Improved transport connectivity vital for development: Minister Jwala

Patan, Nov 2: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Prakash Jwala, has said the government is doing its best to achieve economic prosperity in the country.

As he said, the enhancement of transport connectivity will contribute to securing economic development.

In his address to an annual symposium on ” Transport Connectivity in Nepal: Opportunities and Challenges’ organised by the Nepal JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Alumni Association (NJAA) in Lalitpur Wednesday, he highlighted that improving transportation connectivity was crucial for advancing towards economic progress.

Citing Japan as a valuable development partner for strengthening transport connectivity within Nepal, he lauded Japanese technology and transport connectivity as exemplary models for Nepal’s growth.

Japan’s ambassador to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka, expressed Japan’s commitment to supporting Nepal in improving transport connectivity and advancing in the field of science and technology as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-2030. Ambassador Yutaka stressed the importance of collaboration between Nepal and Japan, particularly in the transfer of technology.

Minister Saud, US Senator Hollen meet

Washington DC, Nov 2: Minister for Foreign Affairs, NP Saud, who is presently on an official visit to the United States of America, continued the official engagements on the third day of the visit by meeting Senator Chris Van Hollen on Wednesday.

During the meeting with a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, the Minister discussed various aspects of the Nepal-US bilateral relations, emphasizing the importance of exchange of parliamentary experiences between the two nations, according to the Nepali Embassy in Washington DC.

It may be noted that Hollen had visited Nepal last September and he has a significant role in drafting the bill relating to the Temporary Protected Status targeting the Nepali community in the US. He is regarded as influential democratic leader and represents Maryland in the US Senate.

Nepal’s Ambassador to the US, Shreedhar Khatri and Deputy Chief of the Mission, Kumar Kharel, were among were also present in the meeting.

NC leader Koirala wants coalition government to focus on corruption prevention

Lekhnath, Nov 2: Nepali Congress senior leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has said the NC is not expected to comprise over the party principles in name of the practical politics.

Inaugurating the first regional conference of the NC House of Representatives regional executive committee, Kaski-1 at Lekhanath of Pokhara on Wednesday, he said,” The Nepali Congress should compete in upcoming elections independently and this is the aspiration and demand of the party cadres as well.” He took time to claim that NC wished to build a corruption-free society, advising the party people to be more accountable to the citizens and dedicate themselves to the people’s service.

The leader also advised the incumbent government to address rising inflation and take measures to mitigate it. “The existing coalition government should focus itself on corruption prevention and the establishment of good governance.”

Lemon producers in Syangja in wait for appropriate market

Waling (Syangja), Nov 2: This year, lemon producers in Syangj are facing difficulties in finding a suitable market for their produces, in contrast to good supplies last year. Farmers here had made good supplies of lemons last year, but this time the situation is adverse.

Yam Prasad Poudel of Amaldanda of Waling municipality-14 said his income from the supplies of this citrus fruit amounted to Rs 600 thousands last year. But this time, he has not yet harvested the fruit due to uncertainties over the market availability. He is the position of supplying around one ton of produces promptly if a stable market is ensured. Currently, local markets consume only 10 to 15 kilograms daily, leaving farmers like Poudel in a worrisome situation. 

Poudel began lemon farming eight years ago after learning that Nepal used to import lemons worth millions of rupees. He initially started on five ropani of land (one ropani is equivalent to 508.72 m²) and expanded it to an additional five ropani due to the positive results from his farming efforts. Until last year, he could sell lemons for Rs 130 to 150 per kg, depending on the grade, with expectations of earning up to Rs 1.2 million this time. However, his expectations have not been met.

Furthermore, the absence of a storage facility in the locality has posed challenges to the lemon farming in the district, it is said.

People’s representatives morally bound to advocate for development needs: Dhakal

Kathmandu, Nov 2: House of Representatives (HoR) member Surya Prasad Dhakal has said people’s representatives have to deliver by remaining within the people’s sphere and those holding these positions are widely perceived as people’s development partners and friends in times of need.

 The lawmaker who represents the Banke-1 on behalf of the CPN (UML) believes that contributing to enactment of laws by incorporating the people's concerns, facilitating to ensure more budget allocation to their respective constituencies and establishing a cordial and lively relations with the citizens are major responsibilities of the legislature. "The public largely sees their representatives as their key development partners."  He was talking to RSS under its regular series 'Lawmaker with the RSS'.

  According to him, lawmakers are not solely responsible of lack of a noticeable progress in the enactment of laws. The performance of the House largely depends on the business allocated to it, and the government holds the authority to allocate business to the parliament. He criticized the government for not 'prioritizing' development initiatives and 'failing' to take strong measures against the rising prices of daily commodities. He also urged the opposition to raise their voices on these issues.

The lawmaker from the major opposition said his party in principally and practically is not in favour of obstructing the House, but sometimes it is compelled to do it over some specific concerns of the party. Responding to a question about over the ‘engagements’ of legislators in smaller development projects, he said lawmakers are primarily responsible for facilitating the enactment of laws and it should be realised in practice. “But this is missing in the context of Nepal.”

Dhakal pointed out that election candidates often make development promises to woo voters during elections, and they are morally obligated to advocate for these promises. This practice cannot be dismantled by a single lawmaker.

Born on April 18, 1972 in Banke, Dhakal had begun his political in 2046 with the association with the All Nepal National Free Students Union ( ANNFSU).

He firmly believes that people’s representatives should maintain decorum while speaking in the parliament, ensuring that their remarks are decent.

Foreign Minister Saud urges US business community to invest in Nepal

Washington DC, Nov 2: Foreign Minister NP Saud, who is presently on an official visit to the United States of America, has urged the US business community to invest in Nepal, citing that Nepal offers better investment opportunities.

He said that Nepal has created an investment-friendly environment, including constitutional provisions that allow foreign investors to take back profits and capital to their home countries. Minister Saud assured the US that the Nepal government is dedicated to further promoting an investment-friendly atmosphere and making Nepal an attractive destination for investment.

During an interaction with the members of US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC on Wednesday, he urged the US business community to consider expanding investment in Nepal. He talked about the high potential for exporting electricity generated in Nepal to neighbouring countries when there is a growing need to promote the use of clean energy to reduce carbon emissions. In this situation, the US investors are likely to make good profits by investing in Nepal, according to the Minister.

Describing the information technology as another promising area for the US investment in Nepal, he said,” I am confident that IT will be a game changer in Nepal’s economic transformations.’

He informed the Chamber representatives that the government has already introduced a new policy allowing the establishment of an IT company with an investment of as low as Rs 100, while other sectors require a minimum investment of Rs 20 million. “Nepal has ensured that investments of up to Rs 100 million do not require prior permission as per an automated system for foreign investment.”

On the occasion, the US Chamber of Commerce endorsed the establishment of American Chamber of Commerce in Nepal.

John G. Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and another Chamber Vice President Atul Kashyap said the concerns of US investors regarding Nepal were growing.

The US Ambassador to Nepal, Dean R Thompson, Nepal’s Ambassador to the US, Sridhar Khatri, officials from the Nepali Embassy in Washington DC and the Foreign Ministry employees were also present in the event. In recent years, Nepal has accorded top priority to the economic diplomacy and mobilised its diplomatic missions abroad to promote foreign investment and tourism back to home.