Asian Thai launches two variants of 2 PM noodles

 Kathmandu, July 20

Asian Thai Foods Pvt Ltd has released two new variants of 2 PM noodles.

The company has launched two new variants of 2 PM noodles - Veg Masala Curry and Chicken Masala Curry, prepared according to the recipe of Master Chef Santosh Shah, who is also the brand ambassador of the noodles.

Shah says that it took a long time to develop these two new variants of 2 PM Noodles. He said that this recipe is very tasty and consumers will like it.

The company has said that it has started the re-production and sales of 2 PM noodles, production of which stopped some time ago.

Established about 25 years ago, the company introduced the first noodles to the market in 2000.

It has introduced various snacks in the market under the brands 2 PM, Preeti and Rumpum.

Akbare Chicken Noodles can be bought for Rs 50, the company said.

Along with this, products like Akbare Veg, Korean Ramen, Kimchi Veg, Kimchi Chicken, Napolitana, Sea Food, Cheese Mushroom will also remain in the market, the company said.

The company informed that there also are products like Premium Cheese Balls, Akbare Sticks, Fire Balls, Shrimp Cracker, Onion Ring, Punjabi Tadka, Fire Cracker, Lemon Mint Sticks, Masala Sticks and Pasta.

The company has been producing 2 PM Akbare Noodles using locally grown Akbare Chilli.

Mahesh Jaju, the company's Managing Director, said that the supply of chillies is also increasing due to the preference for noodles, and the company has also benefited the local people financially.

Likewise, a 60 gram package is available at Rs. 20.

According to Jaju, 2 PM Noodles are exported to 25 countries including Australia, Belgium, Bhutan, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Jaju said that the company will introduce more premium products like 'Snacks in Cans' and 'Cup Noodles' in the market in a short time.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 July 2024.        

Hotelier Shrestha passes away

Kathmandu, July 19

Hotelier Ambika Shrestha has passed away.  Owner of The Dwarika's Hotel in Battisputali, Kathmandu, Shrestha passed away at Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Lalitpur on Thursday at the age of 91 following a period of prolonged illness.

She was suffering from pneumonia and was undergoing treatment for the last two months. She was cremated at the Pashupati Aryaghat on Friday.

Shrestha, who has been active in the hotel and tourism industries for 65 years, has been fully handling the responsibility of Dwarika's since 1991. She had beat cancer four years ago.

She studied at St. Joseph's Convent, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, India.

She is survived by two daughters. Her husband Dwarika Shrestha and a son passed away years ago.

She had a long experience of working in a leadership role in various associations and organisations of the tourism industry. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 July 2024.        

Increase investment in research centre: Bhandari

 Kathmandu, July 16

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that the country should increase investment in research centres under the universities for the production of knowledge required for the development of the nation.

Addressing a programme organised by the Centre of Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS) on Tuesday on the occasion of its 53^rd anniversary, Bhandari said, I am saddened to know that these 'think tank' organisations have been reduced to a limited role. The state should increase investment in these institutions established to produce evidence-based knowledge on matters necessary for the nation and use it in policymaking.

The CNAS is a research think tank under the Tribhuvan University.

Bhandari expressed her sorrow that the research centres like CNAS, Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA) and Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST) established under the TU were unable to play effective roles due to lack of sufficient resources.

Stating that the policies adopted by the state must be based on research, facts and evidence, Bhandari said that the government should invest in research in domestic and international affairs. She also said that such research would have long-term importance for the country.

"Research done with the investment of foreign donor agencies may not be independent and impartial," Bhandari said, "Therefore, the state should invest in studying and researching sensitive issues for the country such as defence and foreign affairs."

Prof. Dr. Keshar Jung Baral, Vice-Chancellor of the TU, said that research centres should be able to do research themselves. Stating that the university has supported the research centre in the past, he said that now the research centre should be able to financially support the university.

Executive Director of the CNAS, Dr. Mrigendra Karki said that CNAS could bring a lot of support from donor agencies to carry out research, but it was a problem as they had to advance the agenda of the donor agencies while bringing such support.

“If the university gives CNAS the right to conduct PhD studies, it will attract foreign students and they can run the institution from their fees,” Dr. Karki said.

On the occasion, former President Bhandari unveiled a book titled 'Sambodhan', an anthology of the speeches made by her at various national and international platforms. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 July 2024.        

Govt aware of students' situation in Bangladesh

 Kathmandu, July 19

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that the Government of Nepal is fully aware about the safety and well-being of Nepali students who are studying in Dhaka of Bangladesh.

"In the context of the latest developments in Bangladesh, the Government of Nepal is fully aware of ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nepali students studying there," the MoFA said in a statement on Friday.

According to it, so far, with the support and coordination of the relevant universities, colleges and the Nepali Embassy in Dhaka, Nepali students are safe and continuous efforts are being made to make them more comfortable.

The MoFA has urged the students and their parents to contact the Nepali Embassy of Dhaka if any further assistance is required immediately. They can contact the Second Secretary of the Embassy (+8801880691013) and Riya Chhetri (+8801745407958).

The Government of Bangladesh has shut the schools and universities for an indefinite period following the killing of six people and injuring dozens as they were protesting the quota system in public jobs.

They have been demanding the end to the quota system that secures about half of the civil service jobs for some groups. Bangladesh is one of the major destinations for Nepali students for medical education. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 July 2024.        

USAID prioritises inclusion in Nepal

Kathmandu, July 18

The USAID said that it has accorded priority to inclusion and mainstreaming the voices of the marginalised communities.

"The Mission aims at addressing the problems of the people at the local people. Therefore, 40 per cent of the total budget of the next five years will directly go to the local institutions," Acting Mission Director of the USAID in Nepal, Beth Hogan, said at an interaction with the journalists in Kathmandu on Thursday.

According to her, the USAID has always been working with the local institutions and people. "To make the programme more relevant to the local communities, we have been hiring people from local communities who speak local language. We make sure that our programmes are culturally relevant and provide value to the stakeholders," said Hogan.

She stated that the ultimate aim of the bilateral organisation is to strengthening the local governments and institutions and enhancing their capacity.

Since 200, the USAID has mobilised more than US$ 1.5 billion (Rs. 196 billion) to support the development in health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic growth, women and girls' empowerment, disaster assistance, governance, environment, civil society and media and business development.

Last year, it supported more than 1.1 million children under 5-year of age with nutrition intervention and is helping the government of Nepal finalise 11 different hydroelectricity projects with the capacity of 1200 MW and valued at US$ 2.4 billion.

Hogan said that the USAID has been working in five major areas in Nepal – health, education, democracy, rights and governance, economic growth, and environment and resilience.

Sujan Piya of the Economic Growth Office at the USAID said that in agriculture, support has been mobilised for capacity building, use and management of water resources. He said that Nepal is in the priority country for the US government.

The USAID has started its involvement in Nepal's energy sector with the Bhotekoshi Hydroelectricity Project – the first private sector project – and has long been supporting in technology transfer and investment attraction in transmission and distribution of electricity.

Recently, it has supported in building charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs).

This year marks the seven decades of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Nepal and the USA, and 63 years of USAID in Nepal. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 July 2024.        

SIHL announces the IPO

Kathmandu, July 17

Siddhartha International Hotel Limited (SIHL), a company in Nepal's hospitality sector and part of Siddhartha Hospitality, is set to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO).

The company has appointed Muktinath Capital as an issue manager for the IPO. 

 

SIHL operates the Siddhartha Boutique Hotel in Bauddha and the Siddhartha Vilasa in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi.

Chairman of Siddhartha Hospitality Chintamani Neupane and CEO of Muktinath Capital Kabindra Dhoj Joshi signed the agreement on Tuesday for the issuance of the IPO. 

 

The IPO, in which 10 per cent of the total issued capital will be offered to the public, is planned for the current Fiscal Year 2024/2025, according to Neupane. 

 

 Siddhartha Hospitality oversees more than two dozen companies, including Siddhartha Vilasa (five-star), Siddhartha Vaibhav (four-star), and Siddhartha Vatika (three-star), along with ventures in hospitality education, restaurants, cottages, cafes, agricultural farms, trading, and IT services. 

 

Muktinath Capital, a subsidiary of Muktinath Bikas Bank, is a leading merchant banking firm renowned for portfolio management, share registrar services, securities issue and sales, underwriting, depositary participant services, fund manager and depository and corporate advisory services in the capital market. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 July 2024.        

Nepal Embassy in Beijing hosts investment promotion event

 Kathmandu, July 14

The Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, China hosted an event to promote investment in Nepal.

The event organised on Sunday with the theme "Promoting Investment Opportunities in Nepal"  at the Embassy aimed at sharing information about the investment opportunities in Nepal. The event also featured sharing of experiences of Chinese organisations that participated in the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 in Kathmandu, the Embassy informed in a statement.

Ambassador of Nepal to China, Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, highlighted the diverse investment opportunities available across various sectors in Nepal.

He urged the members of the Chinese business community to invest in Nepal. Furthermore, the Ambassador emphasised that such investments would help Nepal’s pursuit of socio-economic transformation and capitalise emerging business opportunities for mutual benefit.

Speaking at the event, Wang Kewen, Deputy Secretary General of China Overseas Development Association (CODA) highlighted that China has become the largest source of foreign investment for Nepal, creating thousands of job opportunities and delivering tangible benefits to the people of Nepal. While sharing CODA’s experiences about participating in the Nepal Investment Summit 2024, she further elaborated on Nepal-China development cooperation and stated that the prospects for future cooperation between the two countries are even more promising.

Likewise, Li Xuesong, Vice President of the Economic Joint Committee of China Commercial Stock Enterprises, highlighted about the Chinese government’s foreign investment related policy and priorities based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

He further expressed willingness to work together with Nepali enterprises to create a better future while sharing positive experiences from Nepal. Xu Xiaoyun, Deputy General Manager of Power China Eurasia, shared experiences about investing in hydropower sector of Nepal.

Sabita Nakarmi, Counselor at the Embassy made a presentation about the investment climate and opportunities in Nepal at the event that witnessed the presence of 100 business persons, media persons and government officials.

 

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Nepal in Muscat, Oman organised an interaction on export, trade, investment, tourism and employment promotion on Saturday at Nepal House, Muscat.

The Interaction was conducted to seek support from the members of Nepali community in promoting export, trade and investment opportunities of Nepal, finding new job opportunities for Nepali workers and showcasing Nepal as an attractive tourist destination in Oman, the Embassy informed in a statement on Sunday.

The interaction Event was attended by several guests including Nepali businesspersons, representatives of Oman-based Nepali organizations and Nepali banks, eminent Nepali personalities and volunteers from Nepali community.

Ambassador Dornath Aryal outlined the necessities of promoting Nepali products for better trade balance and bringing in Foreign Investment in mega projects in Nepal. He said that safe and better job opportunities for Nepali workers will assist in enhancing the bilateral relations between Nepal and Oman.

According to the statement, Ambassador Aryal urged the Nepali Community to tap every opportunity to build the brand ‘Nepal’ as one of the favorite tourist destinations for Omani citizens and promote rich Nepali heritage, culture and literature in Oman. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 July 2024.