative hassles have been causing the delay in completing pre-construction works. Sometimes, I feel these are unnecessary hurdles. The government should focus on easing off these hassles, if it wants to propel hydropower development.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director, Chilime Hydropower Company Limited" src="/userfiles/images/intr2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 250px; height: 368px;" />Some private sector power developers have also pointed out that Chilime is specially favoured by the government and the Nepal Electricity Authority in various respects, such as PPA rate and the choice of projects. What is your assessment?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	As a public company, we have to face dozens of hurdles to develop a hydropower project. First, we have to face problem in public dealings during land acquisition. We follow transparent methods in public dealing and do not pick up influential persons to get them on our side andstart work. Even at the ministry, our projects are processed by taking more time than other private sector companies. The allegations that Chilime has got special privileges are completely baseless. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Developers often complain about the increasing demands of the locals in the project site. How is the situation in projects being developed by Chilime?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	We should not always blame locals for friction in the development of hydro projects. Local people do not always put irrelevant and irrational demands. Power developers should take care of their logical demands. They should maintain transparency in their deals. For a project to be sustainable, deprived people should also get project benefits. This is what we do in our projects. Providing benefits only to a handful of local people always creates trouble.. The activities which are not transparent and are aimed at appeasing a handful of locals are major reasons behind problems at the local level. Power developers should ensure that the project benefits locals through employment opportunities, infrastructure development among others. We have been doing all these activities at the local level and maintained transparency in our dealings. We have decided to float shares to locals on equal basis to create sense of ownership on the project among them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>One major problem cited in the development of hydropower in Nepal is the lack of capital. To address this problem, legal provisions have been reviewed and the developers have been allowed to raise money from the general public by issuing shares them even before the project construction starts. Why don&rsquo;t the developers use this facility to raise fund?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	There is a great possibility of rasing the capital through issuing shares to the general people. But, Security Board of Nepal&rsquo;s (SEBON) regulation does not allows to issue shares to the general people without solving equity issue among the promoters. Private sector is not very &nbsp;much eager to submit equity details of all the promoters. Due to equity issue, it is not easy to float shares to the public from the private sector power developers. Majority of power developers do not want to issue shares to the public.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In the recent days, people&rsquo;s attraction in buying shares clearly hints that we can generate capital by floating shares to the public. Even generating equity is not a big problem in Nepal. We have enough fund but our problem is how to manage fund. Trust on developers is also equally important before floating shares. All developers can not be as trustworthy as Chilime. If developers fail to make profit, people will not invest in shares of hydro companies in the future. This part also should be considered.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Some analysts suggest that developing hydropower projects in Nepal with an aim to export power to India will benefit Nepal because of the seasonal variation in the water flow and peak demand of electricity in Nepal and India. What is your opinion on this?&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Due to seasonal hydrology, energy management is indeed a challenging task in Nepal. Currently, NEA is responsible to manage energy in the country.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Development of transmission line for interconnection is a must. Optimum utilization of hydro energy is not possible in the country without interconnection. All power generators should be connected in the national power grid to utilize hydro potential to its full capacity. Interconnection with India means getting connected with the entire South Asian region. It would be really good if we can develop cross-border or regional transmission line.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	But first, we have to put optimum efforts to develop more power projects so that we can reach the level of a power surplus country. The demand of power will automatically go up in the domestic market too if we generate enough power. More factories &nbsp;will come up here if we can ensure sufficient power supply to them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What other &nbsp;legal and administrative hurdles are there in developing a hydro project? &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	The government has failed to expedite procedure in hydro projects development especially the administrative procedures. It should remove all administrative hassles if it really wants rapid growth in the hydro power sector. We have already talked about the year-long procedural hurdles that exist in various government agencies.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There are some unnecessary and irrational taxes levied on hydropower projects in Nepal. Besides the royalty that the projects have to pay the government, &nbsp;Ministry of Forestry charges one per cent tax on power developers which does not match with government&rsquo;s commitment of facilitating hydropower sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Power trading company is necessary to manage energy market in Nepal. We don&rsquo;t have a reliable entity to manage electricity market. NEA is the entity which is signing PPA in Nepal. And this PPA &nbsp;is not based on scientific approach. PPA rates should be decided on the basis of several factors including condition of the project site. . It should be transparent and scientific if Nepal has to be a power surplus nation.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Similarly, the government should form a scientific pricing mechanism. The price of electricity should not be the same during peak &nbsp;and normal hours. It should focus its effort on all these aspects.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	PPA in terms of dollar has been raised and the government should address this issue along with making the PPA bankable.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The balance sheet of NEA is not convincing to foreign power developers. Foreign investors cannot be assured of the safety oftheir investment when they have to sign agreement with a company that is in such huge loss. If the government cannot provide sovereign guarantee, it should provide payment guarantee. Additionally, in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the government should ensure security mechanism to boost confidence of foreign developers.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What challenges and opportunities do you see in Nepal&rsquo;s hydro power sector?</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Our nearest power market is India and there are potential investors in China. We can bring investors from China and use Indian power market. We can make a trilateral mechanism and develop trilateral business since we have resources, India has market and China has capital to invest.Investment in joint venture among these three countries will be mutually beneficial and can create unique opportunities for all. Chilime model is sufficient to generate power if domestic market is the only target. But, if we want prosperity from hydropower sector, we have to attract foreign power developers and for that we have to open avenues in foreign markets.&nbsp;</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age  interview news & articles, interview news & articles from new business age nepal, interview headlines from nepal,  current and latest interview news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali interview economic news and events,  ongoing  interview news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chilime Hydropower Company Limited (Chilime), incorporated in 1995, is promoted by Nepal Electricity Authority and owned by the local community also.  Its model has been considered as one of the best way to generate wealth for the local people  and assists in sustainable development. Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director of this public company, recently spoke to Siromani Dhungana of New Business Age on issues related to Nepal’s hydropower sector. Excerpts:',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2311',
			'article_category_id' => '47',
			'title' => 'A Liberal Feminist',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<strong>--By Sujan Tiwari</strong></div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		After years of working in education sector and in areas of women empowerment and entrepreneurship development, Sharma has recently entered into politics. Sharma, who likes to call herself a social entrepreneur, is also a candidate for the Constituent Assembly polls under Proportional Representation electoral system from Madhesi People&#39;s Rights Forum in the recent CA Elections. &ldquo;Politics will be my major focus from now onwards. I will bring forth the issues of women, youth and employment through politics,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has been working in the education sector since last 15 years, and believes that education is the most fundamental need. She has played the role of a pioneer in introducing Tourism Studies at the academic level in Nepal by starting Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management in 1996. &ldquo;I was inspired to open the college as tourism is the top most potential that Nepal has. I started the college to take tourism and education hand in hand. This is the first college to provide formal tourism education in Nepal,&rdquo; says she. According to her, this is the only college in South Asia that offers Bachelor level courses&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		in Tourism. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		The college provides academic courses like Bachelor in Travel and Tourism Management, Bachelor in Hotel management and Masters in Travel and Tourism Management. &ldquo;My intention for starting the college was to merge education with tourism and help in providing employment through it. As Travel and Tourism Management is a professional course, the employment rate is very high, at around 98 per cent,&rdquo; informed Sharma. She is also the Founder Director of Kaasthamandap Vidhalaya.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Early Life</strong></span></div>
	<strong style="font-size: 14px;"><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsnlt1%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 328px;" /></strong>
	<div>
		Sharma was born in Dillibazar of Kathmandu to Late Rohini Prasad Pant and Janaki Devi. &nbsp;She says she enjoyed a childhood that was very happy and well provided for. &ldquo;I grew up with my elder brother and little sister. We were taught from our childhood to care for others, and for those who are less fortunate,&rdquo; recalls Sharma. &nbsp;She did her schooling from Saint Mary&rsquo;s School. Sharma says she was brought up in a very disciplined environment, both at home and at school. &nbsp;She believes all her traits and characters developed from her education and upbringing.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma still remembers not having any definite career goals as a young girl. &ldquo;As I grew up in well to do family, I didn&rsquo;t gave much thought to career when I was young, but still I had the feeling that I should somehow contribute to the society,&rdquo; says she. After school, she did her Intermediates from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Girls College, and later went to Delhi to study Interior Designing. After completing the course, she returned to Kathmandu. At that time, Interior Designing was quite a new thing. She tried a few jobs, but didn&rsquo;t continue it as she didn&rsquo;t see much prospect in it back then.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&ldquo;I again pursued my education, and did my Masters in Sociology from Patan Multiple Campus,&rdquo; shares Sharma. She has also received numerous professional trainings including Conflict Transformation Across Cultures from SIT Graduate Institute Vermont, USA and Social Healing and Leadership in Peace building. It was the same time when Nepal was suffering from armed conflict, and the training helped to give her life a new direction.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Philosophies</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		As an enterprising and creative woman, Sharma strongly believes that economic empowerment is the key to uplift women. &ldquo;I believe in self employment and creativity. Through many associations, I have assisted numerous women empower themselves through skill development, trainings and through micro-credit projects,&rdquo; says Sharma.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma has played an instrumental role in conflict management in the then war-torn areas like Kailali and Rukum. She got involved with organizations like Women Entrepreneur&rsquo;s Association and Karuna Centre. &nbsp;Also, her major involvement was in area of women empowerment through entrepreneurship development and employment generation. After the conflict ended, she was engaged in peace building process in communities. She has conducted numerous researches on Micro Enterprise Development in many remote areas of Nepal. &nbsp;Sharma is also the Board Member Institute for Conflict Management, Peace and Development (ICPD) and a Life Member of Human Rights Association of Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Along with advocating for equal rights for women, Sharma also believes that responsibilities should be equally divided between male and female. &ldquo;Though the structure of our society is patriarchal, but it&rsquo;s gradually changing. We should open our arms to change, but should not let go of our culture and values,&rdquo; says Sharma. &nbsp;However, she strictly disapproves of women working only in the households. &ldquo;Women can contribute economically, and they should look after their family as well,&rdquo; says she. She also believes in economic evaluation of women&rsquo;s household work.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><img alt="Chhaya Sharma" src="/userfiles/images/prsntlt2%20(Copy).jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 250px; height: 347px;" />Personal Side</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma is married to Pranesh Sharma, and says her relation with her husband is based on respect and friendship. &ldquo;We are very compatible with each other, and share everything, no matter how small or big. I think every relation should be based on friendship for it to last forever,&rdquo; says she. A mother of a son and a daughter- Pranav and Pallavi, Sharma says that she is blessed with a very happy and close-knit family.&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Sharma starts her day with a cup of tea with her husband. She believes in keeping herself fit, and goes to gym every day. &nbsp;Her days are spent in meetings, in managing her college and in various organizations. Refusing to do any work on Saturdays, she relaxes on weekends and watches TV and reads biographies of famous personalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>The Road Ahead</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		Sharma has recently entered into politics, and plans to make it her major focus in the days to come. &ldquo;I was always interested in politics, but I wanted to have adequate resources, skill and knowledge first. Now I think I am capable of contributing through politics,&rdquo; shares Sharma. Sharma recalls advocating and lobbying with the government for women empowerment through FWEAN. That&rsquo;s when she figured out that there were many difference in policy making level, and more women were needed there. &ldquo;All the decisions are made at the upper level, and it need more voice from women. That level could only be reached through politics. That&rsquo;s another reason why I am in politics now,&rdquo; says she. &nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		Given the present situation of women in Nepal, Sharma thinks that they need some priority, so that they can have a level playing field. She advocates for reservation for women until they are equally placed. &nbsp;&ldquo;As women lack numerous opportunities in our country, they need some push for a certain time, until they can face the competition with men&rdquo;, says she. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		According to Sharma, women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves first, and should move ahead with a strong and positive attitude. &ldquo;Follow three Ds, determination, dedication and finally the devotion for a cause. Success will surely come your way,&rdquo; advises Sharma.</div>
</div>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-22',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'keywords' => 'new business age personality news & articles, personality news & articles from new business age nepal, personality headlines from nepal,  current and latest personality news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali personality economic news and events,  ongoing  personality news of nepal',
			'description' => 'Chhaya Sharma, Chairperson of Women’s Committee-Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Founder/Director of Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management says that education is the major driving force for development of society, community and country as a whole. “When people are educated, they become aware of their rights and will fight for it,” says Sharma who is also the Immediate Past President of Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN).',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2314',
			'article_category_id' => '91',
			'title' => 'Private-Public Initiatives Can Revolutionise The Dairy Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Siromani Dhungana</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There is a huge demand for milk in the domestic market, says president of the Dairy Industries Association, Pradeep Maharjan, adding that domestic market has been witnessing a shortfall of around half a million litres of milk every day.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Investment from the corporate sector is a must to end the existing gap between demand and supply of dairy products, he opined adding that the government should facilitate the entire process from cow farming to marketing of dairy products.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Currently, corporate sector is engaged only in production phase, he informed. &ldquo;Around 30 dairy industries are involved in milk business and most of them sell pasteurized pack in the market. The need is, however, that milk production should be increased and government should lure massive investment from the big investors.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;He indicated two areas where the government should immediately take action to invite corporate sector in the entire milk production business. First, the government should introduce policy for contract farming whereby big corporations can invest in cow farming to run their own dairy industry. On the other, the government should facilitate the land leasing process for big corporate houses.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate investment is not possible unless the government can ensure security of investment, he added. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Director at Nepal Dairy Development Board, Dr Balak Chaudhary blamed the government&rsquo;s dillydally in regulation of the dairy industry. &ldquo;The Dairy Development Corporation, a government entity which is a competitor in the dairy industry, is also playing the role of a regulator at present,&rdquo; he said, adding that the government should dare to establish a separate and powerful regulatory body to attract more investment in this sector.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	There has not been a scientific study on the demand for milk and milk products, he revealed.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Around 800 diary manufacturing units have been operating in the domestic market at present. Of them, very few have given their products corporate form.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Some Dairy Facts</strong></span></div>
	<div>
		&bull;Large share of milk (around 75%) goes to the consumers through informal channels where quality is a big concern</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes quality is an issue in the formal channel of milk distribution as well</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Very little competition from cooperatives due to dominance of government-owned Dairy Development Corporation</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Farmers do not share the benefits of high demand due to lack of infrastructure&nbsp;</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk production is scattered over a large number of farmers producing miniscule quantities</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Milk distribution is limited largely to urban and semi-urban areas</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of policy focus on strengthening indigenous breeds of cows</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Because of low access to credit and risk-taking ability, farmers cannot increase their herd size</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Weak regulatory mechanism</div>
	<div>
		&bull;<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lack of very essential laws</div>
</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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 dairy industry, according to entrepreneurs, will become the most-sought after business if the government ensures policies favourable for investment from the corporate sector.',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2330',
			'article_category_id' => '160',
			'title' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
			'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' => 'Corptoon Vol 3 Issue 43',
			'sortorder' => '2199',
			'image' => null,
			'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2354',
			'article_category_id' => '150',
			'title' => 'Business Briefs (23 - 29 December 2013)',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Hyundai Unveils Grand i10</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm. There is an option of of 5-speed manual transmission and Automatic Transmission. The company is offering a discount of up to 150,000 as an introductory offer.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Honda&rsquo;s &lsquo;Enlighten Your Life&rsquo; Offer &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Syakar Trading Company Pvt Ltd has announced a new scheme titled &lsquo;Enlighten your life&rsquo; this winter. Under this scheme, on every purchase of Honda generator and power products priced below Rs 150,000, customers will get a free carry bag, jacket and wall clock. On purchasing the generators and power products priced above Rs 150,000, a luggage bag and jacket is offered for free. The scheme is available in all showrooms, branches and dealers of Honda across the country.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>KIS-Multi Device Launched</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Sagar Software and Traders, in co-operation with Kaspersky Labs, have launched Kaspersky Internet Security &ndash; Multi Device 2014 antivirus in the market. According to the company, it is a new security product that provides premium protection for the world&rsquo;s most commonly-used devices. &lsquo;This solution protects not only Windows PCs, but also Android smartphones and tablets and Mac computers, allowing for the easily securing of any combination of devices with one activation code,&rsquo; says a statement. The software comes in 5-devices/1-year pack at introductory price of Rs 5000.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Pashupati Paints Announces Winners &nbsp;</strong></span></div>
<div>
	Pashupati Paints has announced the silver coin winners for the 11th lucky draw of its &lsquo;Win A Home Contest&rsquo;. The unique numbers of the five winners are 1244031, 2237978, 2357915, 2486125 and 4133253. The winners are randomly selected through computerized software. Under this contest, customers buying Pashupati Paints products like Luxuria, Luxuria Ecosafe, Ex-coat, Excoat Plus and One Way worth Rs 20,000 and above receive a scratch card which has the Unique Lucky Number. The bumper prize for this contest is an apartment at Downtown Housing. &nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-30',
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			'description' => 'Laxmi Intercontinental P Ltd has introduced Hyundai Grand i10 in the market. According to the company, the new hatchback is a blend of performance, style, space, fuel efficiency, and features and safety and is positioned between i10 and i20. Grand i10 comes with a 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine which delivers a maximum output of 83 ps at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 11.6 Kgm at 4,000 rpm.',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2353',
			'article_category_id' => '201',
			'title' => 'Dressing Up For A Formal Meeting',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By Angila Sharma</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn1.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; width: 150px; height: 454px;" />Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Corporate meetings are mostly formal in nature, are held in formal setup and involve formal talks. So, to gel into this formal environment, it is necessary for us to maintain formal composer while being their part.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Business meetings demand smartness. One should avoid wearing jeans and other casual clothes like T-Shirts and polo&rsquo;s with sneakers while attending a business meeting. It is important that you remember you are attending a &lsquo;Business&rsquo; meeting and not a friend&rsquo;s birthday party while dressing up.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One mistake that some of us make, while attending a business meeting or a party, is that we choose clothes for the meeting in a hurry and thus, miss from having a smart look in hurry. So, firstly, it is important to select clothes prior the event.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Men</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a man, it is important to get facial hair shaved to look presentable for a meeting. Suits are supposed to be perfect for a meeting. However, it is okay if you opt for a well ironed shirt and a pair of trousers. In business world, suit and tie is a perfect match and widely accepted dressing style. While choosing suits, make sure you choose dark colors rather than bright colors. Also make sure your suit fits well as bagginess is not pleasing to eyes and therefore would destroy your smart look.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	On a final note, make sure that you comb your hair neatly before leaving for the meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="/userfiles/images/fn2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 125px; height: 314px;" /></p>
<div>
	<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>The Business Meeting Attire for Women</strong></span></div>
<div>
	For a business meeting, women should go for a knee length skirt or try a pantsuit. This adds a formal as well as attractive element to your personality.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you tie your hair up into a ponytail or simply make a bun out of it.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	One thing that should be well considered is that one should avoid wearing short dresses and low-cut shirts to a business meeting. You surely would not want to be an eye-candy in a business meeting.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Make sure you apply the correct amount of make-up and lipstick. Don&rsquo;t overdo with makeup as they can make you look out of the place for a business meeting.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
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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' => 'Being a part of corporate sector means attending meetings after meetings. They are unavoidable factor and integral part ofcorporate life. Getting properly dressed for these meeting becomes equally important to enhance your confidence and personality while participating in them.',
			'sortorder' => '2197',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2322',
			'article_category_id' => '140',
			'title' => 'Nepal-India Cooperation In Hydropower For Mutual Benefit: Indian Envoy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;It is important for Nepal to develop hydropower and Nepal should work with India,&rdquo; Ambassador Rae said, adding that he was &ldquo;very optimistic and confident&rdquo; that Nepal would move ahead in that direction.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;For mutual benefit, it is necessary too,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In another context, the Indian envoy said India was willing to inject more investment in Nepal and hoped that Nepal will have peace and stability following the Nov 19 Constituent Assembly elections. &ldquo;Soon there will be a new government and certainly we will bring new dynamism in bilateral relations,&rdquo; Rae said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Indian Embassy had organized the press conference to inform the media about the Indo-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meet and the India Investrade held on Dec 20-22. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;The IGC used to work as a traditional regulatory body for bilateral trade and transit issues, but it should now develop a forum to promote bilateral trade,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He said the existing framework of the IGC should be expanded, private-public partnership should be promoted and private sectors from both countries should provide feedback to the IGC that will help in decision-making and also work out to bring investment in diverse fields.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;We need to develop a mechanism to incorporate the private sector where the government mechanism can address concerns put forth by the private players,&rdquo; he said.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He expressed concern over the low foreign direct investment (FDI) from India, which is around Rs.40.60 billion at a time when many Indian companies are buying properties and making their fortunes across the globe.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&ldquo;There are lots of issues from both sides which need to be discussed... It may be political reasons or may be policy ones or infrastructure,&rdquo; the ambassador said when asked why there was low FDI from India.</div>',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2013-12-23',
			'modified' => '2014-01-06',
			'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 Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that Nepal and India should work together for the development of hydropower in Nepal. Speaking at a press conference for the first time after assuming office in November, the Indian envoy said such cooperation between Nepal and India would benefit both countries.',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '2352',
			'article_category_id' => '202',
			'title' => 'A Balanced Personality',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => null,
			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Family has an important place in his life. &ldquo;Family and work are like the two wheels of a cart which need to be balanced well,&rdquo; says Udas while opining that one should never have problem in managing time for one&rsquo;s family.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas has no specific hobby as such and thus enjoys everything. For him holidays provide space for oneself and help in rejuvenating mind. He stresses on the need for taking holidays at regular intervals.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He finds himself lucky for having Pokhara as his hometown. He goes there when he feels the need to relax. Of his vacation visits, Udas recalls his South India trip to be one of the most memorable trips. He had trekked there with backpacks.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Udas is an adventurous person too and likes sports bike. He loves riding bikes on highways. &ldquo;Long rides on outskirts of the city, helps a person to explore new destination and save time for oneself,&rdquo; he says.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He has extreme fascination for football and enjoys playing it most of the time.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In his leisure, Udas watches BBC, National Geographic and other informational channels. He also loves watching inspirational videos on YouTube. He likes reading short books and articles on business and philosophy and scans the web for them on regular basis. He dislikes reading long books.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	He believes in meeting new people for rejuvenating perception and ideas. He has active profiles on social media channels and uses them when he gets some moment&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	for himself.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2014-01-01',
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			'description' => 'Sachin Udas, Marketing Manager at Tele Talk Pvt Ltd, is a very straight forward person. He believes of being a diplomatically straightforward and a family person. He finds himself successful in managing time for his work and for his family.',
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			'id' => '2350',
			'article_category_id' => '206',
			'title' => 'Lenovo Y And Z Series Combining Power And Beauty',
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			'content' => '<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>--By TC Correspondent&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design. It is a gaming laptop with a display of 15.6 inch HD with 1920 by 1080 resolution. In addition to the display, the Lenovo Idea pad Y510p consists of JBL speakers with Dolby Home Theater V4. It is equipped with intelligent touchpad which makes it easy for the user to scroll, zoom and rotate. The Lenovo has a slight edge, though, with a more advanced GeForce GT 755M GPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and Condusiv&#39;s Express Cache system, which utilises a 24GB SSD to accelerate the loading of commonly used applications.Unlike other Windows 8 laptops in the market, Lenovo Idea pad 510p lacks touch screen. The users will have to rely on the mouse for clicking. The only problem is the smaller-than-average backspace key, but in general the keyboard is ergonomically sound. The wide, buttonless touchpad works well, too, and its matte finish gives it a tactile texture that lends itself well to Windows 8&rsquo;s gestures. The power-packed IdeaPad Y510P is priced at Rs 1, 25,000 in Nepal.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;Another Lenovo product in the market is the Lenovo Idea pad Z580. This 15.6 inch laptop has 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. It is equipped with 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB 5,400-rpm hard drive and an Intel HD 4000 GPU which will not cause any obstacle while doing multiple tasks. It consists of 1TB hard disk which gives the user plenty of space to store media files and data. It also houses a thermal management system that adjusts the fan-speed and maintains an optimized performance. Its intelligent touchpad helps for easy zoom, rotate and scroll functions. It has integrated stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater v4 that enhance the surrounding sound experience. &nbsp;The laptop also comes with two USB3 ports, two USB2 ports and a multi-format card reader, making it incredibly flexible when it comes to connecting up your external storage, and an HDMI port means you can connect it to an external display to play back what&rsquo;s stored on the hard disk. The laptop is available in 2 versions, one with Core i5 processor and another with Core i7 processor. The Z580 with Core i5 processor carries a price tag of Rs 75,000, whereas the i7 variant is priced at Rs 95,000.</div>',
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			'created' => '2013-12-24',
			'modified' => '2013-12-24',
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			'description' => 'Lenovo has recently launched two new ultrabook in the Nepali market- Lenovo Z580 and Lenovo Ideapad Y510p. Lenovo Idea pad Y510p is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel core i7 processor along with dual Nvidia GPU system. It appears highly fascinating with its sleek body and cool touch metal design.',
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file not found!

Latest

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Bardiya National Park Sees Increase in Tourist Arrivals

Experts, Manpower Agencies at Odds Over Draft of Labour Migration Policy

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BFIN to Host Conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday

Price of Gold Reaches All-Time High in Nepal

FOREX

Currency	Unit	Buy	Sell
U.S. Dollar	1	121.23	121.83
European Euro	1	131.65	132.31
UK Pound Sterling	1	142.47	143.18
Swiss Franc	1	124.29	124.90
Australian Dollar	1	71.69	72.05
Canadian Dollar	1	83.90	84.32
Japanese Yen	10	10.94	11.00
Chinese Yuan	1	17.17	17.26
Saudi Arabian Riyal	1	32.27	32.43
UAE Dirham	1	33.01	33.17
Malaysian Ringgit	1	27.36	27.50
South Korean Won	100	9.77	9.82

Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)

Bullion

Fine Gold	1 tola	77000.00
Tejabi Gold	1 tola	76700.00
Silver	1 tola	720.00

Update : 2020-03-25

Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association

Petroleum

Petrol	1 Liter	106.00
Diesel	1 Liter	95.00
Kerosene	1 Liter	95.00
LP Gas	1 Cylinder	1375.00