Korean film festival from Friday

 Kathmandu, Sept. 25

South Korean Embassy in Kathmandu is organising Korean Film Festival 2019 at QFX Cinemas in Labim Mall in Lalitpur.

Four famous Korean films will be screened during the two-day festival which will be held on September 27-28.

The films being screened are Detective K, Tunnel, Assassination and Little Forest.

These movies can be watched with free movie tickets that can be collected from the mall a day before the festival. But reservations are not allowed.

This festival will help promote the friendly feelings between Nepal and South Korea, said the embassy. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 September 2019. 

CPC and NCP sign deal for party level cooperation

Kathmandu, Sept. 24

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and Communist Party of China (CPC) Tuesday signed an understanding for political and civil society exchange between the two political institutions.

Chief of NCP’s Foreign Affairs Department Madhav Kumar Nepal and Chief of International Department of CPC Song Tao signed a 6-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of NCP chairs KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

The two parties have agreed to organise high-level political exchanges between the two countries, enhancing study visits at the cadre level and youth and local leaders, and exchange of cooperation based on party-to-party experiences.

Similarly, increasing people to people (intellectuals, civil society and media) relations, and organising annual porgrammes on thoughts and policies are the other areas of cooperation.

 This is first of such agreement between the political parties of the two neighbours.

NCP Chair and Prime Minister Oli said that the CPC had made a glorious history in terms of developing the political party following the revolution and addressing the public need to lead the country on the path of development and prosperity.

Speaking at the ideological training organised jointly by the foreign affairs department of the NCP and CPC, he said that the Chinese model of development, governance and economic progress had inspired many nations across the globe.

He expressed his happiness over the organisation of ideological discussion between the two communist parties of Nepal and China and expressed his hope that the Chinese experiences would be useful for Nepal in political development and enhance relationship between the two institutions.

PM Oli noted that the bilateral relations between the two countries were of mutual respect of sovereignty, independence, national integrity and development aspiration.

He reiterated Nepal’s ‘One China’ policy and said that Nepal would not allow any forces to use its land against the neighbouring and friendly countries.

Song is on a 3-day visit in Nepal in an effort to increase the party-level relations between the two countries and promote Xi thoughts. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 September 2019. 

Raut for investment protection and facilitation in province 2

Kathmdndu, Sept. 24

Chief Minister of Province 2 Lalbabu Raut has said that the state was ready to take every step to ensure the security of investment.

“The provincial government will support the investors with required facilities, including business-friendly laws and policies,” he said in an interaction with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries on Tuesday.

There would be no prosperity without investment so I would like to reiterate my commitment to the protection of the investors’ interest, said Chief Minister Raut.

The province is putting its efforts in legal reforms, tax exemption and easy land acquisition to attract more investors. CM Raut also expressed commitment to take initiation to resolve the issues like double taxation and variation in electricity charges.

State 2 is also working to provide concession in tax for 20 years, ease land acquisition process, and register business and industries within three hours.

On the occasion, CNI President Satish Kumar More said that it was the time to create environment of confidence among the federal and provincial governments, and investors.

“Crisis in confidence between the different levels of government and investors may discourage both the domestic as well as foreign investors,” he said.

More pointed towards the need to devise better policies and create better investment climate to develop and expand the Simara-Birgunj Corridor and economic hub in Birgunj.

Vice-President of CNI Birendra Raj Pandey said that the private sector body was expecting support from the provincial government in creating Provincial Partnership Investors Forum. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 September 2019. 

Hazama signs contract to develop Nagdhunga Tunnel

Kathmandu, Sept. 23

Japanese company Hazama Ando Corporation signed contract with the Department of Roads for the Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project on Monday.

The company will complete the 2.69-km long double-lane road tunnel within 42 months from the project commencement date. 

Bid for the project was published in August last year and Hazama was selected from the 43 national and international bidders showing their interest in constructing the tunnel. 

In 2016, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had agreed to provide Rs. 17 billion loan to Nepal with 0.01 per cent interest for 40 years for the project. The government will bear Rs. 6.3 billion for land acquisition and other administrative work. 

The detail design of the project was completed in April 2018. 

The project will have 2.3 km long road at the eastern side, 565 metre long at the western side, one intersection, one interchange on Tribhuvan Highway, seven bridges and 11 box culverts. 

It will also have toll-gate facilities, traffic monitoring/control and maintenance office buildings, roadside service station and transmission line.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 September 2019. 

Zurich Airport to develop Nijgadh Airport

Kathmandu, Sept. 23

Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) has shortlisted a Swiss Company Zurich Airport International AG to develop the International Airport in Nijgadh of Bara district in Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. 

The IBN’s 40^th meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday shortlisted Zurich among the seven companies that had submitted the letter of interest to develop the airport that would be one of the largest in the region. 

“Seven companies from Nepal, China, India and France had shown interest in developing the infrastructure project but Ziroch met all the technical, financial and experience criteria set by the government,” said Maha Prasad Adhikari, Chief Executive Officer of the IBN. 

The project was showcased during the Nepal Investment Summit 2019, organised in March this year.

However, the decision made by IBN on Monday does not award the project to the company as the former has only shortlisted it and the latter need to submit the detail proposal regarding the development of the facility. 

Adhikari said that Zurich Airport International would have 100 days time to submit the detailed proposal for the project development, and a technical committee would study the proposal. Approval from the technical committee will give a ‘go ahead’ to the company. 

The Nijgadh International Airport is the largest infrastructure project in the country so far. According to the primary estimates, the government has put the cost of the airport at Rs. 693 billion. But the IBN said that the cost may vary according to the phases of development and required facilities. 

A Korean consulting firm Landmark Worldwide (LMW) had conducted a detailed feasibility study in 2010 and proposed to build the airport in BOOT (Built Own Operate Transfer) model. However, the government later decided to develop it in the PPP model. 

Qatar had also shown interest in constructing the airport. During the visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari, it had proposed to develop it through the government to government contract. 

Meanwhile, the project is pushed into controversy due to the need to cut down a large number of trees which had provoked ire in the part of the environment activists. 

The IBN had also shortlisted Indian firm SJVN Limited, Nepali Hydropower Investment and Development Company Limited’s joint-venture with Power Construction Corporation of China Ltd, and Nepali Green Resources Pvt. Ltd.’s joint-venture with Electric Power Development Company Japan for the development of the 679 MW Lower Arun Hydroelectricity Project. 

SJVN is developing 900 MW Arun III which is export-oriented peaking Run-of-River project in Shankhuwasabha district of State 1. It is developing the 1.4 billion US Dollars project in BOOT model and the facility will come to Nepal government after 25 years. 

Likewise, the meeting decided to form a committee led by the Finance Minister to develop a transport management master plan for the Kathmandu Valley by integrating all the previous studies conducted in the area. It also shortlisted China Communication Construction Company for the construction of Kathmandu Outer Ring Road Project in PPP model. 

PM Oli directed the concerned ministry and agencies to submit an integrated and detailed plan for the transport management in the valley. 

“The ministries should create greater coordination and cooperation in facilitating the investors. All projects must be completed on time,” he said. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 September 2019. 

(The print version of the story mistakes the Swiss company as 'German'. Error is regretted.)