IBN approves Rs. 36 billion investment in four hydel projects

Kathmandu, Aug. 25

The Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) has approved Rs. 36.37 billion investment in four hydroelectricity projects on Friday.

A meeting of the Board chaired by Prime Minister and Chairman of the IBN Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachand', approved the investments in Rolwaling Khola Hydroelectricity Project (22 MW), Chhujung Khola HEP (63 MW), Dana Khola HEP (49.95 MW) and Sani Bheri HEP (44.52 MW).

The meeting has also decided to form a high-level committee to review the progress made in terms of the implementation of the Tamor Reservoir Hydropower Project and submit suggestions regarding the future direction of the project. The decision is made to advance the project to the implementation, the IBN informed in a statement.

Likewise, the meeting decided to form a negotiation committee under the coordination of the Chief Executive Officer of the IBN to negotiate with the developer regarding the China-Nepal Friendship Industrial Park in Damak and prepare the final draft of the Project Development Agreement (PDA).

It has decided to give a study permit to Dolma Himalayan Energy for the study of a solar energy project with battery capacity of 245 MW and 20 MW in Rajpur Rural Municipality of Dang district.

Meanwhile, the Baord has taken note of the detailed feasibility study report submitted by Risen Energy Co., the developer 250 MW of solar energy in Kohalpur of Banke and Banganga in Kapilvastu district.

According to the IBN, the meeting has decided to submit a proposal to the Council of Ministers for the implementation of the directive issued by the Supreme Court regarding the Upper Karnali Hydroelectricity Project. The court has recently issued an order not to extend the deadline of financial closure of the project anymore.

In addition, the board meeting approved the draft of agreement to be signed with reNIKOLA Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia for the establishment of Green Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) Fertilizer Factory in Nepal.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Prachanda directed all concerned agencies to make the necessary coordination to complete the projects on time and shorten the procedures related to investment approval and project implementation.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 August 2023. 

Finance Minister Mahat elected GEF Vice Chairperson

 Kathmandu, Aug. 25

Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat is elected vice-president of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

He is elected to the post by the plenary session of the 7^th World Conference of the GEF being held in Vancouver, Canada, Ministry of Finance (MoF) informed in a press statement on Friday. The conference will conclude on August 26, Saturday.

FM Dr. Mahat is elected as the vice-president with the proposal of the Republic of Panama and the support of the Netherlands at the ongoing meeting of the assembly on Thursday.

Earlier, while addressing the assembly meeting of the World Wildlife Fund, he said that Nepal has expanded total land covered by forests to 45 per cent, and has flowed clean oxygen for the entire human community.

He also said that Nepal is making sincere efforts to protect biological diversity, as well as protecting rare and endangered wild animals and species. As a result, the number of tigers and rhinos has increased significantly. Dr. Mahat mentioned that such forest and wildlife resources are not only for Nepal but have remained as resource for the world human community, but despite these efforts, Nepal is at high risk in terms of climate change.

"Nepal is the 10^th most disaster risk-prone country in the world and in recent days, the risk of floods, landslides, excessive rainfall and drought as well as avalanches has also increased," he said.

He drew the attention of the world delegation gathered in Vancouver to the fact that Nepal's temperature is expected to increase by 0.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius by 2030 and that more than 50 billion US dollars of investment is needed by 2050 to deal with its effects and impacts.

FM Dr. Mahat emphasised the effective implementation of the programmes run by climate finance and requested to focus the resources including the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund approved by this assembly on the most affected countries. He opined that increasing the size of the fund alone will not be effective as expected unless it is implemented in an integrated and comprehensive manner.

Representing the countries with high climate change risks, Dr. Mahat emphasised that the quality of investment projects should be enhanced in a way so that it could bring about positive changes in the living standards of the local people.

He stated that environmental sustainability cannot be achieved unless significant investment is made in the field of human development. According to him, the environmental fund programmes should be implemented through the national system. Concrete and identified activities should be included in the project and investment should be focused on the main activities of the project. Likewise, FM Dr. Mahat maintained that high-level cooperation and contribution of all is necessary to address the multifaceted effects of climate change.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 August 2023. 

CAN, LBEF announce scholarship in ICT for 49 students

Kathmandu, Aug. 25

The Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Federation, in collaboration with Lord Buddha Education Foundation (LBEF) has opened applications for scholarships for technical education. 

Forty-nine students pursuing higher education in ICT sector will get the scholarship under this programme. 

The CAN Federation and LEBF have jointly opened the application for the scholarship ‘National ICT Scholarship-2080’ which the two organisations have been providing for the last four years. With the help of colleges that teach information technology, the CAN Federation has been providing scholarships for the diligent students from low-income families.

In ‘National ICT Scholarship-2080’, one female student from each province will be given a full scholarship and 42 students will be given partial scholarships so that the students of all the seven provinces will have equal opportunities, said Ranjit Kumar Poddar, President of the CAN Federation. 

It is expected to help in the development of information technology in rural areas and its access to all citizens. Altogether 110 students are currently studying under the scholarship programme that has been running for the past four years.

Scholarships will be given to 28 students, four from each province, under the Female Merit ICT Scholarship and 21 students, three from each province, under the ICT Merit Scholarship.

According to the agreement between the CAN Federation and LBEF, 49 students will get scholarships worth Rs. 20.08 million. Scholarship recipients can pursue the study of B. Sc. (IT) at LBEF, an affiliate of Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Malaysia. 

Students who have passed class 12 or equivalent in an educational institution recognised by the Government of Nepal and have scored at least 50 per cent marks in mathematics in class 10 can apply for the scholarship. Students who are interested in the scholarship should apply through the website of the CAN Federation and LBEF before September 6 (Bhadau 20). 

Poddar said that the scholarship will help the students from the underprivileged sections of the remote areas to make their career in the field of information and communication technology.

Pankaj Jalan, President of LBEF, said that cooperation with the CAN Federation will help reduce the digital divide within the country and encourage other organisations to engage in public-private partnerships for the development of the ICT sector in future.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 August 2023. 

Dr. Mahat seeks aid to keep up with international commitments

Kathmandu, Aug. 24

Finance  Minister  Dr.  Prakash  Sharan  Mahat has updated the global environment  and  development  bodies  about  Nepal's progress in forest conservation and wildlife protection.

During  his  participation  at  the  7th  World  Conference  of   the  Global  Environment  Facility  (GEF)  being  held  in  Vancouver, Canada, on Wednesday, he discussed  bilateral  issues  with  heads  and representatives of  various international organisations, informed the Ministry of  Finance in a statement issued on Thursday.

On   the   occasion,   Finance  Minister  Dr.  Mahat  held  bilateral  meetings  with  Chief   Conservation  Officer  of   the  World  Wildlife  Fund  (WWF),  Nick  Shekharan, the United Nations Development  Programme  (UNDP)'s  Administrator, Achim Steiner, and Director of  the International Union for Conservation of  Nature (IUCN), Dr. Grethal Aguilar and discussed the global impact of  climate change and the challenges that Nepal has to deal with and the ways to minimise it.

During   those   meetings,  Dr.  Mahat   highlighted the efforts and achievements of Nepal  in  the  field  of environmental  protection.  He  informed  that  Nepal  has  increased  the  area  occupied  by  forests  to almost 45 per cent with the implementation of  the concept of  community for-est.  Likewise,  the  number  of   tigers  has  tripled  and  the  number  of   rhinos  has  almost doubled in the last one decade.

In  addition  to  this  achievement, FM  Dr. Mahat informed the high officials of  the  world  bodies  that  there  was  a  conflict  between  human  and  wild  animals  in Nepal, and due to this, lives and properties  were  lost.  So  the  country  had  to  spend a lot of  resources to combat this.

Likewise,   Minister Dr. Mahat  requested   those   global   agencies   for   support  in  the  construction  of   infra-structure   including   roads   for   forest   and   wildlife protection,   construction   of   wildlife-friendly  infrastructure,  risk  insurance   for   communities   affected   by  human-wildlife  conflict  as  well  as  self-employment and income generation.

At the same time, he mentioned the need  for  skill  and  capacity  development  as  well  as  channelling  financial  resources to support Nepal to keep up with its international commitments.

Emphasising that environmental fund   and   facility   programmes should be mobilised from the national system  to  achieve  concrete  results,  he  said   that   such programmes   should   bring  positive  changes  in  the  living  standards  and  economic  conditions  of   the local people.

Ministers from 83 countries   and   representatives from 185 countries are participating in the  7th  World  Conference  of the GEF.  The  conference  will  conclude on August 25.Building on recent diplomatic breakthroughs  on  biodiversity  loss,  toxic  chemicals, and the high seas, the GEF Assembly will  be  a  critical  stocktaking for 2030 goals to end pollution and nature  loss,  combat  climate  change,  and  propel  inclusive,  locally-led  conservation, said the organiser.

The GEF was selected to manage the new fund at the COP15 Convention on Biological Diversity summit in December 2022 and its governing Council approved plans for this in June 2023 in Brasilia.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 August 2023. 

President offers suggestions for economic recovery

Kathmandu, Aug. 24

President Ramchandra Paudel has said that the economic development of the country is possible only by encouraging the participation of the private sector in the economy.

"The cooperation between the government and the private sector is necessary for the improvement of the current economic situation. Keeping this fact in mind, I think mutual coexistence and close partnership of equality between the government and the private sector is necessary," he said while talking to a delegation of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) at the Office of the President. 

The delegation comprising the working committee members of the FNCCI called on the President Thursday afternoon.  

President Paudel stated that since the private sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of Nepal's economy, and the current problems in the economy have slowed down economic activities, there is a need for giving support to the businesses and industries, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). He made it clear that he was not ignorant of the challenges faced by the industrialists. 

"Inability to create employment, increasing dependence on remittances, decreasing exports, inability to increase domestic and foreign investment due to lack of policy reforms and harmonisation are major challenges of the business sector. Service delivery has also been hindered from time to time," said President Poudel while adding that he believed that private-public partnership (PPP) could offer some solution in this situation where small and medium industries are becoming sick. 

He emphasised that everyone should pay attention to creating jobs in Nepal and improving the country's economy. According to him, even in the all-party meeting that he called a few days ago, he drew the attention of the parties and leaders to the improvement of the economy. 

"I have drawn everyone's attention to strengthening the economic situation of the country without getting involved in the fabrics of politics," he said. 

According to him, he wanted to meet with the FNCCI leadership earlier, but due to some health problems, the meeting was delayed. 

Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the FNCCI, said that although some indicators of the country's economy are positive, stakeholders should focus on making the economy sustainable by increasing the confidence of ordinary citizens and businessmen.

"The government, the central bank and the private sector should forge a strong collaboration to create demand in the market in the current situation where the morale of the private sector and the general public has gone down," he said. 

According to him, the demand in the market has decreased when the government has not been able to spend the capital budget and the banks have not been able to mobilise loans. In such a situation, the private sector needs to be encouraged to increase investment by reducing the cost of capital.

"The government has set the revenue target on the assumption that the business would run at 100 per cent capacity. But the business has shrunk by two-thirds, and after nearly five decades, the government revenue has remained less than that of the previous year. Economic growth rate has also remained poor," said Dhakal demanding that the cost of capital should be reduced and funds should be transferred to the market.

He pointed to the need for special initiatives to promote exports, attract foreign investment and promote tourism.

In the first meeting of the FNCCI executive committee with President Poudel, Senior Vice-President of the organisation Anjan Shrestha said that initiatives from all sectors were necessary for the improvement of the economy.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 August 2023.   

Memoirs Of Petroleum Tycoon

 In 1977, a 13-year-old boy decides to open a modest store at the intersection of his house and school in Hetaunda bazaar. He piled toffees, lollipops, cookies, and other treats worth Rs. 1000 into the tiny wooden store. Children flocked to the shop, which he used to operate during school breaks, and when elderly clients started approaching him with their needs, the little lad, affectionately known as 'Fuchche Byapari', added incense, yarn, and other items to his store. He opened a grocery store and rented a room on Hetaunda City's main street within two years.

Forty years down the lane! The boy expands the business to more than 40 petrol pumps and multiple gas bottling plants across the country, 40 petroleum tankers, tea estates, broadcasting companies, hydropower projects, and electric vehicle assembly plants. He led the national association of petroleum dealers, played crucial roles in formulating policies for the sector, and now heads the Road Transport and Transit Committee at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). 

He is Shiva Prasad Ghimire, a petroleum tycoon from Nepal who even dared to run gas bullets to import liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from India, breaking the hegemony and monopoly in its transportation. But that was just to fail due to the ugly motives of the Indian authorities and businessmen. Although Nepal's government had decided to use its gas bullets to transport LPG from Indian refineries to the bottling plants here and facilitated the private sector for the same, India denied permitting Nepali vehicles, citing security imperfections, while the bullets made by the same company were in operation in India and were allowed by the Indian Oil Corporation, a state-owned petroleum authority.

Shiva has come up with his autobiography 'Sunya bata Suru Bhayako Byapar Apar' to tell his tale, which motivates people to take risks in business and listen to their instincts while making decisions. In the last forty years or so, his business empire has expanded to include about six dozen companies with sole ownership or partnerships. But this is a hard-earned success that began with the hobby and was solidified with perseverance and risk-taking initiatives. The author also tried his luck in politics. 

In the first local elections in the country after the restoration of democracy in 1990, motivated by Kamal Thapa, leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and other leaders, Shiva entered the election fray and contested polls for the post of chairman of the then Aadarsha Village Development Committee in Makwanpur district. He won the elections. 

However, it was not easy to implement the development work then. In the book, he describes the hardships that he had to endure just to manage the electricity supply to the village and construct a suspension bridge over the Rapti River.

 But his life was to take another U-turn soon. While he was serving as the chairman of the village development committee, he contemplated his political future and his basic interests and found no harmony between them. He wanted to be a businessperson, not a political leader, although he became one after many years. This realisation forced him to explore new business opportunities in places other than Makwanpur, where there was a risk of being forced by the senior political leaders and his peers to remain in politics in the future as well. 

He reached Itahari in Sunsari district in the eastern part of Nepal, where his maternal uncle-in-laws were conducting petroleum business. Within a very short time, he bought a plot of 10 katthas, constructed a petroleum pump, and named it 'Syarsekali, a temple of Hindu goddess Kali at Namtar in Kulekhani of Makwanpur. Then there was only moving forward in business.

 The book by Shiva is a tale of how he expanded his business in petroleum, cooking gas, media, and other businesses. At intervals, he added some events that would bring smiles to the faces of the readers. Encounters with dacoits and accidents have also found space in the book. However, Shiva has not given much detail about the controversial events, like the controversy related to one of his gas bottling companies, Sugam Gas. 

He was taken into custody in 2011 after his company was found collecting the empty cylinders of other companies, removing the foot rings, and fitting its rings. That was a big blow to him, as it was his first move into the LPG business. He has tried to clarify that it was not his mistake, but readers would have enjoyed it more had he treated the issue in depth. But he has extensively talked about his thrilling love affair with Gita, who is now his wife. It amuses the readers.

Shiva's autobiography is recommended for young readers who want to understand how to create objectives in life or business and how to be patient and persistent to succeed in such endeavours. With the publication of the book, Shiva has joined a select group of entrepreneurs who have come forward to share their business adventures. 

To better understand business in Nepal, readers of this book should also read Binod Chaudhary's and Indra Bhakta Shrestha's autobiographies. Photographs of Shiva's life and companies are also included in the book. Now he compares himself to the middle bogie of a train, which is propelled by the other bogies and is compelled to move forward in concert with the others.

Published in the Friday Supplement of The Rising Nepal daily on 25 August 2023. 

Labour diplomacy underscored between Nepal, Gulf countries

Kathmandu, Aug. 23

Ambassador of Nepal to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Tej Bahadur Chhetri has said that the country should give priority to labour diplomacy in the bilateral relations with the Gulf and other labour destination countries.

"With a large number of Nepali migrant workers in the UAE, Nepal can promote people-to-people relations," he said while speaking at a programme organised by the Nepal-UAE Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NUAECCI) on Tuesday to welcome the newly appointed Ambassador to Nepal, Abdulla Saeed Mubarak Jarwan Al Shamsi, and express best wishes to Ambassador designate Chhetri.

Chhetri said that textiles, carpets and handicrafts from Nepal can find a good market in the UAE and he would put his efforts to promote Nepali goods in the markets there. Likewise, the Gulf country could be a good source of tourists and investment as well.

Nepal and the UAE established their diplomatic relations in 1977. The latter is the fourth largest trade partner of Nepal with total goods exports of US$ 362 million and imports of US$2.6 million in 2022.

According to the government estimates about 500,000 Nepalis are in the UAE for employment and it is the source of US$285 million remittance which is equal to 3.5 per cent of the national Gross Domestic Product of Nepal.

"Nepal should devise a strategy to export high-value products to the UAE markets and attract tourists. There is a need of increasing the number of tourists from the UAE. Only about 600 tourists came to Nepal last year," said Chhetri.

Likewise, the Ambassador of the UAE to Nepal Al Shamsi expressed his commitment to creating a future where both countries work together to benefit from the cooperation. According to him, Nepal's natural beauty and cultural diversity can be a good attraction for Emirati people.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), Kewal Prasad Bhandari, stated that while the role of Nepali workers in the prosperity of the UAE is immense, they are in trouble there, so we should implement occupational safety measures and request the UAE government for the same.

He also stressed on the need to increase the number of foreign employment orientation centres. About 700,000 Nepalis formally went for foreign employment last year but Nepal's orientation centres can train only about 100,000 individuals a year.

He also suggested the Nepal government utilise the UNFCCC's COP as the platform to raise the climate change issues globally. The next COP is happening in Dubai in the UAE. It will be attended by more than 33,000 delegates. It is a good opportunity for Nepal as well, said Bhandari.

"I urge the ambassador designate to put extra efforts in positioning Nepal's agenda at the upcoming COPs and make labour migration dignified and safe," he said.

Pawan Kumar Agrawal, President of NUAECCI, said that the binational chamber is putting its efforts to support Nepali business persons in creating ties with UAE businesses or expand their business there or vice-versa.

He requested Ambassador Chhetri to run advocacy campaigns in the UAE to attract investment to Nepal and promote Nepali products there.

"We are interested to organise business exchanges with the Gulf country soon. We want the UAE support to develop a skill development centre in Nepal so that the youth migrating for jobs could be trained on various skills," he said. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 August 2023.   

Waterloo University team in Nepal

Kathmandu, Aug. 22

 A team of experts and academicians from the University of Waterloo in Canada is in Nepal to study and understand the 'Role of tourism and social capital in post-disaster recovery'. The university is organising a two-day international workshop on the same topic on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kathmandu in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

SSHRC is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and training in humanities and social sciences.

Professors of the university, Sanjay Nepal, Brent Doberstein, Jacqueline Harper, Beth Palmer, Celina Maya Mohni and Dr. Eric O'Connell, Academician of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Dipak Gyawali, and Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, Dhananjay Regmi, discussed the various aspects of tourism recovery, disasters and their impact on society.

CEO of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal, Anil Pokharel, shared Nepal's experience on reconstruction and recovery of cultural heritage and tourism sector after the 2015 earthquake.

Prof. Doberstein said that the university has been implementing a project on tourism, social/cultural capital and disaster recovery.

Prof. Nepal said that his team will also make a trip to mountain region of Nepal to conduct study to measure the impact of disaster and recovery efforts.

"The goal of our research is to analyse intersections between disaster recovery, cultural and social capital, and tourism, in order to improve disaster recovery and vulnerability reduction programme in developing countries," read a statement on the project website. It also said that tourism industry could be a key actor in disaster recovery.  

Member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Ram Kumar Phuyal, will talk about climate resilient development initiatives to strengthen tourism sector in Nepal on Wednesday. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2023.   

Global IME Capital starts joint operation

Kathmandu, Aug. 22

Global IME Capital Limited, a subsidiary company of Global IME Bank Limited, and BOK Capital Market Limited, a subsidiary company of erstwhile Bank of Kathmandu Limited, have merged into one - Global IME Capital Limited.

The merged company launched the joint operation on Tuesday.

Global IME Bank Limited and Bank of Kathmandu had merged and started joint operation from January 2023 under the name of Global IME Bank.

Chairman of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), Ramesh Kumar Hamal, formally launched the integrated business operation from the new company at a programme organised in Kathmandu.

Addressing the programme, Hamal said that merchant banker has an important role in the stability and development of the capital market, and effective service including institutional governance. He asked the merchant bankers to provide quality service to the customers.

According to him, the SEBON is playing its parental role and if the merchant bankers take one step forward for new financial tools in relation to market expansion, the board is ready to take two steps forward.

Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, suggested that since the company has been established as the second largest merchant banking company in Nepal in terms of capital after the merger, it should maintain the quality of service accordingly while following the instructions of the regulatory body.

He also drew the attention of the SEBON to expand and modernise the scope of work for the merchant bankers.

Chairman of Global IME Capital Limited, Premraj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Global IME Bank Limited, Ratnaraj Bajracharya, along with bank employees, and officials from SEBON and CDS and Clearing Limited were present at the event.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2023.   

Teej fair at WTC from today

Kathmandu, Aug. 22

Aiming at the approaching Teej festival, the DECC Nepal is organising a Teej fair at the United World Trade Centre (WTC) in Kathmandu from August 23 to August 27. 

DECC Nepal's Managing Director, Manoj Gurung, informed that the fourteenth edition of the fair, which has been organised for the past 13 years, will be promoted and managed by AS Events and Marketing.

There will be more than 100 stalls in the five-day fair, which is being organised for women to shop daily use items at a reasonable price in addition to all the items needed for Teej festival.

According to Gurung, all the stalls for the fair have been booked, and free stalls have been arranged for non-profit organisations. We will manage additional stalls if such organisations come in contact, he said. He stated that the fair aims to expand business and promote women entrepreneurs among others.

Anil Shrestha, Managing Director of AS Marketing, said that exhibitors and sellers from Nepal and neighboring countries will participate, and in the fair, cloth, cosmetics, bangles and other materials can be purchased under one roof at a cheaper price than the market price.  

Various companies and organisations will provide gift to the visitors of the fair. According to the DACC, shops and restaurants in the trade centre are offering heavy discount on their goods and services.

The fair will be conducted from 10am to 7pm, with day-to-day door prizes. Organisers expect over 20,000 people to attend the fair. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2023.   

Advertising Regulations 2077 amended, Advertisement Board becomes more powerful

Kathmandu, Aug. 21

The government has amended the Advertising Regulation 2077 after five months rigorous discussion, which was led by the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, and facilitated by the Advertising Board Nepal.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) said that it received multiple complaints from the communication and media sectors about the lack of transparency. The complaints were mainly about the opaque practices and leakage in it, and only a small portion of the advertising budget reached the media.

The amendment of the regulations is said to end the current situation of media losing their share of advertising revenue which they would earn by publishing government advertisements and information.  If the media gets the actual rate of advertisement, it will strengthen their capacity and business, and the working journalists and other employees will get their salaries in a timely manner, said the MoCIT.

"The advertising market will be transparent when the advertising government agency broadcasts information or publishes an advertisement in the media of its choice through the Advertisement Board and pays the amount according to the bill of the media - including the service fee if it comes through an advertising agency," said the Ministry.

Likewise, ranking of the media will help the advertiser to know the effectiveness and popularity of the media and the confidence in the advertiser will increase. There will be competition in expanding the publication and broadcasting capacity of the media as advertisements or information publications will be broadcast based on the classification of the media and the rates set by them.

"An environment of trust will be created and the advertising market will expand by ending the unnatural manipulation in the overall advertising market," according to the Ministry.

The amendment to the regulations has created a provision whereby advertisements or notices of federal government offices should be published and broadcast through the Advertisement Board. Provisions for advertisement or publication of information at the state and local levels shall be in accordance with the laws made by the respective levels.

Thus, before broadcasting the advertisement or information publication, the advertiser has to select the media and enter the information into the IT system of the Board.

If it is necessary to take the services of an advertising agency, the government agency can take the services of it under the prevailing law on procurement, but the advertisement or information received in this way must also be entered into the Boards' information system.

After receiving the information about the publication of advertisement of information in particular media, the Board should make arrangements for publication and broadcast it as soon as possible in the media selected by the respective agency.

The regulations has clearly explained about the procedure for the publication of public welfare advertisements and will be distributed proportionately as before.

Internet-based media has also been added as a media, and rights have been given to the Advertising Board to regulate advertising on social media.

Similarly, the advertisement board should list and rank media for the use of advertisement distribution. While determining the level, the classification of the media according to the prevailing law and the reach to the audience will be considered as the main basis.

The listed media must provide their advertisement rates to the board annually. If the rate obtained in that way seems unnatural, the board can discuss and decide the rate which would be made public.

Likewise, if the publication is broadcast or published through an advertising agency, the service fee of the agency should be disclosed along with a copy of the bill issued by the media.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 August 2023.   

KUSOM wins Case Challenge

Kathmandu, Aug. 21

Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM) has won the finals of Chapter One of the Case Challenge organised by the Golyan Group while Presidential Business School emerged as runner-up.

After two weeks of intense competition, innovation, and critical thinking, the Case Challenge event culminated in an exhilarating final round, where teams from across the nation demonstrated their business acumen and strategic prowess.

The chapter one was focused on the cases of agriculture processing and supply chain management. Twenty-four teams had competed in the first stage and best four had entered into the finals. A panel of judges including experts and entrepreneurs observed and evaluated the presentations from the finalists.

The KUSOM's team emerged as the triumphant champions, showcasing their exceptional problem-solving skills, creativity, and teamwork. Additionally, the Presidential Business School's team secured the esteemed runner-up position, solidifying their reputation for excellence, said the organiser.

The challenge brought together some of the brightest minds from universities and business schools, fostering an environment of intellectual growth and competitive spirit.

"The event aimed to provide a platform for students to tackle real-world business challenges, develop innovative solutions from the agricultural industry and present them before a distinguished panel of judges," said the Group.

According to it, the Case Challenge fostered an atmosphere of learning and growth, enabling participants to gain insights into real-world business scenarios and engage with industry professionals. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 August 2023.   

Esewa Money Transfer, Enjaz Payment sign deal

Kathmandu, Aug. 21

Esewa Money Transfer has entered into an agreement with Enjaz Payment Services Company, one of the leading financial companies in Saudi Arabia. EMT is a remittance company under F1Soft Group which has been providing remittance services to Nepal from more than 200 countries across the world.

With this agreement, Nepalis living and working in Saudi Arabia can send remittances to Nepal through any of the 150 Enjaz Payment branches or using Enjaz App POS, Kiosks and web channels, EMT said in a statement on Monday.  

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries in Nepal can receive remittances from more than 13,800 dedicated remit agents, 100,000 plus cash pick-up enabled wallet agent locations of Esewa Money Transfer, all major banks and financial institutions along with their branches. Furthermore, this agreement gives Enjaz access to 7.5 million users of the eSewa wallet for direct remittance load to the wallet. 

Chief Executive Officer of Enjaz, Khalid Al Zain said, “We understand that Esewa Money Transfer is not just a standalone remittance company but a part of F1Soft Group that has institutionalized the digital payments ecosystem in Nepal through various groundbreaking fintech initiatives. We look forward to working closely with EMT to provide transformative remittance services to the Nepali migrant population in Saudi Arabia and their families back home in Nepal.” 

Speaking on the occasion, F1Soft Group’s Global Group President, Biswas Dhakal, said that the company hopes to see tremendous growth opportunities in its mission to support a significant number of Nepalis working in Saudi Arabia by leveraging on Enjaz’s extensive network in physical as well as digital channels.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 August 2023.   

Hopes for govt increased: Sapkota

Kathmandu, Aug. 21

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Agni Prasad Sapkota, has said that people's hopes for the current government have increased.

He expressed this opinion at the Kirtipur municipality-level meeting on the issue of 'Maoist's special transformation campaign with the people' held here.

Former speaker Sapkota, who was also the central vice-president of CPN (Maoist Centre), said that the people were excited because the government had started good works one after another.

"The government is doing a lot of good work, if we can win the hearts of the people, the achievements of all the movements can be institutionalized," he said.

He said that it is necessary to promote the mechanisation, modernisation, industrialisation and marketing of agriculture while moving forward for development, prosperity, good governance, and social justice.

Sapkota said that while the government has started good work against corruption in Nepal, the ‘Cold War’ is being intensively waged by invisible forces, he indicated that various types of non-national storms may come in the coming days.

While stating that there are various kinds of conspiracies against the government and the party, he held the view that they should stand on their own to fight for nationalism.

Likewise, he emphasized the need to make full use of current information technology and social media to strengthen the campaign in a peaceful manner, unlike in the people's war fought in the past.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 August 2023.   

Steps taken for entry of container drivers to China

Kathmandu, Aug. 20

The Immigration Department of Nepal has written to the Immigration Office at Timure in Rasuwagadhi and District Administration Office of Rasuwa to implement the procedure related to China entry permit for the drivers of the trucks and containers heading to Kerung in China via the Rasuwagadhi crossing.

The procedure related to the permit to enter China through the Rasuwagadhi border pass was approved at the minister level about four years ago in September 2019. However, since the truck drivers and helpers have not received their entry cards, Federation of Nepal Truck Transport Entrepreneurs, Independent Transport Workers Association of Nepal, and Nepal Truck Container Transport Service Limited have been drawing the attention of the relevant bodies.

The representatives of the concerned organisations had met with the Director General of the Department of Immigration Jhalakram Adhikari to resolve the problem. The Department had held a discussion with the Second Secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal and brought the matter to the attention of the Chinese Customs Authority. After China was positive about the matter, the Director General informed that a correspondence was sent to the border.

As per the procedure issued by the Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) in 2019, there are four types of entry permits - driver entry permit, worker entry permit, businessman entry permit, and one-day entry permit.

But drivers and helpers as well as the businessmen have not received China entry permits, so far.

Due to failure to implement the procedures, the drivers of 966 truck containers have to find another driver from Rasuwa district who have China entry permits to take the vehicle to Keyrung from Rasuwagadhi border point. Those drivers charge Rs. 15,000 for the service.

Requesting for the arrangement of passes for the drivers the transport entrepreneurs and workers associations had drawn the attention of Immigration Office, Customs Office, District Administration Office and District Police Office in Rasuwa and Gosaikund Rural Municipality before and after the lockdown.

Bhim Jwala Rai, a trade union leader, said that he was finally happy that the effort of the last five years is finally materializing.

Rajendra Bikram Baniya, Secretary General of the Federation of Nepal Truck Transport Entrepreneurs said that it was a problem of the country rather than the transport businesses.

Implementation of this decision would provide relief to about 3,000 workers that carry goods at and from Rasuwa and Tatopani border points. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 August 2023.   

Nepal finalises Business and Human Rights Action Plan

Kathmandu, Aug. 19

Nepal has finalised the draft of the Business and Human Rights National Action Plan (BHR-NAP) to make businesses sensitive and accountable to the human rights of labour, staff and consumers.

The BHRs are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) which are the most authoritative and widely adopted set of principles for responsible business, endorsed in 2011. They call on both governments and companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and remedy actual and potential human rights abuses, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The BHR policy includes six major sectors of business and human rights - labour, consumer, women and children, migrant workers, environment and indigenous people, and gender equality and non-discrimination.

The BHR-NAP is formulated as per the commitments of the Government of Nepal at various conferences on business and human rights. Likewise, the fifth national action plan of human rights (2020-2025) of the government has announced to prepare a separate national action plan for the business and human rights on the basis of UN Guiding Principles, which would be implemented in all businesses and industries.

Although the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) began the process to develop the BHR-NAP in September 2020 with the aim to conclude it in two years, the process has been delayed due to various reasons including the coronavirus pandemic and need for additional consultation with the stakeholders. The MoLESS completed the draft of the NAP earlier this year.

The first ever policy initiative is in the final stage to be submitted to the Cabinet for the final approval but the MoLESS is in the mood to conduct a fresh round of discussion with the leaders of the private sector business associations including the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC).

Secretary of the MoLESS, Kewal Prasad Bhandari, informed that all necessary consultation regarding the finalisation of the BHR-NAP has been completed and the draft is ready for the submission to the Cabinet.

But as the two large national associations of businesses – FNCCI and CNI – have got new leadership, the ministry wants to hold a final round of consultation with them.

"A team at the ministry is busy with the final consultation with the businesses. It is necessary in order to have their ownership in the policy document as well as to create environment for its effective implementation," Bhandari told The Rising Nepal.

Earlier, the FNCCI organised awareness and consultation meeting in four provinces to educate the business community and solicit their opinion on the proposed policy. Assistant Director of FNCCI, Sita Ghimire, who coordinated with various agencies for the meetings, said that businesses have been sensitised on the matter.

"The action plan has almost been approved from the business sector but we have been informed that there would be a final round of consultation soon," she said. The UNDP had supported the FNCCI in consultation. Likewise, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has also been supporting the initiative as it is working with the government as well as the private sector on the issues of Labour Act and Social Security Act.

The BHR has three major pillars – protect, respect and remedy. The NAP defines concrete and actionable steps, needed to fulfill the requirement for these pillars, for governments and businesses. It is the duty of the government to protect the human rights while all concerned should have easy access to the remedy, and businesses should respect the human rights. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 August 2023.   

PM affirms govt’s commitment to improve laws to keep up with time

Kathmandu, Aug. 18

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' said on Friday that the Civil Codes 2074 issued in 2017 are the priceless documents of epoch-making political, social and legal transformation of Nepal.

"These codes have been brought by a long discussion and the cooperation of all parties and the unanimous consent of the Parliament, just like when the Constitution of Nepal was made," he said while speaking at a programme organised to mark the Civil Code Day, 2080 in Kathmandu.

It is expected that these legal documents, which are directly related to the daily life of ordinary citizens, will help to build a non-discriminatory, open, democratic and advanced society by legally ending all types of discrimination as directed by the Constitution of Nepal, maintained the Prime Minister. "I believe that the successful implementation of the codes will help to establish the legal system of Nepal as a country with the best justice and legal system," he stated.

PM Prachanda also took the opportunity to express the commitment of the government in moving forward with contemporary improvements in the laws related to the code regarding the rapid development of information technology, norms developed in the international world, and control of crimes committed by criminals in one country while residing in another country.

"Law is the means of guaranteeing good governance in the country. The state system can be operated in a correct manner only in the successful implementation of the law. It is necessary to lead the country on the journey of prosperity by implementing all those laws," he said.

For this, according to him, it is necessary for everyone to commit to the effective implementation of the Code by prioritising the capacity development of all parties concerned.

Before the promulgation of Civil Code 1853, punishment was determined on the basis of caste and colour among others.

Based on the same Civil Code, a new civil law enacted in 1963 was an attempt to address the immediate political, economic and social changes.

Although the civil law promulgated in 1963 prohibited untouchability and other discrimination on the basis of caste, there is no legal provision to punish such behaviour, so there was no expected change in the society against untouchability and other discrimination.

Along with the political changes following the dawn of democracy in 1950, various other attempts of legal reform were also made.

There is a need for radical reforms in the legal system of the country to address the political changes of 1990 and especially the unprecedented changes in the political and social system brought about by the popular movement in 2006, said PM Prachanda. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 August 2023.   

Kathmandu, Aug. 18

Coffee producers and experts have stressed on the production of quality coffee in order to expand its exports in the international market.

Speaking at a 3-day workshop organised by the European Union Nepal Trade Investment Programme (EUTIP) and Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) in Dhankuta that concluded on Friday, they said that quality of coffee should be maintained while increasing the production.

The programme was implemented by the International Trade Center (ITC) with the financial support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) of Nepal, and Nepal Coffee Producers Association (NCPA).

The workshop discussed about the status of coffee sector, coffee export situation in the European Union and the United States, export process and necessary documents, trade facilitation and market promotion for coffee, modern methods of market analysis, trade map prepared for Nepal and possibilities and potential of coffee export from Nepal, informed Om Adhikari, President of NCPA.

He said that the future of Nepali coffee is good due to the growing demand in the domestic and foreign markets with the growing coffee culture and improved quality of the product.

Therefore, there is an immediate need to increase the production and supply capacity according to the demand and quality of the international market by emphasizing on quality, said Adhikari.

The workshop for the farmers and entrepreneurs of Koshi province was held with the main goal of increasing the competitiveness and international trade capacity of the small and micro enterprises with the information about non-tariff barriers and access to market-related information.

The workshop was organised for the farmers and traders of Koshi province on the process to be adopted for export with the aim of increasing the supply capacity of Nepali coffee producers and exporters for the international market. The organisers said that the export promotion was the main agenda of the programme.

In order to increase the export capacity of Nepali coffee traders, EU Nepal TIP has also prepared two separate guidelines for export facilitation targeting the European Union and the United States of America.

These guidelines contain the step-by-step process that Nepali exporters should follow while exporting coffee and the standards to be maintained as well as the process that importers should successfully complete in the respective destination countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhakta Raj Joshi, the Under Secretary of the MoICS, said that the demand of Nepali coffee is abundant in the international market and emphasised the need for businessmen to increase the production of coffee without compromising the quality.

He said that coffee is one of the main priorities of the Government of Nepal for export. Joshi emphasised that businesspersons and the government should cooperate to solve the problems seen in coffee production and export.

Although there is a demand of nearly 10,000 tons of coffee in the Nepali market, only 355 tons is produced, 100 tons is exported and 1100 tons is imported.

Coffee can be cultivated in 1.2 million hectares land in Nepal, but currently it is grown in only 3200 hectares land in 42 districts.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 August 2023.   

16th periodic plan should create business-friendly environment: NCC

Kathmandu, Aug. 17

Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has suggested the National Planning Commission (NPC) to formulate the upcoming 16^th periodic plan of the country in a way that creates an environment for investment and doing business.

In an interaction on 'the upcoming five-year plan and Nepal's graduation to the developing country status' with the Vice-Chairman of the NPC, Dr. Min Bahadur Shrestha, at its secretariat in the capital on Thursday, the businesspersons urged the planning body to create an environment for maximum utilisation and export of natural and other resources available in the country.

Drawing the attention of the NPC on making the sixteenth plan objective and result-oriented, the NCC said that the periodic plan should have clear provisions that would facilitate the business and industries.  

President of the NCC, Rajendra Malla, said that since Nepal is set to upgrade to a 'developing country' status from the Least Developed Country (LDC) in 2026, the country should devise development as well as business and trade strategy considering this event so that investors and producers could maintain their productivity and competitiveness in the post-graduation scenario.

The graduation could result in the loss of some favourable treatment given to Nepali products by some developed countries like the United States, and the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) is putting its efforts to ensure that Nepal wouldn't lose the favoured treatment in the EU and USA and in dialogue with the authorities there. Nepal wants to continue with the USA's Nepal-specific trade preference programme implemented in the aftermath of the devastating 2015 Gorkha earthquake. This provision will expire in 2025, but Nepal is lobbying to keep it for longer than that.

Likewise, the MoICS is in dialogue with the EU authorities to meet the criteria of the GSP Plus so that Nepal wouldn't lose the favoured treatment after it graduates to a 'developing nation'.

Malla said that some of the goals mentioned in the fifteenth plan have not been fulfilled due to the lack of coordination between the NPC and Ministry of Finance.

"The 15^th plan has set the growth projections of 10.3 per cent for the last year of the current periodic plan, Fiscal Year 2023/24, but the government, through the budget of the current year, has set the growth target of six per cent," he said.

Many ambitious projects such as construction of metro rail in major cities and industrial zones in 18 locations across the country were included in the 15^th plan, but could not be implemented.

According to Malla, the 16^th plan should cover the construction of strategic roads that connect the large markets in India and China while railways should also be given priority. Likewise, priority should be accorded to hydropower, agriculture, tourism, and information technology sectors.

The businesspersons have also suggested the NPC include the development and implementation of the national payment gateway in the upcoming plan. The gateway is in talks for the past many years, but there has been no progress so far. They also urged to give priority to the utilisation and export of the natural resources like forest products, precious stones and herbs.

Addressing the programme, VC Dr. Shrestha said that the new plan will focus on economic prosperity including social justice and good governance.

"Work is being done to formulate a plan by objectively studying the infrastructure of agriculture, education, health, tourism, information technology and other sectors. The NPC is making strategic preparations regarding the situation that will arise after Nepal is upgraded from the LDC," he said.

Although the graduation will have some effect on the trade concessions being received from European countries, the NPC and government are making preparations for the same, he maintained.

Increasing the export of Nepali goods and services and attracting the foreign direct investment through the expansion of industrial sector will be the priority of the upcoming plan, said Dr. Shrestha. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 August 2023.