September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international…
September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international…
September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months.…
September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief…
September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1).…
September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points.…
September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region.…
September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed.…
September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19…
August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries.…
August 31: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on…
August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from…
August 31: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic.…
August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the…
August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September.…
August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the…
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Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade. The geographical advantage of the southern neighbor is also one of the reasons for Nepal’s dependence on India.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">India giving Nepal the access to its sea routes has be interpreted as an act of goodwill. However, the fact that this facility provided to Nepal is a great business opportunity for India is rarely discussed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The right to access to the sea route that Nepal has received as a landlocked country has become a great business opportunity for India. The Indian government as well as the private sectors have been earning billions of rupees annually from this.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A minimum of 1500 trucks enter Nepal from various customs points every day. Ashok Temani, the chairman of the Transport and Transshipment Committee under the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) says that one such truck that carry goods from various parts of India earn an average of Rs 160,000 per year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If 450,000 trucks enter Nepal with goods, Nepalese businessmen have to pay Rs 70 billion just for the transportation every year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company (NTWC), 180,000 containers entered Nepal through the Indian seaport in 2019/20. When these containers were being brought to Nepal, transportations through rails and land from the Indian ports also did a significant amount of business.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani says that the cost of transporting a container to Nepal by rail from seaports of Kolkata and Visakhapatman in India to Nepal is Rs 150,000 in average. NTWC says that 48,000 containers have been transported through road this year. An estimated amount of Rs 9 billion was spent while bringing in 60,000 containers through rail.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that the cost of importing goods from Indian ports totals to Rs 100 billion annually after including other direct and indirect costs.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">“The business of Indian seaports, railways and other means of transportation has really flourished in India,” he says.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Government agencies haven’t yet studied the cost of transit of goods incurred during Nepal’s foreign trade. Ravi Shankar Sainju, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, says that a separate study on the cost of transportation in trade is yet to be done. Government officials estimate that the cost of transit of goods is about 20 to 25 percent of the total trade.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Indian cargo trucks are permitted to stay in Nepal for 72 hours after entering through the customs points. This time is enough for the trucks to return after making their respective deliveries. Businessmen say that although arrangements have been made to allow Nepali trucks to enter through the points but there are still problems in the implementation of this arrangement.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Indian means of cargo transportation get permissions from the checkpoints of the ports. However, this facility is not available for Nepali trucks. “Nepali transportation has been discouraged with various excuses to maintain the monopoly of the Indian cargo vehicles,” an official said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Joint Secretary Sainju believes that the cost of transit can be reduced by diversifying our dependence. “If we are able to increase the use of air transportation for the use of the northern ports, our dependence on India will decrease. It will also help in increasing competition,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that India’s dominance on cargo can be decreased with the promotion of Nepalese transportation businesses for carrying cargo. “The government should promote Nepali transportation business by introducing new policies. However, the government has not prioritized this concept.”</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12158', 'image' => '20200902031757_1598998200.23.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 15:17:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12410', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Products Start Entering Nepal from Siliguri after 5 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. This route was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the Mechi Customs Office, Nepali tankers have already started bringing petrol and diesel from Siliguri.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal state had closed this entry point for indefinite period of time as a precautionary measure. Currently, it has been partially opened. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Earlier, Indian cargo vehicles were allowed to enter Kakadbhitta of Nepal through this customs point, but those vehicles had to find another route to return back to India. This problem has not been resolved but the empty vehicles can enter India only from 8 am till 5 pm.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Although the West Bengal government had eased vehicular movement from this transit point some time ago, petroleum product was not allowed until now.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal government had closed this border on April 8 citing the risk posed by coronavirus. One month later, the state government opened one-way traffic for cargo vehicles to enter Nepal from May 9. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It was only on June 21 that the state government opened two-way traffic for import and export of selected products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The obstruction in flow of goods and vehicles had affected revenue collection of the Mechi Customs Office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12157', 'image' => '20200902015342_1598998328.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 13:53:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12409', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'E-commerce Companies Resume Online Delivery Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Police had last week cracked down on online delivery service provided by e-commerce companies arguing that the delivery of goods during prohibitory period does not fall under essential service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Altogether 65 delivery persons were briefly detained by the police on Thursday (August 27) and the companies were warned not to resume their service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">However, under widespread criticism from all quarters of society</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">, the </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District Administration Office, Kathmandu had formed a taskforce </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal had formed a four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee were chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The taskforce is yet to submit its report. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the e-commerce companies have already resumed their service from September 1 after issuing a joint statement which says that delivery of medicines, food items, cooking gas, fuel, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products among others have not been prohibited by the District Administration Office. The statement says that their service does not contradict with the sixth point of prohibitory order issued by the District Administration Offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur about two weeks ago. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">However, the DAO, Kathmandu says it is yet to lift the ban on online delivery service. According to an official at the DAO, they are preparing to allow online delivery service after the taskforce submits its report suggesting guidelines to follow for the e-commerce companies while rendering their service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">On the other hand, the joint statement issued by the e-commerce companies mentions that there isn’t any need for prior approval to provide essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12156', 'image' => '20200902115950_homedelivery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 11:59:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12408', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Hikes Price of Petrol', 'sub_title' => 'Price of Diesel, Kerosene and Cooking Gas Remains the Same', 'summary' => 'September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">With the new price adjustment, petrol has become costlier by Rs 2 per litre. Petrol is not available for Rs 107 per litre according to the new price list published by NOC. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the price of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas remains the same, NOC said in a statement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NOC said that the price was increased as per the new list provided by the Indian Oil Corporation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This is the second time in two weeks that the state-owned oil monopoly has increased the price of petroleum products. The last time NOC had increased the price of petroleum products was on August 16. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12155', 'image' => '20200902103016_petrol_diesel_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 10:29:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12407', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allows Import of Peas and Black Pepper Stuck at vairous Ports ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. A cabinet meeting on Sunday, August 30, decided to allow the import of those peas and black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The food items are stuck at the customs points since the past five months because they were being imported without the prior approval of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government has decided to allow the import of only those peas and black pepper that were shipped before March 2020. Earlier a cabinet meeting held on April 30 had decided to ban the import of watermelon, chilly, dates and betel nut into Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Following the government's restriction, around 1,000 containers of unlicensed food were stranded at various ports including at Birgunj Dry Port and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">However, the government has already lifted bans on import of betel nuts. Likewise, the government has decided to allow exporters to take back the black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">In the meantime, government has initiated the process for returning 60 containers of chilly from the Birgunj Dry Port.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Importers who are not willing to take back the peas and black peppers will be allowed to import the items. However, government is still unclear about what to do with the dates stuck at the checkpoint. According to the dry port’s customs office, about 100 containers of dates are stuck in the ports of Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12154', 'image' => '20200901042358_1598924714.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 16:23:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12406', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Experts Stress on Role of MSMEs to Rebound the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. ', '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"">September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. </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"">Senior Vice President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Sanjay Aggrawal </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">said during a Webinar conference held on August 31 that it is high time that the MSMEs be given their space as the Covid-19 pandemic has made a firm ground for strengthening bilateral relations between India and Nepal and these business can play pivotal roles in economic rebounding.</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"">Anil Khaitan, former president of PHDCCI, presented a global overview about the effect of the pandemic on the economy and the required response to mitigate the challenges being faced by MSMEs during the interaction organised jointly by </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) and PHDCCI under the aegis of India-Nepal Centre and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).</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"">“In these adverse times, it is utmost important that businesses adopt the ways for frugal innovation,” a joint statement issued by the organisers quoted him as saying.</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 Khaitan, the MSMEs need a clear definition that will be immensely helpful for letting them avail the market conditions efficiently. </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"">Speaking at the same online interaction entitled ‘Enhancing Cooperation for MSMEs in Nepal’, CEO of Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Sushil Bhatta </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">highlighted the importance of MSME for Nepal's economy and job creation.</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"">He stressed on the need of creating awareness in MSMEs for the skill development,<br /> entrepreneurial advancement, innovative practices, new technology to give them a competitive edge at the regional and global platforms.</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"">Bhatta also shed light on the challenges MSMEs are facing with the demand and supply shocks with the ongoing crisis emerged through the pandemic.</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"">Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> Maha Prasad Adhikari in his keynote speech called the MSMEs sector as the growth engine of Nepal’s economy. Highlighting on the recent policy measures, he assured the industry that Nepal’s MSMEs are on way to emerge stronger and can partner for registering positive outcomes.</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"">Similarly, Kapidjwaja Pratap Singh, commercial representatives at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, said many importers in India are dependent on exports of Nepal, making it a two-way flow of commodities between India and Nepal. He added that localised trade is happening at a fast pace. This shows the immense networking and supply chain management development by business between India and 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"">“In the recent past, the trade between India and Nepal has reached to around 85 percent peak of pre-Covid times both in terms of exports and imports,” said Singh. </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"">Anukool Bhatnagar, MD and CEO of NSBL, in his presentation discussed financer's perspectives on the MSME's in Nepal. He presented a “nuanced view” on key pressing policy issues that are impacting the way banks are lending to MSMEs. While the credit gap is still there, Nepal has evolved as a country with robust ecosystem for the old and new businesses, he reportedly said. Bhatnagar also appreciated the regulatory measures of NRB that are particularly sensitive to the concerns of MSMEs.</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 D K Aggarwal, president of PHDCCI, shared about India’s unique and deep relationship with Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12153', 'image' => '20200901023317_13202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 14:32:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12405', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sanitizers Imported without Quality Check ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. Not only have domestic pharmaceutical industries started producing sanitizers, the imported sanitizers are also widely available in the market. However, the risk of infection has further increased as the sanitizers are imported without quality check. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has given permission to 40 pharmaceutical companies for the production of sanitizer since April. Among them, 30 have already started commercial production. Although Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology monitors the quality of sanitizers produced by the industries in Nepal, sanitizers are being imported from the customs points without quality inspection. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made a criteria for domestic industries that there should be 80 percent ethanol in the sanitizer. Regardless of this, the department is ignorant about the standard for the sanitizers that are being imported from countries including India and China. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Ramesh Sukmani, officer at Birgunj Customs Office, there is no provision of ensuring the quality of sanitizer at customs points.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “DDA has sent a letter to allow the import till mid-October,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Spokesperson of DDA Santosh KC informed that they have extended the time period for the importers to register the products from July to September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “The time period has been extended after the importers said that it was difficult to present the documents due to the lockdown,” he told New Business Age. The department says that the quality will be monitored after registration of the products. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A recent study by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) found that 45 percent sanitizers that are available in the Nepali market are of poor quality. NAST warns of an increased risk of infection as such sanitizers cannot incapacitate the virus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12152', 'image' => '20200901013444_1598909323.Clipboard15.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 13:34:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12404', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Garment Industry of Nepal Struggling to Export their Product', 'sub_title' => 'Exporters Forced to Pay Four Times High Airfare', 'summary' => 'September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic. Regular flights have been halted since a long time to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So the exporters have no option to send the products through chartered flights operated for rescuing stranded Nepali citizens, which is much more costlier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Readymade garments produced in Nepal are exported to countries like Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Norway as well as the USA, Australia and Canada. Europe is a major market for readymade garments made in Nepal. Out of the total readymade garments manufactured in Nepal, 70 percent is exported to Europe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The demand for readymade garments depends on the season. Therefore, the Nepali exporters say they have had to bear losses of more than Rs 1.25 billion for failing to deliver the goods on time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The manufacturers have to incur huge losses if they have to keep the products for the next season. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Therefore, the manufacturers are exporting products like shorts, trousers, pants and ladies wear to selected European countries by paying exceptionally high airfare, informed Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of Garment Association of Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He added that they have no option other than to pay four times higher to export the goods through chartered flights.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Earlier, Nepali exporters had been exporting goods for 2 dollar per kilogram. But the cost has gone up to 8 dollars per kg at present.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“It is better to pay high price than to face loss due to delay in delivery, which often causes irreparable damage because the season gets over by that time,” says Agrawal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the association, there were 1200 garment factories in Nepal which provided employment to more than 100,000 people about 15 years ago. However, there are currently only 50 such factories across the country and they provide employment to 8,000 people.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industry of Nepal had done transactions worth Rs 7 billion during last fiscal year, but the association fears that the figure might take a nosedive this year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industries are operating at 20 percent capacity after the lockdown was imposed on March 24. On top of that, they are struggling to export the manufactured products.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12151', 'image' => '20200901114856_1598909272.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 11:48:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12403', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Prepares to Sign Air Service Agreements with 3 More Countries', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A meeting of the high-level management committee of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Sunday, August 30, decided to move ahead with the process of signing air service agreements with Indonesia, Finland and Russia.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal has so far signed bilateral air service agreements and memoranda of understanding with 40 countries for air connectivity. Currently, 30 international airlines including three Nepali carries have been operating their flight to 32 destinations in 15 countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal recently had signed an air service agreement with Australia on October 1, 2019. Australia is the 40th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal had entered into an agreement with Australia to enjoy the Fifth Freedom as an intermediate point using two points in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Earlier, Cambodia was the 39th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Among the countries preparing for the air service agreement, Finland itself had shown interest for air service agreement with Nepal while Nepal had initiated talks with the other two countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12150', 'image' => '20200831032956_1595541466.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:29:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12402', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Central Bank Removes Inter-bank ATM Charges', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">August 31: </span></strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has amended the Unified Directives on Payment System-2077 to remove the inter-bank charges on ATM transactions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has directed the banks to not charge any fee for ATM transactions as it is difficult for the general public to go to their respective banks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Executive Director of NRB Bhuwan Kadel informed that banks and finance companies have been instructed to not charge the users any fee for using their ATM cards in any other banks in the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The limit for electronic transactions through debit cards has been set at Rs 25,000 per transaction and Rs 100,000 per day. The monthly limit for payment through debit cards is set at Rs 400,000.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks and finance companies used to set their own monthly limits earlier. Executive Director of the Payments System Department Bhuwan Kadel said that such limits are being set to create uniformity. “The previous arrangement showed that a large sum of Rs 3 million could be withdrawn per month with the daily limit of Rs 100,000. However, banks had set their limits lower than this. This is why we have set a weekly limit of Rs 100,000 and a monthly limit of Rs 400,000,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NRB has also directed banks to clearly state the issuance charge, service charge, and interest and compensations in the customer’s contract while issuing electronic payment cards. Renewal fee should also not be charged before the expiration of such cards. Nepal Rastra Bank has also directed the banks and financial institutions to inform their customers 15 days prior to the expiry of the card and about the card renewal fee through SMS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the central bank, the financial institutions that have already operated the electronic payment card services but haven’t applied for its permission will have to submit an application by mid-January 2021 along with their policies and procedural arrangements. The name and phone number of the concerned employee, and the name, address and phone number of the concerned company also needs to be clearly mentioned in English and Nepali in the ATM booth in case the customer needs to inquire somebody about the transactions in the ATM. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Branchless banking, which has become effective nowadays, can be done by banks and finance companies without taking permissions from Nepal Rastra Bank. However, they will need to give information about this to the Payments System Department. Permission needs to be taken from Nepal Rastra Bank if such banking is about to be shut down.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks can provide branchless services to their account holders outside the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan city with the use of smart or magnetic cards in ‘Point of Transaction’ machine with the help of their own institution or agents appointed by the institution. Customers can deposit cash in their account, make payments and remittances, get their bank statements, pay the approved loan and pay their installments through branchless banking.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Executive Director Kandel stated that while branchless banking was not previously permitted in areas where many banks and finance companies had opened, it is currently permitted in any area except metropolitan and sub-metropolitan cities. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12149', 'image' => '20200831032424_1595714205.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:23:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12401', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Pharmaceutical Industries of Bara-Parsa Corridor Closed ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Altogether 15 such industries in the corridor have stopped their production after the administration did not allow them to operate vehicles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Manager of Quest Pharmaceuticals, Prithvi Rajbhandari, said they had to stop the production as the workers had to be kept in the industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The administration has stopped the operation of vehicles, hence we had to shut down the industry due to lack of workers,” he said. District Administration Office, Parsa has directed all stakeholders to operate the industries by managing quarantine facility for workers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Majority of workers of the pharmaceutical companies live in Birgunj. The industries have not been able to bring their workers to the factory. A prohibitory orders were imposed in Bara and Parsa on July 25 after an increase in cases of coronavirus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The criteria prepared by the government for the operation of the industries state that the industry should make arrangements for quarantine and isolation if any workers are infected on the industry premises or the community. Prabhat Rungata, manager of Maruti Pharma, said that keeping workers in the industry itself increases the risk of contamination of medicines. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Pharmaceutical industry is different from other industries. Keeping workers in the industry can spread the bacterial contamination in medicine. There isn’t any other option as the administration did not allow bringing the workers,” Rungata told New Business Age. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Rungata, among 15 industries, seven of them manufacture medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. He further said that there might be shortage of these medicines since around 80 percent of such drugs is produced by the industries in this area. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12148', 'image' => '20200831025533_1598839115.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 14:54:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12400', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Social Security Fund Attracting more Contributors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">August 31: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. The contributors have deposited double the amount than before during the lockdown period alone.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The state-promoted fund had a total deposits of Rs 850 million before the lockdown ever since its establishment since the beginning of the last fiscal year. The fund has grown to Rs 1.72 billion after the government imposed a lockdown on March 24. However, the finance ministry is yet to release Rs 860 million of the three months of lockdown period (mid-April to mid-July) although it has already approved the amount. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">According to the work procedure of the Social Security Fund, private sector registered with the fund should contribute 31 percent of the employees’ salary including 20 percent by the employers in return for pension and other facilities post retirement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had announced to deposit the amount on behalf of the private sector for the lockdown period considering the loss of business due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had made such announcement while unveiling the budget for the current fiscal year. Only those organisations that have been listed in the SSF and have been contributing to it can benefit from the government relief. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has made arrangement for the employers to borrow the deposited amount to pay the salary of the staffers for the time being.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">There is also a provision in the SSF to invest the deposited amount elsewhere after preparing a separate work procedure for this. However, Executive Director of SSF Kapil Mani Gyawali says that although they have presented the work procedure to the government, it is yet to be approved.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">“The work procedure is currently under discussion in the cabinet. We don’t know when it will be approved,” said Gyawali.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">He further said that the SSF will attract more contributors once the floodgates for investment gets opened after the approval of the work procedure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Executive Director Gyawali further said that 508 new employers and around 22,000 employees working in those organisations have been added to the network of SSF after the lockdown was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Mostly, private companies associated with the tourism business, airline companies, industries, NGOs, co-operatives, manpower companies have been registered during the lockdown period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A total of 172,350 employees associated with 12,043 enterprises have been registered with the SSF as of August 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12147', 'image' => '20200831015725_1598822620.1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 13:56:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12399', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DAO forms Committee to Prepare Criteria for Allowing Online Delivery', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal has ordered the four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee include a representative each from the Department of Commerce, health ministry and police. Among them are chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The committee will prepare a set of rules and other safety standards which the delivery persons will have to follow while delivering food and other items. The committee will also determine essential goods for home delivery.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Last Thursday, police had arrested 65 persons associated with the online delivery business from different parts of Kathmandu stating that the government has banned such service while the prohibitory order is in force. Police had also called the operators of e-commerce companies and warned them not to provide any kind of service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Following the police crackdown, the e-commerce companies had submitted a memorandum to CDO Dahal requesting him to ease the restriction on their business. After receiving the memorandum, CDO Dahal convened the meeting of concerned authorities and decided to form the committee.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">“If we allow online delivery without any safety measures then coronavirus will be transmitted to every households. Therefore, we will allow online delivery only after formulating a certain criteria,” said CDO Dahal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Police intervention against online delivery had drawn widespread criticism.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police had arrested the staffers of Foodmandu, Foodmario, Bhojdeal, UG Cakes, Pathao among other e-commerce companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The e-commerce companies complained that the police arrested their operators and staffers despite the government’s announcement to allow essential services like delivery of medicines, food, gas, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits among others. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, stakeholders of the e-commerce companies said that the police action was against the circular issued by the chief district officers of the three districts of Kathmandu Valley while announcing the prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the police said that they took action against the e-commerce companies because they were not providing essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-09-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12146', 'image' => '20200831120323_1598822296.Clipboard05.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 12:02:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12398', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transport to Resume after Mid-September', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday (August 30) decided to allow public vehicles to operate along short, medium and long-routes after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Earlier, the government had said it would allow public vehicles to resume operation from August 31. However, the rapid rise in number of coronavirus forced the government to review the decision. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government on Sunday confirmed over 1221 new cases of coronavirus across the country, including a record-high 429 cases in the Kathmandu Valley. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Meanwhile, reopening of educational institutions including schools and colleges, holding examinations and conducting sports training will be allowed only after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has also decided to resume inter-district transportation service and domestic flights only after mid-September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12145', 'image' => '20200831112325_cabenet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 11:22:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12397', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hatcheries Struggling to Sell Chicks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Hatcheries are struggling to sell chicks because the farmers are unable to buy them. A broiler chick, which used to sell for Rs 56.45, is now being sold for Rs 20. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to the prohibitory order imposed by the local governments in various districts to curb the spread of coronavirus, the poultry farmers are unable to sell their chickens. Therefore, they are not in a position to buy any new chicks. This has led to a decline in demand for the chicks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Besides the sale of meat, the price of chicken has also fallen down because the government has limited the time period for shops to open. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the president of the Association of Nepal Hatchery Industries, Tikaram Pokharel, they are unable to sell the chicks even at lower cost because the poultry farmers are unable to sell the chicken in the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This has forced members of the association to cull 3 million chicks every week, informed Pokharel.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During normal period, a total of 324 hatcheries across the country used to produce 4.2 million chicks per week. However, more than 50 hatcheries are currently closed due to the extended lockdown and subsequent prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-30', 'modified' => '2020-08-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12144', 'image' => '20200830051457_1598735517.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-30 17:14:27', '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' => '12411', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'India Generating Rs 100 Billion Annually by Providing Transshipment Facilities to Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'Businesses of Indian Seaports, railway, and other means of transportation flourishing in Nepal', 'summary' => 'September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade. The geographical advantage of the southern neighbor is also one of the reasons for Nepal’s dependence on India.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">India giving Nepal the access to its sea routes has be interpreted as an act of goodwill. However, the fact that this facility provided to Nepal is a great business opportunity for India is rarely discussed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The right to access to the sea route that Nepal has received as a landlocked country has become a great business opportunity for India. The Indian government as well as the private sectors have been earning billions of rupees annually from this.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A minimum of 1500 trucks enter Nepal from various customs points every day. Ashok Temani, the chairman of the Transport and Transshipment Committee under the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) says that one such truck that carry goods from various parts of India earn an average of Rs 160,000 per year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If 450,000 trucks enter Nepal with goods, Nepalese businessmen have to pay Rs 70 billion just for the transportation every year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company (NTWC), 180,000 containers entered Nepal through the Indian seaport in 2019/20. When these containers were being brought to Nepal, transportations through rails and land from the Indian ports also did a significant amount of business.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani says that the cost of transporting a container to Nepal by rail from seaports of Kolkata and Visakhapatman in India to Nepal is Rs 150,000 in average. NTWC says that 48,000 containers have been transported through road this year. An estimated amount of Rs 9 billion was spent while bringing in 60,000 containers through rail.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that the cost of importing goods from Indian ports totals to Rs 100 billion annually after including other direct and indirect costs.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">“The business of Indian seaports, railways and other means of transportation has really flourished in India,” he says.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Government agencies haven’t yet studied the cost of transit of goods incurred during Nepal’s foreign trade. Ravi Shankar Sainju, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, says that a separate study on the cost of transportation in trade is yet to be done. Government officials estimate that the cost of transit of goods is about 20 to 25 percent of the total trade.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Indian cargo trucks are permitted to stay in Nepal for 72 hours after entering through the customs points. This time is enough for the trucks to return after making their respective deliveries. Businessmen say that although arrangements have been made to allow Nepali trucks to enter through the points but there are still problems in the implementation of this arrangement.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Indian means of cargo transportation get permissions from the checkpoints of the ports. However, this facility is not available for Nepali trucks. “Nepali transportation has been discouraged with various excuses to maintain the monopoly of the Indian cargo vehicles,” an official said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Joint Secretary Sainju believes that the cost of transit can be reduced by diversifying our dependence. “If we are able to increase the use of air transportation for the use of the northern ports, our dependence on India will decrease. It will also help in increasing competition,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that India’s dominance on cargo can be decreased with the promotion of Nepalese transportation businesses for carrying cargo. “The government should promote Nepali transportation business by introducing new policies. However, the government has not prioritized this concept.”</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12158', 'image' => '20200902031757_1598998200.23.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 15:17:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12410', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Products Start Entering Nepal from Siliguri after 5 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. This route was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the Mechi Customs Office, Nepali tankers have already started bringing petrol and diesel from Siliguri.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal state had closed this entry point for indefinite period of time as a precautionary measure. Currently, it has been partially opened. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Earlier, Indian cargo vehicles were allowed to enter Kakadbhitta of Nepal through this customs point, but those vehicles had to find another route to return back to India. This problem has not been resolved but the empty vehicles can enter India only from 8 am till 5 pm.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Although the West Bengal government had eased vehicular movement from this transit point some time ago, petroleum product was not allowed until now.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal government had closed this border on April 8 citing the risk posed by coronavirus. One month later, the state government opened one-way traffic for cargo vehicles to enter Nepal from May 9. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It was only on June 21 that the state government opened two-way traffic for import and export of selected products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The obstruction in flow of goods and vehicles had affected revenue collection of the Mechi Customs Office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12157', 'image' => '20200902015342_1598998328.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 13:53:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12409', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'E-commerce Companies Resume Online Delivery Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Police had last week cracked down on online delivery service provided by e-commerce companies arguing that the delivery of goods during prohibitory period does not fall under essential service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Altogether 65 delivery persons were briefly detained by the police on Thursday (August 27) and the companies were warned not to resume their service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">However, under widespread criticism from all quarters of society</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">, the </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District Administration Office, Kathmandu had formed a taskforce </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal had formed a four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee were chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The taskforce is yet to submit its report. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the e-commerce companies have already resumed their service from September 1 after issuing a joint statement which says that delivery of medicines, food items, cooking gas, fuel, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products among others have not been prohibited by the District Administration Office. The statement says that their service does not contradict with the sixth point of prohibitory order issued by the District Administration Offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur about two weeks ago. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">However, the DAO, Kathmandu says it is yet to lift the ban on online delivery service. According to an official at the DAO, they are preparing to allow online delivery service after the taskforce submits its report suggesting guidelines to follow for the e-commerce companies while rendering their service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">On the other hand, the joint statement issued by the e-commerce companies mentions that there isn’t any need for prior approval to provide essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12156', 'image' => '20200902115950_homedelivery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 11:59:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12408', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Hikes Price of Petrol', 'sub_title' => 'Price of Diesel, Kerosene and Cooking Gas Remains the Same', 'summary' => 'September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">With the new price adjustment, petrol has become costlier by Rs 2 per litre. Petrol is not available for Rs 107 per litre according to the new price list published by NOC. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the price of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas remains the same, NOC said in a statement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NOC said that the price was increased as per the new list provided by the Indian Oil Corporation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This is the second time in two weeks that the state-owned oil monopoly has increased the price of petroleum products. The last time NOC had increased the price of petroleum products was on August 16. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12155', 'image' => '20200902103016_petrol_diesel_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 10:29:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12407', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allows Import of Peas and Black Pepper Stuck at vairous Ports ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. A cabinet meeting on Sunday, August 30, decided to allow the import of those peas and black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The food items are stuck at the customs points since the past five months because they were being imported without the prior approval of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government has decided to allow the import of only those peas and black pepper that were shipped before March 2020. Earlier a cabinet meeting held on April 30 had decided to ban the import of watermelon, chilly, dates and betel nut into Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Following the government's restriction, around 1,000 containers of unlicensed food were stranded at various ports including at Birgunj Dry Port and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">However, the government has already lifted bans on import of betel nuts. Likewise, the government has decided to allow exporters to take back the black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">In the meantime, government has initiated the process for returning 60 containers of chilly from the Birgunj Dry Port.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Importers who are not willing to take back the peas and black peppers will be allowed to import the items. However, government is still unclear about what to do with the dates stuck at the checkpoint. According to the dry port’s customs office, about 100 containers of dates are stuck in the ports of Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12154', 'image' => '20200901042358_1598924714.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 16:23:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12406', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Experts Stress on Role of MSMEs to Rebound the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. ', '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"">September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. </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"">Senior Vice President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Sanjay Aggrawal </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">said during a Webinar conference held on August 31 that it is high time that the MSMEs be given their space as the Covid-19 pandemic has made a firm ground for strengthening bilateral relations between India and Nepal and these business can play pivotal roles in economic rebounding.</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"">Anil Khaitan, former president of PHDCCI, presented a global overview about the effect of the pandemic on the economy and the required response to mitigate the challenges being faced by MSMEs during the interaction organised jointly by </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) and PHDCCI under the aegis of India-Nepal Centre and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).</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"">“In these adverse times, it is utmost important that businesses adopt the ways for frugal innovation,” a joint statement issued by the organisers quoted him as saying.</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 Khaitan, the MSMEs need a clear definition that will be immensely helpful for letting them avail the market conditions efficiently. </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"">Speaking at the same online interaction entitled ‘Enhancing Cooperation for MSMEs in Nepal’, CEO of Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Sushil Bhatta </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">highlighted the importance of MSME for Nepal's economy and job creation.</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"">He stressed on the need of creating awareness in MSMEs for the skill development,<br /> entrepreneurial advancement, innovative practices, new technology to give them a competitive edge at the regional and global platforms.</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"">Bhatta also shed light on the challenges MSMEs are facing with the demand and supply shocks with the ongoing crisis emerged through the pandemic.</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"">Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> Maha Prasad Adhikari in his keynote speech called the MSMEs sector as the growth engine of Nepal’s economy. Highlighting on the recent policy measures, he assured the industry that Nepal’s MSMEs are on way to emerge stronger and can partner for registering positive outcomes.</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"">Similarly, Kapidjwaja Pratap Singh, commercial representatives at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, said many importers in India are dependent on exports of Nepal, making it a two-way flow of commodities between India and Nepal. He added that localised trade is happening at a fast pace. This shows the immense networking and supply chain management development by business between India and 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"">“In the recent past, the trade between India and Nepal has reached to around 85 percent peak of pre-Covid times both in terms of exports and imports,” said Singh. </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"">Anukool Bhatnagar, MD and CEO of NSBL, in his presentation discussed financer's perspectives on the MSME's in Nepal. He presented a “nuanced view” on key pressing policy issues that are impacting the way banks are lending to MSMEs. While the credit gap is still there, Nepal has evolved as a country with robust ecosystem for the old and new businesses, he reportedly said. Bhatnagar also appreciated the regulatory measures of NRB that are particularly sensitive to the concerns of MSMEs.</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 D K Aggarwal, president of PHDCCI, shared about India’s unique and deep relationship with Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12153', 'image' => '20200901023317_13202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 14:32:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12405', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sanitizers Imported without Quality Check ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. Not only have domestic pharmaceutical industries started producing sanitizers, the imported sanitizers are also widely available in the market. However, the risk of infection has further increased as the sanitizers are imported without quality check. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has given permission to 40 pharmaceutical companies for the production of sanitizer since April. Among them, 30 have already started commercial production. Although Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology monitors the quality of sanitizers produced by the industries in Nepal, sanitizers are being imported from the customs points without quality inspection. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made a criteria for domestic industries that there should be 80 percent ethanol in the sanitizer. Regardless of this, the department is ignorant about the standard for the sanitizers that are being imported from countries including India and China. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Ramesh Sukmani, officer at Birgunj Customs Office, there is no provision of ensuring the quality of sanitizer at customs points.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “DDA has sent a letter to allow the import till mid-October,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Spokesperson of DDA Santosh KC informed that they have extended the time period for the importers to register the products from July to September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “The time period has been extended after the importers said that it was difficult to present the documents due to the lockdown,” he told New Business Age. The department says that the quality will be monitored after registration of the products. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A recent study by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) found that 45 percent sanitizers that are available in the Nepali market are of poor quality. NAST warns of an increased risk of infection as such sanitizers cannot incapacitate the virus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12152', 'image' => '20200901013444_1598909323.Clipboard15.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 13:34:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12404', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Garment Industry of Nepal Struggling to Export their Product', 'sub_title' => 'Exporters Forced to Pay Four Times High Airfare', 'summary' => 'September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic. Regular flights have been halted since a long time to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So the exporters have no option to send the products through chartered flights operated for rescuing stranded Nepali citizens, which is much more costlier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Readymade garments produced in Nepal are exported to countries like Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Norway as well as the USA, Australia and Canada. Europe is a major market for readymade garments made in Nepal. Out of the total readymade garments manufactured in Nepal, 70 percent is exported to Europe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The demand for readymade garments depends on the season. Therefore, the Nepali exporters say they have had to bear losses of more than Rs 1.25 billion for failing to deliver the goods on time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The manufacturers have to incur huge losses if they have to keep the products for the next season. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Therefore, the manufacturers are exporting products like shorts, trousers, pants and ladies wear to selected European countries by paying exceptionally high airfare, informed Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of Garment Association of Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He added that they have no option other than to pay four times higher to export the goods through chartered flights.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Earlier, Nepali exporters had been exporting goods for 2 dollar per kilogram. But the cost has gone up to 8 dollars per kg at present.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“It is better to pay high price than to face loss due to delay in delivery, which often causes irreparable damage because the season gets over by that time,” says Agrawal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the association, there were 1200 garment factories in Nepal which provided employment to more than 100,000 people about 15 years ago. However, there are currently only 50 such factories across the country and they provide employment to 8,000 people.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industry of Nepal had done transactions worth Rs 7 billion during last fiscal year, but the association fears that the figure might take a nosedive this year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industries are operating at 20 percent capacity after the lockdown was imposed on March 24. On top of that, they are struggling to export the manufactured products.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12151', 'image' => '20200901114856_1598909272.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 11:48:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12403', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Prepares to Sign Air Service Agreements with 3 More Countries', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A meeting of the high-level management committee of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Sunday, August 30, decided to move ahead with the process of signing air service agreements with Indonesia, Finland and Russia.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal has so far signed bilateral air service agreements and memoranda of understanding with 40 countries for air connectivity. Currently, 30 international airlines including three Nepali carries have been operating their flight to 32 destinations in 15 countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal recently had signed an air service agreement with Australia on October 1, 2019. Australia is the 40th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal had entered into an agreement with Australia to enjoy the Fifth Freedom as an intermediate point using two points in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Earlier, Cambodia was the 39th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Among the countries preparing for the air service agreement, Finland itself had shown interest for air service agreement with Nepal while Nepal had initiated talks with the other two countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12150', 'image' => '20200831032956_1595541466.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:29:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12402', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Central Bank Removes Inter-bank ATM Charges', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">August 31: </span></strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has amended the Unified Directives on Payment System-2077 to remove the inter-bank charges on ATM transactions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has directed the banks to not charge any fee for ATM transactions as it is difficult for the general public to go to their respective banks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Executive Director of NRB Bhuwan Kadel informed that banks and finance companies have been instructed to not charge the users any fee for using their ATM cards in any other banks in the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The limit for electronic transactions through debit cards has been set at Rs 25,000 per transaction and Rs 100,000 per day. The monthly limit for payment through debit cards is set at Rs 400,000.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks and finance companies used to set their own monthly limits earlier. Executive Director of the Payments System Department Bhuwan Kadel said that such limits are being set to create uniformity. “The previous arrangement showed that a large sum of Rs 3 million could be withdrawn per month with the daily limit of Rs 100,000. However, banks had set their limits lower than this. This is why we have set a weekly limit of Rs 100,000 and a monthly limit of Rs 400,000,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NRB has also directed banks to clearly state the issuance charge, service charge, and interest and compensations in the customer’s contract while issuing electronic payment cards. Renewal fee should also not be charged before the expiration of such cards. Nepal Rastra Bank has also directed the banks and financial institutions to inform their customers 15 days prior to the expiry of the card and about the card renewal fee through SMS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the central bank, the financial institutions that have already operated the electronic payment card services but haven’t applied for its permission will have to submit an application by mid-January 2021 along with their policies and procedural arrangements. The name and phone number of the concerned employee, and the name, address and phone number of the concerned company also needs to be clearly mentioned in English and Nepali in the ATM booth in case the customer needs to inquire somebody about the transactions in the ATM. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Branchless banking, which has become effective nowadays, can be done by banks and finance companies without taking permissions from Nepal Rastra Bank. However, they will need to give information about this to the Payments System Department. Permission needs to be taken from Nepal Rastra Bank if such banking is about to be shut down.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks can provide branchless services to their account holders outside the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan city with the use of smart or magnetic cards in ‘Point of Transaction’ machine with the help of their own institution or agents appointed by the institution. Customers can deposit cash in their account, make payments and remittances, get their bank statements, pay the approved loan and pay their installments through branchless banking.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Executive Director Kandel stated that while branchless banking was not previously permitted in areas where many banks and finance companies had opened, it is currently permitted in any area except metropolitan and sub-metropolitan cities. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12149', 'image' => '20200831032424_1595714205.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:23:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12401', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Pharmaceutical Industries of Bara-Parsa Corridor Closed ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Altogether 15 such industries in the corridor have stopped their production after the administration did not allow them to operate vehicles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Manager of Quest Pharmaceuticals, Prithvi Rajbhandari, said they had to stop the production as the workers had to be kept in the industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The administration has stopped the operation of vehicles, hence we had to shut down the industry due to lack of workers,” he said. District Administration Office, Parsa has directed all stakeholders to operate the industries by managing quarantine facility for workers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Majority of workers of the pharmaceutical companies live in Birgunj. The industries have not been able to bring their workers to the factory. A prohibitory orders were imposed in Bara and Parsa on July 25 after an increase in cases of coronavirus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The criteria prepared by the government for the operation of the industries state that the industry should make arrangements for quarantine and isolation if any workers are infected on the industry premises or the community. Prabhat Rungata, manager of Maruti Pharma, said that keeping workers in the industry itself increases the risk of contamination of medicines. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Pharmaceutical industry is different from other industries. Keeping workers in the industry can spread the bacterial contamination in medicine. There isn’t any other option as the administration did not allow bringing the workers,” Rungata told New Business Age. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Rungata, among 15 industries, seven of them manufacture medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. He further said that there might be shortage of these medicines since around 80 percent of such drugs is produced by the industries in this area. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12148', 'image' => '20200831025533_1598839115.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 14:54:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12400', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Social Security Fund Attracting more Contributors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">August 31: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. The contributors have deposited double the amount than before during the lockdown period alone.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The state-promoted fund had a total deposits of Rs 850 million before the lockdown ever since its establishment since the beginning of the last fiscal year. The fund has grown to Rs 1.72 billion after the government imposed a lockdown on March 24. However, the finance ministry is yet to release Rs 860 million of the three months of lockdown period (mid-April to mid-July) although it has already approved the amount. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">According to the work procedure of the Social Security Fund, private sector registered with the fund should contribute 31 percent of the employees’ salary including 20 percent by the employers in return for pension and other facilities post retirement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had announced to deposit the amount on behalf of the private sector for the lockdown period considering the loss of business due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had made such announcement while unveiling the budget for the current fiscal year. Only those organisations that have been listed in the SSF and have been contributing to it can benefit from the government relief. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has made arrangement for the employers to borrow the deposited amount to pay the salary of the staffers for the time being.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">There is also a provision in the SSF to invest the deposited amount elsewhere after preparing a separate work procedure for this. However, Executive Director of SSF Kapil Mani Gyawali says that although they have presented the work procedure to the government, it is yet to be approved.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">“The work procedure is currently under discussion in the cabinet. We don’t know when it will be approved,” said Gyawali.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">He further said that the SSF will attract more contributors once the floodgates for investment gets opened after the approval of the work procedure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Executive Director Gyawali further said that 508 new employers and around 22,000 employees working in those organisations have been added to the network of SSF after the lockdown was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Mostly, private companies associated with the tourism business, airline companies, industries, NGOs, co-operatives, manpower companies have been registered during the lockdown period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A total of 172,350 employees associated with 12,043 enterprises have been registered with the SSF as of August 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12147', 'image' => '20200831015725_1598822620.1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 13:56:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12399', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DAO forms Committee to Prepare Criteria for Allowing Online Delivery', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal has ordered the four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee include a representative each from the Department of Commerce, health ministry and police. Among them are chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The committee will prepare a set of rules and other safety standards which the delivery persons will have to follow while delivering food and other items. The committee will also determine essential goods for home delivery.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Last Thursday, police had arrested 65 persons associated with the online delivery business from different parts of Kathmandu stating that the government has banned such service while the prohibitory order is in force. Police had also called the operators of e-commerce companies and warned them not to provide any kind of service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Following the police crackdown, the e-commerce companies had submitted a memorandum to CDO Dahal requesting him to ease the restriction on their business. After receiving the memorandum, CDO Dahal convened the meeting of concerned authorities and decided to form the committee.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">“If we allow online delivery without any safety measures then coronavirus will be transmitted to every households. Therefore, we will allow online delivery only after formulating a certain criteria,” said CDO Dahal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Police intervention against online delivery had drawn widespread criticism.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police had arrested the staffers of Foodmandu, Foodmario, Bhojdeal, UG Cakes, Pathao among other e-commerce companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The e-commerce companies complained that the police arrested their operators and staffers despite the government’s announcement to allow essential services like delivery of medicines, food, gas, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits among others. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, stakeholders of the e-commerce companies said that the police action was against the circular issued by the chief district officers of the three districts of Kathmandu Valley while announcing the prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the police said that they took action against the e-commerce companies because they were not providing essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-09-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12146', 'image' => '20200831120323_1598822296.Clipboard05.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 12:02:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12398', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transport to Resume after Mid-September', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday (August 30) decided to allow public vehicles to operate along short, medium and long-routes after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Earlier, the government had said it would allow public vehicles to resume operation from August 31. However, the rapid rise in number of coronavirus forced the government to review the decision. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government on Sunday confirmed over 1221 new cases of coronavirus across the country, including a record-high 429 cases in the Kathmandu Valley. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Meanwhile, reopening of educational institutions including schools and colleges, holding examinations and conducting sports training will be allowed only after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has also decided to resume inter-district transportation service and domestic flights only after mid-September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12145', 'image' => '20200831112325_cabenet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 11:22:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12397', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hatcheries Struggling to Sell Chicks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Hatcheries are struggling to sell chicks because the farmers are unable to buy them. A broiler chick, which used to sell for Rs 56.45, is now being sold for Rs 20. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to the prohibitory order imposed by the local governments in various districts to curb the spread of coronavirus, the poultry farmers are unable to sell their chickens. Therefore, they are not in a position to buy any new chicks. This has led to a decline in demand for the chicks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Besides the sale of meat, the price of chicken has also fallen down because the government has limited the time period for shops to open. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the president of the Association of Nepal Hatchery Industries, Tikaram Pokharel, they are unable to sell the chicks even at lower cost because the poultry farmers are unable to sell the chicken in the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This has forced members of the association to cull 3 million chicks every week, informed Pokharel.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During normal period, a total of 324 hatcheries across the country used to produce 4.2 million chicks per week. However, more than 50 hatcheries are currently closed due to the extended lockdown and subsequent prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-30', 'modified' => '2020-08-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12144', 'image' => '20200830051457_1598735517.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-30 17:14:27', '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' => '12411', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'India Generating Rs 100 Billion Annually by Providing Transshipment Facilities to Nepal', 'sub_title' => 'Businesses of Indian Seaports, railway, and other means of transportation flourishing in Nepal', 'summary' => 'September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade. The geographical advantage of the southern neighbor is also one of the reasons for Nepal’s dependence on India.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">India giving Nepal the access to its sea routes has be interpreted as an act of goodwill. However, the fact that this facility provided to Nepal is a great business opportunity for India is rarely discussed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The right to access to the sea route that Nepal has received as a landlocked country has become a great business opportunity for India. The Indian government as well as the private sectors have been earning billions of rupees annually from this.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A minimum of 1500 trucks enter Nepal from various customs points every day. Ashok Temani, the chairman of the Transport and Transshipment Committee under the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) says that one such truck that carry goods from various parts of India earn an average of Rs 160,000 per year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If 450,000 trucks enter Nepal with goods, Nepalese businessmen have to pay Rs 70 billion just for the transportation every year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company (NTWC), 180,000 containers entered Nepal through the Indian seaport in 2019/20. When these containers were being brought to Nepal, transportations through rails and land from the Indian ports also did a significant amount of business.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani says that the cost of transporting a container to Nepal by rail from seaports of Kolkata and Visakhapatman in India to Nepal is Rs 150,000 in average. NTWC says that 48,000 containers have been transported through road this year. An estimated amount of Rs 9 billion was spent while bringing in 60,000 containers through rail.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that the cost of importing goods from Indian ports totals to Rs 100 billion annually after including other direct and indirect costs.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">“The business of Indian seaports, railways and other means of transportation has really flourished in India,” he says.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Government agencies haven’t yet studied the cost of transit of goods incurred during Nepal’s foreign trade. Ravi Shankar Sainju, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, says that a separate study on the cost of transportation in trade is yet to be done. Government officials estimate that the cost of transit of goods is about 20 to 25 percent of the total trade.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Indian cargo trucks are permitted to stay in Nepal for 72 hours after entering through the customs points. This time is enough for the trucks to return after making their respective deliveries. Businessmen say that although arrangements have been made to allow Nepali trucks to enter through the points but there are still problems in the implementation of this arrangement.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Indian means of cargo transportation get permissions from the checkpoints of the ports. However, this facility is not available for Nepali trucks. “Nepali transportation has been discouraged with various excuses to maintain the monopoly of the Indian cargo vehicles,” an official said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Joint Secretary Sainju believes that the cost of transit can be reduced by diversifying our dependence. “If we are able to increase the use of air transportation for the use of the northern ports, our dependence on India will decrease. It will also help in increasing competition,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that India’s dominance on cargo can be decreased with the promotion of Nepalese transportation businesses for carrying cargo. “The government should promote Nepali transportation business by introducing new policies. However, the government has not prioritized this concept.”</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12158', 'image' => '20200902031757_1598998200.23.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 15:17:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12410', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Products Start Entering Nepal from Siliguri after 5 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. This route was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the Mechi Customs Office, Nepali tankers have already started bringing petrol and diesel from Siliguri.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal state had closed this entry point for indefinite period of time as a precautionary measure. Currently, it has been partially opened. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Earlier, Indian cargo vehicles were allowed to enter Kakadbhitta of Nepal through this customs point, but those vehicles had to find another route to return back to India. This problem has not been resolved but the empty vehicles can enter India only from 8 am till 5 pm.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Although the West Bengal government had eased vehicular movement from this transit point some time ago, petroleum product was not allowed until now.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal government had closed this border on April 8 citing the risk posed by coronavirus. One month later, the state government opened one-way traffic for cargo vehicles to enter Nepal from May 9. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It was only on June 21 that the state government opened two-way traffic for import and export of selected products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The obstruction in flow of goods and vehicles had affected revenue collection of the Mechi Customs Office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12157', 'image' => '20200902015342_1598998328.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 13:53:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12409', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'E-commerce Companies Resume Online Delivery Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Police had last week cracked down on online delivery service provided by e-commerce companies arguing that the delivery of goods during prohibitory period does not fall under essential service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Altogether 65 delivery persons were briefly detained by the police on Thursday (August 27) and the companies were warned not to resume their service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">However, under widespread criticism from all quarters of society</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">, the </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District Administration Office, Kathmandu had formed a taskforce </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal had formed a four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee were chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The taskforce is yet to submit its report. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the e-commerce companies have already resumed their service from September 1 after issuing a joint statement which says that delivery of medicines, food items, cooking gas, fuel, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products among others have not been prohibited by the District Administration Office. The statement says that their service does not contradict with the sixth point of prohibitory order issued by the District Administration Offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur about two weeks ago. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">However, the DAO, Kathmandu says it is yet to lift the ban on online delivery service. According to an official at the DAO, they are preparing to allow online delivery service after the taskforce submits its report suggesting guidelines to follow for the e-commerce companies while rendering their service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">On the other hand, the joint statement issued by the e-commerce companies mentions that there isn’t any need for prior approval to provide essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12156', 'image' => '20200902115950_homedelivery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 11:59:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12408', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Hikes Price of Petrol', 'sub_title' => 'Price of Diesel, Kerosene and Cooking Gas Remains the Same', 'summary' => 'September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">With the new price adjustment, petrol has become costlier by Rs 2 per litre. Petrol is not available for Rs 107 per litre according to the new price list published by NOC. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the price of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas remains the same, NOC said in a statement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NOC said that the price was increased as per the new list provided by the Indian Oil Corporation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This is the second time in two weeks that the state-owned oil monopoly has increased the price of petroleum products. The last time NOC had increased the price of petroleum products was on August 16. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12155', 'image' => '20200902103016_petrol_diesel_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 10:29:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12407', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allows Import of Peas and Black Pepper Stuck at vairous Ports ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. A cabinet meeting on Sunday, August 30, decided to allow the import of those peas and black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The food items are stuck at the customs points since the past five months because they were being imported without the prior approval of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government has decided to allow the import of only those peas and black pepper that were shipped before March 2020. Earlier a cabinet meeting held on April 30 had decided to ban the import of watermelon, chilly, dates and betel nut into Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Following the government's restriction, around 1,000 containers of unlicensed food were stranded at various ports including at Birgunj Dry Port and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">However, the government has already lifted bans on import of betel nuts. Likewise, the government has decided to allow exporters to take back the black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">In the meantime, government has initiated the process for returning 60 containers of chilly from the Birgunj Dry Port.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Importers who are not willing to take back the peas and black peppers will be allowed to import the items. However, government is still unclear about what to do with the dates stuck at the checkpoint. According to the dry port’s customs office, about 100 containers of dates are stuck in the ports of Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12154', 'image' => '20200901042358_1598924714.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 16:23:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12406', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Experts Stress on Role of MSMEs to Rebound the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. ', '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"">September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. </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"">Senior Vice President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Sanjay Aggrawal </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">said during a Webinar conference held on August 31 that it is high time that the MSMEs be given their space as the Covid-19 pandemic has made a firm ground for strengthening bilateral relations between India and Nepal and these business can play pivotal roles in economic rebounding.</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"">Anil Khaitan, former president of PHDCCI, presented a global overview about the effect of the pandemic on the economy and the required response to mitigate the challenges being faced by MSMEs during the interaction organised jointly by </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) and PHDCCI under the aegis of India-Nepal Centre and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).</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"">“In these adverse times, it is utmost important that businesses adopt the ways for frugal innovation,” a joint statement issued by the organisers quoted him as saying.</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 Khaitan, the MSMEs need a clear definition that will be immensely helpful for letting them avail the market conditions efficiently. </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"">Speaking at the same online interaction entitled ‘Enhancing Cooperation for MSMEs in Nepal’, CEO of Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Sushil Bhatta </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">highlighted the importance of MSME for Nepal's economy and job creation.</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"">He stressed on the need of creating awareness in MSMEs for the skill development,<br /> entrepreneurial advancement, innovative practices, new technology to give them a competitive edge at the regional and global platforms.</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"">Bhatta also shed light on the challenges MSMEs are facing with the demand and supply shocks with the ongoing crisis emerged through the pandemic.</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"">Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> Maha Prasad Adhikari in his keynote speech called the MSMEs sector as the growth engine of Nepal’s economy. Highlighting on the recent policy measures, he assured the industry that Nepal’s MSMEs are on way to emerge stronger and can partner for registering positive outcomes.</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"">Similarly, Kapidjwaja Pratap Singh, commercial representatives at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, said many importers in India are dependent on exports of Nepal, making it a two-way flow of commodities between India and Nepal. He added that localised trade is happening at a fast pace. This shows the immense networking and supply chain management development by business between India and 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"">“In the recent past, the trade between India and Nepal has reached to around 85 percent peak of pre-Covid times both in terms of exports and imports,” said Singh. </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"">Anukool Bhatnagar, MD and CEO of NSBL, in his presentation discussed financer's perspectives on the MSME's in Nepal. He presented a “nuanced view” on key pressing policy issues that are impacting the way banks are lending to MSMEs. While the credit gap is still there, Nepal has evolved as a country with robust ecosystem for the old and new businesses, he reportedly said. Bhatnagar also appreciated the regulatory measures of NRB that are particularly sensitive to the concerns of MSMEs.</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 D K Aggarwal, president of PHDCCI, shared about India’s unique and deep relationship with Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12153', 'image' => '20200901023317_13202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 14:32:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12405', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sanitizers Imported without Quality Check ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. Not only have domestic pharmaceutical industries started producing sanitizers, the imported sanitizers are also widely available in the market. However, the risk of infection has further increased as the sanitizers are imported without quality check. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has given permission to 40 pharmaceutical companies for the production of sanitizer since April. Among them, 30 have already started commercial production. Although Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology monitors the quality of sanitizers produced by the industries in Nepal, sanitizers are being imported from the customs points without quality inspection. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made a criteria for domestic industries that there should be 80 percent ethanol in the sanitizer. Regardless of this, the department is ignorant about the standard for the sanitizers that are being imported from countries including India and China. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Ramesh Sukmani, officer at Birgunj Customs Office, there is no provision of ensuring the quality of sanitizer at customs points.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “DDA has sent a letter to allow the import till mid-October,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Spokesperson of DDA Santosh KC informed that they have extended the time period for the importers to register the products from July to September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “The time period has been extended after the importers said that it was difficult to present the documents due to the lockdown,” he told New Business Age. The department says that the quality will be monitored after registration of the products. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A recent study by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) found that 45 percent sanitizers that are available in the Nepali market are of poor quality. NAST warns of an increased risk of infection as such sanitizers cannot incapacitate the virus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12152', 'image' => '20200901013444_1598909323.Clipboard15.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 13:34:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12404', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Garment Industry of Nepal Struggling to Export their Product', 'sub_title' => 'Exporters Forced to Pay Four Times High Airfare', 'summary' => 'September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic. Regular flights have been halted since a long time to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So the exporters have no option to send the products through chartered flights operated for rescuing stranded Nepali citizens, which is much more costlier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Readymade garments produced in Nepal are exported to countries like Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Norway as well as the USA, Australia and Canada. Europe is a major market for readymade garments made in Nepal. Out of the total readymade garments manufactured in Nepal, 70 percent is exported to Europe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The demand for readymade garments depends on the season. Therefore, the Nepali exporters say they have had to bear losses of more than Rs 1.25 billion for failing to deliver the goods on time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The manufacturers have to incur huge losses if they have to keep the products for the next season. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Therefore, the manufacturers are exporting products like shorts, trousers, pants and ladies wear to selected European countries by paying exceptionally high airfare, informed Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of Garment Association of Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He added that they have no option other than to pay four times higher to export the goods through chartered flights.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Earlier, Nepali exporters had been exporting goods for 2 dollar per kilogram. But the cost has gone up to 8 dollars per kg at present.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“It is better to pay high price than to face loss due to delay in delivery, which often causes irreparable damage because the season gets over by that time,” says Agrawal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the association, there were 1200 garment factories in Nepal which provided employment to more than 100,000 people about 15 years ago. However, there are currently only 50 such factories across the country and they provide employment to 8,000 people.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industry of Nepal had done transactions worth Rs 7 billion during last fiscal year, but the association fears that the figure might take a nosedive this year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industries are operating at 20 percent capacity after the lockdown was imposed on March 24. On top of that, they are struggling to export the manufactured products.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12151', 'image' => '20200901114856_1598909272.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 11:48:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12403', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Prepares to Sign Air Service Agreements with 3 More Countries', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A meeting of the high-level management committee of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Sunday, August 30, decided to move ahead with the process of signing air service agreements with Indonesia, Finland and Russia.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal has so far signed bilateral air service agreements and memoranda of understanding with 40 countries for air connectivity. Currently, 30 international airlines including three Nepali carries have been operating their flight to 32 destinations in 15 countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal recently had signed an air service agreement with Australia on October 1, 2019. Australia is the 40th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal had entered into an agreement with Australia to enjoy the Fifth Freedom as an intermediate point using two points in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Earlier, Cambodia was the 39th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Among the countries preparing for the air service agreement, Finland itself had shown interest for air service agreement with Nepal while Nepal had initiated talks with the other two countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12150', 'image' => '20200831032956_1595541466.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:29:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12402', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Central Bank Removes Inter-bank ATM Charges', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">August 31: </span></strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has amended the Unified Directives on Payment System-2077 to remove the inter-bank charges on ATM transactions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has directed the banks to not charge any fee for ATM transactions as it is difficult for the general public to go to their respective banks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Executive Director of NRB Bhuwan Kadel informed that banks and finance companies have been instructed to not charge the users any fee for using their ATM cards in any other banks in the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The limit for electronic transactions through debit cards has been set at Rs 25,000 per transaction and Rs 100,000 per day. The monthly limit for payment through debit cards is set at Rs 400,000.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks and finance companies used to set their own monthly limits earlier. Executive Director of the Payments System Department Bhuwan Kadel said that such limits are being set to create uniformity. “The previous arrangement showed that a large sum of Rs 3 million could be withdrawn per month with the daily limit of Rs 100,000. However, banks had set their limits lower than this. This is why we have set a weekly limit of Rs 100,000 and a monthly limit of Rs 400,000,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NRB has also directed banks to clearly state the issuance charge, service charge, and interest and compensations in the customer’s contract while issuing electronic payment cards. Renewal fee should also not be charged before the expiration of such cards. Nepal Rastra Bank has also directed the banks and financial institutions to inform their customers 15 days prior to the expiry of the card and about the card renewal fee through SMS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the central bank, the financial institutions that have already operated the electronic payment card services but haven’t applied for its permission will have to submit an application by mid-January 2021 along with their policies and procedural arrangements. The name and phone number of the concerned employee, and the name, address and phone number of the concerned company also needs to be clearly mentioned in English and Nepali in the ATM booth in case the customer needs to inquire somebody about the transactions in the ATM. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Branchless banking, which has become effective nowadays, can be done by banks and finance companies without taking permissions from Nepal Rastra Bank. However, they will need to give information about this to the Payments System Department. Permission needs to be taken from Nepal Rastra Bank if such banking is about to be shut down.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks can provide branchless services to their account holders outside the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan city with the use of smart or magnetic cards in ‘Point of Transaction’ machine with the help of their own institution or agents appointed by the institution. Customers can deposit cash in their account, make payments and remittances, get their bank statements, pay the approved loan and pay their installments through branchless banking.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Executive Director Kandel stated that while branchless banking was not previously permitted in areas where many banks and finance companies had opened, it is currently permitted in any area except metropolitan and sub-metropolitan cities. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12149', 'image' => '20200831032424_1595714205.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:23:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12401', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Pharmaceutical Industries of Bara-Parsa Corridor Closed ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Altogether 15 such industries in the corridor have stopped their production after the administration did not allow them to operate vehicles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Manager of Quest Pharmaceuticals, Prithvi Rajbhandari, said they had to stop the production as the workers had to be kept in the industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The administration has stopped the operation of vehicles, hence we had to shut down the industry due to lack of workers,” he said. District Administration Office, Parsa has directed all stakeholders to operate the industries by managing quarantine facility for workers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Majority of workers of the pharmaceutical companies live in Birgunj. The industries have not been able to bring their workers to the factory. A prohibitory orders were imposed in Bara and Parsa on July 25 after an increase in cases of coronavirus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The criteria prepared by the government for the operation of the industries state that the industry should make arrangements for quarantine and isolation if any workers are infected on the industry premises or the community. Prabhat Rungata, manager of Maruti Pharma, said that keeping workers in the industry itself increases the risk of contamination of medicines. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Pharmaceutical industry is different from other industries. Keeping workers in the industry can spread the bacterial contamination in medicine. There isn’t any other option as the administration did not allow bringing the workers,” Rungata told New Business Age. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Rungata, among 15 industries, seven of them manufacture medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. He further said that there might be shortage of these medicines since around 80 percent of such drugs is produced by the industries in this area. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12148', 'image' => '20200831025533_1598839115.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 14:54:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12400', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Social Security Fund Attracting more Contributors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">August 31: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. The contributors have deposited double the amount than before during the lockdown period alone.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The state-promoted fund had a total deposits of Rs 850 million before the lockdown ever since its establishment since the beginning of the last fiscal year. The fund has grown to Rs 1.72 billion after the government imposed a lockdown on March 24. However, the finance ministry is yet to release Rs 860 million of the three months of lockdown period (mid-April to mid-July) although it has already approved the amount. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">According to the work procedure of the Social Security Fund, private sector registered with the fund should contribute 31 percent of the employees’ salary including 20 percent by the employers in return for pension and other facilities post retirement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had announced to deposit the amount on behalf of the private sector for the lockdown period considering the loss of business due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had made such announcement while unveiling the budget for the current fiscal year. Only those organisations that have been listed in the SSF and have been contributing to it can benefit from the government relief. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has made arrangement for the employers to borrow the deposited amount to pay the salary of the staffers for the time being.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">There is also a provision in the SSF to invest the deposited amount elsewhere after preparing a separate work procedure for this. However, Executive Director of SSF Kapil Mani Gyawali says that although they have presented the work procedure to the government, it is yet to be approved.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">“The work procedure is currently under discussion in the cabinet. We don’t know when it will be approved,” said Gyawali.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">He further said that the SSF will attract more contributors once the floodgates for investment gets opened after the approval of the work procedure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Executive Director Gyawali further said that 508 new employers and around 22,000 employees working in those organisations have been added to the network of SSF after the lockdown was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Mostly, private companies associated with the tourism business, airline companies, industries, NGOs, co-operatives, manpower companies have been registered during the lockdown period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A total of 172,350 employees associated with 12,043 enterprises have been registered with the SSF as of August 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12147', 'image' => '20200831015725_1598822620.1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 13:56:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12399', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DAO forms Committee to Prepare Criteria for Allowing Online Delivery', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal has ordered the four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee include a representative each from the Department of Commerce, health ministry and police. Among them are chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The committee will prepare a set of rules and other safety standards which the delivery persons will have to follow while delivering food and other items. The committee will also determine essential goods for home delivery.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Last Thursday, police had arrested 65 persons associated with the online delivery business from different parts of Kathmandu stating that the government has banned such service while the prohibitory order is in force. Police had also called the operators of e-commerce companies and warned them not to provide any kind of service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Following the police crackdown, the e-commerce companies had submitted a memorandum to CDO Dahal requesting him to ease the restriction on their business. After receiving the memorandum, CDO Dahal convened the meeting of concerned authorities and decided to form the committee.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">“If we allow online delivery without any safety measures then coronavirus will be transmitted to every households. Therefore, we will allow online delivery only after formulating a certain criteria,” said CDO Dahal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Police intervention against online delivery had drawn widespread criticism.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police had arrested the staffers of Foodmandu, Foodmario, Bhojdeal, UG Cakes, Pathao among other e-commerce companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The e-commerce companies complained that the police arrested their operators and staffers despite the government’s announcement to allow essential services like delivery of medicines, food, gas, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits among others. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, stakeholders of the e-commerce companies said that the police action was against the circular issued by the chief district officers of the three districts of Kathmandu Valley while announcing the prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the police said that they took action against the e-commerce companies because they were not providing essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-09-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12146', 'image' => '20200831120323_1598822296.Clipboard05.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 12:02:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12398', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transport to Resume after Mid-September', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday (August 30) decided to allow public vehicles to operate along short, medium and long-routes after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Earlier, the government had said it would allow public vehicles to resume operation from August 31. However, the rapid rise in number of coronavirus forced the government to review the decision. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government on Sunday confirmed over 1221 new cases of coronavirus across the country, including a record-high 429 cases in the Kathmandu Valley. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Meanwhile, reopening of educational institutions including schools and colleges, holding examinations and conducting sports training will be allowed only after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has also decided to resume inter-district transportation service and domestic flights only after mid-September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12145', 'image' => '20200831112325_cabenet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 11:22:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12397', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hatcheries Struggling to Sell Chicks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Hatcheries are struggling to sell chicks because the farmers are unable to buy them. A broiler chick, which used to sell for Rs 56.45, is now being sold for Rs 20. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to the prohibitory order imposed by the local governments in various districts to curb the spread of coronavirus, the poultry farmers are unable to sell their chickens. Therefore, they are not in a position to buy any new chicks. This has led to a decline in demand for the chicks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Besides the sale of meat, the price of chicken has also fallen down because the government has limited the time period for shops to open. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the president of the Association of Nepal Hatchery Industries, Tikaram Pokharel, they are unable to sell the chicks even at lower cost because the poultry farmers are unable to sell the chicken in the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This has forced members of the association to cull 3 million chicks every week, informed Pokharel.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During normal period, a total of 324 hatcheries across the country used to produce 4.2 million chicks per week. However, more than 50 hatcheries are currently closed due to the extended lockdown and subsequent prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-30', 'modified' => '2020-08-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12144', 'image' => '20200830051457_1598735517.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-30 17:14:27', '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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Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Two-third of Nepal’s international trade and 90 percent of the transit is dependent on India. Indian seaports, trains or other forms of land transportation are used for all of Nepal’s international trade. The geographical advantage of the southern neighbor is also one of the reasons for Nepal’s dependence on India.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">India giving Nepal the access to its sea routes has be interpreted as an act of goodwill. However, the fact that this facility provided to Nepal is a great business opportunity for India is rarely discussed.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The right to access to the sea route that Nepal has received as a landlocked country has become a great business opportunity for India. The Indian government as well as the private sectors have been earning billions of rupees annually from this.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">A minimum of 1500 trucks enter Nepal from various customs points every day. Ashok Temani, the chairman of the Transport and Transshipment Committee under the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) says that one such truck that carry goods from various parts of India earn an average of Rs 160,000 per year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If 450,000 trucks enter Nepal with goods, Nepalese businessmen have to pay Rs 70 billion just for the transportation every year.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company (NTWC), 180,000 containers entered Nepal through the Indian seaport in 2019/20. When these containers were being brought to Nepal, transportations through rails and land from the Indian ports also did a significant amount of business.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani says that the cost of transporting a container to Nepal by rail from seaports of Kolkata and Visakhapatman in India to Nepal is Rs 150,000 in average. NTWC says that 48,000 containers have been transported through road this year. An estimated amount of Rs 9 billion was spent while bringing in 60,000 containers through rail.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that the cost of importing goods from Indian ports totals to Rs 100 billion annually after including other direct and indirect costs.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">“The business of Indian seaports, railways and other means of transportation has really flourished in India,” he says.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Government agencies haven’t yet studied the cost of transit of goods incurred during Nepal’s foreign trade. Ravi Shankar Sainju, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, says that a separate study on the cost of transportation in trade is yet to be done. Government officials estimate that the cost of transit of goods is about 20 to 25 percent of the total trade.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Indian cargo trucks are permitted to stay in Nepal for 72 hours after entering through the customs points. This time is enough for the trucks to return after making their respective deliveries. Businessmen say that although arrangements have been made to allow Nepali trucks to enter through the points but there are still problems in the implementation of this arrangement.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Indian means of cargo transportation get permissions from the checkpoints of the ports. However, this facility is not available for Nepali trucks. “Nepali transportation has been discouraged with various excuses to maintain the monopoly of the Indian cargo vehicles,” an official said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Joint Secretary Sainju believes that the cost of transit can be reduced by diversifying our dependence. “If we are able to increase the use of air transportation for the use of the northern ports, our dependence on India will decrease. It will also help in increasing competition,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Chairman Temani claims that India’s dominance on cargo can be decreased with the promotion of Nepalese transportation businesses for carrying cargo. “The government should promote Nepali transportation business by introducing new policies. However, the government has not prioritized this concept.”</span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12158', 'image' => '20200902031757_1598998200.23.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 15:17:15', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12410', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Petroleum Products Start Entering Nepal from Siliguri after 5 Months', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Petroleum products have started entering Nepal from Panitanki of West Bengal state of India after almost five months. This route was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the Mechi Customs Office, Nepali tankers have already started bringing petrol and diesel from Siliguri.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal state had closed this entry point for indefinite period of time as a precautionary measure. Currently, it has been partially opened. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Earlier, Indian cargo vehicles were allowed to enter Kakadbhitta of Nepal through this customs point, but those vehicles had to find another route to return back to India. This problem has not been resolved but the empty vehicles can enter India only from 8 am till 5 pm.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Although the West Bengal government had eased vehicular movement from this transit point some time ago, petroleum product was not allowed until now.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The West Bengal government had closed this border on April 8 citing the risk posed by coronavirus. One month later, the state government opened one-way traffic for cargo vehicles to enter Nepal from May 9. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">It was only on June 21 that the state government opened two-way traffic for import and export of selected products.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The obstruction in flow of goods and vehicles had affected revenue collection of the Mechi Customs Office. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12157', 'image' => '20200902015342_1598998328.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 13:53:10', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12409', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'E-commerce Companies Resume Online Delivery Service', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 2: Online delivery service in the Kathmandu valley has resumed from Tuesday (September 1) after a brief interruption.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Police had last week cracked down on online delivery service provided by e-commerce companies arguing that the delivery of goods during prohibitory period does not fall under essential service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Altogether 65 delivery persons were briefly detained by the police on Thursday (August 27) and the companies were warned not to resume their service.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">However, under widespread criticism from all quarters of society</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">, the </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District Administration Office, Kathmandu had formed a taskforce </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal had formed a four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee were chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The taskforce is yet to submit its report. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">But the e-commerce companies have already resumed their service from September 1 after issuing a joint statement which says that delivery of medicines, food items, cooking gas, fuel, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products among others have not been prohibited by the District Administration Office. The statement says that their service does not contradict with the sixth point of prohibitory order issued by the District Administration Offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur about two weeks ago. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">However, the DAO, Kathmandu says it is yet to lift the ban on online delivery service. According to an official at the DAO, they are preparing to allow online delivery service after the taskforce submits its report suggesting guidelines to follow for the e-commerce companies while rendering their service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">On the other hand, the joint statement issued by the e-commerce companies mentions that there isn’t any need for prior approval to provide essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12156', 'image' => '20200902115950_homedelivery.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 11:59:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12408', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'NOC Hikes Price of Petrol', 'sub_title' => 'Price of Diesel, Kerosene and Cooking Gas Remains the Same', 'summary' => 'September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">September 2: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price effective from Tuesday midnight (September 1). </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">With the new price adjustment, petrol has become costlier by Rs 2 per litre. Petrol is not available for Rs 107 per litre according to the new price list published by NOC. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the price of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas remains the same, NOC said in a statement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">NOC said that the price was increased as per the new list provided by the Indian Oil Corporation.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This is the second time in two weeks that the state-owned oil monopoly has increased the price of petroleum products. The last time NOC had increased the price of petroleum products was on August 16. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-02', 'modified' => '2020-09-02', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12155', 'image' => '20200902103016_petrol_diesel_.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-02 10:29:32', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12407', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Allows Import of Peas and Black Pepper Stuck at vairous Ports ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">September 1: The government has decided to allow the import of peas and black pepper that have been stopped at the customs points. A cabinet meeting on Sunday, August 30, decided to allow the import of those peas and black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The food items are stuck at the customs points since the past five months because they were being imported without the prior approval of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The government has decided to allow the import of only those peas and black pepper that were shipped before March 2020. Earlier a cabinet meeting held on April 30 had decided to ban the import of watermelon, chilly, dates and betel nut into Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Following the government's restriction, around 1,000 containers of unlicensed food were stranded at various ports including at Birgunj Dry Port and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">However, the government has already lifted bans on import of betel nuts. Likewise, the government has decided to allow exporters to take back the black pepper. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">In the meantime, government has initiated the process for returning 60 containers of chilly from the Birgunj Dry Port.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Importers who are not willing to take back the peas and black peppers will be allowed to import the items. However, government is still unclear about what to do with the dates stuck at the checkpoint. According to the dry port’s customs office, about 100 containers of dates are stuck in the ports of Nepal and India.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12154', 'image' => '20200901042358_1598924714.Clipboard06.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 16:23:28', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12406', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Experts Stress on Role of MSMEs to Rebound the Economy', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. ', '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"">September 1: Experts from India and Nepal stressed on the role that </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can play to rebound the economy that has been reeling under the crisis of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown in the region. </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"">Senior Vice President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Sanjay Aggrawal </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">said during a Webinar conference held on August 31 that it is high time that the MSMEs be given their space as the Covid-19 pandemic has made a firm ground for strengthening bilateral relations between India and Nepal and these business can play pivotal roles in economic rebounding.</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"">Anil Khaitan, former president of PHDCCI, presented a global overview about the effect of the pandemic on the economy and the required response to mitigate the challenges being faced by MSMEs during the interaction organised jointly by </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) and PHDCCI under the aegis of India-Nepal Centre and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).</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"">“In these adverse times, it is utmost important that businesses adopt the ways for frugal innovation,” a joint statement issued by the organisers quoted him as saying.</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 Khaitan, the MSMEs need a clear definition that will be immensely helpful for letting them avail the market conditions efficiently. </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"">Speaking at the same online interaction entitled ‘Enhancing Cooperation for MSMEs in Nepal’, CEO of Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Sushil Bhatta </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">highlighted the importance of MSME for Nepal's economy and job creation.</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"">He stressed on the need of creating awareness in MSMEs for the skill development,<br /> entrepreneurial advancement, innovative practices, new technology to give them a competitive edge at the regional and global platforms.</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"">Bhatta also shed light on the challenges MSMEs are facing with the demand and supply shocks with the ongoing crisis emerged through the pandemic.</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"">Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> Maha Prasad Adhikari in his keynote speech called the MSMEs sector as the growth engine of Nepal’s economy. Highlighting on the recent policy measures, he assured the industry that Nepal’s MSMEs are on way to emerge stronger and can partner for registering positive outcomes.</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"">Similarly, Kapidjwaja Pratap Singh, commercial representatives at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, said many importers in India are dependent on exports of Nepal, making it a two-way flow of commodities between India and Nepal. He added that localised trade is happening at a fast pace. This shows the immense networking and supply chain management development by business between India and 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"">“In the recent past, the trade between India and Nepal has reached to around 85 percent peak of pre-Covid times both in terms of exports and imports,” said Singh. </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"">Anukool Bhatnagar, MD and CEO of NSBL, in his presentation discussed financer's perspectives on the MSME's in Nepal. He presented a “nuanced view” on key pressing policy issues that are impacting the way banks are lending to MSMEs. While the credit gap is still there, Nepal has evolved as a country with robust ecosystem for the old and new businesses, he reportedly said. Bhatnagar also appreciated the regulatory measures of NRB that are particularly sensitive to the concerns of MSMEs.</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 D K Aggarwal, president of PHDCCI, shared about India’s unique and deep relationship with Nepal. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12153', 'image' => '20200901023317_13202_DSC_0992 (1).jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 14:32:04', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12405', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Sanitizers Imported without Quality Check ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. Not only have domestic pharmaceutical industries started producing sanitizers, the imported sanitizers are also widely available in the market. However, the risk of infection has further increased as the sanitizers are imported without quality check. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has given permission to 40 pharmaceutical companies for the production of sanitizer since April. Among them, 30 have already started commercial production. Although Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology monitors the quality of sanitizers produced by the industries in Nepal, sanitizers are being imported from the customs points without quality inspection. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The department has made a criteria for domestic industries that there should be 80 percent ethanol in the sanitizer. Regardless of this, the department is ignorant about the standard for the sanitizers that are being imported from countries including India and China. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">According to Ramesh Sukmani, officer at Birgunj Customs Office, there is no provision of ensuring the quality of sanitizer at customs points.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “DDA has sent a letter to allow the import till mid-October,” he said. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Spokesperson of DDA Santosh KC informed that they have extended the time period for the importers to register the products from July to September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> “The time period has been extended after the importers said that it was difficult to present the documents due to the lockdown,” he told New Business Age. The department says that the quality will be monitored after registration of the products. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A recent study by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) found that 45 percent sanitizers that are available in the Nepali market are of poor quality. NAST warns of an increased risk of infection as such sanitizers cannot incapacitate the virus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12152', 'image' => '20200901013444_1598909323.Clipboard15.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 13:34:14', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12404', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Garment Industry of Nepal Struggling to Export their Product', 'sub_title' => 'Exporters Forced to Pay Four Times High Airfare', 'summary' => 'September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">September 1: Readymade garment producers of Nepal are forced to pay four times high price for air tickets to export their products due to unavailability of flights amid Covid-19 pandemic. Regular flights have been halted since a long time to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So the exporters have no option to send the products through chartered flights operated for rescuing stranded Nepali citizens, which is much more costlier.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Readymade garments produced in Nepal are exported to countries like Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Norway as well as the USA, Australia and Canada. Europe is a major market for readymade garments made in Nepal. Out of the total readymade garments manufactured in Nepal, 70 percent is exported to Europe.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The demand for readymade garments depends on the season. Therefore, the Nepali exporters say they have had to bear losses of more than Rs 1.25 billion for failing to deliver the goods on time.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The manufacturers have to incur huge losses if they have to keep the products for the next season. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Therefore, the manufacturers are exporting products like shorts, trousers, pants and ladies wear to selected European countries by paying exceptionally high airfare, informed Ashok Agrawal, general secretary of Garment Association of Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">He added that they have no option other than to pay four times higher to export the goods through chartered flights.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Earlier, Nepali exporters had been exporting goods for 2 dollar per kilogram. But the cost has gone up to 8 dollars per kg at present.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">“It is better to pay high price than to face loss due to delay in delivery, which often causes irreparable damage because the season gets over by that time,” says Agrawal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the association, there were 1200 garment factories in Nepal which provided employment to more than 100,000 people about 15 years ago. However, there are currently only 50 such factories across the country and they provide employment to 8,000 people.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industry of Nepal had done transactions worth Rs 7 billion during last fiscal year, but the association fears that the figure might take a nosedive this year.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The garment industries are operating at 20 percent capacity after the lockdown was imposed on March 24. On top of that, they are struggling to export the manufactured products.</span></span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-09-01', 'modified' => '2020-09-01', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12151', 'image' => '20200901114856_1598909272.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-09-01 11:48:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12403', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal Prepares to Sign Air Service Agreements with 3 More Countries', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">August 31: The government of Nepal is preparing to sign air service agreements with three more countries. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">A meeting of the high-level management committee of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Sunday, August 30, decided to move ahead with the process of signing air service agreements with Indonesia, Finland and Russia.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal has so far signed bilateral air service agreements and memoranda of understanding with 40 countries for air connectivity. Currently, 30 international airlines including three Nepali carries have been operating their flight to 32 destinations in 15 countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal recently had signed an air service agreement with Australia on October 1, 2019. Australia is the 40th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nepal had entered into an agreement with Australia to enjoy the Fifth Freedom as an intermediate point using two points in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Earlier, Cambodia was the 39th country to sign an air service agreement with Nepal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Among the countries preparing for the air service agreement, Finland itself had shown interest for air service agreement with Nepal while Nepal had initiated talks with the other two countries.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12150', 'image' => '20200831032956_1595541466.Clipboard02.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:29:13', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12402', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Central Bank Removes Inter-bank ATM Charges', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.', 'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">August 31: </span></strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has removed the inter-bank charges for ATM transactions and also reduced the limits on payment.</span></span></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has amended the Unified Directives on Payment System-2077 to remove the inter-bank charges on ATM transactions.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nepal Rastra Bank has directed the banks to not charge any fee for ATM transactions as it is difficult for the general public to go to their respective banks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Executive Director of NRB Bhuwan Kadel informed that banks and finance companies have been instructed to not charge the users any fee for using their ATM cards in any other banks in the country.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The limit for electronic transactions through debit cards has been set at Rs 25,000 per transaction and Rs 100,000 per day. The monthly limit for payment through debit cards is set at Rs 400,000.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks and finance companies used to set their own monthly limits earlier. Executive Director of the Payments System Department Bhuwan Kadel said that such limits are being set to create uniformity. “The previous arrangement showed that a large sum of Rs 3 million could be withdrawn per month with the daily limit of Rs 100,000. However, banks had set their limits lower than this. This is why we have set a weekly limit of Rs 100,000 and a monthly limit of Rs 400,000,” he told New Business Age.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NRB has also directed banks to clearly state the issuance charge, service charge, and interest and compensations in the customer’s contract while issuing electronic payment cards. Renewal fee should also not be charged before the expiration of such cards. Nepal Rastra Bank has also directed the banks and financial institutions to inform their customers 15 days prior to the expiry of the card and about the card renewal fee through SMS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to the central bank, the financial institutions that have already operated the electronic payment card services but haven’t applied for its permission will have to submit an application by mid-January 2021 along with their policies and procedural arrangements. The name and phone number of the concerned employee, and the name, address and phone number of the concerned company also needs to be clearly mentioned in English and Nepali in the ATM booth in case the customer needs to inquire somebody about the transactions in the ATM. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Branchless banking, which has become effective nowadays, can be done by banks and finance companies without taking permissions from Nepal Rastra Bank. However, they will need to give information about this to the Payments System Department. Permission needs to be taken from Nepal Rastra Bank if such banking is about to be shut down.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Banks can provide branchless services to their account holders outside the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan city with the use of smart or magnetic cards in ‘Point of Transaction’ machine with the help of their own institution or agents appointed by the institution. Customers can deposit cash in their account, make payments and remittances, get their bank statements, pay the approved loan and pay their installments through branchless banking.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Executive Director Kandel stated that while branchless banking was not previously permitted in areas where many banks and finance companies had opened, it is currently permitted in any area except metropolitan and sub-metropolitan cities. </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12149', 'image' => '20200831032424_1595714205.Clipboard08.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 15:23:34', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12401', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Pharmaceutical Industries of Bara-Parsa Corridor Closed ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">August 31: Pharmaceutical companies of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have been closed after the local administration restricted movement of people and vehicles in the region to prevent coronavirus from spreading. Altogether 15 such industries in the corridor have stopped their production after the administration did not allow them to operate vehicles. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Manager of Quest Pharmaceuticals, Prithvi Rajbhandari, said they had to stop the production as the workers had to be kept in the industry. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The administration has stopped the operation of vehicles, hence we had to shut down the industry due to lack of workers,” he said. District Administration Office, Parsa has directed all stakeholders to operate the industries by managing quarantine facility for workers. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Majority of workers of the pharmaceutical companies live in Birgunj. The industries have not been able to bring their workers to the factory. A prohibitory orders were imposed in Bara and Parsa on July 25 after an increase in cases of coronavirus. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The criteria prepared by the government for the operation of the industries state that the industry should make arrangements for quarantine and isolation if any workers are infected on the industry premises or the community. Prabhat Rungata, manager of Maruti Pharma, said that keeping workers in the industry itself increases the risk of contamination of medicines. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Pharmaceutical industry is different from other industries. Keeping workers in the industry can spread the bacterial contamination in medicine. There isn’t any other option as the administration did not allow bringing the workers,” Rungata told New Business Age. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">According to Rungata, among 15 industries, seven of them manufacture medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. He further said that there might be shortage of these medicines since around 80 percent of such drugs is produced by the industries in this area. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12148', 'image' => '20200831025533_1598839115.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 14:54:59', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12400', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Social Security Fund Attracting more Contributors', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">August 31: </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The Social Security Fund (SSF) has been able to draw the private sector towards its schemes amid coronavirus pandemic. The contributors have deposited double the amount than before during the lockdown period alone.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The state-promoted fund had a total deposits of Rs 850 million before the lockdown ever since its establishment since the beginning of the last fiscal year. The fund has grown to Rs 1.72 billion after the government imposed a lockdown on March 24. However, the finance ministry is yet to release Rs 860 million of the three months of lockdown period (mid-April to mid-July) although it has already approved the amount. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">According to the work procedure of the Social Security Fund, private sector registered with the fund should contribute 31 percent of the employees’ salary including 20 percent by the employers in return for pension and other facilities post retirement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had announced to deposit the amount on behalf of the private sector for the lockdown period considering the loss of business due to the current crisis. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government had made such announcement while unveiling the budget for the current fiscal year. Only those organisations that have been listed in the SSF and have been contributing to it can benefit from the government relief. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has made arrangement for the employers to borrow the deposited amount to pay the salary of the staffers for the time being.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">There is also a provision in the SSF to invest the deposited amount elsewhere after preparing a separate work procedure for this. However, Executive Director of SSF Kapil Mani Gyawali says that although they have presented the work procedure to the government, it is yet to be approved.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">“The work procedure is currently under discussion in the cabinet. We don’t know when it will be approved,” said Gyawali.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">He further said that the SSF will attract more contributors once the floodgates for investment gets opened after the approval of the work procedure.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Executive Director Gyawali further said that 508 new employers and around 22,000 employees working in those organisations have been added to the network of SSF after the lockdown was imposed.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Mostly, private companies associated with the tourism business, airline companies, industries, NGOs, co-operatives, manpower companies have been registered during the lockdown period.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A total of 172,350 employees associated with 12,043 enterprises have been registered with the SSF as of August 29.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12147', 'image' => '20200831015725_1598822620.1.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 13:56:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12399', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'DAO forms Committee to Prepare Criteria for Allowing Online Delivery', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">August 31: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has formed a committee to prepare the criteria for allowing online delivery service in the capital.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal has ordered the four-member committee headed by Assistant CDO Janak Raj Bhatta to prepare the criteria by Monday (August 31).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The other members of the committee include a representative each from the Department of Commerce, health ministry and police. Among them are chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu Badri Bahadur Khadka; Director of the Department of Commerce Sagar Mishra and DSP Dipendra Shah of Armed Police Force.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">The committee will prepare a set of rules and other safety standards which the delivery persons will have to follow while delivering food and other items. The committee will also determine essential goods for home delivery.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Last Thursday, police had arrested 65 persons associated with the online delivery business from different parts of Kathmandu stating that the government has banned such service while the prohibitory order is in force. Police had also called the operators of e-commerce companies and warned them not to provide any kind of service.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Following the police crackdown, the e-commerce companies had submitted a memorandum to CDO Dahal requesting him to ease the restriction on their business. After receiving the memorandum, CDO Dahal convened the meeting of concerned authorities and decided to form the committee.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">“If we allow online delivery without any safety measures then coronavirus will be transmitted to every households. Therefore, we will allow online delivery only after formulating a certain criteria,” said CDO Dahal.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Devanagari Sangam MN"">Police intervention against online delivery had drawn widespread criticism.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Police had arrested the staffers of Foodmandu, Foodmario, Bhojdeal, UG Cakes, Pathao among other e-commerce companies. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">The e-commerce companies complained that the police arrested their operators and staffers despite the government’s announcement to allow essential services like delivery of medicines, food, gas, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits among others. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, stakeholders of the e-commerce companies said that the police action was against the circular issued by the chief district officers of the three districts of Kathmandu Valley while announcing the prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Meanwhile, the police said that they took action against the e-commerce companies because they were not providing essential services.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-09-03', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12146', 'image' => '20200831120323_1598822296.Clipboard05.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 12:02:50', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12398', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Public Transport to Resume after Mid-September', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">August 31: The government has decided to allow the operation of public vehicles only after mid-September. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday (August 30) decided to allow public vehicles to operate along short, medium and long-routes after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Earlier, the government had said it would allow public vehicles to resume operation from August 31. However, the rapid rise in number of coronavirus forced the government to review the decision. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government on Sunday confirmed over 1221 new cases of coronavirus across the country, including a record-high 429 cases in the Kathmandu Valley. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">Meanwhile, reopening of educational institutions including schools and colleges, holding examinations and conducting sports training will be allowed only after September 17.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Bangla MN"">The government has also decided to resume inter-district transportation service and domestic flights only after mid-September.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-31', 'modified' => '2020-08-31', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12145', 'image' => '20200831112325_cabenet.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-31 11:22:53', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '12397', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Hatcheries Struggling to Sell Chicks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">August 30: The poultry business in the country has been bearing losses in millions due to the lockdown and prohibitory order imposed by the government.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Hatcheries are struggling to sell chicks because the farmers are unable to buy them. A broiler chick, which used to sell for Rs 56.45, is now being sold for Rs 20. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Due to the prohibitory order imposed by the local governments in various districts to curb the spread of coronavirus, the poultry farmers are unable to sell their chickens. Therefore, they are not in a position to buy any new chicks. This has led to a decline in demand for the chicks.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">Besides the sale of meat, the price of chicken has also fallen down because the government has limited the time period for shops to open. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">According to the president of the Association of Nepal Hatchery Industries, Tikaram Pokharel, they are unable to sell the chicks even at lower cost because the poultry farmers are unable to sell the chicken in the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">This has forced members of the association to cull 3 million chicks every week, informed Pokharel.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"">During normal period, a total of 324 hatcheries across the country used to produce 4.2 million chicks per week. However, more than 50 hatcheries are currently closed due to the extended lockdown and subsequent prohibitory order.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2020-08-30', 'modified' => '2020-08-30', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '12144', 'image' => '20200830051457_1598735517.4.jpg', 'article_date' => '2020-08-30 17:14:27', '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
