70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers

May 03, 2020 0 1 minutes 37 seconds to read

May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).…

Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown

May 03, 2020 0 2 minutes 3 seconds to read

May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and…

‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’

May 01, 2020 0 2 minutes 55 seconds to read

May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on…

Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service

May 01, 2020 0 1 minutes 29 seconds to read

May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS…

Government Announces Additional Relief Packages

May 01, 2020 0 2 minutes 56 seconds to read

May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension.…

Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year

May 01, 2020 0 2 minutes 38 seconds to read

May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.…

Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail

May 01, 2020 0 1 minutes 57 seconds to read

May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required.…

Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS

Apr 30, 2020 0 1 minutes 51 seconds to read

April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics…

ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal

Apr 30, 2020 0 1 minutes 19 seconds to read

April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.…

NRB Directs BFIs to Provide 2% Discount on Interest

Apr 30, 2020 0 1 minutes 37 seconds to read

April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.…

EU to Provide Rs 9.8 Billion to Tackle Coronavirus in Nepal

Apr 28, 2020 0 2 minutes 16 seconds to read

April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported.…

Shortage of Construction Materials Affecting Infrastructure Projects

Apr 28, 2020 0 1 minutes 48 seconds to read

April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials.…

Experts urge Government to Start Preparation for Promoting Domestic Tourism

Apr 28, 2020 0 1 minutes 54 seconds to read

April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country’s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.…

Budget for PMEP Spent on Paying Salary of Government Employees

Apr 28, 2020 0 2 minutes 23 seconds to read

April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal…

NCC calls on Government to bring Financial Package for Tourism Sector

Apr 28, 2020 0 1 minutes 35 seconds to read

April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.…

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NEPSE

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			'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p>
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			'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown',
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			'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. &ldquo;This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,&rdquo; he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1>

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			'id' => '12007',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven&rsquo;t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to workers&rsquo; union, &nbsp;around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers&rsquo; unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven&rsquo;t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,&rdquo; said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven&rsquo;t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won&rsquo;t be jobless and they don&rsquo;t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '12006',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet &nbsp;service providers to continue with such scheme.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Minister for Communication and Information&nbsp; Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp; <span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'id' => '12005',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12003',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)&#39;s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11754',
			'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12004',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal&rsquo;s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11753',
			'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12002',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal&rsquo;s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government&rsquo;s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal&rsquo;s economy. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government&rsquo;s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors &ndash; tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11752',
			'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12001',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.   ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal&#39;s development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11751',
			'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12000',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NRB Directs BFIs to Provide 2% Discount on Interest',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank in a notice issued on Tuesday instructed the BFIs to provide the discount to the coronavirus affected entrepreneurs on the interest as of April 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NRB stated that the banks and financial institutions issuing loans henceforth have to reduce the interest by 2% and count the interest amount of the fourth trimester of the fiscal year 2019/2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">However, the central bank said this provision does not apply in the case of food processing, sale and distribution; LPG bottling, sale and distribution; the internet service providers; telecom service providers; the television service providers; the tobacco and alcohol based industries; and the hydropower projects in operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, NRB has directed BFIs to make provisions for extending the time for payment of the monthly/trimester instalments to be collected in the months of Baisakh and Jeth &nbsp;(mid-April to mid-June) till the coming Asar-end (mid-July). The NRB directive states that no additional charges or fines can be levied in the case of such instalments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank has stated that the timeline for payment of the principal and interest of short-term loans of all recurrent capital-type to be paid during the lockdown period could be extended by 60 days. -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11750',
			'image' => '20200430021413_20160909042218_nrb.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:13:32',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11999',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU to Provide Rs 9.8 Billion to Tackle Coronavirus in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, the support includes redirected existing commitments with new funds.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU said in a statement that the Government of Nepal can &nbsp;have direct and swift access to this financing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU&rsquo;s support will be focused on two areas. Firstly, it will be assisting the authorities in Nepal to respond to the immediate health crisis and secondly to boost the country&rsquo;s economic response and recovery. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU will provide Rs 1.6 billion to support the government&rsquo;s health and preparedness plan, according to RSS. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;These funds are being made available either by topping up resources for already existing projects on the health sector, or by reorienting resources to other projects that would integrate health related activities and crisis response, including tackling gender based violence,&rdquo; RSS reported citing the EU.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Rs 8.2 billion will support the government&rsquo;s response to the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">While the government&rsquo;s strict measures to trace, isolate and treat the virus have so far helped to contain the health crisis, such measures will have a negative economic impact, the EU noted. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">By stimulating the economy and labour demand, through support to people&rsquo;s incomes, employment retention and the extension of social protection programmes that assist the most vulnerable, the European Union said in the statement issued on Monday that it hopes to assist the government&rsquo;s economic recovery plan. </span></span></span></p>
',
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			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11749',
			'image' => '20200428110203_EU.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-28 23:01:10',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11998',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Shortage of Construction Materials Affecting Infrastructure Projects ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. ',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The shortage in supply of construction materials has affected the construction work of roads, bridges, drinking water and airport related projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Road widening and blacktopping inside Kathmandu Valley has come to a standstill due to the shortage of raw materials. The scarcity also has halted the construction works of two international projects. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the lockdown, crucial equipment and cement could not be brought from China&#39;s Kerung Dry Port and India&#39;s Kolkata Port for the construction of the two national pride projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Roshan Dahal, general secretary of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, informed new Business Age that many small and larger construction projects are facing the shortage of resources and construction materials, due to the closure of the crusher, cement and rod industries. The industries are also facing shortage of raw materials because of the lockdown, he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&quot;It is obvious for the projects to face the scarcity of construction materials while the construction industries and factories are closed,&rdquo; Dahal added.</span></span></h1>

<h1>&nbsp;</h1>

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',
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			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11996',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Experts urge Government to Start Preparation for Promoting Domestic Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country’s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country&rsquo;s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They were of the view that Nepal holds good potential for domestic tourism but the government has never given priority to this sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a video conference organised by Excel Trip on Monday, the experts drew the attention of the government to channelize the budget allocated for the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to promote internal tourism.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Tourism expert and hotel entrepreneur Karna Shakya said that Nepal has great potential for domestic tourism and the government must start preparation for it right away. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;We can reach the international tourism market through the regional market by making the domestic market its base,&rdquo; said Shakya.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi said that the fact than no one has died of coronavirus in Nepal is a plus point for Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry. He said that the Nepalis&rsquo; propensity to spend is increasing and the tourism sector must capitalize on it to bail out the&nbsp; sector which is currently under crisis due to coronavirus.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, First Vice President of Hotel Association of Nepal Binayak Shah informed that the hotel entrepreneurs are preparing to launch special packages for domestic tourists.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11747',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11995',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Budget for PMEP Spent on Paying Salary of Government Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The labour ministry has demanded Rs 11.28 billion from the finance ministry to run the 100-day employment programme for unemployed youths in FY 2020/21.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">In the letter, the ministry has asked the finance ministry to provide Rs 5.91 billion pledged by the World Bank and to manage an additional Rs 5.37 billion from the government&rsquo;s internal source. However, the ministry is yet to determine how many youths will be provided with employment opportunities during next fiscal year. The labour ministry is currently studying the prospects, said sources at the ministry.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has announced to provide employment to youths who have been rendered jobless due to the lockdown as well as to the migrant workers who have received permit to work abroad but have been denied opportunity due to the travel restrictions. Therefore, the labour ministry intends to create employment opportunities within the country to minimize the impact created by jobless situation in the country.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Ministry of Labour and Employment aims to mobilize unemployed youths in road, drinking water, agriculture and irrigation projects as well as construction and renovation of government hospitals, health posts among others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The programme was launched last year. The government had allocated Rs 5.1 billion for this programme in the current fiscal year. However, the government has not been able to spend the allocated amount for any productive work except paying salary and allowances of the employees as of mid-April this year. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The World Bank was supposed to provide Rs 2 billion for the programme for the current fiscal year but the amount was withheld as the government failed to prepare a work procedure for the programme. The World Bank has agreed to release the budget for the upcoming fiscal year after the government prepared the work procedure recently.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11997',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCC calls on Government to bring Financial Package for Tourism Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An NCC delegation led by its president Rajesh Kaji Shrestha called for such package in suggestions it presented to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC urged the government to rescue the hotel and airlines companies by means of fiscal package as these sectors have been badly affected by the impact of COVID-19. It also called for bailing out the tourism sector as a whole from the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus by means of various measures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The NCC delegation has suggested providing financial support including tax and airport charge exemption. It called on the government and the Nepal Rastra Bank to support the sectors through loan, loan guarantees and corporate bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC also suggested the government to formulate plan keeping the domestic tourism in priority and to focus its attention to promotion of internal tourism soon after COVID-19 impact subsided.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It also urged the government to take initiatives for bringing in maximum number of tourists from various Chinese cities on competitive packages by Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines and Chinese airlines in the upcoming tourism season of October and November.&nbsp; -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12008',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-03',
			'modified' => '2020-05-03',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11759',
			'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic  (2).jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49',
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			'id' => '12009',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. &ldquo;This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,&rdquo; he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1>

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',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12007',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven&rsquo;t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to workers&rsquo; union, &nbsp;around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers&rsquo; unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven&rsquo;t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,&rdquo; said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven&rsquo;t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won&rsquo;t be jobless and they don&rsquo;t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12006',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet &nbsp;service providers to continue with such scheme.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Minister for Communication and Information&nbsp; Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp; <span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11756',
			'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg',
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			'id' => '12005',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-05-01',
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			'sortorder' => '11755',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12003',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)&#39;s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11754',
			'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12004',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal&rsquo;s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11753',
			'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12002',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal&rsquo;s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government&rsquo;s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal&rsquo;s economy. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government&rsquo;s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors &ndash; tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11752',
			'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12001',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.   ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal&#39;s development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11751',
			'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12000',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NRB Directs BFIs to Provide 2% Discount on Interest',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank in a notice issued on Tuesday instructed the BFIs to provide the discount to the coronavirus affected entrepreneurs on the interest as of April 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NRB stated that the banks and financial institutions issuing loans henceforth have to reduce the interest by 2% and count the interest amount of the fourth trimester of the fiscal year 2019/2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">However, the central bank said this provision does not apply in the case of food processing, sale and distribution; LPG bottling, sale and distribution; the internet service providers; telecom service providers; the television service providers; the tobacco and alcohol based industries; and the hydropower projects in operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, NRB has directed BFIs to make provisions for extending the time for payment of the monthly/trimester instalments to be collected in the months of Baisakh and Jeth &nbsp;(mid-April to mid-June) till the coming Asar-end (mid-July). The NRB directive states that no additional charges or fines can be levied in the case of such instalments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank has stated that the timeline for payment of the principal and interest of short-term loans of all recurrent capital-type to be paid during the lockdown period could be extended by 60 days. -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11750',
			'image' => '20200430021413_20160909042218_nrb.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:13:32',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11999',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU to Provide Rs 9.8 Billion to Tackle Coronavirus in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, the support includes redirected existing commitments with new funds.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU said in a statement that the Government of Nepal can &nbsp;have direct and swift access to this financing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU&rsquo;s support will be focused on two areas. Firstly, it will be assisting the authorities in Nepal to respond to the immediate health crisis and secondly to boost the country&rsquo;s economic response and recovery. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU will provide Rs 1.6 billion to support the government&rsquo;s health and preparedness plan, according to RSS. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;These funds are being made available either by topping up resources for already existing projects on the health sector, or by reorienting resources to other projects that would integrate health related activities and crisis response, including tackling gender based violence,&rdquo; RSS reported citing the EU.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Rs 8.2 billion will support the government&rsquo;s response to the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">While the government&rsquo;s strict measures to trace, isolate and treat the virus have so far helped to contain the health crisis, such measures will have a negative economic impact, the EU noted. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">By stimulating the economy and labour demand, through support to people&rsquo;s incomes, employment retention and the extension of social protection programmes that assist the most vulnerable, the European Union said in the statement issued on Monday that it hopes to assist the government&rsquo;s economic recovery plan. </span></span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11749',
			'image' => '20200428110203_EU.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-28 23:01:10',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11998',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Shortage of Construction Materials Affecting Infrastructure Projects ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. ',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The shortage in supply of construction materials has affected the construction work of roads, bridges, drinking water and airport related projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Road widening and blacktopping inside Kathmandu Valley has come to a standstill due to the shortage of raw materials. The scarcity also has halted the construction works of two international projects. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the lockdown, crucial equipment and cement could not be brought from China&#39;s Kerung Dry Port and India&#39;s Kolkata Port for the construction of the two national pride projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Roshan Dahal, general secretary of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, informed new Business Age that many small and larger construction projects are facing the shortage of resources and construction materials, due to the closure of the crusher, cement and rod industries. The industries are also facing shortage of raw materials because of the lockdown, he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&quot;It is obvious for the projects to face the scarcity of construction materials while the construction industries and factories are closed,&rdquo; Dahal added.</span></span></h1>

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',
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			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11748',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11996',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Experts urge Government to Start Preparation for Promoting Domestic Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country’s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country&rsquo;s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They were of the view that Nepal holds good potential for domestic tourism but the government has never given priority to this sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a video conference organised by Excel Trip on Monday, the experts drew the attention of the government to channelize the budget allocated for the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to promote internal tourism.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Tourism expert and hotel entrepreneur Karna Shakya said that Nepal has great potential for domestic tourism and the government must start preparation for it right away. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;We can reach the international tourism market through the regional market by making the domestic market its base,&rdquo; said Shakya.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi said that the fact than no one has died of coronavirus in Nepal is a plus point for Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry. He said that the Nepalis&rsquo; propensity to spend is increasing and the tourism sector must capitalize on it to bail out the&nbsp; sector which is currently under crisis due to coronavirus.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, First Vice President of Hotel Association of Nepal Binayak Shah informed that the hotel entrepreneurs are preparing to launch special packages for domestic tourists.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11747',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11995',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Budget for PMEP Spent on Paying Salary of Government Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The labour ministry has demanded Rs 11.28 billion from the finance ministry to run the 100-day employment programme for unemployed youths in FY 2020/21.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">In the letter, the ministry has asked the finance ministry to provide Rs 5.91 billion pledged by the World Bank and to manage an additional Rs 5.37 billion from the government&rsquo;s internal source. However, the ministry is yet to determine how many youths will be provided with employment opportunities during next fiscal year. The labour ministry is currently studying the prospects, said sources at the ministry.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has announced to provide employment to youths who have been rendered jobless due to the lockdown as well as to the migrant workers who have received permit to work abroad but have been denied opportunity due to the travel restrictions. Therefore, the labour ministry intends to create employment opportunities within the country to minimize the impact created by jobless situation in the country.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Ministry of Labour and Employment aims to mobilize unemployed youths in road, drinking water, agriculture and irrigation projects as well as construction and renovation of government hospitals, health posts among others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The programme was launched last year. The government had allocated Rs 5.1 billion for this programme in the current fiscal year. However, the government has not been able to spend the allocated amount for any productive work except paying salary and allowances of the employees as of mid-April this year. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The World Bank was supposed to provide Rs 2 billion for the programme for the current fiscal year but the amount was withheld as the government failed to prepare a work procedure for the programme. The World Bank has agreed to release the budget for the upcoming fiscal year after the government prepared the work procedure recently.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
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			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11746',
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			'article_date' => '2020-04-28 10:03:37',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11997',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCC calls on Government to bring Financial Package for Tourism Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An NCC delegation led by its president Rajesh Kaji Shrestha called for such package in suggestions it presented to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC urged the government to rescue the hotel and airlines companies by means of fiscal package as these sectors have been badly affected by the impact of COVID-19. It also called for bailing out the tourism sector as a whole from the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus by means of various measures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The NCC delegation has suggested providing financial support including tax and airport charge exemption. It called on the government and the Nepal Rastra Bank to support the sectors through loan, loan guarantees and corporate bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC also suggested the government to formulate plan keeping the domestic tourism in priority and to focus its attention to promotion of internal tourism soon after COVID-19 impact subsided.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It also urged the government to take initiatives for bringing in maximum number of tourists from various Chinese cities on competitive packages by Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines and Chinese airlines in the upcoming tourism season of October and November.&nbsp; -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12008',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-03',
			'modified' => '2020-05-03',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11759',
			'image' => '20200503093434_20190201015612_sej pic  (2).jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-03 09:33:49',
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			'id' => '12009',
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			'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. &ldquo;This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,&rdquo; he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1>

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<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;</span></span></h1>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12007',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven&rsquo;t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to workers&rsquo; union, &nbsp;around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers&rsquo; unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven&rsquo;t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,&rdquo; said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven&rsquo;t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won&rsquo;t be jobless and they don&rsquo;t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12006',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet &nbsp;service providers to continue with such scheme.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Minister for Communication and Information&nbsp; Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp; <span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-05-01',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11756',
			'image' => '20200501122318_321014000_INternet.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 12:22:31',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12005',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
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			'sortorder' => '11755',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12003',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)&#39;s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11754',
			'image' => '20200501110443_20190514035934_int6.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:03:52',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12004',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal&rsquo;s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11753',
			'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12002',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal&rsquo;s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government&rsquo;s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal&rsquo;s economy. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government&rsquo;s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors &ndash; tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11752',
			'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12001',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.   ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal&#39;s development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11751',
			'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12000',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NRB Directs BFIs to Provide 2% Discount on Interest',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank in a notice issued on Tuesday instructed the BFIs to provide the discount to the coronavirus affected entrepreneurs on the interest as of April 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NRB stated that the banks and financial institutions issuing loans henceforth have to reduce the interest by 2% and count the interest amount of the fourth trimester of the fiscal year 2019/2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">However, the central bank said this provision does not apply in the case of food processing, sale and distribution; LPG bottling, sale and distribution; the internet service providers; telecom service providers; the television service providers; the tobacco and alcohol based industries; and the hydropower projects in operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, NRB has directed BFIs to make provisions for extending the time for payment of the monthly/trimester instalments to be collected in the months of Baisakh and Jeth &nbsp;(mid-April to mid-June) till the coming Asar-end (mid-July). The NRB directive states that no additional charges or fines can be levied in the case of such instalments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank has stated that the timeline for payment of the principal and interest of short-term loans of all recurrent capital-type to be paid during the lockdown period could be extended by 60 days. -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11750',
			'image' => '20200430021413_20160909042218_nrb.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:13:32',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11999',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU to Provide Rs 9.8 Billion to Tackle Coronavirus in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, the support includes redirected existing commitments with new funds.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU said in a statement that the Government of Nepal can &nbsp;have direct and swift access to this financing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU&rsquo;s support will be focused on two areas. Firstly, it will be assisting the authorities in Nepal to respond to the immediate health crisis and secondly to boost the country&rsquo;s economic response and recovery. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU will provide Rs 1.6 billion to support the government&rsquo;s health and preparedness plan, according to RSS. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;These funds are being made available either by topping up resources for already existing projects on the health sector, or by reorienting resources to other projects that would integrate health related activities and crisis response, including tackling gender based violence,&rdquo; RSS reported citing the EU.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Rs 8.2 billion will support the government&rsquo;s response to the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">While the government&rsquo;s strict measures to trace, isolate and treat the virus have so far helped to contain the health crisis, such measures will have a negative economic impact, the EU noted. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">By stimulating the economy and labour demand, through support to people&rsquo;s incomes, employment retention and the extension of social protection programmes that assist the most vulnerable, the European Union said in the statement issued on Monday that it hopes to assist the government&rsquo;s economic recovery plan. </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-28',
			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11749',
			'image' => '20200428110203_EU.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-28 23:01:10',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11998',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Shortage of Construction Materials Affecting Infrastructure Projects ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. ',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The shortage in supply of construction materials has affected the construction work of roads, bridges, drinking water and airport related projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Road widening and blacktopping inside Kathmandu Valley has come to a standstill due to the shortage of raw materials. The scarcity also has halted the construction works of two international projects. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the lockdown, crucial equipment and cement could not be brought from China&#39;s Kerung Dry Port and India&#39;s Kolkata Port for the construction of the two national pride projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Roshan Dahal, general secretary of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, informed new Business Age that many small and larger construction projects are facing the shortage of resources and construction materials, due to the closure of the crusher, cement and rod industries. The industries are also facing shortage of raw materials because of the lockdown, he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&quot;It is obvious for the projects to face the scarcity of construction materials while the construction industries and factories are closed,&rdquo; Dahal added.</span></span></h1>

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',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11748',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11996',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Experts urge Government to Start Preparation for Promoting Domestic Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country’s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country&rsquo;s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They were of the view that Nepal holds good potential for domestic tourism but the government has never given priority to this sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a video conference organised by Excel Trip on Monday, the experts drew the attention of the government to channelize the budget allocated for the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to promote internal tourism.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Tourism expert and hotel entrepreneur Karna Shakya said that Nepal has great potential for domestic tourism and the government must start preparation for it right away. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;We can reach the international tourism market through the regional market by making the domestic market its base,&rdquo; said Shakya.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi said that the fact than no one has died of coronavirus in Nepal is a plus point for Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry. He said that the Nepalis&rsquo; propensity to spend is increasing and the tourism sector must capitalize on it to bail out the&nbsp; sector which is currently under crisis due to coronavirus.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, First Vice President of Hotel Association of Nepal Binayak Shah informed that the hotel entrepreneurs are preparing to launch special packages for domestic tourists.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-28',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11747',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11995',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Budget for PMEP Spent on Paying Salary of Government Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The labour ministry has demanded Rs 11.28 billion from the finance ministry to run the 100-day employment programme for unemployed youths in FY 2020/21.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">In the letter, the ministry has asked the finance ministry to provide Rs 5.91 billion pledged by the World Bank and to manage an additional Rs 5.37 billion from the government&rsquo;s internal source. However, the ministry is yet to determine how many youths will be provided with employment opportunities during next fiscal year. The labour ministry is currently studying the prospects, said sources at the ministry.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has announced to provide employment to youths who have been rendered jobless due to the lockdown as well as to the migrant workers who have received permit to work abroad but have been denied opportunity due to the travel restrictions. Therefore, the labour ministry intends to create employment opportunities within the country to minimize the impact created by jobless situation in the country.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Ministry of Labour and Employment aims to mobilize unemployed youths in road, drinking water, agriculture and irrigation projects as well as construction and renovation of government hospitals, health posts among others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The programme was launched last year. The government had allocated Rs 5.1 billion for this programme in the current fiscal year. However, the government has not been able to spend the allocated amount for any productive work except paying salary and allowances of the employees as of mid-April this year. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The World Bank was supposed to provide Rs 2 billion for the programme for the current fiscal year but the amount was withheld as the government failed to prepare a work procedure for the programme. The World Bank has agreed to release the budget for the upcoming fiscal year after the government prepared the work procedure recently.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '11997',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NCC calls on Government to bring Financial Package for Tourism Sector',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An NCC delegation led by its president Rajesh Kaji Shrestha called for such package in suggestions it presented to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC urged the government to rescue the hotel and airlines companies by means of fiscal package as these sectors have been badly affected by the impact of COVID-19. It also called for bailing out the tourism sector as a whole from the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus by means of various measures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The NCC delegation has suggested providing financial support including tax and airport charge exemption. It called on the government and the Nepal Rastra Bank to support the sectors through loan, loan guarantees and corporate bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC also suggested the government to formulate plan keeping the domestic tourism in priority and to focus its attention to promotion of internal tourism soon after COVID-19 impact subsided.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It also urged the government to take initiatives for bringing in maximum number of tourists from various Chinese cities on competitive packages by Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines and Chinese airlines in the upcoming tourism season of October and November.&nbsp; -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12008',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '70 percent Industries found Flouting Government Decision to provide Regular Payment to Workers',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April). ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 3: Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government decision to fully pay workers of formal sectors for the month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving full payment of mid-March to mid-April to their workers. The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The study found that 87 workers in State-1, 58 percent in State-2, 68 percent in Bagmati State, 68 percent in Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in State-5 were not given payment on a regular basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette directing full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita (mid-March to mid-April), it seemed that majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami. He stressed the government should take a strict measure to ensure the rights of workers and those flouting the government directive should be deprived of state facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely closed. -- RSS </span></span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-05-03',
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			'sortorder' => '11759',
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			'title' => 'Containers Piled up at Kolkata Port due to Lockdown',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">May 3: Nepal-bound Cargo containers at the Kolkata Port of India are pilled up and stuck on the port premises due to the ongoing lockdown in Nepal and India.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Containers have piled up at the Kolkata port as road transportation has been affected by the lockdown.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Kolkata Port Trust is preparing to send such containers to the nearest Container Freight Station (CFS).</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port issuing a press statement informed that the containers would be sent to the CFS.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Himanshu Shekhar, the port traffic manager at Kolkata Port, informed New Business Age that many containers that arrived at the port before the lockdown have even not been picked up. &ldquo;This has caused stockpiling of goods at the port itself. The containers are being sent elsewhere for management,&rdquo; he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Importers will have to pay up to Rs 6,000 for a 20-foot container and up to Rs 8,000 for a 40-foot container for placing containers in CFS. Currently there is lockdown in India till May 3.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">However, the importers will not have to pay penalty and additional charges to CFS for the next 15 days (May 18), sates the notice issued by the port. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The port administration is only sending the containers to CFS which were unloaded at the port as of April 23.</span></span></h1>

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<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;</span></span></h1>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12007',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => '‘80 Percent Workers haven’t Received Last Month’s Salary’',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">May 1: The condition of millions of workers remains pathetic despite celebrating the May Day on Friday. More than 95 percent of industries are closed due to the lockdown and over 80 percent of workers haven&rsquo;t got their remuneration of Chaitra 2076 (mid-March to mid-April). Due to this, their livelihood has been affected a lot.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to workers&rsquo; union, &nbsp;around five million people involved in the formal and informal sectors have been rendered jobless in Nepal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Among them, 30 percent are working in the formal sector. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.6 million workers in the formal sector of Nepal. Even more people are working in the informal sector.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Neither the government has brought any scheme to address their problems nor have the employers taken responsibility during the global crisis. Therefore, the workers&rsquo; unions have been seeking support from the government for relief package. The workers are facing hard time as many of them haven&rsquo;t received the salary of last month. According to Pushkar Acharya, president of Nepal Trade Union Congress, the employers and government should be take full responsibility during such situation.&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;Though we have been discussing about this issue with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since one week, they have still not come up with a concrete decision,&rdquo; said Acharya. He said that the Ministry of Labor and Employment should strictly monitor whether the employers have been providing the salary or not. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">According to Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), it has been difficult to provide relief to the worekrs due to lack of identification. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">He has demanded that the contractors and employers who haven&rsquo;t paid salary to their workers should be penalized. The government should strictly provide assurance that the workers won&rsquo;t be jobless and they don&rsquo;t have pay cuts, he said. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><span style="font-family:&quot;Mangal&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">On the occasion of May Day, GEFONT issued a declaration demanding different wards to collect the data of labourers and provide them with relief. Also, GEFNOT has demanded that employers should not be allowed to lay off the workers during such difficult times and they should get full salary. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges ISP to Provide 25% Percent Discount on Internet Service',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has decided to give continuity to 25 per cent discount to the consumers on internet and data package, the national news agency RSS reported.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to the RSS, the government has urged the internet &nbsp;service providers to continue with such scheme.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">As the lockdown continues, the government has also appealed to all the internet service providers not to cut off the internet services of the consumers who could not foot their bill on time due to the stay-at-home order. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Minister for Communication and Information&nbsp; Technology Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, made such remarks on Thursday while making public the decision taken by the government a few days ago.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp; <span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity per month would be availed 25 per cent discount, RSS quoted Minister Khatiwada as saying</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has also decided to exempt late fee to the customers paying the bills of their essential utilities such as drinking water, electricity, telephone among others by mid-July. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'sortorder' => '11756',
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			'id' => '12005',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Announces Additional Relief Packages',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">May 1: The government has announced further relief programmes for the sectors and individuals affected by the lockdown extension. The second phase of relief packages were announced by Government Spokesperson Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a press conference on Thursday (April 30).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Under the package, the government has decided to provide easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers while there is provision the formal sector to pay just 50 percent salary to the employees for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May). The government has also extended the time period for payment of tax to give respite to the public during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Likewise, the government has also pledged to ensure minimum wage to the informal sector workers. The daily wage workers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown would be deployed in construction works at all three levels of government, informed minister Khatiwada. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the minister, the local levels will determine the wages. There is a provision of providing them with food instead of money. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet meeting on April 26, informed Khatiwada. However, those people who prefer not the get involved in the construction works but still shop up for the relief would be provided only 25 percent of the remuneration provided to those who get involved in the government scheme.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Considering the suggestion given by the private sector, the government has agreed to allow the formal sector pay only 50 percent of salary to the staffers for the month of Baishakh (mid-April to mid-March). The employers can pay the remaining amount after resuming work.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government has also announced providing easy loans to the companies struggling to pay the workers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline of payment of tax by one month. The taxpayers can now pay the taxes without being fined till June 7. Likewise, the government has also extended the deadline for renewal of route permits and blue books of vehicles. Minister Khatiwada said that the government will exempt fine if the vehicle owners are not able to renew their license on the stipulated date due to the lockdown.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The Food Management and Trading Company and the Salt Trading Corporation will be providing 10 percent discount on daily essentials throughout the lockdown period, the minister further said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to Khatiwada, the government has also decided to purchase food products directly from the farmers. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The government took such decision considering the difficulty faced by the farmers to transport their produce to the market due to the lockdown. Likewise, the government will also foot the bill of 25 percent charge for transporting food products to the market.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12003',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Contracts of Incomplete Projects can be Extended by a Year   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)&#39;s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
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			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
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			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11754',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12004',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Businessman Agrawal Released on Bail ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">May 1: The Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Department has released businessman Sulav Agrawal on condition of appearing before the department when required. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal, who is the operator of Shankar Group, has been facing four different charges including black marketing. He was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court on Thursday but was immediately re-arrested by police and presented to the department. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">After recording his statement for one and a half hours, the department on Thursday evening released Agrawal.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Agrawal&rsquo;s lawyer confirmed that the businessman has been released and that the department will carry further investigation after the lockdown ends. Advocate Raman Karna told New Business Age that the department has fixed a date for Agrawal to appear before the officials for further interrogation.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Police clarified that they had to re-arrest Agrawal because the concerned authorities were yet to investigate into the money laundering charges against him.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It may be noted that an undercover team of Nepal Police had arrested Agrawal from a vehicle with diplomatic number plate while he was selling thermal guns at an exorbitant price on April 7. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Agarwal was the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal but the government after the incident reportedly stripped him of diplomatic previledges.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Arial">According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-05-01',
			'modified' => '2020-05-01',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11753',
			'image' => '20200501112446_1588283281.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-05-01 11:22:10',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12002',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Nepal’s Economic Growth to Slump to 2.27 Percent: CBS',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal’s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government’s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">April 30: Nepal&rsquo;s economic growth is expected to drop to 2.27 percent in the current fiscal year against the government&rsquo;s target of 8.5 percent, according to the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">CBS projected a sharp decline in economic growth due to the impact of coronavirus on Nepal&rsquo;s economy. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The country had achieved over 6 percent growth in the last three years due to the increase in infrastructural development triggered by the post-earthquake reconstruction.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the bureau, Nepal achieved economic growth of 6.75 percent in the last fiscal year while the growth was 6.35 percent in the previous year. The government was targeting a massive growth of 8.5 percent this year with the announcement of Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">But the government&rsquo;s target was shattered early in 2020 due to the drop in the number of tourists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 3 million persons and claimed over 200,000 lives worldwide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The tourism sector was the first to feel the heat of the pandemic while the subsequent lockdown to contain the spread of the virus on March 24 paralyzed the entire business activities across the country. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">Besides tourism sector, hotels and restaurants, industries and construction sectors have also been badly affected by the measures taken to control the virus. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">The coronavirus pandemic is expected to affect the service sector the most.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria">According to the CBS, Nepal will see contraction in outputs of at least five sectors &ndash; tourism and hotels; transportation and communication; manufacturing; mining; and construction.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11752',
			'image' => '20200430025148_Economic-Growth-Decline 2.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:51:07',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12001',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => ' ADB to Provide Medical Supplies and Concessional Loan to Nepal   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.   ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: The Asian Development Bank is to provide medical supplies worth US$ 300,000 and concessional loan worth US$ 250 million to Nepal, according to the national news agency RSS.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa informed about this decision to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada during a telephone conversation on Wednesday (April 29). The two discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the possible support from the bank to Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the ongoing ADB support to Nepal and possible support in the future to Nepal&#39;s development priorities were also discussed during the telephone conversation, according to the Ministry of Finance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Thanking ADB for the support, Finance Minister Khatiwada reportedly said that the country was looking forward to additional support for development of health infrastructure in Nepal in the coming days. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">He also pointed out to the need to expand investment in modern and commercial agriculture and local infrastructure and rural fiscal measures so as to create more jobs within the country, RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-30',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11751',
			'image' => '20200430022205_asian-development-bank-ru.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:21:12',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '12000',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'NRB Directs BFIs to Provide 2% Discount on Interest',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 30: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has directed banks and financial institutions (BFIs) to provide a two percent discount on the interest rate to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on borrowers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank in a notice issued on Tuesday instructed the BFIs to provide the discount to the coronavirus affected entrepreneurs on the interest as of April 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NRB stated that the banks and financial institutions issuing loans henceforth have to reduce the interest by 2% and count the interest amount of the fourth trimester of the fiscal year 2019/2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">However, the central bank said this provision does not apply in the case of food processing, sale and distribution; LPG bottling, sale and distribution; the internet service providers; telecom service providers; the television service providers; the tobacco and alcohol based industries; and the hydropower projects in operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Likewise, NRB has directed BFIs to make provisions for extending the time for payment of the monthly/trimester instalments to be collected in the months of Baisakh and Jeth &nbsp;(mid-April to mid-June) till the coming Asar-end (mid-July). The NRB directive states that no additional charges or fines can be levied in the case of such instalments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The central bank has stated that the timeline for payment of the principal and interest of short-term loans of all recurrent capital-type to be paid during the lockdown period could be extended by 60 days. -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-30',
			'modified' => '2020-04-30',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11750',
			'image' => '20200430021413_20160909042218_nrb.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-30 14:13:32',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11999',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'EU to Provide Rs 9.8 Billion to Tackle Coronavirus in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: The European Union (EU) is all set to provide an aid package of Rs 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impacts, the national news agency RSS reported. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">According to RSS, the support includes redirected existing commitments with new funds.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU said in a statement that the Government of Nepal can &nbsp;have direct and swift access to this financing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU&rsquo;s support will be focused on two areas. Firstly, it will be assisting the authorities in Nepal to respond to the immediate health crisis and secondly to boost the country&rsquo;s economic response and recovery. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The EU will provide Rs 1.6 billion to support the government&rsquo;s health and preparedness plan, according to RSS. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;These funds are being made available either by topping up resources for already existing projects on the health sector, or by reorienting resources to other projects that would integrate health related activities and crisis response, including tackling gender based violence,&rdquo; RSS reported citing the EU.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, Rs 8.2 billion will support the government&rsquo;s response to the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">While the government&rsquo;s strict measures to trace, isolate and treat the virus have so far helped to contain the health crisis, such measures will have a negative economic impact, the EU noted. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">By stimulating the economy and labour demand, through support to people&rsquo;s incomes, employment retention and the extension of social protection programmes that assist the most vulnerable, the European Union said in the statement issued on Monday that it hopes to assist the government&rsquo;s economic recovery plan. </span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-04-28',
			'modified' => '2020-04-28',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11749',
			'image' => '20200428110203_EU.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-04-28 23:01:10',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11998',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Shortage of Construction Materials Affecting Infrastructure Projects ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. ',
			'content' => '<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">April 28: The ongoing construction of infrastructural projects during the lockdown has been affected due to the shortage of construction materials. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The shortage in supply of construction materials has affected the construction work of roads, bridges, drinking water and airport related projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Road widening and blacktopping inside Kathmandu Valley has come to a standstill due to the shortage of raw materials. The scarcity also has halted the construction works of two international projects. </span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Due to the lockdown, crucial equipment and cement could not be brought from China&#39;s Kerung Dry Port and India&#39;s Kolkata Port for the construction of the two national pride projects.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Roshan Dahal, general secretary of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, informed new Business Age that many small and larger construction projects are facing the shortage of resources and construction materials, due to the closure of the crusher, cement and rod industries. The industries are also facing shortage of raw materials because of the lockdown, he informed.</span></span></h1>

<h1><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&quot;It is obvious for the projects to face the scarcity of construction materials while the construction industries and factories are closed,&rdquo; Dahal added.</span></span></h1>

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',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11996',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Experts urge Government to Start Preparation for Promoting Domestic Tourism',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country’s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: Experts have advised the government to start internal preparations for promoting domestic tourism to support the country&rsquo;s economy which is reeling under the effect of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">They were of the view that Nepal holds good potential for domestic tourism but the government has never given priority to this sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Speaking at a video conference organised by Excel Trip on Monday, the experts drew the attention of the government to channelize the budget allocated for the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to promote internal tourism.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Tourism expert and hotel entrepreneur Karna Shakya said that Nepal has great potential for domestic tourism and the government must start preparation for it right away. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">&ldquo;We can reach the international tourism market through the regional market by making the domestic market its base,&rdquo; said Shakya.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Meanwhile, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi said that the fact than no one has died of coronavirus in Nepal is a plus point for Nepal&rsquo;s tourism industry. He said that the Nepalis&rsquo; propensity to spend is increasing and the tourism sector must capitalize on it to bail out the&nbsp; sector which is currently under crisis due to coronavirus.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">Similarly, First Vice President of Hotel Association of Nepal Binayak Shah informed that the hotel entrepreneurs are preparing to launch special packages for domestic tourists.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-04-28',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11995',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Budget for PMEP Spent on Paying Salary of Government Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 28: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has written to the Ministry of Finance to provide double amount for the Prime Minister Employment Programme for the upcoming fiscal year than the amount allocated for the current fiscal year.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The labour ministry has demanded Rs 11.28 billion from the finance ministry to run the 100-day employment programme for unemployed youths in FY 2020/21.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">In the letter, the ministry has asked the finance ministry to provide Rs 5.91 billion pledged by the World Bank and to manage an additional Rs 5.37 billion from the government&rsquo;s internal source. However, the ministry is yet to determine how many youths will be provided with employment opportunities during next fiscal year. The labour ministry is currently studying the prospects, said sources at the ministry.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The government has announced to provide employment to youths who have been rendered jobless due to the lockdown as well as to the migrant workers who have received permit to work abroad but have been denied opportunity due to the travel restrictions. Therefore, the labour ministry intends to create employment opportunities within the country to minimize the impact created by jobless situation in the country.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The Ministry of Labour and Employment aims to mobilize unemployed youths in road, drinking water, agriculture and irrigation projects as well as construction and renovation of government hospitals, health posts among others.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The programme was launched last year. The government had allocated Rs 5.1 billion for this programme in the current fiscal year. However, the government has not been able to spend the allocated amount for any productive work except paying salary and allowances of the employees as of mid-April this year. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The World Bank was supposed to provide Rs 2 billion for the programme for the current fiscal year but the amount was withheld as the government failed to prepare a work procedure for the programme. The World Bank has agreed to release the budget for the upcoming fiscal year after the government prepared the work procedure recently.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'title' => 'NCC calls on Government to bring Financial Package for Tourism Sector',
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			'summary' => 'April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">April 29: Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has called on the government to bring a fiscal stimulus package for reviving the tourism sector that has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">An NCC delegation led by its president Rajesh Kaji Shrestha called for such package in suggestions it presented to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC urged the government to rescue the hotel and airlines companies by means of fiscal package as these sectors have been badly affected by the impact of COVID-19. It also called for bailing out the tourism sector as a whole from the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus by means of various measures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">The NCC delegation has suggested providing financial support including tax and airport charge exemption. It called on the government and the Nepal Rastra Bank to support the sectors through loan, loan guarantees and corporate bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">NCC also suggested the government to formulate plan keeping the domestic tourism in priority and to focus its attention to promotion of internal tourism soon after COVID-19 impact subsided.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">It also urged the government to take initiatives for bringing in maximum number of tourists from various Chinese cities on competitive packages by Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines and Chinese airlines in the upcoming tourism season of October and November.&nbsp; -- RSS&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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FOREX

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

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

Bullion

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

Update : 2020-03-25

Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association

Petroleum

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