30,000 Nepalis return home from West Asia after Iran-Israel war

MoFA begins preparation for PM Shah's India visit

 

Kathmandu, Apr. 24

More than 30,000 Nepali nationals have returned home from West Asian countries following the outbreak of conflict in the region. The entire region is in turmoil following a war break out between Israel-USA and Iran.

Ramkaji Khadka, Joint Secretary and chief of the Central Asia, West Asia and Africa Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said at a press briefing on Friday that 21,000 Nepalis returned from Qatar alone.

However, the government doesn't know whether these people returned due to the prevailing situation or on their regular leave and vacation.

A total of 87,819 individuals from the region have so far registered their status through an online portal launched by the MoFA’s consular services department following the conflict. Foreign workers in hotels and tourism sector in the West Asian countries have been highly affected as the conflict has drastically reduced the number of tourists visiting the region.

But the MoFA has not received any compliant from Nepalis working in hospitality industry there. More than 1.72 million Nepalis are working in the West Asian nations. The Ministry is soliciting updates from Nepali missions in Tel Aviv, Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Kuwait City, Muscat, Cairo and Jeddah, along with the Consulate General in Dubai.

The government has also resumed issuing labour permits and re-entry permits for foreign employment abroad, which had been suspended in view of the security situation in West Asia. The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security reopened approvals for all destinations following a recommendation from the MoFA, informed Khadka.

Meanwhile, efforts are under way to secure the release of Nepali national Amrit Jha, who was detained along with a vessel in Iran’s Hormuz area during the conflict. The ministry said he is expected to be released soon.

Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri said that of the 10 Nepali nationals currently in Iran for work, two are preparing to return home, while the remaining eight have reported that they feel safe and are staying in the country.

"We have requested them to return to Nepal," said Chhetri, "The government remains serious about the evolving situation in West Asia and the safety of Nepali nationals in the region."

Chhetri also said that an invitation has been received from the Government of India for a visit by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, and initial preparations are under way.

Earlier, during his visit to Mauritius to participate at the Indian Ocean Conference (10-12 April), Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal had informed journalist that PM Shah was visiting India soon.

Meanwhile, 612 Nepali nationals stranded in online scam centres in Southeast Asian countries have been rescued. Among them, 487 were rescued from Cambodia, 111 from Myanmar, eight from Laos and six from Thailand. Arrangements are being made to repatriate an additional 53 individuals after issuing travel documents.

Fourteen Nepalis have been arrested in Cambodia, including five on charges of organised fraud and nine on other offences.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 April 2026.         

Experts stress governance reform, investment boost and employment generation in new budget

Kathmandu, Apr. 24

Weak governance, reduced private sector confidence, weak manufacturing, growing unemployment and procedural hurdles should be the fundamental aspects the upcoming budget of the Fiscal Year 2026/27 should address, said economists and investors.

Speaking at the pre-budget discussion programme organised by the Management Association of Nepal (MAN) in Kathmandu on Friday, they said that the process should facilitate the business and industry while the government should be clear on the treatment of entrepreneurs.

Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, former Chief Secretary, said that infrastructure development, governance reform, human resource development and upskilling, and improving the investment environment should be the priority of the upcoming budget.

He informed that for the past several years, the federal government has failed to meet the 80 per cent mark in mobilising the development budget. The weak government spending has resulted in poor private sector investment and revenue mobilization.

"Hope is rekindled with the formation of stable government which has initiated a process to include the crucial pledges from the manifestos of the major political parties, annul the restrictive 15 laws and improve governance," he said while adding that single tax code and simplified tax process with investor-friendly tax administration will help to increase the revenue.

According to him, the budget allocating system should be changed to global budgeting or agency budgeting. The Finance Ministry shouldn't allocate budget directly to the projects.

Project readiness filter should be made mandatory. This filter was announced a decade ago but rarely implemented. All the projects should be harmonized with the current periodic plan (5-year) and mid-term expenditure framework (3-year), said Dr. Aryal.

He suggested that the government should run corporations only producing goods and services, own only one bank while private investment should be invited in all other public enterprises.

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Poudel, former Member of the NPC, said that the entire government mechanism including the institutions and bureaucracy has remained inefficient, so if the current government couldn't make it efficient, desired results can't be achieved.

Paradigm shift is needed in health and education sector to give greater emphasis to social development.

Businesspeople mustn't be handcuffed until proven guilty, the tendency to arrest them, take to the court and releasing afterwards will be counterproductive.

Chartered Accountant Sudarshan Raj Pandey said that the share of capital budget is just about 12-15 per cent of the total budget and the country has been failing to mobilise even this small amount. This has impacted the overall development of infrastructure and other projects.

"We have excess liquidity now so the government can issue long-term bond to raise money to expedite development projects that have remained sluggish due to shortage of sufficient funds," he said.

According to Pandey, removal of education and health services tax has compromised the transparency in these sectors. The 1 per cent tax on these services had not increased the cost of business but the interest groups influenced the political leadership and succeeded in repealing the provisions. Such practice should be discouraged, he said.

He also said that multiple VAT (Value Added Tax) rates - as advocated by some economists and financial experts - can be an accounting nuisance. This will create challenges in its implementation, compliance and supervision.

Former Finance Minister and former Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank, Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, said that although it sounds cliché, the tax base needs to be expanded and tax rates should be moderated.

"However, there is a threshold below which tax rates should not fall; otherwise, it leads to the flawed assumption that setting taxes to zero would generate higher revenue," he said.

Dr. Khatiwada said when efforts were made to bring lawyers into the income tax net, they resisted, saying they would not plead cases and would halt court proceedings. While doctors and engineers have been brought within the tax system, lawyers have yet to be effectively included.

Commenting on cross-border smuggling of goods, he maintained that those who cross the border multiple times a day to bring in goods should not be given even a one-rupee exemption, let alone a Rs. 100.

"If air travellers are allowed baggage concessions, similar facilities should also be extended to those travelling to India by land. Proper records of entries and exits should be maintained," said Dr. Khatiwada.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 April 2026.         

India keeps notice of Nepal's customs rule

 Kathmandu, Apr. 23

India said on Thursday that that it understands that Government of Nepal has enforced the provision to collect customs duty if the goods being carried from India exceeded Rs. 100 to curb informal trade and smuggling.

"We understand that the Government of Nepal has taken this step primarily with the intent to curb informal trade and smuggling," Spokesperson of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal said at a press conference.

He also said that India is aware of reports about enforcement by Nepali authorities of a pre-existing provision that outlines collection of customs duty from cross-border travelers in case they carry items purchased in India, worth more than 100 NPR.

Likewise, Jaiswal mentioned of seeing a statement by a senior official from Nepal that civilians carrying household goods for personal use will not be obstructed. However, no names were mentioned.

"We remain engaged on the developments," he said.

Although created more than one and a half decades ago, the Rs. 100 provision is reinforced recently (with the beginning of Nepal New Year 2083 or April 14) by the government. Efforts to enforce it in the past has failed a couple of times.

Nepali citizens along the border areas have criticised the move alleging that the goods are cheaper across the border while the Indian markets at the border points have got no Nepali buyers. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 April 2026.         

Non-Resident Nepali Act to be tabled at Parliament

Kathmandu, Apr. 23

A draft bill related to the proposed Non-Resident Nepali Act is being prepared for tabling in the upcoming parliamentary session, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal informed during an interaction with the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

He said that the government is committed to making the law effective by incorporating the rights, roles and contributions of non-resident Nepalis, the NRNA quoted FM Khanal in a statement.

The MoFA said in a tweet that the Minister shared his plan to present the draft of the law in the parliament.

"He further underscored the need for greater clarity in expressing the constitution's aspirations- both in terms of their conceptual foundations and practical realisation," said the MoFA.

NRNA delegation including president Hemraj Sharma, founding president Upendra Mahato, immediate past president Badri KC, former president Kul Acharya, founding international coordinator Bhim Udas, vice-presidents Rojina Pradhan Rai and Buddhi Subedi, and focal person Saroj Dahal, presented suggestions on the draft bill.

They stressed the need to align it with the social, economic and cultural rights enshrined in the constitution while also addressing the aspirations of non-resident Nepalis. The country has already begun issuing citizenship certificates to the NRNs as per the constitutional provisions.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said the ministry considers NRNA a reliable partner and expressed confidence that cooperation would be further strengthened in the coming days.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 April 2026.         

FM Khanal telephones Jordanian counterpart

Kathmandu, Apr. 23

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal, held a telephone conversation with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday.

During the conversation, the two Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working together at bilateral and multilateral levels for mutual benefit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a tweet.

FM Khanal thanked the Government of Jordan for ensuring the safety of many Nepali nationals amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

DPM Safadi congratulated Minister Khanal on his assumption of office.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal Ruwanthi Delpitiya called on FM Khanal at his office on Thursday.

During the courtesy call on, discussions were held on further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation across various sectors of mutual interest.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 April 2026.         

Asset Investigation Commission begins its work

 Kathmandu, Apr. 22

The government-formed Asset Investigation Commission, established with the objective of ending widespread corruption and impunity in the country, has formally commenced its work from Wednesday.

A Cabinet meeting on April 15 had constituted the five-member commission under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court Justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari. The commission’s office has been set up at Keshar Mahal.

Bhandari, took the oath of office and secrecy on Wednesday before Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla. He subsequently administered the oath to other members - former Chief Judge of the Appellate Court Purushottam Parajuli, former High Court Judge Chandi Raj Dhakal, former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ganesh KC, and Chartered Accountant Prakash Lamsal.

The commission, mandated to operate in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1969 (2026 BS), has already had its Terms of Reference approved. With a tenure of one year, it will collect and conduct detailed investigations into the assets held within Nepal and abroad in the names of current, retired, or former public office holders and their family members.

As per the provision, the commission must submit a report to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers immediately upon completing an investigation of any individual, and the government is required to implement it within 45 days.

The commission has pledged to function in a fully independent, impartial, and professional manner, free from any external pressure or influence.

It will accept complaints through written, verbal, electronic means, social media, or any other medium.

While the commission may seek expert advice from various sectors as necessary during its work, strict provisions prohibit the engagement of experts with conflicts of interest, it said in a statement.

The formation of the commission aligns with the government’s anti-corruption commitment outlined in point 43 of the 100-point Governance Reform Agenda approved by the Cabinet on  March 26.

Currently, the OPMCM is screening 32 personnel required for the commission.

According to the commission, to ensure transparency, staff deployed to it will also be required to publicly disclose their asset details within one week of assuming their duties.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 April 2026.         

NADA to implement MRP provisions on vehicles

Kathmandu, Apr. 22

NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal welcomed the provision requiring all imported goods sold in Nepal to clearly display the maximum retail price (MRP) and the mandatory issuance of invoice during sales.

A delegation from the Association met Director General Roshan Gyawali of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (DoCS) the other day to discuss a recently issued directives on affixing stickers indicating the MRP on automobile products.

During the meeting, the NADA delegation said the department’s press statement issued last week had drawn its attention.

Following a discussion with the Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NFTA), the DoCS had issued a statement on April 13 directing all importers to mention the MRP on imported goods and issue bills while selling them.

It also directed them to implement the provision within a 15-day period, and after that if any goods were sold without MRP, punitive measures would be adopted.

NADA's discussion with the DoCS was focused on how to make the provisions workable and implementable. The delegation raised concerns about the treatment of existing stock and questioned the practicality of requiring stickers to be affixed at customs points, read a statement from NADA. It also stated that it has consistently supported fair trade and transparency in business practices.

In response, Gyawali said the provisions were based on the existing Consumer Protection Act 2035 and aligned with the government’s 100-point governance reform plan, which prioritises their implementation. He said the department remains committed to enforcing the rules and described NADA’s concerns as constructive.

Gyawali added that the department is prepared to address practical challenges in implementation but emphasised that cooperation and commitment from businesses would be necessary.

He also stated that the department would take a strict approach towards manufacturers and importers in enforcing MRP labelling requirements, and invited NADA to propose legal reforms if existing provisions require amendment.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 April 2026.