Pokhara Balloon gets permission to fly up to 9000 ft.

Kathmandu, Feb. 2

Balloon Nepal, the only company in Nepal offering hot air balloon flights from Pokhara, has recently been authorised to ascend up to 9,000 feet above ground level.

Bikram Bade, President of Balloon Nepal, stated that previously restricted to a maximum altitude of 3,000 feet, the balloons can now offer passengers an enhanced view of the Annapurna snow range, Pokhara, and breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset.

Balloon Nepal was granted permission to fly from Lauruk to Chankpur area of Pokhara after frequently monitoring the tower frequency of Pokhara Regional International Airport by the ministerial decision of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said Mukesh Dangol, an ATC officer with the ministry.

According to Bade, the approval was secured following a thorough technical examination of the flight site and a detailed study of the flight manual provided by the manufacturer of the balloon currently in use.

Hot air ballooning, offering an exhilarating blend of adventure and tranquillity, has become a unique attraction in Pokhara, Nepal, for enthusiasts of adventure tourism.

The hot air balloon comprises an 'envelope,' resembling a balloon, which is filled with air using internal fans. Once the balloon takes shape, gas combustion heats the air, elevating the balloon. The pilot controls the airspeed, and a 32-square-meter basket, suspended beneath the 21-meter-high balloon, accommodates up to eight passengers simultaneously.

While drifting in the hot air balloon, passengers are treated to breathtaking views of Pokhara city, various lakes, Pumdikot, Sarangkot, and the expansive mountain range. The time of the flight allows observers to witness the stunning transitions of sunrise and sunset.

Nepali tourists can experience a half-hour hot air balloon flight for Rs 9,500 per person, with a reduced fee of Rs 5,000 for children aged between 3 to 9 years. Distinct fees apply to citizens of India, SAARC countries, and other nations.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 February 2024.     

29th CAN Infotech to start from Monday

 Kathmandu, Feb. 2

The 29^th edition of CAN Infotech – the largest exhibition and trade festival of information and technology-related business and innovations - will be held in the capital from 8-12 February.

The Computer Association Nepal Federation (CAN Federation), the organiser of the event, informed that the CAN Infotech has been organized every year to exhibit new technologies developed in the field of information and communication technology and create meaningful interactions for the development of this sector.

The 'CAN Infotech 2024' is sponsored by is S Power BPE Pvt. Ltd. and co-sponsored by HMC Dahua. It is supported by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the Department of Information Technology, and private sector organisations like the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO), WITSA (World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance) and Toa Software Corp have extended their support to this exhibition.

Saying that CAN Infotech will showcase the development and expansion of Nepal's technology sector, CAN Federation President Ranjit Poddar said that it will help in building Digital Nepal. "We are confident that the exhibition of the latest technology and the talents and innovations developed according to the demand of the local market will help the campaign of creating Digital Nepal," he said.

Similarly, General Secretary of the Federation, Chiranjivi Adhikari mentioned that special priority has been given to startups, young talent, innovation and Nepali products in CAN Infotech.

The tickets for the exhibition could be bought at Rs. 100 for the general public and Rs. 50 for students. There will be free entry provision for senior citizens, differently-abled people and children below 10 years of age, while groups of students of government and community colleges can enter free of cost at the recommendation of their respective institutions.

CAN Federation will announce a scholarship on IT education for this year in collaboration with Lord Buddha Education Foundation during the Infotech.

Similarly, Nepal Robotics Academy in collaboration with CAN Federation is scheduled to release the beta version of the generative AI system 'Kanchhi' robot developed in Nepal at the CAN Infotech. There will be a cyber security help desk at the exhibition which will be managed by NP Short and CSRI.

CAN Federation member organizations as well as various national and international information and communication technology companies will participate in the information and communication technology exhibition.

The organiser maintained that the exhibition will be used by businessmen as a platform for business expansion as well as a platform for exhibiting new technologies and observers will be able to view and purchase new and future technologies and equipment in information and communication technology at one platform.

"CAN Infotech will provide an unprecedented opportunity for companies in the information and communication technology sector to expand their market, understand customer needs, conduct market surveys, launch new products and establish mutual relationships with customers," said the CAN Federation.

Likewise, various interactive discussion programmes related to information technology will be organised throughout the Infotech period.

Branding, ICT accessories, product launching, IT career counseling, startup and innovation pavilion, and software pavilion have been arranged at the Infotech.

Priority will be given to products and solutions prepared through research and development in Nepal. Under this, free stalls have been arranged for Nepali startups for innovative and startup pavilions.

'KATAHO' digital address system developed by the company run by celebrated Nepali scientists Ram-Lakshman, will also be inaugurated at the Infotech.

Similarly, arrangements have been made to make the CAN Infotech 2024 live online in collaboration with Mandala System. Under this, virtual viewing can be done by registering at infotech.can.org.np.

So far, 90 per cent (120) stalls have been booked for CAN Infotech 2024. About 3.5 lakh people are expected to visit it.

The first CAN Infotech was organised in 1995.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 February 2024.     

Bring cargo trains through Biratnagar Customs Yard, NITDB urges traders

 Kathmandu, Feb. 1

The Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) has urged the private sector businesses and traders to bring in cargo trains through the Biratnagar Customs Yard.

The (NITDB), Customs Office and Railway Company are ready to facilitate the private sector traders while conducting international trade through the Yard.

During the India visit (31 May to 3 June) of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal the train service was jointly inaugurated by him and Indian PM Narendra Modi. Subsequently, the first train with cargo arrived at the Nepal Customs Yard in Budhnagar of Biratnagar from Bathnaha, India.

Since that day, NITDB, Customs Office and Railway Company have been ready to welcome cargo trains. However, the Yard is not getting enough business.

Stating on Thursday, the NITDB said that it has repeatedly discussed the operation of the Yard with business people and is requesting to bring cargo through rail.

There will not be any hassles if any trader wants to bring in cargo through the Yard, said Executive Director of the Board, Ashish Gajurel.

Meanwhile, a discussion was held between the NITDB and the Managing Director of the Railway Company, Niranjan Jha in Kathmandu.

During the discussion, it was decided to immediately deploy contact persons from NITDB and the company at the newly developed Yard. It was also decided that both sides were ready for cargo management and requested businessmen to bring cargo trains.

All preparations have been completed to manage the cargo brought by the traders at the minimum fee set by the Government of Nepal.

"Security has also been well arranged, If there are any problems, they will be properly managed," said Gajurel.

The dry ports and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in Nepal are modern, and equipped with necessary machines, tools, and human resources, claimed the Board. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 February 2024.     

PM Calls for making Upcoming House Session Effective

 Kathmandu, Jan. 30

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has discussed with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) about giving 'business' to the Parliament that will start its new session from February 5.

Prime Minister Prachanda called the officials of the MoLJPA to the Prime Minister's Office, Singha Durbar, and discussed the preparation of the bills to be presented in the upcoming session of the federal parliament.

During the discussion, the prime minister emphasised that the session should be made effective as there were reviews that the previous session of the parliament could not play an effective role in law-making.

Directing the Ministry, PM Prachanda said, there is a review that last year the parliament could not do an exemplary job in law-making. According to him, there is also an opinion that the government did not give 'business' to the parliament and should not happen again this time.

"Let's prepare to register more bills as soon as the parliamentary session starts. The chief secretary should follow up. The ministry should bring the bill in coordination with all the ministries and with good preparation. This time Parliament should be given business in an orderly manner," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary, Dr. Baikunth Aryal, directed the MoLJPA to make necessary preparations for the bills, saying that bills that have undergone legal examination and financial liability should be sent to the parliament quickly.

Likewise, the Secretary of the Ministry, Udaya Raj Sapkota, said that the Ministry has done the necessary homework for the bills to be presented in the next session of the parliament and some of them would be presented at the beginning of the session.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 31 January 2024.     

Nepal’s corruption index improves slightly

 Kathmandu, Jan. 30

Nepal has slightly improved its position in the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 with a two-step jump from 110^th among 180 countries in 2022 to 108^th position in 2023.

According to the latest report of the Transparency International's CPI 2023 report launched globally on Tuesday, Nepal has remained in the group of high corruption perception with just 35 score in 100. Its score has gone up to 35 this year from 34 last year. In 2013, the country had 31 total score and was in 116^th position among 177 countries worldwide.

This shows that Nepal couldn't achieve much success in curbing corruption and is in the groups of countries that have high corruption rate, said the TI Nepal. Nepal is in the club of two-thirds of countries that achieved less than 50. The average score of Asia and the Pacific is 45.

In south Asia, Bhutan tops the list and remains at 26^th position. India is in 93^rd, Maldives 93^rd, Sri Lanka 115^th, Pakistan 133^rd, Bangladesh 149^th and Afghanistan is at 162^nd. Nepal's northern Neighbour, China, is at 76^th position with 42 marks.

Despite the progress made in criminalising corruption and establishing specialised anti-corruption institutions around the world, only 28 of the 180 countries measured by the CPI have improved their corruption levels, and 34 countries have worsened.

According to the report, for the sixth year in a row, Denmark heads the ranking, with a score of 90. Finland and New Zealand follow closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), the Netherlands (79), Germany (78) and Luxembourg (78) complete the top 10 this year.

Meanwhile, countries experiencing conflict or with highly restricted freedoms and weak democratic institutions tend to score worst. This year, Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13) and South Sudan (13) are at the bottom of the index. Yemen (16), Nicaragua (17), North Korea (17), Haiti (17), Equatorial Guinea (17), Turkmenistan (18) and Libya (18) are the next lowest performers.

Countries with strong rule of law and well-functioning democratic institutions often sit at the top of the index. Democratic countries tend to greatly outperform authoritarian regimes when controlling corruption – full democracies have a CPI average of 73, flawed democracies have one of 48 and non-democratic regimes just 32.

However, the top 25 countries in the index make up just over 10 per cent of all people. "Corruption therefore remains a challenge that directly or indirectly harms most people," said the TI.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

The TI has maintained that the fight for justice and the fight against corruption go hand in hand: where the justice system is unable to uphold the rule of law, corruption thrives. At the same time, where corruption is the norm, access to justice is often hindered for the most vulnerable, and justice institutions may be captured by political, economic or special interest groups.

According to it, there has been a global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016. The rise of authoritarianism in some countries contributes to this trend, and even in democratic contexts, the mechanisms that keep governments in check have weakened.

"Governments across the political spectrum have undermined justice systems, restricted civic freedoms and relied on non-democratic strategies to address recent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic," read the report. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 31 January 2024.     

International Committee of HoR to visit India

Kathmandu, Jan. 29

A delegation of International Relations and Tourism Committee (IRTC) of the House of Representatives is embarking on an official visit of India for 8-days from January 30 to February 6.

The 12-member delegation, including eight members of the committee and four staff of the Parliament Secretariat, is visiting the southern neighbour at the invitation of the chairman of the Standing Committee on External Affairs (SCEA) of Indian Federal Parliament. The External Affairs Committee includes 31 members – 21 from the lower house and 10 from the upper house.

Chairman of the IRTC, Raj Kishor Yadav, said that the visit is aimed at exchanging experience, knowledge and practice of the parliamentary system as well as discussing Nepal-India relations.

The Nepali parliamentary delegation will hold a meeting with the SCEA and Speaker of the lower house of Indian parliament – Lok Sabha – Om Birla. The delegation will discuss about the facilities at the parliament building of India and working styles of the committee including the organisation of meetings.

The visiting delegation is also scheduled to hold separate meeting with External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Minister for Tourism, G Kishan Reddy.

"We will observe new parliament building of India and will see how it has been designed and managed so that we could find out better ways to manage our new parliament of building," said Yadav. 

"India is a large democracy. But is stable and there is parliamentary stability despite diverse demographics and political ideologies. There are several things that we need to learn," he added.

He said that students and patients going to India now have to pay fees as SAARC citizens while earlier it was same as for Indians. We will request lawmakers there to take this issue into considerations, said Yadav.

He maintained that economic and business issues will get priority in their deliberations.

Likewise, the Nepali delegation will request Indian Tourism Minister to keep Nepal in the priority list to send their government employees in vacation. About 50 million Indians go out of country as tourists, and government employees get 10 days casual leave in a calendar year for tourism activities.

Nepali delegation is also scheduled to meet the chief ministers and governors of Maharastra and Uttar Pradesh of India, hold interaction with Nepali diaspora in Mumbai and Delhi. It will make observational tours to Goa and Varanasi. It will also attend a programme at the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi.

Yadav had already discussed the potential issues of deliberations with the former ambassadors and experts. Meanwhile, the delegation also called on Speaker Devraj Ghimire and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday and discussed about the visit. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 January 2024.     

FM Saud and Nobel Laureate Satyarthi discuss Leaders Summit

Kathmandu, Jan. 29

Foreign Minister NP Saud and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Monday.

FM Saud mentioned the contribution made by Satyarthi in Nepal and India in the field of child rights and social service and charity work. Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work in the field of child rights.

Satyarthi had reached the MoFA along with Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, to discuss the preparation of the 'Laureates and Leaders' summit to be held in Lumbini on 11-12 March this year.

The Lumbini Government is organising the summit for the welfare of children, sustainable development and peace at Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. It has included the summit in its annual policy and programmes and budget of the current Fiscal Year 2023/24.

According the Lumbini government, experts working in the field of development from all over the world, senior officials of United Nations agencies, government and non-government sector representatives will be invited to the summit.

It expects that the summit will further help in the promotion of Lumbini.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 January 2024.