June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal…
June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal…
The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per…
Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/22) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certifcates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is…
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet…
June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year.…
June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation…
June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel.…
June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media.…
June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and…
June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways.…
June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in…
June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS.…
Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign…
June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government.…
June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27.…
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Almost 80 percent of the hotels in Nepal are dependent on bank loans. In this context, stakeholders say that government support is very crucial to sustain the industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Mani Lamichhane, director of Nepal Tourism Board, said that the hotel industry contributes to the economy in terms of foreign exchange reserve and is also a major employment provider. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NTB has forwarded the request made by hoteliers regarding refinancing, financial access, and other revival plans to the concerned government department. “We are optimistic the government will address the issues,” added Lamichhane.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, he added that NTB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNWTO and will finalize an agreement with the Asian Development Bank for reviving the tourism economy, he added. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lamichanne further said that the tourism industry of Nepal is facing challenges to rebound at a time when countries like the Maldives, Turkey, Spain, and other international destinations have already resumed their tourism activities normally.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tourism stakeholders raised a major concern that the manpower involved in the sector might switch jobs affecting the sector's professionalism if the government doesn't bring in programmes to preserve the needed human resources. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">They also requested the concerned body to assure the implementation of the relief package announced in the new budget. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Deep Raj Joshi informed that resuming tourism activities by increasing vaccination drive is the need of the hour for the tourism industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stakeholders also discussed the potential of promoting Nepal for green tourism. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government in the new budget has listed tourism in the productive sector. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-06', 'modified' => '2021-06-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13246', 'image' => '20210606115602_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-06 11:55:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13500', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Raises Retail Prices of Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene by Rs 2 Per Liter ', 'sub_title' => 'Petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel/kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF (domestic) Rs 80 per liter ', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5 : The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Saturday, the NOC said that it decided to increase the fuel prices based on the working procedure on automated price system that allows the state-owned oil monopoly to revise the price fortnightly by 2 percent automatically based on the changes in the price it pays to its supplier Indian Oil Corporation. </p> <p>With the revision of the fuel prices that will come into effect from midnight today, petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel and kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF Rs 80 per liter in Kathmandu Valley. </p> <p>In its statement, the NOC also said that it will have to again raise the fuel prices in the days to come if the current trend of higher crude oil prices in the global market and depreciation of the value of Nepali currency against the US Dollar continues. </p> <p>The NOC, however, kept the price of cooking gas (LPG) at Rs 1,400 per cylinder. </p> <p><br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13245', 'image' => '20210605095641_NOC Fuel prices.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 21:53:55', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13499', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bankers See Risk on Scheme to Provide Concessional Loan at 5% Interest Against Academic Certificate ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/22) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certifcates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/222) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certificates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging. </p> <p>This is not a new scheme as bank and financial institutions (BFIs) are already providing loans up to a limit of Rs 700,000 to youths against pledges of their academic certificates. <br /> BFIs have been disbursing loans based on the 'Integrated Procedure on Interest Subsidy for Concessional Loans, 2020' issued by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). There are seven various subsidized loan schemes under this facility including the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan.Under these schemes, the government subsidy covers five to six percentage points of the interest rates that bank charges to their borrowers. <br /> According to the data of NRB, BFIs have disbursed loans to 139 youths under the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan. They have a total of Rs 65.1 million outstanding loans under this scheme. The scheme came into implementation in April 2019. <br /> There have been complaints that BFIs are reluctant to provide subsidized loans to youths against the collateral of academic certificates. However, bankers say that BFIs do not sanction business loans until they get convincing business plans from borrowers due to a risk of non-repayment or defaults. <br /> Dev Kumar Dhakal, the NRB Spokesperson, said that the central bank has decided to fix a minimum numbers of loans that each branch of bank or financial institution must provide under this facility. He said that the decision was based on complaints about the lack of willingness from BFIs to disburse subsidized interest loans. <br /> According to the NRB, except than agro and farming loans among various concessional loan schemes, a commercial bank must provide loans to 500 borrowers with ten minimum per branch and national level development banks to 300 borrowers or five minimum per branch, whichever is higher. <br /> “After enforcement of this directive, we have found that the flow of loans under these schemes has improved," he said.<br /> Bankers say that increment in the loan amount against collateral of academic certificates also raises the risk for BFIs. <br /> Bhuvan Kumar Dahal, Nepal Bankers' Association’s President, says that such loans can be disbursed immediately if the borrowers pledge assets along with their certificates.</p> <p>"It is not easy to disburse such loans against collateral of academic certificates only. Such loans carry high risk. If such loans turn bad, both the bank and the government would face losses. However, we are ready to provide loans to those who come up with a viable business plan,” he said.</p> <p>Nepali citizens having academic certificate of minimum Bachelor degree or equivalent is eligible to get the loans under this scheme with repayment period of five years. Likewise, the borrower applying for the loan should have attended at least a week of enterprise or business training from any government body including the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training. Banks also ask a brief business proposal for such loans.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13244', 'image' => '20210605063901_Business Bank Loans.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 18:32:47', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13498', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Three Deputy PMs, 12 Ministers Inducted in Prime Minister Oli’s Reshuffled Cabinet ', 'sub_title' => 'Prime Minister Oli removes 13 ministers while keeping seven portfolios with himself ', 'summary' => 'Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. </p> <p>Prime Minister Oli reshuffling of his cabinet on Friday follows recent dissolution of the House of Representatives and announcement to hold midterm elections in November. <br /> President Bhandari administerd oath of office to all newly appointed ministers of the Oli-led cabinet on Friday evening. </p> <p><em><strong>NEW FACES IN OLI-LED CABINET </strong></em><br /> According to the notice of the Office of the President, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, appointed Bishnu Prasad Paudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development. While Paudel was already the Minister for Finance, Mahaseth and Mahato are newly appointed members in the Oli-led cabinet. <br /> Earlier, Pradeep Gyawali was the Foreign Affairs Minister while Prime Minister Oli was himself overseeing the portfolio of Ministry of Urban Development after Prabhu Sah lost his ministerial berth on May 18 following a Supreme Court’s order to bar seven ministers from working as ministers.<br /> Sharad Singh Bhandari (Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), Anil Kumar Jha (Minister for Drinking Water), Sher Bahadur Tamang (Minister for Health and Population), Laxman Lal Karna (Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation) and Bimal Prasad Srivastav (Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security) are new faces in the reshuffled cabinet. <br /> Umashankar Argariya becomes the new Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation while the new Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is Chanda Chaudhary. Chandra Kanta Chaudhary and Renuka Gurung are appointed as Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and Minister for State for Women, Children and Senior Citizens respectively. </p> <p><em><strong>RETAINED MINISTERS </strong></em></p> <p>Prime Minister Oli retained Basanta Kumar Newmbwang (Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation), Lilanath Shrestha (Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs) and Krishna Gopal Shrestha (Minister for Education, Science and Technology) in his reshuffled cabinet. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli decided to keep seven portfolio with himself. Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Defence, Home Affairs, Forest and Environment, Federal Affairs and General Administration and Communication and Information Technology are the ministries that Prime Minister Oli will oversee himself. </p> <p><br /> <em><strong>THOSE WHO LOST MINISTERIAL BERTH</strong></em><br /> Prime Minister Oli bade farewell to 13 ministers along with Gyawali who was the Foreign Minister since the Oli-led government was formed in February 2018. <br /> Those others removed from the cabinet are Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Bhanubhakta Dhakal (Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) Padma Kumari Aryal (Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development), Parbat Gurung (Minister for Communication and Information Technology) and Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe (Minister for Lnad Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation). <br /> Ganesh Singh Thagunna (Minister for Federal Affairs and General Affairs) and Juli Kumar Mahato (Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen) have also been relieved from their posts. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli also lost their posts on Friday. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13243', 'image' => '20210605122816_Oath of new Ministers.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 12:21:19', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13497', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Sets Target of Increasing Access to Insurance to 33.33 Percent of the Population', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. However, the government has remained silent about bringing programmes to support the insurance companies to achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Last Saturday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, while presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, announced that the government aims to increase access to insurance to one-third of the people. However, insurance companies express their concern that the budget has remained silent about bringing the necessary programmes to help achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a survey made public by Minister Poudel for the current fiscal year, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the population by mid-February.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Insurance Board has said that access to insurance will reach 27 percent of population by the end of next year. In the upcoming fiscal year, an additional 6.33 percent or 1.92 million Nepalis must have access to insurance to meet the target, which is very challenging, the companies say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the seven decades since the start of the insurance business, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the total population. However, insurance companies say that it will be difficult to achieve the goal to increase access to 33.33 percent within a short span of time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nirmal Kaji Shrestha, president of Life Insurers Association Nepal and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mate Life Insurance, said that the new budget has missed out on addressing the issues of life insurance. “The budget aims to reach life insurance to one-third of the population. However, no programme is on the cards to help achieve that goal,” he said, adding, “We have seen that it will be very difficult to achieve that goal without any incentive.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The insurance companies were expecting the government to increase the income tax exemption limit for life insurance in the budget. They have been demanding such exemption since years. At present, insured people get a rebate of up to Rs 25,000 in income tax. The Insurance Board demanded that the limit should be increased to Rs 50,000. They also demanded the introduction of other incentives.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Shrestha said that the budget has remained silent on the issue of overall life insurance. “In most South Asian countries, insurers are exempted from income tax up to millions of rupees. However, in our case, the limit has not been raised yet,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Shrestha said that now a tripartite strategy should be formulated between the Insurance Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the insurance companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, CEO of Mahalakshmi Life Insurance, also said that the current budget has disappointed the life insurance sector. “The insurance sector was not already a priority in the budget. That trend has continued this year,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Bhattarai, the budget should give priority to this sector as the contribution of the insurance sector to the GDP is increasing. "It has been revealed in the budget that the access to insurance will be increased to two-thirds of population. However, the government has remained silent on what kind of assistance is needed to achieve that target,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the Insurance Board Surya Prasad Silwal said that the concerns raised by the insurance companies will be addressed by the annual budget of the board. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "Our budget will come in the next few months. From the same budget, we will bring necessary programmes to increase access to insurance,” he said adding, “We are positive about how to work to achieve the target set by the government to increase access to life insurance.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13242', 'image' => '20210604041708_20190915103621_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 16:16:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13496', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to bring Commodities Exchange into Operation', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon. As the government has included it in the budget statement, the regulatory body Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has intensified preparations to operate it immediately from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Prior to the budget speech, SEBON had made public the draft of the Directive on Policy and Procedure for Issuing Licenses to Operate Commodities Market, 2077 BS to collect suggestions from stakeholders. The board said it had collected more than a dozen suggestions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the board Bhishma Raj Dhungana informed that the draft of the directive will be finalized by the board meeting of SEBON after incorporating the suggestions received so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"More than a dozen suggestions have been collected. Most of them have asked us to reconsider the paid-up capital. The meeting of the Board of Directors will finalize the issue. The meeting was delayed as some members of the committee were infected by coronavirus. The meeting will be held after they recover,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Deputy Executive Director of SEBON, Dr Nawaraj Adhikari said that the revised directive has increased the minimum paid-up capital limit from Rs 1 billion to Rs 2 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the draft, the paid-up capital of the company dealing in agricultural related commodities should be Rs 1 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We had prepared the guideline by doing a lot of study and analysis on the global commodities market, understanding all the international principles and good practices,” said Adhikari, adding, “We have prepared the guideline based on the overall study and the level of understanding of investors suitable for Nepal.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An earlier study had suggested that only two exchanges should be approved. “The revised directive has allowed providing license to the companies that meet all the criteria, are experienced, competent, have done well in the past,” Adhikari said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The revised directive has provided the limit of paid-up capital according to the nature of the companies, submission of plans, application process among others.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the board, six organizations that have recently proposed to run the company do not have to pay the fee when re-applying. However, as per the revised guidelines they have to procure additional documents by fulfilling the specified criteria. “We will continue to not charge the application fee for the proposed six organisations again. However, according to additional provisions, the criteria have to be met,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, Commodity Futures Exchange (CFX) Limited, Rizal Commodity Exchange (RCDX), Multi Derivative Exchange (MDX) Company, Nepal Derivatives Exchange (NDEX), National Derivatives Commodities (NCDX) and Nepal Mercentile (NEX) had applied for commodity trading.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The founders of the institution operating the commodity market will have to apply by proposing to invest at least 51 percent and at most 100 percent of the shares. The proposed institution must have a minimum of 5 percent to a maximum of 51 percent of the total paid-up capital for foreign strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Founders may include individuals, Nepali organizations, and strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Foreign strategic partners have been made mandatory.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The qualified ones will have to apply for pre-approval with a fee of Rs 25,000 to run a company. If the board of directors of SEBON feels the company suitable, it has to deposit up to 10 percent of the paid-up capital in the commercial bank before giving prior approval. Two copies of the business plan including the management letter and rules of the proposed institution, feasibility study report including minimum subjects and projected financial statements for the next 3 fiscal years should be submitted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The guideline states that even if the board gives approval to manage the infrastructure, it will not be allowed to do any work including increasing or decreasing the number of founders until the final operating license is obtained. After receiving the prior approval, the company has to apply to the board to get the license to operate the commodity market. For this, the company will have to pay a fee of up to Rs 2.5 million to the board along with the application.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13241', 'image' => '20210604122412_20190517025825_aaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 12:23:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13495', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Minister Calls for Reduction in Price of Aviation Fuel ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The minister issued such directive during a meeting with government authorities including officials of Nepal Oil Corporation and other stakeholders.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Tourism Secretary Yadav Prasad Koirala, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dinesh Bhattarai, Nepal Oil Corporation Executive Director Surendra Poudel, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokharel and Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation Dim Prakash Poudel were present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the directive was issued in response to the demand by various organizations to cut down the price of aviation fuel used by international airlines companies in Nepal. </span></span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13240', 'image' => '20210604115324_EHdVeZuVAAArjYS.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 11:52:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13494', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Health Ministry Rules Out New Variant of COVID-19 in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. <br /> Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the ministry’s spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel said that the ministry’s attention had been drawn towards the misleading news regarding the detection of new variant and refuted those claims. <br /> According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Dr Poudel clarified that only the Alfa, Kappa and Delta variants are active in Nepal. <br /> The statement has urged media houses and outlets not to publish any misleading and false news until obtaining authentic information from the ministry. The Ministry had also appealed to the media and media persons to be responsible towards disseminating factual news. <br /> Furthermore, the Ministry had appealed to one and all for complete compliance of the health safety protocols to contain the pandemic. <br /> The World Health Organization has also clarified that it was not aware of any new variant detected in Nepal, RSS further reported.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Among the existing variants, Delta is the most active one and highly contagious, the WHO said. </span></span> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><strong>Nepalese embassy refutes baseless news on origin of mutant strain of coronavirus</strong> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Embassy of Nepal in London said that its serious attention has been drawn towards a news report carried out by the UK-based Daily Mail newspaper on June 3 regarding a baseless claim about the origin of a mutant strain of SARS-Cov-2 in Nepal. <br /> Issuing a press statement, the Embassy of Nepal in London said that the variants identified in Nepal so far are Alpha and Delta, both of which did not originate in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The World Health Organization has rebutted the origin of a new variant in Nepal stating that the prevalent variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” RSS reported citing the Embassy. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the Embassy stated that it has sent a letter of Daily Mail refuting the baseless news and requesting to correct it. <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13239', 'image' => '20210604105321_20200315104642_20200312112722_111.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 10:52:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13493', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Paddy Seeds worth Rs 1.61 Billion Imported this Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Seed Quality Control Center, 34 importer companies have imported a total of 4,149 metric tons of paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Altogether 46 types of seed imported this year include US 311, Champion, Raja, Maharaja, Sawamansuli, Sudha, and Shanti. Bikas Kharel, horticulture officer at the center, informed that among these, 39 varieties were imported from India and the remaining seven varieties were imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Paddy seeds like Savitri, Sonamansuli, Makwanpur and Basmati are produced in Nepal while hybrid seeds are imported from India and China. According to Kharel, larger amounts of seeds are imported from India than China in terms of quantity. A total of 3,961 metric tons of seeds have been imported from India this year, while 188 metric tons of seeds have been imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About 70,000 metric tons of paddy seeds are required annually for a total of 1.35 million hectares of cultivable land in Nepal. It is estimated that Nepali seed companies produce 10,000 metric tons of paddy seeds annually. Stakeholders say that some farmers use their own local seeds. </span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20181228032406_a.jpg" style="height:600px; width:800px" /></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13238', 'image' => '20210603031456_20210512035550_20181125011444_pady-1024x682.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:13:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13492', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Home Ministry Instructs District Administration Offices to Ease Transportation of Goods ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. The Home Ministry has written letters to twenty district administration offices instructing them to facilitate transportation of goods. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The district administration offices of Jhapa, Morang, Bara, Parsa, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke and those along the major border points have been asked to make arrangements for the transportation and supply of goods to and fro the destination.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, the government had banned the entry of all vehicles except the ones carrying essential goods into the Kathmandu Valley to control the surge of COVID-19 cases.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Vehicles carrying industrial products even with the customs clearance were not allowed to enter the Kathmandu Valley. The restrictive measures were stepped up following the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the valley.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had banned the transportation of all items except 21 essential items including food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodh Kumar Gupta, chairman of the Birgunj chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that they had to pay detention fees for containers for about a week. “The supply of industrial raw materials and products have been affected after the police administration stopped transport vehicles at checkpoints and highways. The instructions from the Home Ministry would help to ease the supply chain,” said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has directed the district administration offices to allow trucks and containers carrying industrial raw materials to reach their destinations. The customs offices had been issuing customs clearance to vehicles carrying goods other than the essential ones as well. Although there was no problem in customs clearance, those vehicles faced problems while transporting the goods. Harihar Poudel, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs Point, said that this issue has also been resolved with the initiative taken by the Home Ministry.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj chapter of FNCCI had written to the Home Secretary on Tuesday, June 1, urging him to remove the obstruction on transportation of goods. "Their concern has been addressed for now," said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13237', 'image' => '20210603030846_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:08:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13491', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT Releases a List of Hotels to be Used for Quarantine', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Tourism (DoT) has made public the list of hotels to be used as quarantine facility. The hotels were selected on the basis of certain criteria.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotels to be used for quarantine are required to completely close the dining area, buffet, gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor games.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made it clear that such hotels are required to have amenities like 20 rooms, a separate gate for entry, an open space, or a garden for jogging for the individuals in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Additionally, the criteria specify that the hotel should have sufficient open space to provide service to air passengers and for the collection of swab test samples. Likewise, television, Wi-Fi, and an attached bathroom with hot water for bathing and drinking are mandatory. Similarly, the hotels are required to make arrangements to provide food and other services in the room.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has mentioned that soap, toothpaste, brush, hand wash, and towel should be kept in each room for one week. On May 31, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation had implemented the standards that the Nepali and foreign nationals arriving in Nepal from abroad would have to follow. Accordingly, the arriving individuals are required to have a PCR test report taken within 72-hour, document of hotel booking, and stay in a mandatory five-day hotel quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An arrangement has also been made to stay at home for 10 days on the recommendation of the concerned hotel and regulatory body after staying in the hotel quarantine for a day.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in densely populated areas including Thamel and Gongabu in Kathmandu. Stating that the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) infection is high, the ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in these areas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department issued a notice on June 2 stating that five-star hotels like The Soaltee Kathmandu, Shangrila, Radisson, and Hyatt, will be used as quarantine hotels. Hotel Shankar, Hotel Himalaya, and Grand Hotel are the four-star hotels to be used for the quarantine service. As per the decision of the department, five three-star hotels and 51 tourist hotels have been listed for the quarantine facility of the arriving visitors and returnees. Similarly, Park Village and Gokarna Forest Resorts have been listed under the resort category.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, eight hotels were used for quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotel quarantine service is expected to support the hotel sector that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has also encouraged the use of hotels as quarantine in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to a source at the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), the government has made the hotel quarantine standard mandatory but it is not likely to be implemented. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Only a handful of people are arriving from abroad and on the other hand most of the passengers are going to stay in home isolation rather than hotels," the source informed. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13236', 'image' => '20210603124902_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 12:48:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13490', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Prohibitory Order in Valley Extended by 10 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A joint meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur took the decision to extend the order with some relaxation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order has been extended till June 14. The previous order was expiring on June 4.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, the CDOs of the three districts have revoked an earlier decision to ban operation of grocery shops and departmental stores and can now remain open until 9:00 am every day. Earlier, only vegetable shops and other essential services were allowed to open. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, construction work can also resume with boarding facility for the workers and following the prescribed health protocol. Construction materials have to be transported from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am. Human mobility remains prohibited as well as traffic, except for emergency and essential services. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13235', 'image' => '20210602104030_20210512120931_20200903113103_1599056781.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13489', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Unilever Nepal Partners With Nepal Army for ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’ ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’.', 'content' => '<p>June 2: Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the multinational company said that the partnership with the Nepal Army for the mountain cleaning campaign is part of its commitment ‘to make sustainable living a common place’. </p> <p>According to the statement, the mountain clean up initiative disposed 5,020 kg of waste, of which 4,720 kg non-biodegradable waste was sent for recycling while remaining 300 kg of bio-degradable waste was disposed through Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.</p> <p>“The natural world is being lost and damaged at an alarming rate, and to put the same on reverse, Unilever Nepal couldn’t have found a better cause than to clean the revered Mount Dhaulagiri and a more credible partner than the Nepal Army,” the statement quoted Unilever Nepal’s Managing Director Amlan Mukherjee as saying. “We are committed to make sustainable living common place for everyone and will continuously engage in programs like these in the coming days,” he said. </p> <p>Similarly, Brigadier General Himanshu Khadka, Director of the Directorate of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, also thanked Unilever Nepal for supporting the Mountain Clean Up initiative. “Through this initiative of cleaning the Himalayan ranges you have touched the heart of every Nepali,” the statement quoted Brigadier General Khadka as saying in an event organized at the Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13234', 'image' => '20210602103709_20210510_074318.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:35:07', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13488', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Province 2 Lags Behind in Terms of Industrial Investment ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. The survey report shows that despite being connected with major border points and being home to several industrial corridors, it is even behind the remote Karnali Province when it comes to industrial investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the private sector is not convinced by these government figures. Ganesh Prasad Lath, president of Province 2 chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), claims that the economic survey data is not based on facts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Birgunj, the major border point in terms of import-export, is in the province 2. It is close to the Indian seaport and transportation of raw materials and readymade goods through this district is also convinient.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj-Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor is considered to be the largest industrial corridor. However, the economic survey shows that Province 2 comes second from the last in terms of attracting industrial investment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for the Economic Survey, Province 2 has a total industrial investment of Rs 119 billion while Karnali Province has attracted investment of Rs 131 billion. However, the number of registered industries in Province 2 is 564 while in Karnali it is only 78.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In terms of number of registered industries, Province 2 holds fifth position while Karnali is in the last position. Province 2 is ranked third in the number of small-scale industries. Bagmati province leads the list with a total industrial investment of Rs 224 billion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Of the 8,384 industries registered with the Department of Industry, Bagmati has the highest number of industries (5,450). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the first-ever economic census conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows a different result. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bagmati Province houses the highest number of industrial establishments which is 282,056. Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, analyst and entrepreneur, says that the contradictory government data has raised doubts over their credibility.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Lath states that there is a need for a survey that is based on facts. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13233', 'image' => '20210602051025_20210118020708_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 17:09:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13486', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN Announces Special International Flight Schedule for June', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a notice issued by the aviation regulatory body of Nepal, the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air India will be conducting five flights a week from June 3. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Turkish Airways will operate a flight along the Istanbul-Kathmandu route every Thursday from June 3. Likewise, Nepal Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate a flight between Kathmandu and Doha every week on Monday from June 7. Similarly, Both Nepal Airlines and Air India will operate a weekly flight along Kathmandu-Delhi route on Wednesday and Friday under the air bubble agreement. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The flight schedule introduced by CAAN for the international route will come into effect from June 1. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Flight Permission Section of the aviation authority permitted the new flight schedule.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the notice, Turkish Airlines’ flight to Istanbul will depart on Thursdays at 23:05 NST, Nepal Airlines will operate a flight to Doha at 22:00 NST and Qatar Airways at 11:05 every Monday. Likewise, a Nepal Airlines flight to Delhi will depart from Tribhuvan International Airprt (TIA) at 11:05 NSTon Wednesday and Air India will take off at 15:35 NST every Friday. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has requested to conduct a chartered flight to Doha from Kathmandu on June 4. The details about the flight permission are yet to come, informs Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for CAAN.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The scheduled flight routine is only valid for June. Airlines will have to strictly follow health protocols while boarding passengers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13232', 'image' => '20210602115245_20151110041343_tia_nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 11:52:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13501', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Most of the Hotels Face Prospect of Closure in the Absence of Government Support’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Speaking at an interaction programme, Rana added that the hotel business, one of the key sectors of the tourism industry, is facing a major threat from the pandemic. Almost 80 percent of the hotels in Nepal are dependent on bank loans. In this context, stakeholders say that government support is very crucial to sustain the industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Mani Lamichhane, director of Nepal Tourism Board, said that the hotel industry contributes to the economy in terms of foreign exchange reserve and is also a major employment provider. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NTB has forwarded the request made by hoteliers regarding refinancing, financial access, and other revival plans to the concerned government department. “We are optimistic the government will address the issues,” added Lamichhane.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, he added that NTB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNWTO and will finalize an agreement with the Asian Development Bank for reviving the tourism economy, he added. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lamichanne further said that the tourism industry of Nepal is facing challenges to rebound at a time when countries like the Maldives, Turkey, Spain, and other international destinations have already resumed their tourism activities normally.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tourism stakeholders raised a major concern that the manpower involved in the sector might switch jobs affecting the sector's professionalism if the government doesn't bring in programmes to preserve the needed human resources. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">They also requested the concerned body to assure the implementation of the relief package announced in the new budget. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Deep Raj Joshi informed that resuming tourism activities by increasing vaccination drive is the need of the hour for the tourism industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stakeholders also discussed the potential of promoting Nepal for green tourism. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government in the new budget has listed tourism in the productive sector. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-06', 'modified' => '2021-06-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13246', 'image' => '20210606115602_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-06 11:55:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13500', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Raises Retail Prices of Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene by Rs 2 Per Liter ', 'sub_title' => 'Petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel/kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF (domestic) Rs 80 per liter ', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5 : The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Saturday, the NOC said that it decided to increase the fuel prices based on the working procedure on automated price system that allows the state-owned oil monopoly to revise the price fortnightly by 2 percent automatically based on the changes in the price it pays to its supplier Indian Oil Corporation. </p> <p>With the revision of the fuel prices that will come into effect from midnight today, petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel and kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF Rs 80 per liter in Kathmandu Valley. </p> <p>In its statement, the NOC also said that it will have to again raise the fuel prices in the days to come if the current trend of higher crude oil prices in the global market and depreciation of the value of Nepali currency against the US Dollar continues. </p> <p>The NOC, however, kept the price of cooking gas (LPG) at Rs 1,400 per cylinder. </p> <p><br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13245', 'image' => '20210605095641_NOC Fuel prices.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 21:53:55', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13499', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bankers See Risk on Scheme to Provide Concessional Loan at 5% Interest Against Academic Certificate ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/22) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certifcates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/222) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certificates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging. </p> <p>This is not a new scheme as bank and financial institutions (BFIs) are already providing loans up to a limit of Rs 700,000 to youths against pledges of their academic certificates. <br /> BFIs have been disbursing loans based on the 'Integrated Procedure on Interest Subsidy for Concessional Loans, 2020' issued by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). There are seven various subsidized loan schemes under this facility including the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan.Under these schemes, the government subsidy covers five to six percentage points of the interest rates that bank charges to their borrowers. <br /> According to the data of NRB, BFIs have disbursed loans to 139 youths under the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan. They have a total of Rs 65.1 million outstanding loans under this scheme. The scheme came into implementation in April 2019. <br /> There have been complaints that BFIs are reluctant to provide subsidized loans to youths against the collateral of academic certificates. However, bankers say that BFIs do not sanction business loans until they get convincing business plans from borrowers due to a risk of non-repayment or defaults. <br /> Dev Kumar Dhakal, the NRB Spokesperson, said that the central bank has decided to fix a minimum numbers of loans that each branch of bank or financial institution must provide under this facility. He said that the decision was based on complaints about the lack of willingness from BFIs to disburse subsidized interest loans. <br /> According to the NRB, except than agro and farming loans among various concessional loan schemes, a commercial bank must provide loans to 500 borrowers with ten minimum per branch and national level development banks to 300 borrowers or five minimum per branch, whichever is higher. <br /> “After enforcement of this directive, we have found that the flow of loans under these schemes has improved," he said.<br /> Bankers say that increment in the loan amount against collateral of academic certificates also raises the risk for BFIs. <br /> Bhuvan Kumar Dahal, Nepal Bankers' Association’s President, says that such loans can be disbursed immediately if the borrowers pledge assets along with their certificates.</p> <p>"It is not easy to disburse such loans against collateral of academic certificates only. Such loans carry high risk. If such loans turn bad, both the bank and the government would face losses. However, we are ready to provide loans to those who come up with a viable business plan,” he said.</p> <p>Nepali citizens having academic certificate of minimum Bachelor degree or equivalent is eligible to get the loans under this scheme with repayment period of five years. Likewise, the borrower applying for the loan should have attended at least a week of enterprise or business training from any government body including the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training. Banks also ask a brief business proposal for such loans.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13244', 'image' => '20210605063901_Business Bank Loans.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 18:32:47', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13498', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Three Deputy PMs, 12 Ministers Inducted in Prime Minister Oli’s Reshuffled Cabinet ', 'sub_title' => 'Prime Minister Oli removes 13 ministers while keeping seven portfolios with himself ', 'summary' => 'Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. </p> <p>Prime Minister Oli reshuffling of his cabinet on Friday follows recent dissolution of the House of Representatives and announcement to hold midterm elections in November. <br /> President Bhandari administerd oath of office to all newly appointed ministers of the Oli-led cabinet on Friday evening. </p> <p><em><strong>NEW FACES IN OLI-LED CABINET </strong></em><br /> According to the notice of the Office of the President, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, appointed Bishnu Prasad Paudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development. While Paudel was already the Minister for Finance, Mahaseth and Mahato are newly appointed members in the Oli-led cabinet. <br /> Earlier, Pradeep Gyawali was the Foreign Affairs Minister while Prime Minister Oli was himself overseeing the portfolio of Ministry of Urban Development after Prabhu Sah lost his ministerial berth on May 18 following a Supreme Court’s order to bar seven ministers from working as ministers.<br /> Sharad Singh Bhandari (Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), Anil Kumar Jha (Minister for Drinking Water), Sher Bahadur Tamang (Minister for Health and Population), Laxman Lal Karna (Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation) and Bimal Prasad Srivastav (Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security) are new faces in the reshuffled cabinet. <br /> Umashankar Argariya becomes the new Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation while the new Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is Chanda Chaudhary. Chandra Kanta Chaudhary and Renuka Gurung are appointed as Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and Minister for State for Women, Children and Senior Citizens respectively. </p> <p><em><strong>RETAINED MINISTERS </strong></em></p> <p>Prime Minister Oli retained Basanta Kumar Newmbwang (Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation), Lilanath Shrestha (Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs) and Krishna Gopal Shrestha (Minister for Education, Science and Technology) in his reshuffled cabinet. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli decided to keep seven portfolio with himself. Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Defence, Home Affairs, Forest and Environment, Federal Affairs and General Administration and Communication and Information Technology are the ministries that Prime Minister Oli will oversee himself. </p> <p><br /> <em><strong>THOSE WHO LOST MINISTERIAL BERTH</strong></em><br /> Prime Minister Oli bade farewell to 13 ministers along with Gyawali who was the Foreign Minister since the Oli-led government was formed in February 2018. <br /> Those others removed from the cabinet are Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Bhanubhakta Dhakal (Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) Padma Kumari Aryal (Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development), Parbat Gurung (Minister for Communication and Information Technology) and Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe (Minister for Lnad Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation). <br /> Ganesh Singh Thagunna (Minister for Federal Affairs and General Affairs) and Juli Kumar Mahato (Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen) have also been relieved from their posts. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli also lost their posts on Friday. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13243', 'image' => '20210605122816_Oath of new Ministers.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 12:21:19', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13497', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Sets Target of Increasing Access to Insurance to 33.33 Percent of the Population', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. However, the government has remained silent about bringing programmes to support the insurance companies to achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Last Saturday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, while presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, announced that the government aims to increase access to insurance to one-third of the people. However, insurance companies express their concern that the budget has remained silent about bringing the necessary programmes to help achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a survey made public by Minister Poudel for the current fiscal year, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the population by mid-February.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Insurance Board has said that access to insurance will reach 27 percent of population by the end of next year. In the upcoming fiscal year, an additional 6.33 percent or 1.92 million Nepalis must have access to insurance to meet the target, which is very challenging, the companies say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the seven decades since the start of the insurance business, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the total population. However, insurance companies say that it will be difficult to achieve the goal to increase access to 33.33 percent within a short span of time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nirmal Kaji Shrestha, president of Life Insurers Association Nepal and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mate Life Insurance, said that the new budget has missed out on addressing the issues of life insurance. “The budget aims to reach life insurance to one-third of the population. However, no programme is on the cards to help achieve that goal,” he said, adding, “We have seen that it will be very difficult to achieve that goal without any incentive.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The insurance companies were expecting the government to increase the income tax exemption limit for life insurance in the budget. They have been demanding such exemption since years. At present, insured people get a rebate of up to Rs 25,000 in income tax. The Insurance Board demanded that the limit should be increased to Rs 50,000. They also demanded the introduction of other incentives.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Shrestha said that the budget has remained silent on the issue of overall life insurance. “In most South Asian countries, insurers are exempted from income tax up to millions of rupees. However, in our case, the limit has not been raised yet,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Shrestha said that now a tripartite strategy should be formulated between the Insurance Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the insurance companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, CEO of Mahalakshmi Life Insurance, also said that the current budget has disappointed the life insurance sector. “The insurance sector was not already a priority in the budget. That trend has continued this year,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Bhattarai, the budget should give priority to this sector as the contribution of the insurance sector to the GDP is increasing. "It has been revealed in the budget that the access to insurance will be increased to two-thirds of population. However, the government has remained silent on what kind of assistance is needed to achieve that target,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the Insurance Board Surya Prasad Silwal said that the concerns raised by the insurance companies will be addressed by the annual budget of the board. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "Our budget will come in the next few months. From the same budget, we will bring necessary programmes to increase access to insurance,” he said adding, “We are positive about how to work to achieve the target set by the government to increase access to life insurance.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13242', 'image' => '20210604041708_20190915103621_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 16:16:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13496', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to bring Commodities Exchange into Operation', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon. As the government has included it in the budget statement, the regulatory body Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has intensified preparations to operate it immediately from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Prior to the budget speech, SEBON had made public the draft of the Directive on Policy and Procedure for Issuing Licenses to Operate Commodities Market, 2077 BS to collect suggestions from stakeholders. The board said it had collected more than a dozen suggestions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the board Bhishma Raj Dhungana informed that the draft of the directive will be finalized by the board meeting of SEBON after incorporating the suggestions received so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"More than a dozen suggestions have been collected. Most of them have asked us to reconsider the paid-up capital. The meeting of the Board of Directors will finalize the issue. The meeting was delayed as some members of the committee were infected by coronavirus. The meeting will be held after they recover,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Deputy Executive Director of SEBON, Dr Nawaraj Adhikari said that the revised directive has increased the minimum paid-up capital limit from Rs 1 billion to Rs 2 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the draft, the paid-up capital of the company dealing in agricultural related commodities should be Rs 1 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We had prepared the guideline by doing a lot of study and analysis on the global commodities market, understanding all the international principles and good practices,” said Adhikari, adding, “We have prepared the guideline based on the overall study and the level of understanding of investors suitable for Nepal.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An earlier study had suggested that only two exchanges should be approved. “The revised directive has allowed providing license to the companies that meet all the criteria, are experienced, competent, have done well in the past,” Adhikari said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The revised directive has provided the limit of paid-up capital according to the nature of the companies, submission of plans, application process among others.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the board, six organizations that have recently proposed to run the company do not have to pay the fee when re-applying. However, as per the revised guidelines they have to procure additional documents by fulfilling the specified criteria. “We will continue to not charge the application fee for the proposed six organisations again. However, according to additional provisions, the criteria have to be met,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, Commodity Futures Exchange (CFX) Limited, Rizal Commodity Exchange (RCDX), Multi Derivative Exchange (MDX) Company, Nepal Derivatives Exchange (NDEX), National Derivatives Commodities (NCDX) and Nepal Mercentile (NEX) had applied for commodity trading.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The founders of the institution operating the commodity market will have to apply by proposing to invest at least 51 percent and at most 100 percent of the shares. The proposed institution must have a minimum of 5 percent to a maximum of 51 percent of the total paid-up capital for foreign strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Founders may include individuals, Nepali organizations, and strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Foreign strategic partners have been made mandatory.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The qualified ones will have to apply for pre-approval with a fee of Rs 25,000 to run a company. If the board of directors of SEBON feels the company suitable, it has to deposit up to 10 percent of the paid-up capital in the commercial bank before giving prior approval. Two copies of the business plan including the management letter and rules of the proposed institution, feasibility study report including minimum subjects and projected financial statements for the next 3 fiscal years should be submitted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The guideline states that even if the board gives approval to manage the infrastructure, it will not be allowed to do any work including increasing or decreasing the number of founders until the final operating license is obtained. After receiving the prior approval, the company has to apply to the board to get the license to operate the commodity market. For this, the company will have to pay a fee of up to Rs 2.5 million to the board along with the application.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13241', 'image' => '20210604122412_20190517025825_aaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 12:23:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13495', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Minister Calls for Reduction in Price of Aviation Fuel ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The minister issued such directive during a meeting with government authorities including officials of Nepal Oil Corporation and other stakeholders.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Tourism Secretary Yadav Prasad Koirala, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dinesh Bhattarai, Nepal Oil Corporation Executive Director Surendra Poudel, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokharel and Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation Dim Prakash Poudel were present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the directive was issued in response to the demand by various organizations to cut down the price of aviation fuel used by international airlines companies in Nepal. </span></span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13240', 'image' => '20210604115324_EHdVeZuVAAArjYS.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 11:52:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13494', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Health Ministry Rules Out New Variant of COVID-19 in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. <br /> Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the ministry’s spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel said that the ministry’s attention had been drawn towards the misleading news regarding the detection of new variant and refuted those claims. <br /> According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Dr Poudel clarified that only the Alfa, Kappa and Delta variants are active in Nepal. <br /> The statement has urged media houses and outlets not to publish any misleading and false news until obtaining authentic information from the ministry. The Ministry had also appealed to the media and media persons to be responsible towards disseminating factual news. <br /> Furthermore, the Ministry had appealed to one and all for complete compliance of the health safety protocols to contain the pandemic. <br /> The World Health Organization has also clarified that it was not aware of any new variant detected in Nepal, RSS further reported.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Among the existing variants, Delta is the most active one and highly contagious, the WHO said. </span></span> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><strong>Nepalese embassy refutes baseless news on origin of mutant strain of coronavirus</strong> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Embassy of Nepal in London said that its serious attention has been drawn towards a news report carried out by the UK-based Daily Mail newspaper on June 3 regarding a baseless claim about the origin of a mutant strain of SARS-Cov-2 in Nepal. <br /> Issuing a press statement, the Embassy of Nepal in London said that the variants identified in Nepal so far are Alpha and Delta, both of which did not originate in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The World Health Organization has rebutted the origin of a new variant in Nepal stating that the prevalent variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” RSS reported citing the Embassy. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the Embassy stated that it has sent a letter of Daily Mail refuting the baseless news and requesting to correct it. <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13239', 'image' => '20210604105321_20200315104642_20200312112722_111.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 10:52:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13493', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Paddy Seeds worth Rs 1.61 Billion Imported this Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Seed Quality Control Center, 34 importer companies have imported a total of 4,149 metric tons of paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Altogether 46 types of seed imported this year include US 311, Champion, Raja, Maharaja, Sawamansuli, Sudha, and Shanti. Bikas Kharel, horticulture officer at the center, informed that among these, 39 varieties were imported from India and the remaining seven varieties were imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Paddy seeds like Savitri, Sonamansuli, Makwanpur and Basmati are produced in Nepal while hybrid seeds are imported from India and China. According to Kharel, larger amounts of seeds are imported from India than China in terms of quantity. A total of 3,961 metric tons of seeds have been imported from India this year, while 188 metric tons of seeds have been imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About 70,000 metric tons of paddy seeds are required annually for a total of 1.35 million hectares of cultivable land in Nepal. It is estimated that Nepali seed companies produce 10,000 metric tons of paddy seeds annually. Stakeholders say that some farmers use their own local seeds. </span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20181228032406_a.jpg" style="height:600px; width:800px" /></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13238', 'image' => '20210603031456_20210512035550_20181125011444_pady-1024x682.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:13:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13492', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Home Ministry Instructs District Administration Offices to Ease Transportation of Goods ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. The Home Ministry has written letters to twenty district administration offices instructing them to facilitate transportation of goods. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The district administration offices of Jhapa, Morang, Bara, Parsa, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke and those along the major border points have been asked to make arrangements for the transportation and supply of goods to and fro the destination.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, the government had banned the entry of all vehicles except the ones carrying essential goods into the Kathmandu Valley to control the surge of COVID-19 cases.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Vehicles carrying industrial products even with the customs clearance were not allowed to enter the Kathmandu Valley. The restrictive measures were stepped up following the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the valley.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had banned the transportation of all items except 21 essential items including food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodh Kumar Gupta, chairman of the Birgunj chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that they had to pay detention fees for containers for about a week. “The supply of industrial raw materials and products have been affected after the police administration stopped transport vehicles at checkpoints and highways. The instructions from the Home Ministry would help to ease the supply chain,” said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has directed the district administration offices to allow trucks and containers carrying industrial raw materials to reach their destinations. The customs offices had been issuing customs clearance to vehicles carrying goods other than the essential ones as well. Although there was no problem in customs clearance, those vehicles faced problems while transporting the goods. Harihar Poudel, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs Point, said that this issue has also been resolved with the initiative taken by the Home Ministry.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj chapter of FNCCI had written to the Home Secretary on Tuesday, June 1, urging him to remove the obstruction on transportation of goods. "Their concern has been addressed for now," said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13237', 'image' => '20210603030846_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:08:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13491', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT Releases a List of Hotels to be Used for Quarantine', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Tourism (DoT) has made public the list of hotels to be used as quarantine facility. The hotels were selected on the basis of certain criteria.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotels to be used for quarantine are required to completely close the dining area, buffet, gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor games.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made it clear that such hotels are required to have amenities like 20 rooms, a separate gate for entry, an open space, or a garden for jogging for the individuals in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Additionally, the criteria specify that the hotel should have sufficient open space to provide service to air passengers and for the collection of swab test samples. Likewise, television, Wi-Fi, and an attached bathroom with hot water for bathing and drinking are mandatory. Similarly, the hotels are required to make arrangements to provide food and other services in the room.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has mentioned that soap, toothpaste, brush, hand wash, and towel should be kept in each room for one week. On May 31, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation had implemented the standards that the Nepali and foreign nationals arriving in Nepal from abroad would have to follow. Accordingly, the arriving individuals are required to have a PCR test report taken within 72-hour, document of hotel booking, and stay in a mandatory five-day hotel quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An arrangement has also been made to stay at home for 10 days on the recommendation of the concerned hotel and regulatory body after staying in the hotel quarantine for a day.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in densely populated areas including Thamel and Gongabu in Kathmandu. Stating that the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) infection is high, the ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in these areas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department issued a notice on June 2 stating that five-star hotels like The Soaltee Kathmandu, Shangrila, Radisson, and Hyatt, will be used as quarantine hotels. Hotel Shankar, Hotel Himalaya, and Grand Hotel are the four-star hotels to be used for the quarantine service. As per the decision of the department, five three-star hotels and 51 tourist hotels have been listed for the quarantine facility of the arriving visitors and returnees. Similarly, Park Village and Gokarna Forest Resorts have been listed under the resort category.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, eight hotels were used for quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotel quarantine service is expected to support the hotel sector that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has also encouraged the use of hotels as quarantine in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to a source at the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), the government has made the hotel quarantine standard mandatory but it is not likely to be implemented. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Only a handful of people are arriving from abroad and on the other hand most of the passengers are going to stay in home isolation rather than hotels," the source informed. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13236', 'image' => '20210603124902_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 12:48:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13490', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Prohibitory Order in Valley Extended by 10 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A joint meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur took the decision to extend the order with some relaxation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order has been extended till June 14. The previous order was expiring on June 4.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, the CDOs of the three districts have revoked an earlier decision to ban operation of grocery shops and departmental stores and can now remain open until 9:00 am every day. Earlier, only vegetable shops and other essential services were allowed to open. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, construction work can also resume with boarding facility for the workers and following the prescribed health protocol. Construction materials have to be transported from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am. Human mobility remains prohibited as well as traffic, except for emergency and essential services. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13235', 'image' => '20210602104030_20210512120931_20200903113103_1599056781.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13489', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Unilever Nepal Partners With Nepal Army for ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’ ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’.', 'content' => '<p>June 2: Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the multinational company said that the partnership with the Nepal Army for the mountain cleaning campaign is part of its commitment ‘to make sustainable living a common place’. </p> <p>According to the statement, the mountain clean up initiative disposed 5,020 kg of waste, of which 4,720 kg non-biodegradable waste was sent for recycling while remaining 300 kg of bio-degradable waste was disposed through Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.</p> <p>“The natural world is being lost and damaged at an alarming rate, and to put the same on reverse, Unilever Nepal couldn’t have found a better cause than to clean the revered Mount Dhaulagiri and a more credible partner than the Nepal Army,” the statement quoted Unilever Nepal’s Managing Director Amlan Mukherjee as saying. “We are committed to make sustainable living common place for everyone and will continuously engage in programs like these in the coming days,” he said. </p> <p>Similarly, Brigadier General Himanshu Khadka, Director of the Directorate of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, also thanked Unilever Nepal for supporting the Mountain Clean Up initiative. “Through this initiative of cleaning the Himalayan ranges you have touched the heart of every Nepali,” the statement quoted Brigadier General Khadka as saying in an event organized at the Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13234', 'image' => '20210602103709_20210510_074318.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:35:07', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13488', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Province 2 Lags Behind in Terms of Industrial Investment ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. The survey report shows that despite being connected with major border points and being home to several industrial corridors, it is even behind the remote Karnali Province when it comes to industrial investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the private sector is not convinced by these government figures. Ganesh Prasad Lath, president of Province 2 chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), claims that the economic survey data is not based on facts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Birgunj, the major border point in terms of import-export, is in the province 2. It is close to the Indian seaport and transportation of raw materials and readymade goods through this district is also convinient.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj-Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor is considered to be the largest industrial corridor. However, the economic survey shows that Province 2 comes second from the last in terms of attracting industrial investment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for the Economic Survey, Province 2 has a total industrial investment of Rs 119 billion while Karnali Province has attracted investment of Rs 131 billion. However, the number of registered industries in Province 2 is 564 while in Karnali it is only 78.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In terms of number of registered industries, Province 2 holds fifth position while Karnali is in the last position. Province 2 is ranked third in the number of small-scale industries. Bagmati province leads the list with a total industrial investment of Rs 224 billion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Of the 8,384 industries registered with the Department of Industry, Bagmati has the highest number of industries (5,450). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the first-ever economic census conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows a different result. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bagmati Province houses the highest number of industrial establishments which is 282,056. Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, analyst and entrepreneur, says that the contradictory government data has raised doubts over their credibility.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Lath states that there is a need for a survey that is based on facts. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13233', 'image' => '20210602051025_20210118020708_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 17:09:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13486', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN Announces Special International Flight Schedule for June', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a notice issued by the aviation regulatory body of Nepal, the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air India will be conducting five flights a week from June 3. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Turkish Airways will operate a flight along the Istanbul-Kathmandu route every Thursday from June 3. Likewise, Nepal Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate a flight between Kathmandu and Doha every week on Monday from June 7. Similarly, Both Nepal Airlines and Air India will operate a weekly flight along Kathmandu-Delhi route on Wednesday and Friday under the air bubble agreement. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The flight schedule introduced by CAAN for the international route will come into effect from June 1. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Flight Permission Section of the aviation authority permitted the new flight schedule.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the notice, Turkish Airlines’ flight to Istanbul will depart on Thursdays at 23:05 NST, Nepal Airlines will operate a flight to Doha at 22:00 NST and Qatar Airways at 11:05 every Monday. Likewise, a Nepal Airlines flight to Delhi will depart from Tribhuvan International Airprt (TIA) at 11:05 NSTon Wednesday and Air India will take off at 15:35 NST every Friday. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has requested to conduct a chartered flight to Doha from Kathmandu on June 4. The details about the flight permission are yet to come, informs Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for CAAN.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The scheduled flight routine is only valid for June. Airlines will have to strictly follow health protocols while boarding passengers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13232', 'image' => '20210602115245_20151110041343_tia_nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 11:52:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13501', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => '‘Most of the Hotels Face Prospect of Closure in the Absence of Government Support’', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 5: Most of the hotels in Nepal are at risk of closing their business due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Speaking at an interaction programme, Rana added that the hotel business, one of the key sectors of the tourism industry, is facing a major threat from the pandemic. Almost 80 percent of the hotels in Nepal are dependent on bank loans. In this context, stakeholders say that government support is very crucial to sustain the industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Mani Lamichhane, director of Nepal Tourism Board, said that the hotel industry contributes to the economy in terms of foreign exchange reserve and is also a major employment provider. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NTB has forwarded the request made by hoteliers regarding refinancing, financial access, and other revival plans to the concerned government department. “We are optimistic the government will address the issues,” added Lamichhane.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, he added that NTB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNWTO and will finalize an agreement with the Asian Development Bank for reviving the tourism economy, he added. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lamichanne further said that the tourism industry of Nepal is facing challenges to rebound at a time when countries like the Maldives, Turkey, Spain, and other international destinations have already resumed their tourism activities normally.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tourism stakeholders raised a major concern that the manpower involved in the sector might switch jobs affecting the sector's professionalism if the government doesn't bring in programmes to preserve the needed human resources. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">They also requested the concerned body to assure the implementation of the relief package announced in the new budget. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Deep Raj Joshi informed that resuming tourism activities by increasing vaccination drive is the need of the hour for the tourism industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stakeholders also discussed the potential of promoting Nepal for green tourism. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government in the new budget has listed tourism in the productive sector. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-06', 'modified' => '2021-06-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13246', 'image' => '20210606115602_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-06 11:55:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13500', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Raises Retail Prices of Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene by Rs 2 Per Liter ', 'sub_title' => 'Petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel/kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF (domestic) Rs 80 per liter ', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5 : The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Saturday, the NOC said that it decided to increase the fuel prices based on the working procedure on automated price system that allows the state-owned oil monopoly to revise the price fortnightly by 2 percent automatically based on the changes in the price it pays to its supplier Indian Oil Corporation. </p> <p>With the revision of the fuel prices that will come into effect from midnight today, petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel and kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF Rs 80 per liter in Kathmandu Valley. </p> <p>In its statement, the NOC also said that it will have to again raise the fuel prices in the days to come if the current trend of higher crude oil prices in the global market and depreciation of the value of Nepali currency against the US Dollar continues. </p> <p>The NOC, however, kept the price of cooking gas (LPG) at Rs 1,400 per cylinder. </p> <p><br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13245', 'image' => '20210605095641_NOC Fuel prices.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 21:53:55', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13499', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bankers See Risk on Scheme to Provide Concessional Loan at 5% Interest Against Academic Certificate ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/22) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certifcates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/222) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certificates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging. </p> <p>This is not a new scheme as bank and financial institutions (BFIs) are already providing loans up to a limit of Rs 700,000 to youths against pledges of their academic certificates. <br /> BFIs have been disbursing loans based on the 'Integrated Procedure on Interest Subsidy for Concessional Loans, 2020' issued by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). There are seven various subsidized loan schemes under this facility including the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan.Under these schemes, the government subsidy covers five to six percentage points of the interest rates that bank charges to their borrowers. <br /> According to the data of NRB, BFIs have disbursed loans to 139 youths under the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan. They have a total of Rs 65.1 million outstanding loans under this scheme. The scheme came into implementation in April 2019. <br /> There have been complaints that BFIs are reluctant to provide subsidized loans to youths against the collateral of academic certificates. However, bankers say that BFIs do not sanction business loans until they get convincing business plans from borrowers due to a risk of non-repayment or defaults. <br /> Dev Kumar Dhakal, the NRB Spokesperson, said that the central bank has decided to fix a minimum numbers of loans that each branch of bank or financial institution must provide under this facility. He said that the decision was based on complaints about the lack of willingness from BFIs to disburse subsidized interest loans. <br /> According to the NRB, except than agro and farming loans among various concessional loan schemes, a commercial bank must provide loans to 500 borrowers with ten minimum per branch and national level development banks to 300 borrowers or five minimum per branch, whichever is higher. <br /> “After enforcement of this directive, we have found that the flow of loans under these schemes has improved," he said.<br /> Bankers say that increment in the loan amount against collateral of academic certificates also raises the risk for BFIs. <br /> Bhuvan Kumar Dahal, Nepal Bankers' Association’s President, says that such loans can be disbursed immediately if the borrowers pledge assets along with their certificates.</p> <p>"It is not easy to disburse such loans against collateral of academic certificates only. Such loans carry high risk. If such loans turn bad, both the bank and the government would face losses. However, we are ready to provide loans to those who come up with a viable business plan,” he said.</p> <p>Nepali citizens having academic certificate of minimum Bachelor degree or equivalent is eligible to get the loans under this scheme with repayment period of five years. Likewise, the borrower applying for the loan should have attended at least a week of enterprise or business training from any government body including the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training. Banks also ask a brief business proposal for such loans.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13244', 'image' => '20210605063901_Business Bank Loans.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 18:32:47', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13498', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Three Deputy PMs, 12 Ministers Inducted in Prime Minister Oli’s Reshuffled Cabinet ', 'sub_title' => 'Prime Minister Oli removes 13 ministers while keeping seven portfolios with himself ', 'summary' => 'Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. </p> <p>Prime Minister Oli reshuffling of his cabinet on Friday follows recent dissolution of the House of Representatives and announcement to hold midterm elections in November. <br /> President Bhandari administerd oath of office to all newly appointed ministers of the Oli-led cabinet on Friday evening. </p> <p><em><strong>NEW FACES IN OLI-LED CABINET </strong></em><br /> According to the notice of the Office of the President, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, appointed Bishnu Prasad Paudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development. While Paudel was already the Minister for Finance, Mahaseth and Mahato are newly appointed members in the Oli-led cabinet. <br /> Earlier, Pradeep Gyawali was the Foreign Affairs Minister while Prime Minister Oli was himself overseeing the portfolio of Ministry of Urban Development after Prabhu Sah lost his ministerial berth on May 18 following a Supreme Court’s order to bar seven ministers from working as ministers.<br /> Sharad Singh Bhandari (Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), Anil Kumar Jha (Minister for Drinking Water), Sher Bahadur Tamang (Minister for Health and Population), Laxman Lal Karna (Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation) and Bimal Prasad Srivastav (Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security) are new faces in the reshuffled cabinet. <br /> Umashankar Argariya becomes the new Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation while the new Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is Chanda Chaudhary. Chandra Kanta Chaudhary and Renuka Gurung are appointed as Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and Minister for State for Women, Children and Senior Citizens respectively. </p> <p><em><strong>RETAINED MINISTERS </strong></em></p> <p>Prime Minister Oli retained Basanta Kumar Newmbwang (Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation), Lilanath Shrestha (Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs) and Krishna Gopal Shrestha (Minister for Education, Science and Technology) in his reshuffled cabinet. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli decided to keep seven portfolio with himself. Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Defence, Home Affairs, Forest and Environment, Federal Affairs and General Administration and Communication and Information Technology are the ministries that Prime Minister Oli will oversee himself. </p> <p><br /> <em><strong>THOSE WHO LOST MINISTERIAL BERTH</strong></em><br /> Prime Minister Oli bade farewell to 13 ministers along with Gyawali who was the Foreign Minister since the Oli-led government was formed in February 2018. <br /> Those others removed from the cabinet are Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Bhanubhakta Dhakal (Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) Padma Kumari Aryal (Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development), Parbat Gurung (Minister for Communication and Information Technology) and Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe (Minister for Lnad Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation). <br /> Ganesh Singh Thagunna (Minister for Federal Affairs and General Affairs) and Juli Kumar Mahato (Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen) have also been relieved from their posts. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli also lost their posts on Friday. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13243', 'image' => '20210605122816_Oath of new Ministers.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 12:21:19', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13497', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Sets Target of Increasing Access to Insurance to 33.33 Percent of the Population', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. However, the government has remained silent about bringing programmes to support the insurance companies to achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Last Saturday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, while presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, announced that the government aims to increase access to insurance to one-third of the people. However, insurance companies express their concern that the budget has remained silent about bringing the necessary programmes to help achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a survey made public by Minister Poudel for the current fiscal year, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the population by mid-February.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Insurance Board has said that access to insurance will reach 27 percent of population by the end of next year. In the upcoming fiscal year, an additional 6.33 percent or 1.92 million Nepalis must have access to insurance to meet the target, which is very challenging, the companies say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the seven decades since the start of the insurance business, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the total population. However, insurance companies say that it will be difficult to achieve the goal to increase access to 33.33 percent within a short span of time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nirmal Kaji Shrestha, president of Life Insurers Association Nepal and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mate Life Insurance, said that the new budget has missed out on addressing the issues of life insurance. “The budget aims to reach life insurance to one-third of the population. However, no programme is on the cards to help achieve that goal,” he said, adding, “We have seen that it will be very difficult to achieve that goal without any incentive.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The insurance companies were expecting the government to increase the income tax exemption limit for life insurance in the budget. They have been demanding such exemption since years. At present, insured people get a rebate of up to Rs 25,000 in income tax. The Insurance Board demanded that the limit should be increased to Rs 50,000. They also demanded the introduction of other incentives.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Shrestha said that the budget has remained silent on the issue of overall life insurance. “In most South Asian countries, insurers are exempted from income tax up to millions of rupees. However, in our case, the limit has not been raised yet,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Shrestha said that now a tripartite strategy should be formulated between the Insurance Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the insurance companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, CEO of Mahalakshmi Life Insurance, also said that the current budget has disappointed the life insurance sector. “The insurance sector was not already a priority in the budget. That trend has continued this year,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Bhattarai, the budget should give priority to this sector as the contribution of the insurance sector to the GDP is increasing. "It has been revealed in the budget that the access to insurance will be increased to two-thirds of population. However, the government has remained silent on what kind of assistance is needed to achieve that target,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the Insurance Board Surya Prasad Silwal said that the concerns raised by the insurance companies will be addressed by the annual budget of the board. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "Our budget will come in the next few months. From the same budget, we will bring necessary programmes to increase access to insurance,” he said adding, “We are positive about how to work to achieve the target set by the government to increase access to life insurance.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13242', 'image' => '20210604041708_20190915103621_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 16:16:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13496', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to bring Commodities Exchange into Operation', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon. As the government has included it in the budget statement, the regulatory body Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has intensified preparations to operate it immediately from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Prior to the budget speech, SEBON had made public the draft of the Directive on Policy and Procedure for Issuing Licenses to Operate Commodities Market, 2077 BS to collect suggestions from stakeholders. The board said it had collected more than a dozen suggestions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the board Bhishma Raj Dhungana informed that the draft of the directive will be finalized by the board meeting of SEBON after incorporating the suggestions received so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"More than a dozen suggestions have been collected. Most of them have asked us to reconsider the paid-up capital. The meeting of the Board of Directors will finalize the issue. The meeting was delayed as some members of the committee were infected by coronavirus. The meeting will be held after they recover,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Deputy Executive Director of SEBON, Dr Nawaraj Adhikari said that the revised directive has increased the minimum paid-up capital limit from Rs 1 billion to Rs 2 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the draft, the paid-up capital of the company dealing in agricultural related commodities should be Rs 1 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We had prepared the guideline by doing a lot of study and analysis on the global commodities market, understanding all the international principles and good practices,” said Adhikari, adding, “We have prepared the guideline based on the overall study and the level of understanding of investors suitable for Nepal.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An earlier study had suggested that only two exchanges should be approved. “The revised directive has allowed providing license to the companies that meet all the criteria, are experienced, competent, have done well in the past,” Adhikari said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The revised directive has provided the limit of paid-up capital according to the nature of the companies, submission of plans, application process among others.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the board, six organizations that have recently proposed to run the company do not have to pay the fee when re-applying. However, as per the revised guidelines they have to procure additional documents by fulfilling the specified criteria. “We will continue to not charge the application fee for the proposed six organisations again. However, according to additional provisions, the criteria have to be met,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, Commodity Futures Exchange (CFX) Limited, Rizal Commodity Exchange (RCDX), Multi Derivative Exchange (MDX) Company, Nepal Derivatives Exchange (NDEX), National Derivatives Commodities (NCDX) and Nepal Mercentile (NEX) had applied for commodity trading.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The founders of the institution operating the commodity market will have to apply by proposing to invest at least 51 percent and at most 100 percent of the shares. The proposed institution must have a minimum of 5 percent to a maximum of 51 percent of the total paid-up capital for foreign strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Founders may include individuals, Nepali organizations, and strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Foreign strategic partners have been made mandatory.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The qualified ones will have to apply for pre-approval with a fee of Rs 25,000 to run a company. If the board of directors of SEBON feels the company suitable, it has to deposit up to 10 percent of the paid-up capital in the commercial bank before giving prior approval. Two copies of the business plan including the management letter and rules of the proposed institution, feasibility study report including minimum subjects and projected financial statements for the next 3 fiscal years should be submitted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The guideline states that even if the board gives approval to manage the infrastructure, it will not be allowed to do any work including increasing or decreasing the number of founders until the final operating license is obtained. After receiving the prior approval, the company has to apply to the board to get the license to operate the commodity market. For this, the company will have to pay a fee of up to Rs 2.5 million to the board along with the application.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13241', 'image' => '20210604122412_20190517025825_aaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 12:23:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13495', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Minister Calls for Reduction in Price of Aviation Fuel ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The minister issued such directive during a meeting with government authorities including officials of Nepal Oil Corporation and other stakeholders.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Tourism Secretary Yadav Prasad Koirala, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dinesh Bhattarai, Nepal Oil Corporation Executive Director Surendra Poudel, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokharel and Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation Dim Prakash Poudel were present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the directive was issued in response to the demand by various organizations to cut down the price of aviation fuel used by international airlines companies in Nepal. </span></span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13240', 'image' => '20210604115324_EHdVeZuVAAArjYS.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 11:52:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13494', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Health Ministry Rules Out New Variant of COVID-19 in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. <br /> Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the ministry’s spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel said that the ministry’s attention had been drawn towards the misleading news regarding the detection of new variant and refuted those claims. <br /> According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Dr Poudel clarified that only the Alfa, Kappa and Delta variants are active in Nepal. <br /> The statement has urged media houses and outlets not to publish any misleading and false news until obtaining authentic information from the ministry. The Ministry had also appealed to the media and media persons to be responsible towards disseminating factual news. <br /> Furthermore, the Ministry had appealed to one and all for complete compliance of the health safety protocols to contain the pandemic. <br /> The World Health Organization has also clarified that it was not aware of any new variant detected in Nepal, RSS further reported.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Among the existing variants, Delta is the most active one and highly contagious, the WHO said. </span></span> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><strong>Nepalese embassy refutes baseless news on origin of mutant strain of coronavirus</strong> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Embassy of Nepal in London said that its serious attention has been drawn towards a news report carried out by the UK-based Daily Mail newspaper on June 3 regarding a baseless claim about the origin of a mutant strain of SARS-Cov-2 in Nepal. <br /> Issuing a press statement, the Embassy of Nepal in London said that the variants identified in Nepal so far are Alpha and Delta, both of which did not originate in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The World Health Organization has rebutted the origin of a new variant in Nepal stating that the prevalent variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” RSS reported citing the Embassy. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the Embassy stated that it has sent a letter of Daily Mail refuting the baseless news and requesting to correct it. <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13239', 'image' => '20210604105321_20200315104642_20200312112722_111.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 10:52:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13493', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Paddy Seeds worth Rs 1.61 Billion Imported this Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Seed Quality Control Center, 34 importer companies have imported a total of 4,149 metric tons of paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Altogether 46 types of seed imported this year include US 311, Champion, Raja, Maharaja, Sawamansuli, Sudha, and Shanti. Bikas Kharel, horticulture officer at the center, informed that among these, 39 varieties were imported from India and the remaining seven varieties were imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Paddy seeds like Savitri, Sonamansuli, Makwanpur and Basmati are produced in Nepal while hybrid seeds are imported from India and China. According to Kharel, larger amounts of seeds are imported from India than China in terms of quantity. A total of 3,961 metric tons of seeds have been imported from India this year, while 188 metric tons of seeds have been imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About 70,000 metric tons of paddy seeds are required annually for a total of 1.35 million hectares of cultivable land in Nepal. It is estimated that Nepali seed companies produce 10,000 metric tons of paddy seeds annually. Stakeholders say that some farmers use their own local seeds. </span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20181228032406_a.jpg" style="height:600px; width:800px" /></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13238', 'image' => '20210603031456_20210512035550_20181125011444_pady-1024x682.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:13:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13492', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Home Ministry Instructs District Administration Offices to Ease Transportation of Goods ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. The Home Ministry has written letters to twenty district administration offices instructing them to facilitate transportation of goods. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The district administration offices of Jhapa, Morang, Bara, Parsa, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke and those along the major border points have been asked to make arrangements for the transportation and supply of goods to and fro the destination.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, the government had banned the entry of all vehicles except the ones carrying essential goods into the Kathmandu Valley to control the surge of COVID-19 cases.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Vehicles carrying industrial products even with the customs clearance were not allowed to enter the Kathmandu Valley. The restrictive measures were stepped up following the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the valley.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had banned the transportation of all items except 21 essential items including food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodh Kumar Gupta, chairman of the Birgunj chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that they had to pay detention fees for containers for about a week. “The supply of industrial raw materials and products have been affected after the police administration stopped transport vehicles at checkpoints and highways. The instructions from the Home Ministry would help to ease the supply chain,” said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has directed the district administration offices to allow trucks and containers carrying industrial raw materials to reach their destinations. The customs offices had been issuing customs clearance to vehicles carrying goods other than the essential ones as well. Although there was no problem in customs clearance, those vehicles faced problems while transporting the goods. Harihar Poudel, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs Point, said that this issue has also been resolved with the initiative taken by the Home Ministry.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj chapter of FNCCI had written to the Home Secretary on Tuesday, June 1, urging him to remove the obstruction on transportation of goods. "Their concern has been addressed for now," said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13237', 'image' => '20210603030846_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:08:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13491', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT Releases a List of Hotels to be Used for Quarantine', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Tourism (DoT) has made public the list of hotels to be used as quarantine facility. The hotels were selected on the basis of certain criteria.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotels to be used for quarantine are required to completely close the dining area, buffet, gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor games.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made it clear that such hotels are required to have amenities like 20 rooms, a separate gate for entry, an open space, or a garden for jogging for the individuals in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Additionally, the criteria specify that the hotel should have sufficient open space to provide service to air passengers and for the collection of swab test samples. Likewise, television, Wi-Fi, and an attached bathroom with hot water for bathing and drinking are mandatory. Similarly, the hotels are required to make arrangements to provide food and other services in the room.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has mentioned that soap, toothpaste, brush, hand wash, and towel should be kept in each room for one week. On May 31, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation had implemented the standards that the Nepali and foreign nationals arriving in Nepal from abroad would have to follow. Accordingly, the arriving individuals are required to have a PCR test report taken within 72-hour, document of hotel booking, and stay in a mandatory five-day hotel quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An arrangement has also been made to stay at home for 10 days on the recommendation of the concerned hotel and regulatory body after staying in the hotel quarantine for a day.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in densely populated areas including Thamel and Gongabu in Kathmandu. Stating that the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) infection is high, the ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in these areas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department issued a notice on June 2 stating that five-star hotels like The Soaltee Kathmandu, Shangrila, Radisson, and Hyatt, will be used as quarantine hotels. Hotel Shankar, Hotel Himalaya, and Grand Hotel are the four-star hotels to be used for the quarantine service. As per the decision of the department, five three-star hotels and 51 tourist hotels have been listed for the quarantine facility of the arriving visitors and returnees. Similarly, Park Village and Gokarna Forest Resorts have been listed under the resort category.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, eight hotels were used for quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotel quarantine service is expected to support the hotel sector that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has also encouraged the use of hotels as quarantine in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to a source at the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), the government has made the hotel quarantine standard mandatory but it is not likely to be implemented. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Only a handful of people are arriving from abroad and on the other hand most of the passengers are going to stay in home isolation rather than hotels," the source informed. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13236', 'image' => '20210603124902_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 12:48:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13490', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Prohibitory Order in Valley Extended by 10 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A joint meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur took the decision to extend the order with some relaxation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order has been extended till June 14. The previous order was expiring on June 4.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, the CDOs of the three districts have revoked an earlier decision to ban operation of grocery shops and departmental stores and can now remain open until 9:00 am every day. Earlier, only vegetable shops and other essential services were allowed to open. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, construction work can also resume with boarding facility for the workers and following the prescribed health protocol. Construction materials have to be transported from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am. Human mobility remains prohibited as well as traffic, except for emergency and essential services. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13235', 'image' => '20210602104030_20210512120931_20200903113103_1599056781.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13489', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Unilever Nepal Partners With Nepal Army for ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’ ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’.', 'content' => '<p>June 2: Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the multinational company said that the partnership with the Nepal Army for the mountain cleaning campaign is part of its commitment ‘to make sustainable living a common place’. </p> <p>According to the statement, the mountain clean up initiative disposed 5,020 kg of waste, of which 4,720 kg non-biodegradable waste was sent for recycling while remaining 300 kg of bio-degradable waste was disposed through Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.</p> <p>“The natural world is being lost and damaged at an alarming rate, and to put the same on reverse, Unilever Nepal couldn’t have found a better cause than to clean the revered Mount Dhaulagiri and a more credible partner than the Nepal Army,” the statement quoted Unilever Nepal’s Managing Director Amlan Mukherjee as saying. “We are committed to make sustainable living common place for everyone and will continuously engage in programs like these in the coming days,” he said. </p> <p>Similarly, Brigadier General Himanshu Khadka, Director of the Directorate of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, also thanked Unilever Nepal for supporting the Mountain Clean Up initiative. “Through this initiative of cleaning the Himalayan ranges you have touched the heart of every Nepali,” the statement quoted Brigadier General Khadka as saying in an event organized at the Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13234', 'image' => '20210602103709_20210510_074318.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:35:07', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13488', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Province 2 Lags Behind in Terms of Industrial Investment ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. The survey report shows that despite being connected with major border points and being home to several industrial corridors, it is even behind the remote Karnali Province when it comes to industrial investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the private sector is not convinced by these government figures. Ganesh Prasad Lath, president of Province 2 chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), claims that the economic survey data is not based on facts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Birgunj, the major border point in terms of import-export, is in the province 2. It is close to the Indian seaport and transportation of raw materials and readymade goods through this district is also convinient.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj-Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor is considered to be the largest industrial corridor. However, the economic survey shows that Province 2 comes second from the last in terms of attracting industrial investment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for the Economic Survey, Province 2 has a total industrial investment of Rs 119 billion while Karnali Province has attracted investment of Rs 131 billion. However, the number of registered industries in Province 2 is 564 while in Karnali it is only 78.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In terms of number of registered industries, Province 2 holds fifth position while Karnali is in the last position. Province 2 is ranked third in the number of small-scale industries. Bagmati province leads the list with a total industrial investment of Rs 224 billion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Of the 8,384 industries registered with the Department of Industry, Bagmati has the highest number of industries (5,450). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the first-ever economic census conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows a different result. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bagmati Province houses the highest number of industrial establishments which is 282,056. Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, analyst and entrepreneur, says that the contradictory government data has raised doubts over their credibility.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Lath states that there is a need for a survey that is based on facts. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13233', 'image' => '20210602051025_20210118020708_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 17:09:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13486', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN Announces Special International Flight Schedule for June', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a notice issued by the aviation regulatory body of Nepal, the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air India will be conducting five flights a week from June 3. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Turkish Airways will operate a flight along the Istanbul-Kathmandu route every Thursday from June 3. Likewise, Nepal Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate a flight between Kathmandu and Doha every week on Monday from June 7. Similarly, Both Nepal Airlines and Air India will operate a weekly flight along Kathmandu-Delhi route on Wednesday and Friday under the air bubble agreement. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The flight schedule introduced by CAAN for the international route will come into effect from June 1. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Flight Permission Section of the aviation authority permitted the new flight schedule.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the notice, Turkish Airlines’ flight to Istanbul will depart on Thursdays at 23:05 NST, Nepal Airlines will operate a flight to Doha at 22:00 NST and Qatar Airways at 11:05 every Monday. Likewise, a Nepal Airlines flight to Delhi will depart from Tribhuvan International Airprt (TIA) at 11:05 NSTon Wednesday and Air India will take off at 15:35 NST every Friday. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has requested to conduct a chartered flight to Doha from Kathmandu on June 4. The details about the flight permission are yet to come, informs Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for CAAN.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The scheduled flight routine is only valid for June. Airlines will have to strictly follow health protocols while boarding passengers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13232', 'image' => '20210602115245_20151110041343_tia_nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 11:52:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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Almost 80 percent of the hotels in Nepal are dependent on bank loans. In this context, stakeholders say that government support is very crucial to sustain the industry.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Mani Lamichhane, director of Nepal Tourism Board, said that the hotel industry contributes to the economy in terms of foreign exchange reserve and is also a major employment provider. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">NTB has forwarded the request made by hoteliers regarding refinancing, financial access, and other revival plans to the concerned government department. “We are optimistic the government will address the issues,” added Lamichhane.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Likewise, he added that NTB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNWTO and will finalize an agreement with the Asian Development Bank for reviving the tourism economy, he added. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lamichanne further said that the tourism industry of Nepal is facing challenges to rebound at a time when countries like the Maldives, Turkey, Spain, and other international destinations have already resumed their tourism activities normally.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tourism stakeholders raised a major concern that the manpower involved in the sector might switch jobs affecting the sector's professionalism if the government doesn't bring in programmes to preserve the needed human resources. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">They also requested the concerned body to assure the implementation of the relief package announced in the new budget. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Deep Raj Joshi informed that resuming tourism activities by increasing vaccination drive is the need of the hour for the tourism industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Stakeholders also discussed the potential of promoting Nepal for green tourism. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government in the new budget has listed tourism in the productive sector. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-06', 'modified' => '2021-06-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13246', 'image' => '20210606115602_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-06 11:55:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13500', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Raises Retail Prices of Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene by Rs 2 Per Liter ', 'sub_title' => 'Petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel/kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF (domestic) Rs 80 per liter ', 'summary' => 'The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5 : The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel (for domestic flights) by Rs 2 per liter. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Saturday, the NOC said that it decided to increase the fuel prices based on the working procedure on automated price system that allows the state-owned oil monopoly to revise the price fortnightly by 2 percent automatically based on the changes in the price it pays to its supplier Indian Oil Corporation. </p> <p>With the revision of the fuel prices that will come into effect from midnight today, petrol will now cost Rs 125 per liter, diesel and kerosene Rs 108 per liter and ATF Rs 80 per liter in Kathmandu Valley. </p> <p>In its statement, the NOC also said that it will have to again raise the fuel prices in the days to come if the current trend of higher crude oil prices in the global market and depreciation of the value of Nepali currency against the US Dollar continues. </p> <p>The NOC, however, kept the price of cooking gas (LPG) at Rs 1,400 per cylinder. </p> <p><br /> <br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13245', 'image' => '20210605095641_NOC Fuel prices.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 21:53:55', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13499', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bankers See Risk on Scheme to Provide Concessional Loan at 5% Interest Against Academic Certificate ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/22) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certifcates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Though the government in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2021/222) announced a facility of business loan up to Rs 2.5 million for graduate students at a subsidized interest rate of 5 percent against collateral of academic certificates, bankers say that the implementation of the scheme is challenging. </p> <p>This is not a new scheme as bank and financial institutions (BFIs) are already providing loans up to a limit of Rs 700,000 to youths against pledges of their academic certificates. <br /> BFIs have been disbursing loans based on the 'Integrated Procedure on Interest Subsidy for Concessional Loans, 2020' issued by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). There are seven various subsidized loan schemes under this facility including the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan.Under these schemes, the government subsidy covers five to six percentage points of the interest rates that bank charges to their borrowers. <br /> According to the data of NRB, BFIs have disbursed loans to 139 youths under the Educated Youth Self Employment Loan. They have a total of Rs 65.1 million outstanding loans under this scheme. The scheme came into implementation in April 2019. <br /> There have been complaints that BFIs are reluctant to provide subsidized loans to youths against the collateral of academic certificates. However, bankers say that BFIs do not sanction business loans until they get convincing business plans from borrowers due to a risk of non-repayment or defaults. <br /> Dev Kumar Dhakal, the NRB Spokesperson, said that the central bank has decided to fix a minimum numbers of loans that each branch of bank or financial institution must provide under this facility. He said that the decision was based on complaints about the lack of willingness from BFIs to disburse subsidized interest loans. <br /> According to the NRB, except than agro and farming loans among various concessional loan schemes, a commercial bank must provide loans to 500 borrowers with ten minimum per branch and national level development banks to 300 borrowers or five minimum per branch, whichever is higher. <br /> “After enforcement of this directive, we have found that the flow of loans under these schemes has improved," he said.<br /> Bankers say that increment in the loan amount against collateral of academic certificates also raises the risk for BFIs. <br /> Bhuvan Kumar Dahal, Nepal Bankers' Association’s President, says that such loans can be disbursed immediately if the borrowers pledge assets along with their certificates.</p> <p>"It is not easy to disburse such loans against collateral of academic certificates only. Such loans carry high risk. If such loans turn bad, both the bank and the government would face losses. However, we are ready to provide loans to those who come up with a viable business plan,” he said.</p> <p>Nepali citizens having academic certificate of minimum Bachelor degree or equivalent is eligible to get the loans under this scheme with repayment period of five years. Likewise, the borrower applying for the loan should have attended at least a week of enterprise or business training from any government body including the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training. Banks also ask a brief business proposal for such loans.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13244', 'image' => '20210605063901_Business Bank Loans.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 18:32:47', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13498', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Three Deputy PMs, 12 Ministers Inducted in Prime Minister Oli’s Reshuffled Cabinet ', 'sub_title' => 'Prime Minister Oli removes 13 ministers while keeping seven portfolios with himself ', 'summary' => 'Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. ', 'content' => '<p>June 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted three Deputy Prime Ministers, 12 ministers and two State Ministers, retained four ministers and removed 13 ministers in his latest cabinet reshuffle. </p> <p>Prime Minister Oli reshuffling of his cabinet on Friday follows recent dissolution of the House of Representatives and announcement to hold midterm elections in November. <br /> President Bhandari administerd oath of office to all newly appointed ministers of the Oli-led cabinet on Friday evening. </p> <p><em><strong>NEW FACES IN OLI-LED CABINET </strong></em><br /> According to the notice of the Office of the President, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, appointed Bishnu Prasad Paudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development. While Paudel was already the Minister for Finance, Mahaseth and Mahato are newly appointed members in the Oli-led cabinet. <br /> Earlier, Pradeep Gyawali was the Foreign Affairs Minister while Prime Minister Oli was himself overseeing the portfolio of Ministry of Urban Development after Prabhu Sah lost his ministerial berth on May 18 following a Supreme Court’s order to bar seven ministers from working as ministers.<br /> Sharad Singh Bhandari (Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), Anil Kumar Jha (Minister for Drinking Water), Sher Bahadur Tamang (Minister for Health and Population), Laxman Lal Karna (Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation) and Bimal Prasad Srivastav (Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security) are new faces in the reshuffled cabinet. <br /> Umashankar Argariya becomes the new Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation while the new Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is Chanda Chaudhary. Chandra Kanta Chaudhary and Renuka Gurung are appointed as Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and Minister for State for Women, Children and Senior Citizens respectively. </p> <p><em><strong>RETAINED MINISTERS </strong></em></p> <p>Prime Minister Oli retained Basanta Kumar Newmbwang (Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation), Lilanath Shrestha (Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs) and Krishna Gopal Shrestha (Minister for Education, Science and Technology) in his reshuffled cabinet. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli decided to keep seven portfolio with himself. Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Defence, Home Affairs, Forest and Environment, Federal Affairs and General Administration and Communication and Information Technology are the ministries that Prime Minister Oli will oversee himself. </p> <p><br /> <em><strong>THOSE WHO LOST MINISTERIAL BERTH</strong></em><br /> Prime Minister Oli bade farewell to 13 ministers along with Gyawali who was the Foreign Minister since the Oli-led government was formed in February 2018. <br /> Those others removed from the cabinet are Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Bhanubhakta Dhakal (Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) Padma Kumari Aryal (Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development), Parbat Gurung (Minister for Communication and Information Technology) and Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe (Minister for Lnad Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation). <br /> Ganesh Singh Thagunna (Minister for Federal Affairs and General Affairs) and Juli Kumar Mahato (Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen) have also been relieved from their posts. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli also lost their posts on Friday. </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-05', 'modified' => '2021-06-05', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13243', 'image' => '20210605122816_Oath of new Ministers.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-05 12:21:19', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13497', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Sets Target of Increasing Access to Insurance to 33.33 Percent of the Population', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: The government has set an ambitious target of extending access to life insurance to one-third of Nepalis or 33.33 percent of the population in the upcoming fiscal year. However, the government has remained silent about bringing programmes to support the insurance companies to achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Last Saturday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, while presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, announced that the government aims to increase access to insurance to one-third of the people. However, insurance companies express their concern that the budget has remained silent about bringing the necessary programmes to help achieve that goal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a survey made public by Minister Poudel for the current fiscal year, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the population by mid-February.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Insurance Board has said that access to insurance will reach 27 percent of population by the end of next year. In the upcoming fiscal year, an additional 6.33 percent or 1.92 million Nepalis must have access to insurance to meet the target, which is very challenging, the companies say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the seven decades since the start of the insurance business, access to insurance has reached 23.4 percent of the total population. However, insurance companies say that it will be difficult to achieve the goal to increase access to 33.33 percent within a short span of time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nirmal Kaji Shrestha, president of Life Insurers Association Nepal and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mate Life Insurance, said that the new budget has missed out on addressing the issues of life insurance. “The budget aims to reach life insurance to one-third of the population. However, no programme is on the cards to help achieve that goal,” he said, adding, “We have seen that it will be very difficult to achieve that goal without any incentive.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The insurance companies were expecting the government to increase the income tax exemption limit for life insurance in the budget. They have been demanding such exemption since years. At present, insured people get a rebate of up to Rs 25,000 in income tax. The Insurance Board demanded that the limit should be increased to Rs 50,000. They also demanded the introduction of other incentives.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, Shrestha said that the budget has remained silent on the issue of overall life insurance. “In most South Asian countries, insurers are exempted from income tax up to millions of rupees. However, in our case, the limit has not been raised yet,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Shrestha said that now a tripartite strategy should be formulated between the Insurance Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the insurance companies.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, CEO of Mahalakshmi Life Insurance, also said that the current budget has disappointed the life insurance sector. “The insurance sector was not already a priority in the budget. That trend has continued this year,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Bhattarai, the budget should give priority to this sector as the contribution of the insurance sector to the GDP is increasing. "It has been revealed in the budget that the access to insurance will be increased to two-thirds of population. However, the government has remained silent on what kind of assistance is needed to achieve that target,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the Insurance Board Surya Prasad Silwal said that the concerns raised by the insurance companies will be addressed by the annual budget of the board. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> "Our budget will come in the next few months. From the same budget, we will bring necessary programmes to increase access to insurance,” he said adding, “We are positive about how to work to achieve the target set by the government to increase access to life insurance.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13242', 'image' => '20210604041708_20190915103621_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 16:16:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13496', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to bring Commodities Exchange into Operation', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 4: Preparations are underway to bring the commodities exchange into operation soon. As the government has included it in the budget statement, the regulatory body Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has intensified preparations to operate it immediately from the upcoming fiscal year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Prior to the budget speech, SEBON had made public the draft of the Directive on Policy and Procedure for Issuing Licenses to Operate Commodities Market, 2077 BS to collect suggestions from stakeholders. The board said it had collected more than a dozen suggestions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Chairman of the board Bhishma Raj Dhungana informed that the draft of the directive will be finalized by the board meeting of SEBON after incorporating the suggestions received so far.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"More than a dozen suggestions have been collected. Most of them have asked us to reconsider the paid-up capital. The meeting of the Board of Directors will finalize the issue. The meeting was delayed as some members of the committee were infected by coronavirus. The meeting will be held after they recover,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Deputy Executive Director of SEBON, Dr Nawaraj Adhikari said that the revised directive has increased the minimum paid-up capital limit from Rs 1 billion to Rs 2 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">As per the draft, the paid-up capital of the company dealing in agricultural related commodities should be Rs 1 billion.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“We had prepared the guideline by doing a lot of study and analysis on the global commodities market, understanding all the international principles and good practices,” said Adhikari, adding, “We have prepared the guideline based on the overall study and the level of understanding of investors suitable for Nepal.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An earlier study had suggested that only two exchanges should be approved. “The revised directive has allowed providing license to the companies that meet all the criteria, are experienced, competent, have done well in the past,” Adhikari said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The revised directive has provided the limit of paid-up capital according to the nature of the companies, submission of plans, application process among others.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the board, six organizations that have recently proposed to run the company do not have to pay the fee when re-applying. However, as per the revised guidelines they have to procure additional documents by fulfilling the specified criteria. “We will continue to not charge the application fee for the proposed six organisations again. However, according to additional provisions, the criteria have to be met,” he said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, Commodity Futures Exchange (CFX) Limited, Rizal Commodity Exchange (RCDX), Multi Derivative Exchange (MDX) Company, Nepal Derivatives Exchange (NDEX), National Derivatives Commodities (NCDX) and Nepal Mercentile (NEX) had applied for commodity trading.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The founders of the institution operating the commodity market will have to apply by proposing to invest at least 51 percent and at most 100 percent of the shares. The proposed institution must have a minimum of 5 percent to a maximum of 51 percent of the total paid-up capital for foreign strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Founders may include individuals, Nepali organizations, and strategic partners or technical assistance organizations. Foreign strategic partners have been made mandatory.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The qualified ones will have to apply for pre-approval with a fee of Rs 25,000 to run a company. If the board of directors of SEBON feels the company suitable, it has to deposit up to 10 percent of the paid-up capital in the commercial bank before giving prior approval. Two copies of the business plan including the management letter and rules of the proposed institution, feasibility study report including minimum subjects and projected financial statements for the next 3 fiscal years should be submitted.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The guideline states that even if the board gives approval to manage the infrastructure, it will not be allowed to do any work including increasing or decreasing the number of founders until the final operating license is obtained. After receiving the prior approval, the company has to apply to the board to get the license to operate the commodity market. For this, the company will have to pay a fee of up to Rs 2.5 million to the board along with the application.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13241', 'image' => '20210604122412_20190517025825_aaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 12:23:22', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13495', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism Minister Calls for Reduction in Price of Aviation Fuel ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 4: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has directed the authorities concerned to reduce the price of aviation fuel. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The minister issued such directive during a meeting with government authorities including officials of Nepal Oil Corporation and other stakeholders.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Tourism Secretary Yadav Prasad Koirala, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dinesh Bhattarai, Nepal Oil Corporation Executive Director Surendra Poudel, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokharel and Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation Dim Prakash Poudel were present during the meeting.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the directive was issued in response to the demand by various organizations to cut down the price of aviation fuel used by international airlines companies in Nepal. </span></span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13240', 'image' => '20210604115324_EHdVeZuVAAArjYS.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 11:52:49', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13494', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Health Ministry Rules Out New Variant of COVID-19 in Nepal', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">June 4: The Ministry of Health and Population has clarified that there isn’t any new variant of COVID-19 in Nepal as reported in the international media. <br /> Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the ministry’s spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel said that the ministry’s attention had been drawn towards the misleading news regarding the detection of new variant and refuted those claims. <br /> According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, Dr Poudel clarified that only the Alfa, Kappa and Delta variants are active in Nepal. <br /> The statement has urged media houses and outlets not to publish any misleading and false news until obtaining authentic information from the ministry. The Ministry had also appealed to the media and media persons to be responsible towards disseminating factual news. <br /> Furthermore, the Ministry had appealed to one and all for complete compliance of the health safety protocols to contain the pandemic. <br /> The World Health Organization has also clarified that it was not aware of any new variant detected in Nepal, RSS further reported.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Among the existing variants, Delta is the most active one and highly contagious, the WHO said. </span></span> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><strong>Nepalese embassy refutes baseless news on origin of mutant strain of coronavirus</strong> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The Embassy of Nepal in London said that its serious attention has been drawn towards a news report carried out by the UK-based Daily Mail newspaper on June 3 regarding a baseless claim about the origin of a mutant strain of SARS-Cov-2 in Nepal. <br /> Issuing a press statement, the Embassy of Nepal in London said that the variants identified in Nepal so far are Alpha and Delta, both of which did not originate in Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The World Health Organization has rebutted the origin of a new variant in Nepal stating that the prevalent variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” RSS reported citing the Embassy. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Likewise, the Embassy stated that it has sent a letter of Daily Mail refuting the baseless news and requesting to correct it. <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-04', 'modified' => '2021-06-04', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13239', 'image' => '20210604105321_20200315104642_20200312112722_111.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-04 10:52:26', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13493', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Paddy Seeds worth Rs 1.61 Billion Imported this Year', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: Nepal has imported paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion for this year’s plantation. Seed importers have imported various hybrid paddy seeds from India and China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Seed Quality Control Center, 34 importer companies have imported a total of 4,149 metric tons of paddy seeds worth Rs 1.61 billion this year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Altogether 46 types of seed imported this year include US 311, Champion, Raja, Maharaja, Sawamansuli, Sudha, and Shanti. Bikas Kharel, horticulture officer at the center, informed that among these, 39 varieties were imported from India and the remaining seven varieties were imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Paddy seeds like Savitri, Sonamansuli, Makwanpur and Basmati are produced in Nepal while hybrid seeds are imported from India and China. According to Kharel, larger amounts of seeds are imported from India than China in terms of quantity. A total of 3,961 metric tons of seeds have been imported from India this year, while 188 metric tons of seeds have been imported from China.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">About 70,000 metric tons of paddy seeds are required annually for a total of 1.35 million hectares of cultivable land in Nepal. It is estimated that Nepali seed companies produce 10,000 metric tons of paddy seeds annually. Stakeholders say that some farmers use their own local seeds. </span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20181228032406_a.jpg" style="height:600px; width:800px" /></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13238', 'image' => '20210603031456_20210512035550_20181125011444_pady-1024x682.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:13:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13492', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Home Ministry Instructs District Administration Offices to Ease Transportation of Goods ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed district administrations not to obstruct vehicles used for transporting goods along the highways. The Home Ministry has written letters to twenty district administration offices instructing them to facilitate transportation of goods. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The district administration offices of Jhapa, Morang, Bara, Parsa, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke and those along the major border points have been asked to make arrangements for the transportation and supply of goods to and fro the destination.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, the government had banned the entry of all vehicles except the ones carrying essential goods into the Kathmandu Valley to control the surge of COVID-19 cases.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Vehicles carrying industrial products even with the customs clearance were not allowed to enter the Kathmandu Valley. The restrictive measures were stepped up following the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the valley.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The government had banned the transportation of all items except 21 essential items including food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subodh Kumar Gupta, chairman of the Birgunj chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that they had to pay detention fees for containers for about a week. “The supply of industrial raw materials and products have been affected after the police administration stopped transport vehicles at checkpoints and highways. The instructions from the Home Ministry would help to ease the supply chain,” said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has directed the district administration offices to allow trucks and containers carrying industrial raw materials to reach their destinations. The customs offices had been issuing customs clearance to vehicles carrying goods other than the essential ones as well. Although there was no problem in customs clearance, those vehicles faced problems while transporting the goods. Harihar Poudel, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs Point, said that this issue has also been resolved with the initiative taken by the Home Ministry.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj chapter of FNCCI had written to the Home Secretary on Tuesday, June 1, urging him to remove the obstruction on transportation of goods. "Their concern has been addressed for now," said Gupta. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13237', 'image' => '20210603030846_20190410102147_ICP-Birgunj-2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 15:08:17', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13491', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT Releases a List of Hotels to be Used for Quarantine', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 3: With the resumption of flights to three different countries, the government has prepared a list of hotels for keeping people arriving from abroad in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Tourism (DoT) has made public the list of hotels to be used as quarantine facility. The hotels were selected on the basis of certain criteria.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotels to be used for quarantine are required to completely close the dining area, buffet, gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor games.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made it clear that such hotels are required to have amenities like 20 rooms, a separate gate for entry, an open space, or a garden for jogging for the individuals in quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Additionally, the criteria specify that the hotel should have sufficient open space to provide service to air passengers and for the collection of swab test samples. Likewise, television, Wi-Fi, and an attached bathroom with hot water for bathing and drinking are mandatory. Similarly, the hotels are required to make arrangements to provide food and other services in the room.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has mentioned that soap, toothpaste, brush, hand wash, and towel should be kept in each room for one week. On May 31, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation had implemented the standards that the Nepali and foreign nationals arriving in Nepal from abroad would have to follow. Accordingly, the arriving individuals are required to have a PCR test report taken within 72-hour, document of hotel booking, and stay in a mandatory five-day hotel quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">An arrangement has also been made to stay at home for 10 days on the recommendation of the concerned hotel and regulatory body after staying in the hotel quarantine for a day.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in densely populated areas including Thamel and Gongabu in Kathmandu. Stating that the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) infection is high, the ministry has banned quarantine in hotels in these areas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department issued a notice on June 2 stating that five-star hotels like The Soaltee Kathmandu, Shangrila, Radisson, and Hyatt, will be used as quarantine hotels. Hotel Shankar, Hotel Himalaya, and Grand Hotel are the four-star hotels to be used for the quarantine service. As per the decision of the department, five three-star hotels and 51 tourist hotels have been listed for the quarantine facility of the arriving visitors and returnees. Similarly, Park Village and Gokarna Forest Resorts have been listed under the resort category.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Earlier, eight hotels were used for quarantine.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hotel quarantine service is expected to support the hotel sector that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has also encouraged the use of hotels as quarantine in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to a source at the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), the government has made the hotel quarantine standard mandatory but it is not likely to be implemented. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"Only a handful of people are arriving from abroad and on the other hand most of the passengers are going to stay in home isolation rather than hotels," the source informed. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-03', 'modified' => '2021-06-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13236', 'image' => '20210603124902_20200504104410_20190511105700_Clipboard37 2.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-03 12:48:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13490', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Prohibitory Order in Valley Extended by 10 Days', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">June 2: The prohibitory order in effect in Kathmandu valley has been extended by another 10 days, according to the state-owned national news agency RSS. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">A joint meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur took the decision to extend the order with some relaxation. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The order has been extended till June 14. The previous order was expiring on June 4.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to RSS, the CDOs of the three districts have revoked an earlier decision to ban operation of grocery shops and departmental stores and can now remain open until 9:00 am every day. Earlier, only vegetable shops and other essential services were allowed to open. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, construction work can also resume with boarding facility for the workers and following the prescribed health protocol. Construction materials have to be transported from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am. Human mobility remains prohibited as well as traffic, except for emergency and essential services. </span><br /> </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13235', 'image' => '20210602104030_20210512120931_20200903113103_1599056781.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13489', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Unilever Nepal Partners With Nepal Army for ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’ ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’.', 'content' => '<p>June 2: Unilever Nepal has partnered with the Nepal Army in the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021’. </p> <p>Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the multinational company said that the partnership with the Nepal Army for the mountain cleaning campaign is part of its commitment ‘to make sustainable living a common place’. </p> <p>According to the statement, the mountain clean up initiative disposed 5,020 kg of waste, of which 4,720 kg non-biodegradable waste was sent for recycling while remaining 300 kg of bio-degradable waste was disposed through Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.</p> <p>“The natural world is being lost and damaged at an alarming rate, and to put the same on reverse, Unilever Nepal couldn’t have found a better cause than to clean the revered Mount Dhaulagiri and a more credible partner than the Nepal Army,” the statement quoted Unilever Nepal’s Managing Director Amlan Mukherjee as saying. “We are committed to make sustainable living common place for everyone and will continuously engage in programs like these in the coming days,” he said. </p> <p>Similarly, Brigadier General Himanshu Khadka, Director of the Directorate of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, also thanked Unilever Nepal for supporting the Mountain Clean Up initiative. “Through this initiative of cleaning the Himalayan ranges you have touched the heart of every Nepali,” the statement quoted Brigadier General Khadka as saying in an event organized at the Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.<br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13234', 'image' => '20210602103709_20210510_074318.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 22:35:07', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13488', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Province 2 Lags Behind in Terms of Industrial Investment ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: Province 2 is lagging behind significantly in terms of industrial investment, according to the economic survey recently published by the government. The survey report shows that despite being connected with major border points and being home to several industrial corridors, it is even behind the remote Karnali Province when it comes to industrial investment.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the private sector is not convinced by these government figures. Ganesh Prasad Lath, president of Province 2 chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), claims that the economic survey data is not based on facts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Birgunj, the major border point in terms of import-export, is in the province 2. It is close to the Indian seaport and transportation of raw materials and readymade goods through this district is also convinient.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Birgunj-Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor is considered to be the largest industrial corridor. However, the economic survey shows that Province 2 comes second from the last in terms of attracting industrial investment. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the data provided by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for the Economic Survey, Province 2 has a total industrial investment of Rs 119 billion while Karnali Province has attracted investment of Rs 131 billion. However, the number of registered industries in Province 2 is 564 while in Karnali it is only 78.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">In terms of number of registered industries, Province 2 holds fifth position while Karnali is in the last position. Province 2 is ranked third in the number of small-scale industries. Bagmati province leads the list with a total industrial investment of Rs 224 billion.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Of the 8,384 industries registered with the Department of Industry, Bagmati has the highest number of industries (5,450). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, the first-ever economic census conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows a different result. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Bagmati Province houses the highest number of industrial establishments which is 282,056. Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, analyst and entrepreneur, says that the contradictory government data has raised doubts over their credibility.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Similarly, Lath states that there is a need for a survey that is based on facts. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13233', 'image' => '20210602051025_20210118020708_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 17:09:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13486', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'CAAN Announces Special International Flight Schedule for June', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">June 2: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has announced a special flight schedule for June in line with the cabinet decision taken on May 27. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to a notice issued by the aviation regulatory body of Nepal, the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air India will be conducting five flights a week from June 3. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Turkish Airways will operate a flight along the Istanbul-Kathmandu route every Thursday from June 3. Likewise, Nepal Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate a flight between Kathmandu and Doha every week on Monday from June 7. Similarly, Both Nepal Airlines and Air India will operate a weekly flight along Kathmandu-Delhi route on Wednesday and Friday under the air bubble agreement. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The flight schedule introduced by CAAN for the international route will come into effect from June 1. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Flight Permission Section of the aviation authority permitted the new flight schedule.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the notice, Turkish Airlines’ flight to Istanbul will depart on Thursdays at 23:05 NST, Nepal Airlines will operate a flight to Doha at 22:00 NST and Qatar Airways at 11:05 every Monday. Likewise, a Nepal Airlines flight to Delhi will depart from Tribhuvan International Airprt (TIA) at 11:05 NSTon Wednesday and Air India will take off at 15:35 NST every Friday. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has requested to conduct a chartered flight to Doha from Kathmandu on June 4. The details about the flight permission are yet to come, informs Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for CAAN.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The scheduled flight routine is only valid for June. Airlines will have to strictly follow health protocols while boarding passengers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-06-02', 'modified' => '2021-06-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '13232', 'image' => '20210602115245_20151110041343_tia_nepal.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-06-02 11:52:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
