March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution…
March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution…
March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process.…
March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists.…
March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different…
The Development and Technology Committee, House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road in its upcoming…
Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21.…
March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living.…
March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021.…
Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.…
Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase cost of production…
March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic…
March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the…
March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to…
…
March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies.…
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The rest of the financing will help strengthen the health system to support the COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccination effort and procure other COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19-related supplies such as diagnostic tests, laboratory equipment and therapeutics. The additional financing also supports community engagement and risk communication, and strengthening existing digital technology<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>based pandemic data, surveillance and monitoring systems. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:Arial">“This support is critical for Nepal to safeguard the physical health of its people and economic health of the nation,” said Gail Richardson, World Bank Practice Manager for South Asia for the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. “Providing fast and fair access to the approved COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable people will expedite population-level immunity, which is central to resilient recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">This additional financing for Nepal is one of the three projects in a first phase of support for the COVID-19 vaccination effort across the South Asia region. On Thursday, the World Bank’s board also approved additional financing from IDA of $500 million for Bangladesh and $60 million for Afghanistan. In addition to financing, the Bank is also providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, said it is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-19', 'modified' => '2021-03-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12925', 'image' => '20210319105958_world-bank.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-19 10:58:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13178', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fertilisers Imported from China Stuck at Tatopani Customs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The fertiliser that arrived at the Tatopani checkpoint with the aim of reaching Kathmandu in 10 days from Shigatse, China has been stuck at the checkpoint since 12 days after entering Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepali farmers, who face shortage of chemical fertilizers every year, have started importing fertilizers from the northern border checkpoints to prevent shortage this year. However, due to the lack of procedural hassles, the fertilisers have not been cleared by the customs office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development was expecting the fertiliser to reach Kathmandu in a week, it has been stranded at the customs office for 12 days due to failure to obtain customs clearance.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief of Tatopani Customs, said that the fertilisers would be sent from the customs to the Salt Trading Corporation in Kathmandu if the necessary process is completed by the ministry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the customs office, about 300 metric tons of fertilisers are stored at the customs at present. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Khatri informed that chemical fertiziers were being imported through the northern border for the first time. He said that imports from the customs would increase if the Araniko highway could be upgraded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Salt Trading Corporation Limited, which has received permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for transportation of the fertilizer, has entered into an agreement with the Silk Group and is bringing the fertilizer to Nepal from the Chinese city of Shigatse via Tatopani. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Informing about the progress of urea imported to Nepal from China, Ramesh Sherpa, chairman of Silk Group, an import and transport company, said that 4,000 metric tons of urea will arrive in Nepal within a month. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Currently, fertilisers are being imported in five to seven 40-foot containers daily,” Sherpa said, “If there are no other problems in between, we can bring all the fertilisers to Nepal in a month.” He said a large container would transport two metric tons of fertilizer. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kanchan Raj Pandey, informed that the import of fertilizer from China is being done to solve the problem of shortage of urea in Nepal every year. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Prior to this, fertilisers were imported only from Birgunj through the southern border,” said Pandey, who visited the Tatopani customs warehouse to monitor the situation. He said that urea imported from China would be cheaper by Rs 2 to 3 per kg. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, said that in the first phase, urea imported from China is being prepared for distribution in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dolakha and other nearby districts. “The trial of importing urea from China has started,” Sharma said, adding, “The fertilsiers have come to Nepal from China in an affordable price and Nepali farmers will not have to face shortage of fertilisers from this year.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The chemical fertilisers enter Nepal from India, Bangladesh and China. Bed Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that it was unfortunate that the government was trying to store fertilisers so that there would be no shortage. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"The customs process should be started immediately to distribute the fertilisers to the farmers immediately," said Shrestha, “As there is huge demand for fertilisers between May to August, the government needs to pay special attention to deliver the fertilisers to the farmers on time.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12924', 'image' => '20210318015648_20200809115003_1596923819.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13177', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hoteliers Demand Government Open Border for Vehicular Movement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The stakeholders made such demand while handing over a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel on March 17. The entrepreneurs have complained that the hotel and tourism business has been badly affected as the government has not yet reopened the border to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic.<br /> <br /> They complained that Indian tourists willing to visit Nepal through land route have not been able to enter the country due to restriction on vehicular movement at Birgunj and other border points.<br /> <br /> Hari Pant, president of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, informed that Deputy Prime Minister Pokharel assured them to open up border with India for allowing vehicular movement soon.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers in the memorandum have mentioned that the hotel and tourism businesses are still disrupted, despite other enterprises returning to normalcy.<br /> <br /> Entrepreneurs informed that the closure of the border and restriction on vehicles has badly affected their business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Pant said that his livelihood was in crisis as about 2,500 people were involved in the hotel business in the Birgunj area alone. He also said that the investment of around Rs 6 billion in the hotel and tourism-related business in the region is at risk.<br /> <br /> Radheshyam Patel, a member of the Tourism Journalists' Association, said that stopping the vehicles is not justifiable as international flights are operating to and from Tribhuvan International Airport.<br /> Entrepreneurs say that the movement of tourists from India will not be smooth until the border is fully operational.<br /> <br /> Around 70 to 80 percent of hotels in the border areas including, Birgunj, are dependent on Indian guests.<br /> <br /> Pant complained that he has difficulty in meeting the operating expenses as the Indian guests have not yet arrived.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers also met with Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal, demanding to open up the border for the movement of vehicles.<br /> <br /> On the occasion, Pant informed Minister Dhakal about the problems faced by hotels and tourism business in the border areas.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Hoteliers during the meeting with Tourism Minister Dhakal discussed the potential of hotels and tourism in the border areas and the solution to the current problem, informed Pant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Minister Dhakal assured that the government is ever ready to cooperate with the private sector for tourism promotion.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12923', 'image' => '20210318011517_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:14:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13176', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Immigration Department Collects Rs 79.83 million from Visas', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">By Tamish Giri<br /> March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories. The department, which is the aughorized government body to issue visas, collected the amount between January 14 and March 13, 2021.<br /> The department collected Rs 37,692,507.81 from visas between January 14 and February 12 and Rs 42,146,183.93 between 13 February and 13 March. <br /> According to the department, it issued visas to 7536 foreigners between January 14 and February 12.<br /> Among them, 5239 were visit visas, 951visa extension, 238 business visas, 114 marriage visas, 137 education visas, 116 visas to Non-Residential Nepalis, 386 visas based on relations, 166 working visas, 55 diplomatic and 134 dependent visas.<br /> The department is yet to make the data of visas issued between February 13 and March 13 public. However, a source at the department said that 5522 visas have been issued between during the period.<br /> According to the source, 6,235 foreigners entered Nepal through Tribhuvan International Airport between March 1 and March 15. A total of 28,413 Nepali citizens also have returned home from abroad during the same period. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12922', 'image' => '20210318011649_Visa-Interview-Questions.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 18:14:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13175', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Development Committee to discuss about fast track, outer ring road projects ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Development and Technology Committee, House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road in its upcoming meetings.', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> The Development and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road with organisations and representatives concerned in its upcoming meetings. </p> <p>The first meeting of the Committee was held today after the reinstatement of the House of Representatives. The Commitee plans to discuss about the projects affecting the people directly. In its next meeting, the Committee plans to sit with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army for the discussion about the fast-track, according to Committee under-secretary Om Bahadur Karki. </p> <p>As he said, the meeting will be held on 21 or 22 March. Melamchi water supply project and the outer ring road are the agenda of meetings thereafter, he said. <br /> The participants of the meeting opined for discussing about the most pressing development issues. </p> <p>The previous meeting of the Committee was held on December 17 and the House was dissolved on December 20 which was later reinstated with the Supreme Court's verdict on February 23. The first meeting after the reinstatement was attended by the just Committee members, and the next round of meetings will have the participation of representatives from the related ministries and organisations as well.</p> <p>-RSS</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12921', 'image' => '20210317035230_Fast Track.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 15:48:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13174', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Remittance inflows to Nepal jump 11 percent to Rs 568 billion in seven months of current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21. ', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21.<br /> According to ‘Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal’ released by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Tuesday, remittance inflows have jumped 10.9 percent in Nepali Rupee in the review period from a total of Rs 511.94 billion in remittances that Nepal received in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> In terms of US Dollar, remittance inflows increased 6.7 percent to $4.81 billion in the review period against a decrease of 0.5 percent in the same period of previous year.<br /> Despite concerns that Covid-19 could hit the remittance inflows, the country has been witnessing a robust growth in the transfer of money from Nepali residing abroad.<br /> Though there is no prediction for 2021, the World Bank last year had predicted a sharpest decline in remittances with Nepal’s remittances falling 12 percent to $7.4 billion in 2020. However, the remittance inflows did not decline as predicted by the World Bank.</p> <p>However, there has been a significant drop in the number of Nepali workers going abroad for the employment. According to the NRB data, number of Nepali workers (institutional and individual-new and legalized) taking approval for foreign employment decreased 75.9 percent in the review period. Only 39,803 Nepali workers acquired permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to go for foreign employment in the first seven months. It had increased 21.7 percent to 165,206 in the same period of the previous year.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12920', 'image' => '20210317125408_Remittances_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:52:27', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13173', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Country can be Transformed Economically through Agriculture: Israeli Ambassador ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. Stating that there are enough opportunities to transform Nepal economically, he suggested that such opportunities should be explored. Ambassador Goldberger was observing an agriculture farm run at Damak-3 in Jhapa district run by local Mansarobar Agriculture Cooperative. Praising the farm run through the use of modern technology, he said any country could transform economically through agriculture referring to Israel which according to him faced scarcity of foods some 70 years ago and but now is exporting agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">On the occasion, Goldberger interacted with the proprietor of the cooperative on agriculture, said the cooperative's manager Mahendra Adhikari. Run with subsidies from the Government of Nepal, the cooperative produces and sells agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Present on the occasion were Damak Municipality mayor Rom Nath Oli, chief of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Implementation Unit, Jhapa, Rabindra Subedi and chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa, Nilkamal Singh. --RSS </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg" style="height:517px; width:800px" /> </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12919', 'image' => '20210317122028_20201109032251_Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:19:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13172', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT starts Issuing Permits for Spring Season Expedition', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. <br /> The department has issued permits to the two teams for climbing Mt Nuptse (7,864 meters) and Mt Manaslu (8,163 meters) at the beginning of this season. A total of mountaineers will climb the two mountains. According to the department, four people will ascend Nuptse, and one will climb Manaslu.<br /> The department has collected a total of Rs 491,000 in royalties. Last year, in this season of 2020, mountaineering activity was zero. Due to the Covid-10 pandemic, there was no mountaineering in the spring of 2020.<br /> Mountaineers will have to follow the health protocol issued by the Ministry of Health and Population during the expedition.<br /> Mira Acharya, director of the department, informed that the government has estimated that around 250 to 300 climbers will climb Mt. Everest this season.<br /> DoT has started necessary preparations for the safety of the mountaineering teams and climbers. Mountaineering organizations have also prepared for the safety of the mountaineers to make their climb easier.<br /> President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Santabir Lama, informed that NMA has made necessary preparations for the safety of mountaineers. He added that the concerned organization is in a state of readiness for icefall doctors and rope fixing to avoid the possible risk of accidents and to ensure safe climbing.<br /> Although foreign tourists are eager to climb mountains of Nepal, they are deterred by the quarantine provision, informed Lama. A proposal on reducing the quarantine provision from 7 days to 5 days has been submitted to the Council of Ministers. The cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard soon.<br /> According to the department, 889 climbers from 115 teams had climbed various mountains and peaks in the spring of 2019. Of them, 393 members from 47 teams had climbed Mt Everest alone. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12918', 'image' => '20210317120552_20200917091916_Clipboard36.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:04:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13171', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bahraini team including a royal member returns to Nepal to scale Mount Everest ', 'sub_title' => 'Royal expedition also plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Covid vaccines to locals of Gorkha district ', 'summary' => 'Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. ', 'content' => '<p><em><strong>Tamish Giri</strong></em></p> <p>March 16:<br /> Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.</p> <p>The Bahraini team returned to scale Mount Everest in the spring season this year. Earlier in October 2020, the Bahraini royal team had come to Nepal and scaled Mt. Manaslu of 8,163 meters.<br /> The 16-member expedition team from Bahrain, including a royal family member, landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 6:30 on Monday. Among them, 13 members are from Royal Guard, a unit of the Defense Force of Bahrain, and three British nationals, according to a statement issued by Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain. The expedition team is staying in Nepal for 80 days. </p> <p>The team members are staying at Hotel Marriott and quarantining themselves as required by the health and safety protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to combat the spread of coronavirus. The MoHP has mandated seven-day hotel quarantine for international visitors. </p> <p>Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, said that the team is in Nepal to scale Mount Everest. "The team is currently in hotel quarantine at Hotel Marriott in Naxal to meet the quarantine requirements," he informed. Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd is managing the expedition for the Bahraini team that includes a member of the royal family.</p> <p>He also informed that the team plans to go for a trekking to Gorkha to distribute the Covid vaccines that it has brought from Bahrain and return to the capital on March 27. According to Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain, the royal expedition team plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to locals of Samagaun in Gorkha district. "After that, we will finalize the date and plan for the expedition," he said.</p> <p>The team will soon receive the permit for the expedition, said Sherpa, adding that his expedition agency has already begun the process of obtaining a mountaineering permit from the Department of Tourism, the government authority responsible for issuing mountaineering permits.</p> <p>So far, the Department of Tourism has issued permits to two expedition groups to ascend Nuptse (7,864m) and Manaslu (8,163m).</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12917', 'image' => '20210316081635_Bahraini Team.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 19:59:08', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13169', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Land acquisition getting costlier for industries in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor', 'sub_title' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase their cost of production ', 'summary' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase cost of production ', 'content' => '<p>March 16:<br /> The process of acquiring land for the development of new industries is becoming very difficult in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor due to high prices of land.<br /> Along the corridor, one bigha of land costs around Rs 80 to 90 million. Due to high prices of land, many industrialists complain of high cost of land acquisition to establish their plants or industries.<br /> Hari Gautam, vice-president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) , said that the land acquisition along the corridor for a new industry has been a challenging task. There are around 1,000 small and large industries along Gandak to Pathlaiya of Tribhuvan Highway. Land along the main road costs around Rs 10 million per kattha while the land adjoining the feeder road is being sold at Rs 2 to Rs3 million.</p> <p>The high price for land acquisition has increased the cost for setting up industry, eroding the competitiveness of industries, said Arbindra Amatya, Secretary of BCCI. This could later increase cost of production, he said. “If the cost of production increases, it will have an adverse impact on customers and the overall economy. The government should not delay on introducing policies to lower cost of production,” he said.</p> <p>Though the cost of the lands adjoining the feeder road is cheaper, they do not have necessary infrastructure required for the industries, according to Rajesh Kyal, an industrialist.<br /> Bara-Parsa industrial corridor has plenty of such potential lands to set up industries, but they lack infrastructures like electricity and roads. "We do not need the land along the main road. But, but there should be basic infrastructure required for industries," said Kyal.</p> <p>Gautam, vice-president of BCCI, suggests the government to facilitate on land acquisition.</p> <p>“Generally, industries plan to recover their investments in five to eight years. But, higher cost for land acquisition makes it difficult for industries to get their return,” said Vice-President, Gautam. The government should make the land acquisition process easier," he said.</p> <p>Bara-Parsa industrial corridor was not built under any plan. Industries were established one after another due to its proximity and connectivity with the major border.<br /> Industrialists estimate that 1,000 bighas of land is required to expand the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor.</p> <p>Stakeholders opine that the land allocated for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Simara can be used for this corridor. The government plans to build SEZ in 600 bigahas of land of Birgunj Sugar Mill. However, the progress to construct the SEZ has remained sluggish.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12915', 'image' => '20210316024341_Birgunj corridor.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 14:42:02', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13168', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allocates Rs 200 billion to Build 4000 km Roads in Local Units', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads. Along with the roads, 1,100 motorable bridges will also be built in the next five years. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prime Minister KP Oli inaugurated this project on March 14. The roads are being built by the central government in partnership with provincial and local governments. All three tiers of governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 14 to implement the regional and provincial road construction and improvement project. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Department of Local Infrastructure under the Ministry of General Administration and Federal Affairs informed that the MoU was signed by 110 local units from all seven provinces. The five-year plan has been officially launched to connect 283 local units with the central government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">During the inauguration program, PM Oli said that the government is currently focused on infrastructure building to ensure local units and provinces are connected with blacktopped roads for safety. He said that along with the increasing length of the roads, infrastructures should be built to ensure road safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A total of 392 local units had sent proposals in response to the call of the ministry asking all the local units to send proposal to build connecting roads. The roads are being built in 283 local units and will be extended as per the need, said Homnath Poudel, spokesperson of the Department. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to him, the central government will have a greater share of investment in building the road infrastructure. The government is planning to spend foreign investment pledged by international development partners. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">With the implementation of federalism, the government had planned to connect local units with national highways. To implement this project, the cabinet had approved work procedure for investment modality. In line with it, the central government is allocating 65 percent funds, provincial government is allocating 10 percent and local government is providing 25 percent for the construction of road up to 10 kilometers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> Likewise, to construct roads ranging from 10 km to 20 km, the central government will contribute 70 percent of the investment, provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 20 percent respectively. For the roads above 20km, the central government will fund 75 percent investment while provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12914', 'image' => '20210315074613_20190210014212_bbbb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 19:45:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13167', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Saudi Arabia Allows Workers to Change Jobs without Permission of Employers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer, according to Equidem - a charitable organisation working for human rights in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">From now on, thousands of Nepali workers working in Saudi Arabia can change their jobs and come to Nepal without receiving approval from their employer although this reform is not applicable to a certain group of workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government of Saudi Arabia had announced to bring changes to the labor system in November last year. The reform has come into effect from March 15. As per the new rule, migrant workers working in the private sector such as construction companies, hospitality industry, and infrastructure development projects no longer need to get the permission from the employer to switch jobs, open bank account and leave the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Under the Kafala system, the labor law of Saudi Arabia, migrant workers need sponsors (Kafeel) to enter and work in the country. According to Equidem, he Kafala system has been in place for almost seven decades which binds worker to a single sponsor. With the newly introduced rule, most of the workers no longer need to restrict themselves to a single employer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> “The new changes will not have a large impact unless it is applied to all the workers working in all sectors,” said Mustafa Qadri, founder and executive director of Equidem, in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The new rule which has come into effect from 15<sup>th</sup> March doesn’t apply to four million migrant workers working as domestic help, farmers, gardeners, security guards, and are still under risk of exploitation. Despite the recent changes, all the migrant workers still need sponsors to come as workers in the country. They also need to get permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia to leave or enter the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal still remains one of the leading suppliers of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in spite of the Gulf Nation’s extreme labor laws. In the months of Magh, a total of 4,978 workers received permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to work in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is second on the list after the UAE among countries for which the highest number of applicants have received labor permits in the month of Magh.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12913', 'image' => '20210315030925_20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 15:08:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism in Pokhara yet to Return to Normalcy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy. The tourism sector in Pokhara has not been able to pick up pace even though the economy affected by Covid-19 is moving towards normalization.<br /> Although the number of domestic tourists has increased in Pokhara, foreign tourists have not been able to visit Nepal. This has affected all kinds of tourism businesses in Pokhara. The shortage of foreign tourists has affected hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, especially those targeting foreign tourists. Even locally-made clothings and handicraft businesses have been affected.<br /> Gupta Giri, residential manager of Shangrila Village Resort, Pokhara, informed that the tourism business is still in a state of zero. Except some Indian tourists who come via air after conducting PCR tests, the hotel is almost deserted throughout the year, he informed. He said that hotels and restaurants won't be profitable unless the number of foreign tourists increases.<br /> He suggested that the government should make arrangements for Indian tourists to visit Nepal with on their vehicles after conducting PCR tests at the border point. Tourism entrepreneurs are also demanding to let vaccinated foreigners enter the country. <br /> According to government statistics, between 1 million to 1.5 million people lost their jobs in the tourism sector of Nepal due to Covid-19.<br /> According to traders, the business has declined by up to 50 percent in Pokhara due to lack of foreign tourists in Fewatal, Lakeside, Gupteswar Cave, Patle Chhango, Vindhyavasini, and other areas.<br /> Saru Pokharel, who trades in Nepali handicrafts outside Patle Chhango, informed that foreigners have not returned to buy goods since the market reopened after the lockdown. "Such items used to be bought by foreign tourists rather than Nepalis. Now, foreigners have not come," she said.<br /> Similarly, only 30 percent of the buses carrying tourists have found work due to a lack of foreign tourists. According to Trithunga Travel Agency Pokhara, the buses carrying tourists aren't able to operate due to a lack of tourists from third countries. The company said that 40 drivers lost their jobs due to the non-operation of the buses.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12912', 'image' => '20210315010929_20190204025427_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 13:07:06', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Consumers Being Cheated due to 'Sub-standard' Measurement ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => '', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 15: Today (March 15) is the World Consumers Rights Day. Various programmes are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the day with the slogan 'Tackling Plastic Pollution’. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The celebration of consumers' rights day was initiated after the US President John F Kennedy announced security, information, choice and hearing as four rights of the consumers on 15 March 1962. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Following the benchmark announcement of the US President, the 1985 United Nations General Assembly had endorsed a covenant with additional rights of consumer. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumer rights are defined as the right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though Nepal's Consumers Protection Act-2074 BS has guaranteed several rights to every consumer to purchase or consume rights, the implementation part is not effective. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In a mountainous district Myagdi, the weighing machines being used to measure quantity of goods are sub-standard. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to passive role of the Department of Quality Control and Measurement, banned and unauthorized weighing machines and process have been found to be used in Nepal. It has nurtured the traders and caused loss to the consumers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, variation in the prices of the goods from one shop to another has also forced consumers to buy goods and services at expensive prices. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumers have voiced their complaints that they have been bearing the brunt of mixture of inedible substances in consumable foods and black marketeering. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Former campus chief and economics teacher of Myagdi Multiple Campus, Krishna Bahadur Thapa said though it was the right of the consumers to access clean and healthy goods and services, unchecked mixture of inedible substances to consumable goods was causing big threat to human health condition in Nepal. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12911', 'image' => '20210315115048_World-Consum.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13164', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to Establish 4 Reinsurance Companies', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The board and the respective planners have initiated preparation to establish four re-insurance companies namely, Annapurna Reinsurance Company, Kathmandu Reinsurance Company, Prudential Reinsurance Company and Genuine Reinsurance Company. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Currently only one reinsurance company -- Nepal Reinsurance Company -- is in operation which is owned by the government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Annapurna Reinsurance Company had started its preparation one year ago while other three companies initiated the process of establishment only recently. Previously, former finance minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada had been stressing on the need of a new reinsurance company. And some of the companies started planning of new reinsurance company immediately.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sakar Law Firm has been involved in the process of setting up Annapurna Reinsurance Company. It has sent drafts of necessary documents, regulation bills to the investors. As far as Prudential Reinsurance Company is concerned, Vishal Group and IME Group are investing on it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">CA Mahesh Guragain, Debendra Pratap Shah, Former President of Insurance Board, Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai , CEO of Mahalaxmi Life Insurance and Shree Chandra Bhattarai are the masterminds behind the process of establishing Kathmandu Reinsurance Company. Bhattarai said documents required to establish the company has already been prepared and pledges for the investment is also pouring in. “We are prepared to submit application as soon as the board calls for the application,” he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“The company will be established with the capital ranging from Rs 12 billion to Rs 15 billion. Individuals will own 30 percent shares, another 30 percent shares will be distributed to the public and the rest 40% percent share will be institutional investment,” Bhattarai said. Individuals have already pledged investment worth Rs 6 billion. The company is being established by experienced individuals so we are certain investment will be made from various sectors, he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Initially, Rs 10 billion capital was proposed to establish Kathmandu Reinsurance Company but its capital was raised later in view of standard international rating. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Shreeman Karki, former executive director of the board, and Rabindra Ghimire, insurance expert are planning the establishment of Genuine Reinsurance Company. The company will have a capital of Rs 10 billion. Of it, 30 percent will be institutional investment, 30 percent will be issued to private sector while 30 percent will be issued to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Rajumaran Poudel, Managing Director of Insurance Board, said study is underway whether the market needs another reinsurance company or not. To establish above-mentioned reinsurance companies, the Insurance Board needs to call for the application. After receiving approval from the board, a new company can be registered at the Company Registrar’s Office. After having necessary infrastructure ready, the board will provide approval for the operation of the company. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12910', 'image' => '20210315114314_20200630093335_Reinsurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:42:38', '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' => '13179', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Receives $75 million for COVID-19 Vaccines from World Bank', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution system.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution system.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">Issuing a statement on Thursday, March 18, the World Bank said its Board of Executive Directors approved the amount from the International Development Association (IDA) to support strengthening Nepal’s health and vaccination system. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the financing is expected to facilitate vaccination of at least one-third of the population through an equitable distribution plan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The pandemic presents immense challenges and an uncertain environment, particularly in the purchase, supply and distribution of vaccines,” the statement quoted Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank’s Country Director for the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as saying. “It is a testament to our strong partnership with Nepal that the Bank has been able to move quickly to support the government’s ambitious plans to vaccinate at least 72 percent of the population.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The additional financing builds on the $29 million for the original COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project that was approved in April 2020, the existing bank-supported health programs, and confirmed support of other development partners in the context of the government’s overall COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 response, the statement further said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">Most of the new financing (90 percent) will go to the purchase of COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccines and deployment for prioritized populations beyond the 20 percent that will be vaccinated through COVAX. The rest of the financing will help strengthen the health system to support the COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccination effort and procure other COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19-related supplies such as diagnostic tests, laboratory equipment and therapeutics. The additional financing also supports community engagement and risk communication, and strengthening existing digital technology<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>based pandemic data, surveillance and monitoring systems. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:Arial">“This support is critical for Nepal to safeguard the physical health of its people and economic health of the nation,” said Gail Richardson, World Bank Practice Manager for South Asia for the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. “Providing fast and fair access to the approved COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable people will expedite population-level immunity, which is central to resilient recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">This additional financing for Nepal is one of the three projects in a first phase of support for the COVID-19 vaccination effort across the South Asia region. On Thursday, the World Bank’s board also approved additional financing from IDA of $500 million for Bangladesh and $60 million for Afghanistan. In addition to financing, the Bank is also providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, said it is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-19', 'modified' => '2021-03-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12925', 'image' => '20210319105958_world-bank.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-19 10:58:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13178', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fertilisers Imported from China Stuck at Tatopani Customs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The fertiliser that arrived at the Tatopani checkpoint with the aim of reaching Kathmandu in 10 days from Shigatse, China has been stuck at the checkpoint since 12 days after entering Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepali farmers, who face shortage of chemical fertilizers every year, have started importing fertilizers from the northern border checkpoints to prevent shortage this year. However, due to the lack of procedural hassles, the fertilisers have not been cleared by the customs office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development was expecting the fertiliser to reach Kathmandu in a week, it has been stranded at the customs office for 12 days due to failure to obtain customs clearance.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief of Tatopani Customs, said that the fertilisers would be sent from the customs to the Salt Trading Corporation in Kathmandu if the necessary process is completed by the ministry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the customs office, about 300 metric tons of fertilisers are stored at the customs at present. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Khatri informed that chemical fertiziers were being imported through the northern border for the first time. He said that imports from the customs would increase if the Araniko highway could be upgraded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Salt Trading Corporation Limited, which has received permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for transportation of the fertilizer, has entered into an agreement with the Silk Group and is bringing the fertilizer to Nepal from the Chinese city of Shigatse via Tatopani. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Informing about the progress of urea imported to Nepal from China, Ramesh Sherpa, chairman of Silk Group, an import and transport company, said that 4,000 metric tons of urea will arrive in Nepal within a month. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Currently, fertilisers are being imported in five to seven 40-foot containers daily,” Sherpa said, “If there are no other problems in between, we can bring all the fertilisers to Nepal in a month.” He said a large container would transport two metric tons of fertilizer. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kanchan Raj Pandey, informed that the import of fertilizer from China is being done to solve the problem of shortage of urea in Nepal every year. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Prior to this, fertilisers were imported only from Birgunj through the southern border,” said Pandey, who visited the Tatopani customs warehouse to monitor the situation. He said that urea imported from China would be cheaper by Rs 2 to 3 per kg. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, said that in the first phase, urea imported from China is being prepared for distribution in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dolakha and other nearby districts. “The trial of importing urea from China has started,” Sharma said, adding, “The fertilsiers have come to Nepal from China in an affordable price and Nepali farmers will not have to face shortage of fertilisers from this year.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The chemical fertilisers enter Nepal from India, Bangladesh and China. Bed Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that it was unfortunate that the government was trying to store fertilisers so that there would be no shortage. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"The customs process should be started immediately to distribute the fertilisers to the farmers immediately," said Shrestha, “As there is huge demand for fertilisers between May to August, the government needs to pay special attention to deliver the fertilisers to the farmers on time.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12924', 'image' => '20210318015648_20200809115003_1596923819.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13177', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hoteliers Demand Government Open Border for Vehicular Movement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The stakeholders made such demand while handing over a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel on March 17. The entrepreneurs have complained that the hotel and tourism business has been badly affected as the government has not yet reopened the border to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic.<br /> <br /> They complained that Indian tourists willing to visit Nepal through land route have not been able to enter the country due to restriction on vehicular movement at Birgunj and other border points.<br /> <br /> Hari Pant, president of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, informed that Deputy Prime Minister Pokharel assured them to open up border with India for allowing vehicular movement soon.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers in the memorandum have mentioned that the hotel and tourism businesses are still disrupted, despite other enterprises returning to normalcy.<br /> <br /> Entrepreneurs informed that the closure of the border and restriction on vehicles has badly affected their business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Pant said that his livelihood was in crisis as about 2,500 people were involved in the hotel business in the Birgunj area alone. He also said that the investment of around Rs 6 billion in the hotel and tourism-related business in the region is at risk.<br /> <br /> Radheshyam Patel, a member of the Tourism Journalists' Association, said that stopping the vehicles is not justifiable as international flights are operating to and from Tribhuvan International Airport.<br /> Entrepreneurs say that the movement of tourists from India will not be smooth until the border is fully operational.<br /> <br /> Around 70 to 80 percent of hotels in the border areas including, Birgunj, are dependent on Indian guests.<br /> <br /> Pant complained that he has difficulty in meeting the operating expenses as the Indian guests have not yet arrived.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers also met with Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal, demanding to open up the border for the movement of vehicles.<br /> <br /> On the occasion, Pant informed Minister Dhakal about the problems faced by hotels and tourism business in the border areas.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Hoteliers during the meeting with Tourism Minister Dhakal discussed the potential of hotels and tourism in the border areas and the solution to the current problem, informed Pant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Minister Dhakal assured that the government is ever ready to cooperate with the private sector for tourism promotion.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12923', 'image' => '20210318011517_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:14:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13176', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Immigration Department Collects Rs 79.83 million from Visas', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">By Tamish Giri<br /> March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories. The department, which is the aughorized government body to issue visas, collected the amount between January 14 and March 13, 2021.<br /> The department collected Rs 37,692,507.81 from visas between January 14 and February 12 and Rs 42,146,183.93 between 13 February and 13 March. <br /> According to the department, it issued visas to 7536 foreigners between January 14 and February 12.<br /> Among them, 5239 were visit visas, 951visa extension, 238 business visas, 114 marriage visas, 137 education visas, 116 visas to Non-Residential Nepalis, 386 visas based on relations, 166 working visas, 55 diplomatic and 134 dependent visas.<br /> The department is yet to make the data of visas issued between February 13 and March 13 public. However, a source at the department said that 5522 visas have been issued between during the period.<br /> According to the source, 6,235 foreigners entered Nepal through Tribhuvan International Airport between March 1 and March 15. A total of 28,413 Nepali citizens also have returned home from abroad during the same period. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12922', 'image' => '20210318011649_Visa-Interview-Questions.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 18:14:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13175', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Development Committee to discuss about fast track, outer ring road projects ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Development and Technology Committee, House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road in its upcoming meetings.', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> The Development and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road with organisations and representatives concerned in its upcoming meetings. </p> <p>The first meeting of the Committee was held today after the reinstatement of the House of Representatives. The Commitee plans to discuss about the projects affecting the people directly. In its next meeting, the Committee plans to sit with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army for the discussion about the fast-track, according to Committee under-secretary Om Bahadur Karki. </p> <p>As he said, the meeting will be held on 21 or 22 March. Melamchi water supply project and the outer ring road are the agenda of meetings thereafter, he said. <br /> The participants of the meeting opined for discussing about the most pressing development issues. </p> <p>The previous meeting of the Committee was held on December 17 and the House was dissolved on December 20 which was later reinstated with the Supreme Court's verdict on February 23. The first meeting after the reinstatement was attended by the just Committee members, and the next round of meetings will have the participation of representatives from the related ministries and organisations as well.</p> <p>-RSS</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12921', 'image' => '20210317035230_Fast Track.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 15:48:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13174', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Remittance inflows to Nepal jump 11 percent to Rs 568 billion in seven months of current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21. ', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21.<br /> According to ‘Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal’ released by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Tuesday, remittance inflows have jumped 10.9 percent in Nepali Rupee in the review period from a total of Rs 511.94 billion in remittances that Nepal received in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> In terms of US Dollar, remittance inflows increased 6.7 percent to $4.81 billion in the review period against a decrease of 0.5 percent in the same period of previous year.<br /> Despite concerns that Covid-19 could hit the remittance inflows, the country has been witnessing a robust growth in the transfer of money from Nepali residing abroad.<br /> Though there is no prediction for 2021, the World Bank last year had predicted a sharpest decline in remittances with Nepal’s remittances falling 12 percent to $7.4 billion in 2020. However, the remittance inflows did not decline as predicted by the World Bank.</p> <p>However, there has been a significant drop in the number of Nepali workers going abroad for the employment. According to the NRB data, number of Nepali workers (institutional and individual-new and legalized) taking approval for foreign employment decreased 75.9 percent in the review period. Only 39,803 Nepali workers acquired permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to go for foreign employment in the first seven months. It had increased 21.7 percent to 165,206 in the same period of the previous year.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12920', 'image' => '20210317125408_Remittances_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:52:27', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13173', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Country can be Transformed Economically through Agriculture: Israeli Ambassador ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. Stating that there are enough opportunities to transform Nepal economically, he suggested that such opportunities should be explored. Ambassador Goldberger was observing an agriculture farm run at Damak-3 in Jhapa district run by local Mansarobar Agriculture Cooperative. Praising the farm run through the use of modern technology, he said any country could transform economically through agriculture referring to Israel which according to him faced scarcity of foods some 70 years ago and but now is exporting agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">On the occasion, Goldberger interacted with the proprietor of the cooperative on agriculture, said the cooperative's manager Mahendra Adhikari. Run with subsidies from the Government of Nepal, the cooperative produces and sells agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Present on the occasion were Damak Municipality mayor Rom Nath Oli, chief of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Implementation Unit, Jhapa, Rabindra Subedi and chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa, Nilkamal Singh. --RSS </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg" style="height:517px; width:800px" /> </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12919', 'image' => '20210317122028_20201109032251_Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:19:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13172', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT starts Issuing Permits for Spring Season Expedition', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. <br /> The department has issued permits to the two teams for climbing Mt Nuptse (7,864 meters) and Mt Manaslu (8,163 meters) at the beginning of this season. A total of mountaineers will climb the two mountains. According to the department, four people will ascend Nuptse, and one will climb Manaslu.<br /> The department has collected a total of Rs 491,000 in royalties. Last year, in this season of 2020, mountaineering activity was zero. Due to the Covid-10 pandemic, there was no mountaineering in the spring of 2020.<br /> Mountaineers will have to follow the health protocol issued by the Ministry of Health and Population during the expedition.<br /> Mira Acharya, director of the department, informed that the government has estimated that around 250 to 300 climbers will climb Mt. Everest this season.<br /> DoT has started necessary preparations for the safety of the mountaineering teams and climbers. Mountaineering organizations have also prepared for the safety of the mountaineers to make their climb easier.<br /> President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Santabir Lama, informed that NMA has made necessary preparations for the safety of mountaineers. He added that the concerned organization is in a state of readiness for icefall doctors and rope fixing to avoid the possible risk of accidents and to ensure safe climbing.<br /> Although foreign tourists are eager to climb mountains of Nepal, they are deterred by the quarantine provision, informed Lama. A proposal on reducing the quarantine provision from 7 days to 5 days has been submitted to the Council of Ministers. The cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard soon.<br /> According to the department, 889 climbers from 115 teams had climbed various mountains and peaks in the spring of 2019. Of them, 393 members from 47 teams had climbed Mt Everest alone. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12918', 'image' => '20210317120552_20200917091916_Clipboard36.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:04:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13171', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bahraini team including a royal member returns to Nepal to scale Mount Everest ', 'sub_title' => 'Royal expedition also plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Covid vaccines to locals of Gorkha district ', 'summary' => 'Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. ', 'content' => '<p><em><strong>Tamish Giri</strong></em></p> <p>March 16:<br /> Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.</p> <p>The Bahraini team returned to scale Mount Everest in the spring season this year. Earlier in October 2020, the Bahraini royal team had come to Nepal and scaled Mt. Manaslu of 8,163 meters.<br /> The 16-member expedition team from Bahrain, including a royal family member, landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 6:30 on Monday. Among them, 13 members are from Royal Guard, a unit of the Defense Force of Bahrain, and three British nationals, according to a statement issued by Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain. The expedition team is staying in Nepal for 80 days. </p> <p>The team members are staying at Hotel Marriott and quarantining themselves as required by the health and safety protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to combat the spread of coronavirus. The MoHP has mandated seven-day hotel quarantine for international visitors. </p> <p>Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, said that the team is in Nepal to scale Mount Everest. "The team is currently in hotel quarantine at Hotel Marriott in Naxal to meet the quarantine requirements," he informed. Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd is managing the expedition for the Bahraini team that includes a member of the royal family.</p> <p>He also informed that the team plans to go for a trekking to Gorkha to distribute the Covid vaccines that it has brought from Bahrain and return to the capital on March 27. According to Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain, the royal expedition team plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to locals of Samagaun in Gorkha district. "After that, we will finalize the date and plan for the expedition," he said.</p> <p>The team will soon receive the permit for the expedition, said Sherpa, adding that his expedition agency has already begun the process of obtaining a mountaineering permit from the Department of Tourism, the government authority responsible for issuing mountaineering permits.</p> <p>So far, the Department of Tourism has issued permits to two expedition groups to ascend Nuptse (7,864m) and Manaslu (8,163m).</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12917', 'image' => '20210316081635_Bahraini Team.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 19:59:08', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13169', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Land acquisition getting costlier for industries in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor', 'sub_title' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase their cost of production ', 'summary' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase cost of production ', 'content' => '<p>March 16:<br /> The process of acquiring land for the development of new industries is becoming very difficult in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor due to high prices of land.<br /> Along the corridor, one bigha of land costs around Rs 80 to 90 million. Due to high prices of land, many industrialists complain of high cost of land acquisition to establish their plants or industries.<br /> Hari Gautam, vice-president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) , said that the land acquisition along the corridor for a new industry has been a challenging task. There are around 1,000 small and large industries along Gandak to Pathlaiya of Tribhuvan Highway. Land along the main road costs around Rs 10 million per kattha while the land adjoining the feeder road is being sold at Rs 2 to Rs3 million.</p> <p>The high price for land acquisition has increased the cost for setting up industry, eroding the competitiveness of industries, said Arbindra Amatya, Secretary of BCCI. This could later increase cost of production, he said. “If the cost of production increases, it will have an adverse impact on customers and the overall economy. The government should not delay on introducing policies to lower cost of production,” he said.</p> <p>Though the cost of the lands adjoining the feeder road is cheaper, they do not have necessary infrastructure required for the industries, according to Rajesh Kyal, an industrialist.<br /> Bara-Parsa industrial corridor has plenty of such potential lands to set up industries, but they lack infrastructures like electricity and roads. "We do not need the land along the main road. But, but there should be basic infrastructure required for industries," said Kyal.</p> <p>Gautam, vice-president of BCCI, suggests the government to facilitate on land acquisition.</p> <p>“Generally, industries plan to recover their investments in five to eight years. But, higher cost for land acquisition makes it difficult for industries to get their return,” said Vice-President, Gautam. The government should make the land acquisition process easier," he said.</p> <p>Bara-Parsa industrial corridor was not built under any plan. Industries were established one after another due to its proximity and connectivity with the major border.<br /> Industrialists estimate that 1,000 bighas of land is required to expand the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor.</p> <p>Stakeholders opine that the land allocated for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Simara can be used for this corridor. The government plans to build SEZ in 600 bigahas of land of Birgunj Sugar Mill. However, the progress to construct the SEZ has remained sluggish.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12915', 'image' => '20210316024341_Birgunj corridor.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 14:42:02', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13168', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allocates Rs 200 billion to Build 4000 km Roads in Local Units', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads. Along with the roads, 1,100 motorable bridges will also be built in the next five years. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prime Minister KP Oli inaugurated this project on March 14. The roads are being built by the central government in partnership with provincial and local governments. All three tiers of governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 14 to implement the regional and provincial road construction and improvement project. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Department of Local Infrastructure under the Ministry of General Administration and Federal Affairs informed that the MoU was signed by 110 local units from all seven provinces. The five-year plan has been officially launched to connect 283 local units with the central government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">During the inauguration program, PM Oli said that the government is currently focused on infrastructure building to ensure local units and provinces are connected with blacktopped roads for safety. He said that along with the increasing length of the roads, infrastructures should be built to ensure road safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A total of 392 local units had sent proposals in response to the call of the ministry asking all the local units to send proposal to build connecting roads. The roads are being built in 283 local units and will be extended as per the need, said Homnath Poudel, spokesperson of the Department. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to him, the central government will have a greater share of investment in building the road infrastructure. The government is planning to spend foreign investment pledged by international development partners. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">With the implementation of federalism, the government had planned to connect local units with national highways. To implement this project, the cabinet had approved work procedure for investment modality. In line with it, the central government is allocating 65 percent funds, provincial government is allocating 10 percent and local government is providing 25 percent for the construction of road up to 10 kilometers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> Likewise, to construct roads ranging from 10 km to 20 km, the central government will contribute 70 percent of the investment, provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 20 percent respectively. For the roads above 20km, the central government will fund 75 percent investment while provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12914', 'image' => '20210315074613_20190210014212_bbbb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 19:45:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13167', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Saudi Arabia Allows Workers to Change Jobs without Permission of Employers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer, according to Equidem - a charitable organisation working for human rights in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">From now on, thousands of Nepali workers working in Saudi Arabia can change their jobs and come to Nepal without receiving approval from their employer although this reform is not applicable to a certain group of workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government of Saudi Arabia had announced to bring changes to the labor system in November last year. The reform has come into effect from March 15. As per the new rule, migrant workers working in the private sector such as construction companies, hospitality industry, and infrastructure development projects no longer need to get the permission from the employer to switch jobs, open bank account and leave the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Under the Kafala system, the labor law of Saudi Arabia, migrant workers need sponsors (Kafeel) to enter and work in the country. According to Equidem, he Kafala system has been in place for almost seven decades which binds worker to a single sponsor. With the newly introduced rule, most of the workers no longer need to restrict themselves to a single employer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> “The new changes will not have a large impact unless it is applied to all the workers working in all sectors,” said Mustafa Qadri, founder and executive director of Equidem, in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The new rule which has come into effect from 15<sup>th</sup> March doesn’t apply to four million migrant workers working as domestic help, farmers, gardeners, security guards, and are still under risk of exploitation. Despite the recent changes, all the migrant workers still need sponsors to come as workers in the country. They also need to get permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia to leave or enter the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal still remains one of the leading suppliers of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in spite of the Gulf Nation’s extreme labor laws. In the months of Magh, a total of 4,978 workers received permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to work in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is second on the list after the UAE among countries for which the highest number of applicants have received labor permits in the month of Magh.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12913', 'image' => '20210315030925_20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 15:08:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism in Pokhara yet to Return to Normalcy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy. The tourism sector in Pokhara has not been able to pick up pace even though the economy affected by Covid-19 is moving towards normalization.<br /> Although the number of domestic tourists has increased in Pokhara, foreign tourists have not been able to visit Nepal. This has affected all kinds of tourism businesses in Pokhara. The shortage of foreign tourists has affected hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, especially those targeting foreign tourists. Even locally-made clothings and handicraft businesses have been affected.<br /> Gupta Giri, residential manager of Shangrila Village Resort, Pokhara, informed that the tourism business is still in a state of zero. Except some Indian tourists who come via air after conducting PCR tests, the hotel is almost deserted throughout the year, he informed. He said that hotels and restaurants won't be profitable unless the number of foreign tourists increases.<br /> He suggested that the government should make arrangements for Indian tourists to visit Nepal with on their vehicles after conducting PCR tests at the border point. Tourism entrepreneurs are also demanding to let vaccinated foreigners enter the country. <br /> According to government statistics, between 1 million to 1.5 million people lost their jobs in the tourism sector of Nepal due to Covid-19.<br /> According to traders, the business has declined by up to 50 percent in Pokhara due to lack of foreign tourists in Fewatal, Lakeside, Gupteswar Cave, Patle Chhango, Vindhyavasini, and other areas.<br /> Saru Pokharel, who trades in Nepali handicrafts outside Patle Chhango, informed that foreigners have not returned to buy goods since the market reopened after the lockdown. "Such items used to be bought by foreign tourists rather than Nepalis. Now, foreigners have not come," she said.<br /> Similarly, only 30 percent of the buses carrying tourists have found work due to a lack of foreign tourists. According to Trithunga Travel Agency Pokhara, the buses carrying tourists aren't able to operate due to a lack of tourists from third countries. The company said that 40 drivers lost their jobs due to the non-operation of the buses.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12912', 'image' => '20210315010929_20190204025427_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 13:07:06', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Consumers Being Cheated due to 'Sub-standard' Measurement ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => '', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 15: Today (March 15) is the World Consumers Rights Day. Various programmes are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the day with the slogan 'Tackling Plastic Pollution’. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The celebration of consumers' rights day was initiated after the US President John F Kennedy announced security, information, choice and hearing as four rights of the consumers on 15 March 1962. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Following the benchmark announcement of the US President, the 1985 United Nations General Assembly had endorsed a covenant with additional rights of consumer. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumer rights are defined as the right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though Nepal's Consumers Protection Act-2074 BS has guaranteed several rights to every consumer to purchase or consume rights, the implementation part is not effective. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In a mountainous district Myagdi, the weighing machines being used to measure quantity of goods are sub-standard. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to passive role of the Department of Quality Control and Measurement, banned and unauthorized weighing machines and process have been found to be used in Nepal. It has nurtured the traders and caused loss to the consumers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, variation in the prices of the goods from one shop to another has also forced consumers to buy goods and services at expensive prices. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumers have voiced their complaints that they have been bearing the brunt of mixture of inedible substances in consumable foods and black marketeering. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Former campus chief and economics teacher of Myagdi Multiple Campus, Krishna Bahadur Thapa said though it was the right of the consumers to access clean and healthy goods and services, unchecked mixture of inedible substances to consumable goods was causing big threat to human health condition in Nepal. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12911', 'image' => '20210315115048_World-Consum.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13164', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to Establish 4 Reinsurance Companies', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The board and the respective planners have initiated preparation to establish four re-insurance companies namely, Annapurna Reinsurance Company, Kathmandu Reinsurance Company, Prudential Reinsurance Company and Genuine Reinsurance Company. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Currently only one reinsurance company -- Nepal Reinsurance Company -- is in operation which is owned by the government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Annapurna Reinsurance Company had started its preparation one year ago while other three companies initiated the process of establishment only recently. Previously, former finance minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada had been stressing on the need of a new reinsurance company. And some of the companies started planning of new reinsurance company immediately.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sakar Law Firm has been involved in the process of setting up Annapurna Reinsurance Company. It has sent drafts of necessary documents, regulation bills to the investors. As far as Prudential Reinsurance Company is concerned, Vishal Group and IME Group are investing on it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">CA Mahesh Guragain, Debendra Pratap Shah, Former President of Insurance Board, Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai , CEO of Mahalaxmi Life Insurance and Shree Chandra Bhattarai are the masterminds behind the process of establishing Kathmandu Reinsurance Company. Bhattarai said documents required to establish the company has already been prepared and pledges for the investment is also pouring in. “We are prepared to submit application as soon as the board calls for the application,” he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“The company will be established with the capital ranging from Rs 12 billion to Rs 15 billion. Individuals will own 30 percent shares, another 30 percent shares will be distributed to the public and the rest 40% percent share will be institutional investment,” Bhattarai said. Individuals have already pledged investment worth Rs 6 billion. The company is being established by experienced individuals so we are certain investment will be made from various sectors, he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Initially, Rs 10 billion capital was proposed to establish Kathmandu Reinsurance Company but its capital was raised later in view of standard international rating. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Shreeman Karki, former executive director of the board, and Rabindra Ghimire, insurance expert are planning the establishment of Genuine Reinsurance Company. The company will have a capital of Rs 10 billion. Of it, 30 percent will be institutional investment, 30 percent will be issued to private sector while 30 percent will be issued to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Rajumaran Poudel, Managing Director of Insurance Board, said study is underway whether the market needs another reinsurance company or not. To establish above-mentioned reinsurance companies, the Insurance Board needs to call for the application. After receiving approval from the board, a new company can be registered at the Company Registrar’s Office. After having necessary infrastructure ready, the board will provide approval for the operation of the company. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12910', 'image' => '20210315114314_20200630093335_Reinsurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:42:38', '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' => '13179', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Receives $75 million for COVID-19 Vaccines from World Bank', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution system.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">March 19: The World Bank has approved $75 million to support Nepal in getting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and equitable vaccine distribution system.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">Issuing a statement on Thursday, March 18, the World Bank said its Board of Executive Directors approved the amount from the International Development Association (IDA) to support strengthening Nepal’s health and vaccination system. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the World Bank, the financing is expected to facilitate vaccination of at least one-third of the population through an equitable distribution plan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">“The pandemic presents immense challenges and an uncertain environment, particularly in the purchase, supply and distribution of vaccines,” the statement quoted Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank’s Country Director for the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as saying. “It is a testament to our strong partnership with Nepal that the Bank has been able to move quickly to support the government’s ambitious plans to vaccinate at least 72 percent of the population.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The additional financing builds on the $29 million for the original COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project that was approved in April 2020, the existing bank-supported health programs, and confirmed support of other development partners in the context of the government’s overall COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 response, the statement further said. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">Most of the new financing (90 percent) will go to the purchase of COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccines and deployment for prioritized populations beyond the 20 percent that will be vaccinated through COVAX. The rest of the financing will help strengthen the health system to support the COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccination effort and procure other COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19-related supplies such as diagnostic tests, laboratory equipment and therapeutics. The additional financing also supports community engagement and risk communication, and strengthening existing digital technology<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>based pandemic data, surveillance and monitoring systems. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:Arial">“This support is critical for Nepal to safeguard the physical health of its people and economic health of the nation,” said Gail Richardson, World Bank Practice Manager for South Asia for the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. “Providing fast and fair access to the approved COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable people will expedite population-level immunity, which is central to resilient recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">This additional financing for Nepal is one of the three projects in a first phase of support for the COVID-19 vaccination effort across the South Asia region. On Thursday, the World Bank’s board also approved additional financing from IDA of $500 million for Bangladesh and $60 million for Afghanistan. In addition to financing, the Bank is also providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, said it is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-19', 'modified' => '2021-03-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12925', 'image' => '20210319105958_world-bank.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-19 10:58:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13178', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fertilisers Imported from China Stuck at Tatopani Customs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The fertiliser that arrived at the Tatopani checkpoint with the aim of reaching Kathmandu in 10 days from Shigatse, China has been stuck at the checkpoint since 12 days after entering Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepali farmers, who face shortage of chemical fertilizers every year, have started importing fertilizers from the northern border checkpoints to prevent shortage this year. However, due to the lack of procedural hassles, the fertilisers have not been cleared by the customs office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development was expecting the fertiliser to reach Kathmandu in a week, it has been stranded at the customs office for 12 days due to failure to obtain customs clearance.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief of Tatopani Customs, said that the fertilisers would be sent from the customs to the Salt Trading Corporation in Kathmandu if the necessary process is completed by the ministry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the customs office, about 300 metric tons of fertilisers are stored at the customs at present. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Khatri informed that chemical fertiziers were being imported through the northern border for the first time. He said that imports from the customs would increase if the Araniko highway could be upgraded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Salt Trading Corporation Limited, which has received permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for transportation of the fertilizer, has entered into an agreement with the Silk Group and is bringing the fertilizer to Nepal from the Chinese city of Shigatse via Tatopani. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Informing about the progress of urea imported to Nepal from China, Ramesh Sherpa, chairman of Silk Group, an import and transport company, said that 4,000 metric tons of urea will arrive in Nepal within a month. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Currently, fertilisers are being imported in five to seven 40-foot containers daily,” Sherpa said, “If there are no other problems in between, we can bring all the fertilisers to Nepal in a month.” He said a large container would transport two metric tons of fertilizer. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kanchan Raj Pandey, informed that the import of fertilizer from China is being done to solve the problem of shortage of urea in Nepal every year. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Prior to this, fertilisers were imported only from Birgunj through the southern border,” said Pandey, who visited the Tatopani customs warehouse to monitor the situation. He said that urea imported from China would be cheaper by Rs 2 to 3 per kg. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, said that in the first phase, urea imported from China is being prepared for distribution in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dolakha and other nearby districts. “The trial of importing urea from China has started,” Sharma said, adding, “The fertilsiers have come to Nepal from China in an affordable price and Nepali farmers will not have to face shortage of fertilisers from this year.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The chemical fertilisers enter Nepal from India, Bangladesh and China. Bed Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that it was unfortunate that the government was trying to store fertilisers so that there would be no shortage. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"The customs process should be started immediately to distribute the fertilisers to the farmers immediately," said Shrestha, “As there is huge demand for fertilisers between May to August, the government needs to pay special attention to deliver the fertilisers to the farmers on time.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12924', 'image' => '20210318015648_20200809115003_1596923819.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13177', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hoteliers Demand Government Open Border for Vehicular Movement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The stakeholders made such demand while handing over a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel on March 17. The entrepreneurs have complained that the hotel and tourism business has been badly affected as the government has not yet reopened the border to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic.<br /> <br /> They complained that Indian tourists willing to visit Nepal through land route have not been able to enter the country due to restriction on vehicular movement at Birgunj and other border points.<br /> <br /> Hari Pant, president of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, informed that Deputy Prime Minister Pokharel assured them to open up border with India for allowing vehicular movement soon.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers in the memorandum have mentioned that the hotel and tourism businesses are still disrupted, despite other enterprises returning to normalcy.<br /> <br /> Entrepreneurs informed that the closure of the border and restriction on vehicles has badly affected their business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Pant said that his livelihood was in crisis as about 2,500 people were involved in the hotel business in the Birgunj area alone. He also said that the investment of around Rs 6 billion in the hotel and tourism-related business in the region is at risk.<br /> <br /> Radheshyam Patel, a member of the Tourism Journalists' Association, said that stopping the vehicles is not justifiable as international flights are operating to and from Tribhuvan International Airport.<br /> Entrepreneurs say that the movement of tourists from India will not be smooth until the border is fully operational.<br /> <br /> Around 70 to 80 percent of hotels in the border areas including, Birgunj, are dependent on Indian guests.<br /> <br /> Pant complained that he has difficulty in meeting the operating expenses as the Indian guests have not yet arrived.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers also met with Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal, demanding to open up the border for the movement of vehicles.<br /> <br /> On the occasion, Pant informed Minister Dhakal about the problems faced by hotels and tourism business in the border areas.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Hoteliers during the meeting with Tourism Minister Dhakal discussed the potential of hotels and tourism in the border areas and the solution to the current problem, informed Pant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Minister Dhakal assured that the government is ever ready to cooperate with the private sector for tourism promotion.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12923', 'image' => '20210318011517_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:14:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13176', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Immigration Department Collects Rs 79.83 million from Visas', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">By Tamish Giri<br /> March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories. The department, which is the aughorized government body to issue visas, collected the amount between January 14 and March 13, 2021.<br /> The department collected Rs 37,692,507.81 from visas between January 14 and February 12 and Rs 42,146,183.93 between 13 February and 13 March. <br /> According to the department, it issued visas to 7536 foreigners between January 14 and February 12.<br /> Among them, 5239 were visit visas, 951visa extension, 238 business visas, 114 marriage visas, 137 education visas, 116 visas to Non-Residential Nepalis, 386 visas based on relations, 166 working visas, 55 diplomatic and 134 dependent visas.<br /> The department is yet to make the data of visas issued between February 13 and March 13 public. However, a source at the department said that 5522 visas have been issued between during the period.<br /> According to the source, 6,235 foreigners entered Nepal through Tribhuvan International Airport between March 1 and March 15. A total of 28,413 Nepali citizens also have returned home from abroad during the same period. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12922', 'image' => '20210318011649_Visa-Interview-Questions.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 18:14:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13175', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Development Committee to discuss about fast track, outer ring road projects ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Development and Technology Committee, House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road in its upcoming meetings.', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> The Development and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road with organisations and representatives concerned in its upcoming meetings. </p> <p>The first meeting of the Committee was held today after the reinstatement of the House of Representatives. The Commitee plans to discuss about the projects affecting the people directly. In its next meeting, the Committee plans to sit with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army for the discussion about the fast-track, according to Committee under-secretary Om Bahadur Karki. </p> <p>As he said, the meeting will be held on 21 or 22 March. Melamchi water supply project and the outer ring road are the agenda of meetings thereafter, he said. <br /> The participants of the meeting opined for discussing about the most pressing development issues. </p> <p>The previous meeting of the Committee was held on December 17 and the House was dissolved on December 20 which was later reinstated with the Supreme Court's verdict on February 23. The first meeting after the reinstatement was attended by the just Committee members, and the next round of meetings will have the participation of representatives from the related ministries and organisations as well.</p> <p>-RSS</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12921', 'image' => '20210317035230_Fast Track.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 15:48:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13174', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Remittance inflows to Nepal jump 11 percent to Rs 568 billion in seven months of current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21. ', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21.<br /> According to ‘Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal’ released by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Tuesday, remittance inflows have jumped 10.9 percent in Nepali Rupee in the review period from a total of Rs 511.94 billion in remittances that Nepal received in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> In terms of US Dollar, remittance inflows increased 6.7 percent to $4.81 billion in the review period against a decrease of 0.5 percent in the same period of previous year.<br /> Despite concerns that Covid-19 could hit the remittance inflows, the country has been witnessing a robust growth in the transfer of money from Nepali residing abroad.<br /> Though there is no prediction for 2021, the World Bank last year had predicted a sharpest decline in remittances with Nepal’s remittances falling 12 percent to $7.4 billion in 2020. However, the remittance inflows did not decline as predicted by the World Bank.</p> <p>However, there has been a significant drop in the number of Nepali workers going abroad for the employment. According to the NRB data, number of Nepali workers (institutional and individual-new and legalized) taking approval for foreign employment decreased 75.9 percent in the review period. Only 39,803 Nepali workers acquired permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to go for foreign employment in the first seven months. It had increased 21.7 percent to 165,206 in the same period of the previous year.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12920', 'image' => '20210317125408_Remittances_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:52:27', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13173', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Country can be Transformed Economically through Agriculture: Israeli Ambassador ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. Stating that there are enough opportunities to transform Nepal economically, he suggested that such opportunities should be explored. Ambassador Goldberger was observing an agriculture farm run at Damak-3 in Jhapa district run by local Mansarobar Agriculture Cooperative. Praising the farm run through the use of modern technology, he said any country could transform economically through agriculture referring to Israel which according to him faced scarcity of foods some 70 years ago and but now is exporting agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">On the occasion, Goldberger interacted with the proprietor of the cooperative on agriculture, said the cooperative's manager Mahendra Adhikari. Run with subsidies from the Government of Nepal, the cooperative produces and sells agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Present on the occasion were Damak Municipality mayor Rom Nath Oli, chief of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Implementation Unit, Jhapa, Rabindra Subedi and chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa, Nilkamal Singh. --RSS </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg" style="height:517px; width:800px" /> </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12919', 'image' => '20210317122028_20201109032251_Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:19:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13172', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT starts Issuing Permits for Spring Season Expedition', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. <br /> The department has issued permits to the two teams for climbing Mt Nuptse (7,864 meters) and Mt Manaslu (8,163 meters) at the beginning of this season. A total of mountaineers will climb the two mountains. According to the department, four people will ascend Nuptse, and one will climb Manaslu.<br /> The department has collected a total of Rs 491,000 in royalties. Last year, in this season of 2020, mountaineering activity was zero. Due to the Covid-10 pandemic, there was no mountaineering in the spring of 2020.<br /> Mountaineers will have to follow the health protocol issued by the Ministry of Health and Population during the expedition.<br /> Mira Acharya, director of the department, informed that the government has estimated that around 250 to 300 climbers will climb Mt. Everest this season.<br /> DoT has started necessary preparations for the safety of the mountaineering teams and climbers. Mountaineering organizations have also prepared for the safety of the mountaineers to make their climb easier.<br /> President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Santabir Lama, informed that NMA has made necessary preparations for the safety of mountaineers. He added that the concerned organization is in a state of readiness for icefall doctors and rope fixing to avoid the possible risk of accidents and to ensure safe climbing.<br /> Although foreign tourists are eager to climb mountains of Nepal, they are deterred by the quarantine provision, informed Lama. A proposal on reducing the quarantine provision from 7 days to 5 days has been submitted to the Council of Ministers. The cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard soon.<br /> According to the department, 889 climbers from 115 teams had climbed various mountains and peaks in the spring of 2019. Of them, 393 members from 47 teams had climbed Mt Everest alone. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12918', 'image' => '20210317120552_20200917091916_Clipboard36.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:04:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13171', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bahraini team including a royal member returns to Nepal to scale Mount Everest ', 'sub_title' => 'Royal expedition also plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Covid vaccines to locals of Gorkha district ', 'summary' => 'Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. ', 'content' => '<p><em><strong>Tamish Giri</strong></em></p> <p>March 16:<br /> Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.</p> <p>The Bahraini team returned to scale Mount Everest in the spring season this year. Earlier in October 2020, the Bahraini royal team had come to Nepal and scaled Mt. Manaslu of 8,163 meters.<br /> The 16-member expedition team from Bahrain, including a royal family member, landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 6:30 on Monday. Among them, 13 members are from Royal Guard, a unit of the Defense Force of Bahrain, and three British nationals, according to a statement issued by Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain. The expedition team is staying in Nepal for 80 days. </p> <p>The team members are staying at Hotel Marriott and quarantining themselves as required by the health and safety protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to combat the spread of coronavirus. The MoHP has mandated seven-day hotel quarantine for international visitors. </p> <p>Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, said that the team is in Nepal to scale Mount Everest. "The team is currently in hotel quarantine at Hotel Marriott in Naxal to meet the quarantine requirements," he informed. Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd is managing the expedition for the Bahraini team that includes a member of the royal family.</p> <p>He also informed that the team plans to go for a trekking to Gorkha to distribute the Covid vaccines that it has brought from Bahrain and return to the capital on March 27. According to Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain, the royal expedition team plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to locals of Samagaun in Gorkha district. "After that, we will finalize the date and plan for the expedition," he said.</p> <p>The team will soon receive the permit for the expedition, said Sherpa, adding that his expedition agency has already begun the process of obtaining a mountaineering permit from the Department of Tourism, the government authority responsible for issuing mountaineering permits.</p> <p>So far, the Department of Tourism has issued permits to two expedition groups to ascend Nuptse (7,864m) and Manaslu (8,163m).</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12917', 'image' => '20210316081635_Bahraini Team.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 19:59:08', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13169', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Land acquisition getting costlier for industries in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor', 'sub_title' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase their cost of production ', 'summary' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase cost of production ', 'content' => '<p>March 16:<br /> The process of acquiring land for the development of new industries is becoming very difficult in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor due to high prices of land.<br /> Along the corridor, one bigha of land costs around Rs 80 to 90 million. Due to high prices of land, many industrialists complain of high cost of land acquisition to establish their plants or industries.<br /> Hari Gautam, vice-president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) , said that the land acquisition along the corridor for a new industry has been a challenging task. There are around 1,000 small and large industries along Gandak to Pathlaiya of Tribhuvan Highway. Land along the main road costs around Rs 10 million per kattha while the land adjoining the feeder road is being sold at Rs 2 to Rs3 million.</p> <p>The high price for land acquisition has increased the cost for setting up industry, eroding the competitiveness of industries, said Arbindra Amatya, Secretary of BCCI. This could later increase cost of production, he said. “If the cost of production increases, it will have an adverse impact on customers and the overall economy. The government should not delay on introducing policies to lower cost of production,” he said.</p> <p>Though the cost of the lands adjoining the feeder road is cheaper, they do not have necessary infrastructure required for the industries, according to Rajesh Kyal, an industrialist.<br /> Bara-Parsa industrial corridor has plenty of such potential lands to set up industries, but they lack infrastructures like electricity and roads. "We do not need the land along the main road. But, but there should be basic infrastructure required for industries," said Kyal.</p> <p>Gautam, vice-president of BCCI, suggests the government to facilitate on land acquisition.</p> <p>“Generally, industries plan to recover their investments in five to eight years. But, higher cost for land acquisition makes it difficult for industries to get their return,” said Vice-President, Gautam. The government should make the land acquisition process easier," he said.</p> <p>Bara-Parsa industrial corridor was not built under any plan. Industries were established one after another due to its proximity and connectivity with the major border.<br /> Industrialists estimate that 1,000 bighas of land is required to expand the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor.</p> <p>Stakeholders opine that the land allocated for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Simara can be used for this corridor. The government plans to build SEZ in 600 bigahas of land of Birgunj Sugar Mill. However, the progress to construct the SEZ has remained sluggish.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12915', 'image' => '20210316024341_Birgunj corridor.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 14:42:02', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13168', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allocates Rs 200 billion to Build 4000 km Roads in Local Units', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads. Along with the roads, 1,100 motorable bridges will also be built in the next five years. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prime Minister KP Oli inaugurated this project on March 14. The roads are being built by the central government in partnership with provincial and local governments. All three tiers of governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 14 to implement the regional and provincial road construction and improvement project. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Department of Local Infrastructure under the Ministry of General Administration and Federal Affairs informed that the MoU was signed by 110 local units from all seven provinces. The five-year plan has been officially launched to connect 283 local units with the central government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">During the inauguration program, PM Oli said that the government is currently focused on infrastructure building to ensure local units and provinces are connected with blacktopped roads for safety. He said that along with the increasing length of the roads, infrastructures should be built to ensure road safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A total of 392 local units had sent proposals in response to the call of the ministry asking all the local units to send proposal to build connecting roads. The roads are being built in 283 local units and will be extended as per the need, said Homnath Poudel, spokesperson of the Department. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to him, the central government will have a greater share of investment in building the road infrastructure. The government is planning to spend foreign investment pledged by international development partners. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">With the implementation of federalism, the government had planned to connect local units with national highways. To implement this project, the cabinet had approved work procedure for investment modality. In line with it, the central government is allocating 65 percent funds, provincial government is allocating 10 percent and local government is providing 25 percent for the construction of road up to 10 kilometers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> Likewise, to construct roads ranging from 10 km to 20 km, the central government will contribute 70 percent of the investment, provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 20 percent respectively. For the roads above 20km, the central government will fund 75 percent investment while provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12914', 'image' => '20210315074613_20190210014212_bbbb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 19:45:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13167', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Saudi Arabia Allows Workers to Change Jobs without Permission of Employers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer, according to Equidem - a charitable organisation working for human rights in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">From now on, thousands of Nepali workers working in Saudi Arabia can change their jobs and come to Nepal without receiving approval from their employer although this reform is not applicable to a certain group of workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government of Saudi Arabia had announced to bring changes to the labor system in November last year. The reform has come into effect from March 15. As per the new rule, migrant workers working in the private sector such as construction companies, hospitality industry, and infrastructure development projects no longer need to get the permission from the employer to switch jobs, open bank account and leave the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Under the Kafala system, the labor law of Saudi Arabia, migrant workers need sponsors (Kafeel) to enter and work in the country. According to Equidem, he Kafala system has been in place for almost seven decades which binds worker to a single sponsor. With the newly introduced rule, most of the workers no longer need to restrict themselves to a single employer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> “The new changes will not have a large impact unless it is applied to all the workers working in all sectors,” said Mustafa Qadri, founder and executive director of Equidem, in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The new rule which has come into effect from 15<sup>th</sup> March doesn’t apply to four million migrant workers working as domestic help, farmers, gardeners, security guards, and are still under risk of exploitation. Despite the recent changes, all the migrant workers still need sponsors to come as workers in the country. They also need to get permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia to leave or enter the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal still remains one of the leading suppliers of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in spite of the Gulf Nation’s extreme labor laws. In the months of Magh, a total of 4,978 workers received permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to work in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is second on the list after the UAE among countries for which the highest number of applicants have received labor permits in the month of Magh.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12913', 'image' => '20210315030925_20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 15:08:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism in Pokhara yet to Return to Normalcy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy. The tourism sector in Pokhara has not been able to pick up pace even though the economy affected by Covid-19 is moving towards normalization.<br /> Although the number of domestic tourists has increased in Pokhara, foreign tourists have not been able to visit Nepal. This has affected all kinds of tourism businesses in Pokhara. The shortage of foreign tourists has affected hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, especially those targeting foreign tourists. Even locally-made clothings and handicraft businesses have been affected.<br /> Gupta Giri, residential manager of Shangrila Village Resort, Pokhara, informed that the tourism business is still in a state of zero. Except some Indian tourists who come via air after conducting PCR tests, the hotel is almost deserted throughout the year, he informed. He said that hotels and restaurants won't be profitable unless the number of foreign tourists increases.<br /> He suggested that the government should make arrangements for Indian tourists to visit Nepal with on their vehicles after conducting PCR tests at the border point. Tourism entrepreneurs are also demanding to let vaccinated foreigners enter the country. <br /> According to government statistics, between 1 million to 1.5 million people lost their jobs in the tourism sector of Nepal due to Covid-19.<br /> According to traders, the business has declined by up to 50 percent in Pokhara due to lack of foreign tourists in Fewatal, Lakeside, Gupteswar Cave, Patle Chhango, Vindhyavasini, and other areas.<br /> Saru Pokharel, who trades in Nepali handicrafts outside Patle Chhango, informed that foreigners have not returned to buy goods since the market reopened after the lockdown. "Such items used to be bought by foreign tourists rather than Nepalis. Now, foreigners have not come," she said.<br /> Similarly, only 30 percent of the buses carrying tourists have found work due to a lack of foreign tourists. According to Trithunga Travel Agency Pokhara, the buses carrying tourists aren't able to operate due to a lack of tourists from third countries. The company said that 40 drivers lost their jobs due to the non-operation of the buses.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12912', 'image' => '20210315010929_20190204025427_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 13:07:06', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Consumers Being Cheated due to 'Sub-standard' Measurement ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => '', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 15: Today (March 15) is the World Consumers Rights Day. Various programmes are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the day with the slogan 'Tackling Plastic Pollution’. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The celebration of consumers' rights day was initiated after the US President John F Kennedy announced security, information, choice and hearing as four rights of the consumers on 15 March 1962. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Following the benchmark announcement of the US President, the 1985 United Nations General Assembly had endorsed a covenant with additional rights of consumer. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumer rights are defined as the right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though Nepal's Consumers Protection Act-2074 BS has guaranteed several rights to every consumer to purchase or consume rights, the implementation part is not effective. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In a mountainous district Myagdi, the weighing machines being used to measure quantity of goods are sub-standard. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to passive role of the Department of Quality Control and Measurement, banned and unauthorized weighing machines and process have been found to be used in Nepal. It has nurtured the traders and caused loss to the consumers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, variation in the prices of the goods from one shop to another has also forced consumers to buy goods and services at expensive prices. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumers have voiced their complaints that they have been bearing the brunt of mixture of inedible substances in consumable foods and black marketeering. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Former campus chief and economics teacher of Myagdi Multiple Campus, Krishna Bahadur Thapa said though it was the right of the consumers to access clean and healthy goods and services, unchecked mixture of inedible substances to consumable goods was causing big threat to human health condition in Nepal. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12911', 'image' => '20210315115048_World-Consum.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13164', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to Establish 4 Reinsurance Companies', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The board and the respective planners have initiated preparation to establish four re-insurance companies namely, Annapurna Reinsurance Company, Kathmandu Reinsurance Company, Prudential Reinsurance Company and Genuine Reinsurance Company. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Currently only one reinsurance company -- Nepal Reinsurance Company -- is in operation which is owned by the government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Annapurna Reinsurance Company had started its preparation one year ago while other three companies initiated the process of establishment only recently. Previously, former finance minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada had been stressing on the need of a new reinsurance company. And some of the companies started planning of new reinsurance company immediately.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sakar Law Firm has been involved in the process of setting up Annapurna Reinsurance Company. It has sent drafts of necessary documents, regulation bills to the investors. As far as Prudential Reinsurance Company is concerned, Vishal Group and IME Group are investing on it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">CA Mahesh Guragain, Debendra Pratap Shah, Former President of Insurance Board, Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai , CEO of Mahalaxmi Life Insurance and Shree Chandra Bhattarai are the masterminds behind the process of establishing Kathmandu Reinsurance Company. Bhattarai said documents required to establish the company has already been prepared and pledges for the investment is also pouring in. “We are prepared to submit application as soon as the board calls for the application,” he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“The company will be established with the capital ranging from Rs 12 billion to Rs 15 billion. Individuals will own 30 percent shares, another 30 percent shares will be distributed to the public and the rest 40% percent share will be institutional investment,” Bhattarai said. Individuals have already pledged investment worth Rs 6 billion. The company is being established by experienced individuals so we are certain investment will be made from various sectors, he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Initially, Rs 10 billion capital was proposed to establish Kathmandu Reinsurance Company but its capital was raised later in view of standard international rating. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Shreeman Karki, former executive director of the board, and Rabindra Ghimire, insurance expert are planning the establishment of Genuine Reinsurance Company. The company will have a capital of Rs 10 billion. Of it, 30 percent will be institutional investment, 30 percent will be issued to private sector while 30 percent will be issued to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Rajumaran Poudel, Managing Director of Insurance Board, said study is underway whether the market needs another reinsurance company or not. To establish above-mentioned reinsurance companies, the Insurance Board needs to call for the application. After receiving approval from the board, a new company can be registered at the Company Registrar’s Office. After having necessary infrastructure ready, the board will provide approval for the operation of the company. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12910', 'image' => '20210315114314_20200630093335_Reinsurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:42:38', '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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The rest of the financing will help strengthen the health system to support the COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19 vaccination effort and procure other COVID<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>19-related supplies such as diagnostic tests, laboratory equipment and therapeutics. The additional financing also supports community engagement and risk communication, and strengthening existing digital technology<span style="font-family:"Cambria Math"">‐</span>based pandemic data, surveillance and monitoring systems. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-family:Arial">“This support is critical for Nepal to safeguard the physical health of its people and economic health of the nation,” said Gail Richardson, World Bank Practice Manager for South Asia for the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. “Providing fast and fair access to the approved COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable people will expedite population-level immunity, which is central to resilient recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">This additional financing for Nepal is one of the three projects in a first phase of support for the COVID-19 vaccination effort across the South Asia region. On Thursday, the World Bank’s board also approved additional financing from IDA of $500 million for Bangladesh and $60 million for Afghanistan. In addition to financing, the Bank is also providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Arial">The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, said it is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-19', 'modified' => '2021-03-19', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12925', 'image' => '20210319105958_world-bank.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-19 10:58:29', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13178', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fertilisers Imported from China Stuck at Tatopani Customs ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">March 18: Fertiliser imported from China through Tatopani border with the aim of supplying it to Kathmandu in a short time is still stuck in the warehouse of Tatopani customs due to the lengthy paper works and troublesome government process. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The fertiliser that arrived at the Tatopani checkpoint with the aim of reaching Kathmandu in 10 days from Shigatse, China has been stuck at the checkpoint since 12 days after entering Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepali farmers, who face shortage of chemical fertilizers every year, have started importing fertilizers from the northern border checkpoints to prevent shortage this year. However, due to the lack of procedural hassles, the fertilisers have not been cleared by the customs office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development was expecting the fertiliser to reach Kathmandu in a week, it has been stranded at the customs office for 12 days due to failure to obtain customs clearance.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief of Tatopani Customs, said that the fertilisers would be sent from the customs to the Salt Trading Corporation in Kathmandu if the necessary process is completed by the ministry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to the customs office, about 300 metric tons of fertilisers are stored at the customs at present. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Khatri informed that chemical fertiziers were being imported through the northern border for the first time. He said that imports from the customs would increase if the Araniko highway could be upgraded. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Salt Trading Corporation Limited, which has received permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for transportation of the fertilizer, has entered into an agreement with the Silk Group and is bringing the fertilizer to Nepal from the Chinese city of Shigatse via Tatopani. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Informing about the progress of urea imported to Nepal from China, Ramesh Sherpa, chairman of Silk Group, an import and transport company, said that 4,000 metric tons of urea will arrive in Nepal within a month. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Currently, fertilisers are being imported in five to seven 40-foot containers daily,” Sherpa said, “If there are no other problems in between, we can bring all the fertilisers to Nepal in a month.” He said a large container would transport two metric tons of fertilizer. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kanchan Raj Pandey, informed that the import of fertilizer from China is being done to solve the problem of shortage of urea in Nepal every year. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Prior to this, fertilisers were imported only from Birgunj through the southern border,” said Pandey, who visited the Tatopani customs warehouse to monitor the situation. He said that urea imported from China would be cheaper by Rs 2 to 3 per kg. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, said that in the first phase, urea imported from China is being prepared for distribution in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dolakha and other nearby districts. “The trial of importing urea from China has started,” Sharma said, adding, “The fertilsiers have come to Nepal from China in an affordable price and Nepali farmers will not have to face shortage of fertilisers from this year.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The chemical fertilisers enter Nepal from India, Bangladesh and China. Bed Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that it was unfortunate that the government was trying to store fertilisers so that there would be no shortage. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">"The customs process should be started immediately to distribute the fertilisers to the farmers immediately," said Shrestha, “As there is huge demand for fertilisers between May to August, the government needs to pay special attention to deliver the fertilisers to the farmers on time.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12924', 'image' => '20210318015648_20200809115003_1596923819.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:56:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13177', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hoteliers Demand Government Open Border for Vehicular Movement', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">March 18: The Birgunj Association of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Association of Tourism Journalists have demanded the government to allow vehicular movement at border points with India to facilitate the inflow of tourists. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The stakeholders made such demand while handing over a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel on March 17. The entrepreneurs have complained that the hotel and tourism business has been badly affected as the government has not yet reopened the border to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic.<br /> <br /> They complained that Indian tourists willing to visit Nepal through land route have not been able to enter the country due to restriction on vehicular movement at Birgunj and other border points.<br /> <br /> Hari Pant, president of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, informed that Deputy Prime Minister Pokharel assured them to open up border with India for allowing vehicular movement soon.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers in the memorandum have mentioned that the hotel and tourism businesses are still disrupted, despite other enterprises returning to normalcy.<br /> <br /> Entrepreneurs informed that the closure of the border and restriction on vehicles has badly affected their business.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Pant said that his livelihood was in crisis as about 2,500 people were involved in the hotel business in the Birgunj area alone. He also said that the investment of around Rs 6 billion in the hotel and tourism-related business in the region is at risk.<br /> <br /> Radheshyam Patel, a member of the Tourism Journalists' Association, said that stopping the vehicles is not justifiable as international flights are operating to and from Tribhuvan International Airport.<br /> Entrepreneurs say that the movement of tourists from India will not be smooth until the border is fully operational.<br /> <br /> Around 70 to 80 percent of hotels in the border areas including, Birgunj, are dependent on Indian guests.<br /> <br /> Pant complained that he has difficulty in meeting the operating expenses as the Indian guests have not yet arrived.<br /> <br /> Hoteliers also met with Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal, demanding to open up the border for the movement of vehicles.<br /> <br /> On the occasion, Pant informed Minister Dhakal about the problems faced by hotels and tourism business in the border areas.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Hoteliers during the meeting with Tourism Minister Dhakal discussed the potential of hotels and tourism in the border areas and the solution to the current problem, informed Pant. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Minister Dhakal assured that the government is ever ready to cooperate with the private sector for tourism promotion.</span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-18', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12923', 'image' => '20210318011517_1610926784.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-18 13:14:43', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13176', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Immigration Department Collects Rs 79.83 million from Visas', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">By Tamish Giri<br /> March 17: The Department of Immigration has collected Rs 79,838,691 in the last two months by issuing visas of different categories. The department, which is the aughorized government body to issue visas, collected the amount between January 14 and March 13, 2021.<br /> The department collected Rs 37,692,507.81 from visas between January 14 and February 12 and Rs 42,146,183.93 between 13 February and 13 March. <br /> According to the department, it issued visas to 7536 foreigners between January 14 and February 12.<br /> Among them, 5239 were visit visas, 951visa extension, 238 business visas, 114 marriage visas, 137 education visas, 116 visas to Non-Residential Nepalis, 386 visas based on relations, 166 working visas, 55 diplomatic and 134 dependent visas.<br /> The department is yet to make the data of visas issued between February 13 and March 13 public. However, a source at the department said that 5522 visas have been issued between during the period.<br /> According to the source, 6,235 foreigners entered Nepal through Tribhuvan International Airport between March 1 and March 15. A total of 28,413 Nepali citizens also have returned home from abroad during the same period. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-18', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12922', 'image' => '20210318011649_Visa-Interview-Questions.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 18:14:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13175', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Parliamentary Development Committee to discuss about fast track, outer ring road projects ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'The Development and Technology Committee, House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road in its upcoming meetings.', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> The Development and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has made plans for discussing about the infrastructure projects such as Kathmandu-Tarai fast track, Melamchi water supply project, and outer ring road with organisations and representatives concerned in its upcoming meetings. </p> <p>The first meeting of the Committee was held today after the reinstatement of the House of Representatives. The Commitee plans to discuss about the projects affecting the people directly. In its next meeting, the Committee plans to sit with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army for the discussion about the fast-track, according to Committee under-secretary Om Bahadur Karki. </p> <p>As he said, the meeting will be held on 21 or 22 March. Melamchi water supply project and the outer ring road are the agenda of meetings thereafter, he said. <br /> The participants of the meeting opined for discussing about the most pressing development issues. </p> <p>The previous meeting of the Committee was held on December 17 and the House was dissolved on December 20 which was later reinstated with the Supreme Court's verdict on February 23. The first meeting after the reinstatement was attended by the just Committee members, and the next round of meetings will have the participation of representatives from the related ministries and organisations as well.</p> <p>-RSS</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12921', 'image' => '20210317035230_Fast Track.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 15:48:17', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13174', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Remittance inflows to Nepal jump 11 percent to Rs 568 billion in seven months of current FY ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21. ', 'content' => '<p>March 17:<br /> Nepal has received Rs 567.7 billion in remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2020/21.<br /> According to ‘Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal’ released by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Tuesday, remittance inflows have jumped 10.9 percent in Nepali Rupee in the review period from a total of Rs 511.94 billion in remittances that Nepal received in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year 2019/20.<br /> In terms of US Dollar, remittance inflows increased 6.7 percent to $4.81 billion in the review period against a decrease of 0.5 percent in the same period of previous year.<br /> Despite concerns that Covid-19 could hit the remittance inflows, the country has been witnessing a robust growth in the transfer of money from Nepali residing abroad.<br /> Though there is no prediction for 2021, the World Bank last year had predicted a sharpest decline in remittances with Nepal’s remittances falling 12 percent to $7.4 billion in 2020. However, the remittance inflows did not decline as predicted by the World Bank.</p> <p>However, there has been a significant drop in the number of Nepali workers going abroad for the employment. According to the NRB data, number of Nepali workers (institutional and individual-new and legalized) taking approval for foreign employment decreased 75.9 percent in the review period. Only 39,803 Nepali workers acquired permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to go for foreign employment in the first seven months. It had increased 21.7 percent to 165,206 in the same period of the previous year.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12920', 'image' => '20210317125408_Remittances_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:52:27', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13173', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => ' Country can be Transformed Economically through Agriculture: Israeli Ambassador ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 17: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Hanan Goder Goldberger has said that agriculture is not a hobby but a business and a means of living. Stating that there are enough opportunities to transform Nepal economically, he suggested that such opportunities should be explored. Ambassador Goldberger was observing an agriculture farm run at Damak-3 in Jhapa district run by local Mansarobar Agriculture Cooperative. Praising the farm run through the use of modern technology, he said any country could transform economically through agriculture referring to Israel which according to him faced scarcity of foods some 70 years ago and but now is exporting agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">On the occasion, Goldberger interacted with the proprietor of the cooperative on agriculture, said the cooperative's manager Mahendra Adhikari. Run with subsidies from the Government of Nepal, the cooperative produces and sells agricultural products. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Present on the occasion were Damak Municipality mayor Rom Nath Oli, chief of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Implementation Unit, Jhapa, Rabindra Subedi and chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa, Nilkamal Singh. --RSS </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS""><img alt="" src="/app/webroot/userfiles/images/20210106123441_20201105020829_cover.jpg" style="height:517px; width:800px" /> </span></span></span><br /> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12919', 'image' => '20210317122028_20201109032251_Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:19:21', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13172', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DoT starts Issuing Permits for Spring Season Expedition', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 17: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has issued expedition permits to two mountaineering teams for the spring season of 2021. <br /> The department has issued permits to the two teams for climbing Mt Nuptse (7,864 meters) and Mt Manaslu (8,163 meters) at the beginning of this season. A total of mountaineers will climb the two mountains. According to the department, four people will ascend Nuptse, and one will climb Manaslu.<br /> The department has collected a total of Rs 491,000 in royalties. Last year, in this season of 2020, mountaineering activity was zero. Due to the Covid-10 pandemic, there was no mountaineering in the spring of 2020.<br /> Mountaineers will have to follow the health protocol issued by the Ministry of Health and Population during the expedition.<br /> Mira Acharya, director of the department, informed that the government has estimated that around 250 to 300 climbers will climb Mt. Everest this season.<br /> DoT has started necessary preparations for the safety of the mountaineering teams and climbers. Mountaineering organizations have also prepared for the safety of the mountaineers to make their climb easier.<br /> President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Santabir Lama, informed that NMA has made necessary preparations for the safety of mountaineers. He added that the concerned organization is in a state of readiness for icefall doctors and rope fixing to avoid the possible risk of accidents and to ensure safe climbing.<br /> Although foreign tourists are eager to climb mountains of Nepal, they are deterred by the quarantine provision, informed Lama. A proposal on reducing the quarantine provision from 7 days to 5 days has been submitted to the Council of Ministers. The cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard soon.<br /> According to the department, 889 climbers from 115 teams had climbed various mountains and peaks in the spring of 2019. Of them, 393 members from 47 teams had climbed Mt Everest alone. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-17', 'modified' => '2021-03-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12918', 'image' => '20210317120552_20200917091916_Clipboard36.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-17 12:04:55', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13171', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bahraini team including a royal member returns to Nepal to scale Mount Everest ', 'sub_title' => 'Royal expedition also plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Covid vaccines to locals of Gorkha district ', 'summary' => 'Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. ', 'content' => '<p><em><strong>Tamish Giri</strong></em></p> <p>March 16:<br /> Shaikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa, a member of royal family of Bahrain has arrived Nepal with a mountaineering expedition team from Bahrain to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.</p> <p>The Bahraini team returned to scale Mount Everest in the spring season this year. Earlier in October 2020, the Bahraini royal team had come to Nepal and scaled Mt. Manaslu of 8,163 meters.<br /> The 16-member expedition team from Bahrain, including a royal family member, landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 6:30 on Monday. Among them, 13 members are from Royal Guard, a unit of the Defense Force of Bahrain, and three British nationals, according to a statement issued by Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain. The expedition team is staying in Nepal for 80 days. </p> <p>The team members are staying at Hotel Marriott and quarantining themselves as required by the health and safety protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to combat the spread of coronavirus. The MoHP has mandated seven-day hotel quarantine for international visitors. </p> <p>Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, said that the team is in Nepal to scale Mount Everest. "The team is currently in hotel quarantine at Hotel Marriott in Naxal to meet the quarantine requirements," he informed. Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd is managing the expedition for the Bahraini team that includes a member of the royal family.</p> <p>He also informed that the team plans to go for a trekking to Gorkha to distribute the Covid vaccines that it has brought from Bahrain and return to the capital on March 27. According to Nepal’s Embassy in Bahrain, the royal expedition team plans to distribute 2,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to locals of Samagaun in Gorkha district. "After that, we will finalize the date and plan for the expedition," he said.</p> <p>The team will soon receive the permit for the expedition, said Sherpa, adding that his expedition agency has already begun the process of obtaining a mountaineering permit from the Department of Tourism, the government authority responsible for issuing mountaineering permits.</p> <p>So far, the Department of Tourism has issued permits to two expedition groups to ascend Nuptse (7,864m) and Manaslu (8,163m).</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12917', 'image' => '20210316081635_Bahraini Team.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 19:59:08', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13169', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Land acquisition getting costlier for industries in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor', 'sub_title' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase their cost of production ', 'summary' => 'Industrialists warn higher cost of land acquisition could increase cost of production ', 'content' => '<p>March 16:<br /> The process of acquiring land for the development of new industries is becoming very difficult in Bara-Parsa industrial corridor due to high prices of land.<br /> Along the corridor, one bigha of land costs around Rs 80 to 90 million. Due to high prices of land, many industrialists complain of high cost of land acquisition to establish their plants or industries.<br /> Hari Gautam, vice-president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) , said that the land acquisition along the corridor for a new industry has been a challenging task. There are around 1,000 small and large industries along Gandak to Pathlaiya of Tribhuvan Highway. Land along the main road costs around Rs 10 million per kattha while the land adjoining the feeder road is being sold at Rs 2 to Rs3 million.</p> <p>The high price for land acquisition has increased the cost for setting up industry, eroding the competitiveness of industries, said Arbindra Amatya, Secretary of BCCI. This could later increase cost of production, he said. “If the cost of production increases, it will have an adverse impact on customers and the overall economy. The government should not delay on introducing policies to lower cost of production,” he said.</p> <p>Though the cost of the lands adjoining the feeder road is cheaper, they do not have necessary infrastructure required for the industries, according to Rajesh Kyal, an industrialist.<br /> Bara-Parsa industrial corridor has plenty of such potential lands to set up industries, but they lack infrastructures like electricity and roads. "We do not need the land along the main road. But, but there should be basic infrastructure required for industries," said Kyal.</p> <p>Gautam, vice-president of BCCI, suggests the government to facilitate on land acquisition.</p> <p>“Generally, industries plan to recover their investments in five to eight years. But, higher cost for land acquisition makes it difficult for industries to get their return,” said Vice-President, Gautam. The government should make the land acquisition process easier," he said.</p> <p>Bara-Parsa industrial corridor was not built under any plan. Industries were established one after another due to its proximity and connectivity with the major border.<br /> Industrialists estimate that 1,000 bighas of land is required to expand the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor.</p> <p>Stakeholders opine that the land allocated for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Simara can be used for this corridor. The government plans to build SEZ in 600 bigahas of land of Birgunj Sugar Mill. However, the progress to construct the SEZ has remained sluggish.</p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-16', 'modified' => '2021-03-16', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12915', 'image' => '20210316024341_Birgunj corridor.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-16 14:42:02', 'homepage' => true, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '35' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13168', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allocates Rs 200 billion to Build 4000 km Roads in Local Units', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The government is spending Rs 200 billion to construct 4000 km roads to connect 283 local units with their nearest strategic roads. Along with the roads, 1,100 motorable bridges will also be built in the next five years. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Prime Minister KP Oli inaugurated this project on March 14. The roads are being built by the central government in partnership with provincial and local governments. All three tiers of governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 14 to implement the regional and provincial road construction and improvement project. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The Department of Local Infrastructure under the Ministry of General Administration and Federal Affairs informed that the MoU was signed by 110 local units from all seven provinces. The five-year plan has been officially launched to connect 283 local units with the central government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">During the inauguration program, PM Oli said that the government is currently focused on infrastructure building to ensure local units and provinces are connected with blacktopped roads for safety. He said that along with the increasing length of the roads, infrastructures should be built to ensure road safety. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A total of 392 local units had sent proposals in response to the call of the ministry asking all the local units to send proposal to build connecting roads. The roads are being built in 283 local units and will be extended as per the need, said Homnath Poudel, spokesperson of the Department. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">According to him, the central government will have a greater share of investment in building the road infrastructure. The government is planning to spend foreign investment pledged by international development partners. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">With the implementation of federalism, the government had planned to connect local units with national highways. To implement this project, the cabinet had approved work procedure for investment modality. In line with it, the central government is allocating 65 percent funds, provincial government is allocating 10 percent and local government is providing 25 percent for the construction of road up to 10 kilometers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> Likewise, to construct roads ranging from 10 km to 20 km, the central government will contribute 70 percent of the investment, provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 20 percent respectively. For the roads above 20km, the central government will fund 75 percent investment while provincial and local government will contribute 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12914', 'image' => '20210315074613_20190210014212_bbbb.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 19:45:33', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13167', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Saudi Arabia Allows Workers to Change Jobs without Permission of Employers', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: Saudi Arab has introduced a reform in its ‘Kafala’ (sponsorship) system, allowing migrant workers working in the private sector to change jobs without the consent of the employer, according to Equidem - a charitable organisation working for human rights in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">From now on, thousands of Nepali workers working in Saudi Arabia can change their jobs and come to Nepal without receiving approval from their employer although this reform is not applicable to a certain group of workers.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government of Saudi Arabia had announced to bring changes to the labor system in November last year. The reform has come into effect from March 15. As per the new rule, migrant workers working in the private sector such as construction companies, hospitality industry, and infrastructure development projects no longer need to get the permission from the employer to switch jobs, open bank account and leave the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Under the Kafala system, the labor law of Saudi Arabia, migrant workers need sponsors (Kafeel) to enter and work in the country. According to Equidem, he Kafala system has been in place for almost seven decades which binds worker to a single sponsor. With the newly introduced rule, most of the workers no longer need to restrict themselves to a single employer.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> “The new changes will not have a large impact unless it is applied to all the workers working in all sectors,” said Mustafa Qadri, founder and executive director of Equidem, in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The new rule which has come into effect from 15<sup>th</sup> March doesn’t apply to four million migrant workers working as domestic help, farmers, gardeners, security guards, and are still under risk of exploitation. Despite the recent changes, all the migrant workers still need sponsors to come as workers in the country. They also need to get permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia to leave or enter the country.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal still remains one of the leading suppliers of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in spite of the Gulf Nation’s extreme labor laws. In the months of Magh, a total of 4,978 workers received permit from the Department of Foreign Employment to work in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is second on the list after the UAE among countries for which the highest number of applicants have received labor permits in the month of Magh.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12913', 'image' => '20210315030925_20200503104342_1588455963.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 15:08:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Tourism in Pokhara yet to Return to Normalcy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times">March 15: The tourism business of Pokhara, the second largest tourist city in the country, has not yet returned to normalcy. The tourism sector in Pokhara has not been able to pick up pace even though the economy affected by Covid-19 is moving towards normalization.<br /> Although the number of domestic tourists has increased in Pokhara, foreign tourists have not been able to visit Nepal. This has affected all kinds of tourism businesses in Pokhara. The shortage of foreign tourists has affected hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, especially those targeting foreign tourists. Even locally-made clothings and handicraft businesses have been affected.<br /> Gupta Giri, residential manager of Shangrila Village Resort, Pokhara, informed that the tourism business is still in a state of zero. Except some Indian tourists who come via air after conducting PCR tests, the hotel is almost deserted throughout the year, he informed. He said that hotels and restaurants won't be profitable unless the number of foreign tourists increases.<br /> He suggested that the government should make arrangements for Indian tourists to visit Nepal with on their vehicles after conducting PCR tests at the border point. Tourism entrepreneurs are also demanding to let vaccinated foreigners enter the country. <br /> According to government statistics, between 1 million to 1.5 million people lost their jobs in the tourism sector of Nepal due to Covid-19.<br /> According to traders, the business has declined by up to 50 percent in Pokhara due to lack of foreign tourists in Fewatal, Lakeside, Gupteswar Cave, Patle Chhango, Vindhyavasini, and other areas.<br /> Saru Pokharel, who trades in Nepali handicrafts outside Patle Chhango, informed that foreigners have not returned to buy goods since the market reopened after the lockdown. "Such items used to be bought by foreign tourists rather than Nepalis. Now, foreigners have not come," she said.<br /> Similarly, only 30 percent of the buses carrying tourists have found work due to a lack of foreign tourists. According to Trithunga Travel Agency Pokhara, the buses carrying tourists aren't able to operate due to a lack of tourists from third countries. The company said that 40 drivers lost their jobs due to the non-operation of the buses.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12912', 'image' => '20210315010929_20190204025427_aaaa.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 13:07:06', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Consumers Being Cheated due to 'Sub-standard' Measurement ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => '', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">March 15: Today (March 15) is the World Consumers Rights Day. Various programmes are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the day with the slogan 'Tackling Plastic Pollution’. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The celebration of consumers' rights day was initiated after the US President John F Kennedy announced security, information, choice and hearing as four rights of the consumers on 15 March 1962. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Following the benchmark announcement of the US President, the 1985 United Nations General Assembly had endorsed a covenant with additional rights of consumer. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumer rights are defined as the right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Though Nepal's Consumers Protection Act-2074 BS has guaranteed several rights to every consumer to purchase or consume rights, the implementation part is not effective. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">In a mountainous district Myagdi, the weighing machines being used to measure quantity of goods are sub-standard. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to passive role of the Department of Quality Control and Measurement, banned and unauthorized weighing machines and process have been found to be used in Nepal. It has nurtured the traders and caused loss to the consumers. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Likewise, variation in the prices of the goods from one shop to another has also forced consumers to buy goods and services at expensive prices. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Consumers have voiced their complaints that they have been bearing the brunt of mixture of inedible substances in consumable foods and black marketeering. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Former campus chief and economics teacher of Myagdi Multiple Campus, Krishna Bahadur Thapa said though it was the right of the consumers to access clean and healthy goods and services, unchecked mixture of inedible substances to consumable goods was causing big threat to human health condition in Nepal. -- RSS</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12911', 'image' => '20210315115048_World-Consum.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:49:54', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '13164', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations Underway to Establish 4 Reinsurance Companies', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">March 15: The Insurance Board Nepal has started preparations to establish four reinsurance companies by forming a committee to study about the prospects of new companies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The board and the respective planners have initiated preparation to establish four re-insurance companies namely, Annapurna Reinsurance Company, Kathmandu Reinsurance Company, Prudential Reinsurance Company and Genuine Reinsurance Company. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Currently only one reinsurance company -- Nepal Reinsurance Company -- is in operation which is owned by the government. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Annapurna Reinsurance Company had started its preparation one year ago while other three companies initiated the process of establishment only recently. Previously, former finance minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada had been stressing on the need of a new reinsurance company. And some of the companies started planning of new reinsurance company immediately.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Sakar Law Firm has been involved in the process of setting up Annapurna Reinsurance Company. It has sent drafts of necessary documents, regulation bills to the investors. As far as Prudential Reinsurance Company is concerned, Vishal Group and IME Group are investing on it. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">CA Mahesh Guragain, Debendra Pratap Shah, Former President of Insurance Board, Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai , CEO of Mahalaxmi Life Insurance and Shree Chandra Bhattarai are the masterminds behind the process of establishing Kathmandu Reinsurance Company. Bhattarai said documents required to establish the company has already been prepared and pledges for the investment is also pouring in. “We are prepared to submit application as soon as the board calls for the application,” he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">“The company will be established with the capital ranging from Rs 12 billion to Rs 15 billion. Individuals will own 30 percent shares, another 30 percent shares will be distributed to the public and the rest 40% percent share will be institutional investment,” Bhattarai said. Individuals have already pledged investment worth Rs 6 billion. The company is being established by experienced individuals so we are certain investment will be made from various sectors, he said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Initially, Rs 10 billion capital was proposed to establish Kathmandu Reinsurance Company but its capital was raised later in view of standard international rating. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Shreeman Karki, former executive director of the board, and Rabindra Ghimire, insurance expert are planning the establishment of Genuine Reinsurance Company. The company will have a capital of Rs 10 billion. Of it, 30 percent will be institutional investment, 30 percent will be issued to private sector while 30 percent will be issued to the public. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Rajumaran Poudel, Managing Director of Insurance Board, said study is underway whether the market needs another reinsurance company or not. To establish above-mentioned reinsurance companies, the Insurance Board needs to call for the application. After receiving approval from the board, a new company can be registered at the Company Registrar’s Office. After having necessary infrastructure ready, the board will provide approval for the operation of the company. </span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2021-03-15', 'modified' => '2021-03-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12910', 'image' => '20210315114314_20200630093335_Reinsurance.jpg', 'article_date' => '2021-03-15 11:42:38', '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
