- Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : Top leaders of major political parties that fought together for the cause of political changes in the country have pledged to work to further strengthen the republic.
The leaders made their commitment during a meeting today summoned by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. The leaders agreed to move ahead in a collaborative way to further strengthen republican system during the meeting among the top leaders of the major political parties that played a leading role in signing of the 12-point agreement, peace process and constitution making, PM’s press advisor Govinda Acharya said.
CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair and Prime Minister Prachanda, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli and Nepal Socialist Party Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai made such understanding in the meeting where they reviewed the ongoing criticisms made from some quarters on the federal republic system.
The leaders also agreed to intensify bilateral and multilateral discussions in coming days. “The leaders made a collective commitment from their part to further strengthen the achievements made so far,” Acharya quoted the leaders as saying.
Likewise, the top leaders suggested that the government should work effectively in rescue and relief operations for the survivors of earthquake and other disasters.
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Nepali Women Team announced for Women T20 Series
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on Tuesday announced a 22-member Nepali Women Team for four-nation Women T20 Series taking place in Hong Kong.
The Series is scheduled from November 15-19 where the host Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Malaysia would participate. Rubina Chhetri, Puja Mahato, Sita Rana Magar, Indu Barma, Bindu Rawal, Sangita Rai, Jyoti Pandey, Roma Thapa and Ishwori Bista in in the team.
Similarly, Samjhana Khadka, Rubu Podar, Sabnam Rai, Kabita Joshi, Ashmina Karmacharya, Khusi Dangol, Kritika Marasini, Kanchan Shrestha, Soni Pakhrin, Somu Bista, Apsari Begam, Kajol Shrestha and Manisha Chaudhary are also in the team.
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MoICT employees to donate for earthquake survivors’ relief
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : The employees of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and subordinate agencies have decided to make personal contribution for the relief of the Jajarkot earthquake survivors.
A meeting chaired by MoICT Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut took a decision to this end. Accordingly, gazetted special/first class or tenth level and above employees will contribute their three days’ salary, gazetted second and third class employees or six to ninth levels will contribute two days while all assistant level employees will be provided one day salary as support to the quake survivors.
The amount will be collected and deposited in the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund account. In addition to this support, the meeting also decided that all agencies will provide financial, material and other support within their scope and provided they have the ability and desire to contribute more.
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CPN (Maoist Centre) hands over cheque for Rs 5 million to PM disaster relief fund
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : The CPN (Maoist Centre) has provided five million rupees for the relief to Jajarkot earthquake-survivors.
Vice-Chair of the party, Pampha Bhusal, on Tuesday handed a cheque for Rs 5 million to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. On the occasion, expressing gratitude towards the role played by the government in rescue and rehabilitation of quake-affected people, Maoist leaders drew the attention of the government to make relief and rehabilitation task further effective.
Meanwhile, Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd provided Rs 10 million for quake-affected people. Vice-Chairperson of the Company handed a cheque for Rs 10 million to PM Dahal.
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There is the government to help the quake-hit people, President Paudel says
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : President Ramchandra Paudel has asked the earthquake survivors not to get panic in the time of disaster adding that there is the government to help them.
Stressing the need of uniting to combat the disasters, the President said that the government is a support for those hapless people.
The President made such remarks during his visit to Ramidanda of Barekot in Jajarkot district, the epicenter of Jajarkot Earthquake, on Tuesday where he met with the quake survivors, people’s representatives and local residents. According to the President’s Press Advisor Kiran Pokharel, President Paudel urged the people to have a trust on the government in the time of current hardship created by the disaster.
Likewise, the President suggested that the local government should work in a war-footing style and maintain realistic data of the damages caused by the quake. The President also cautioned the authorities saying that the victims won’t be deceived and added that the relief materials would reach to the real victims.
He said that the government should be with the people in the time of people’s sufferings and the government should always remain effortful to ensure needed management for the quake affected communities. On the occasion, the President said that he was with the victims in this time of disaster.
President Paudel also met the quake survivors who are receiving treatment for the earthquake injuries in the hospitals. The President inquired of health updates of the injured and responded to their concerns. The President assured the survivors that their concerns would be addressed gradually as the government was actively engaged in the response to the post-disaster consequences.
The earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale at 11:47 pm on Friday, with its epicenter in Jajarkot, resulted in significant casualties and property damage in Jajarkot and Rukum West districts of the Karnali Province. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka, Energy Minister Shakti Basnet, province assembly members from Jajarkot and Chief of Army Staff also accompanied the President during the visit of the quake-hit areas in Jajarkot.
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Freedom Fund delegation meets DPM Shrestha
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : A delegation led by office-bearers and representatives of Freedom Fund met with Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha on Tuesday.
During the meeting held at Home Ministry in Singha Durbar, they discussed the priorities of government of Nepal and Freedom Fund’s possible support. Freedom Fund, which is supporting through social sites against domestic, gender and financial violence on workers and labourers, proposed the government of Nepal for collaboration.
On the occasion, delegation head Natasha Doble thanked Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha for formulating and implementing laws to criminalize loan sharking. Similarly, DPM Shrestha pointed out collaboration mainly in four areas agriculture, hydropower, tourism and herb, for Nepal’s development.
The main objective of the incumbent government is forward political change and physical development with social justice and wishes to see all collaboration and cooperation would be focused on it, he mentioned.
The DPM pointed out the need of speeding up the physical and social development race as Nepal is going to be upgraded to developing country by 2026.
Delegation head and members lauded the government’s priorities of forwarding political change and physical development with social justice.
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‘Govt. active to support quake-affected people’
Rukum, Nov 7 : President Ramchandra Paudel has said the government was active to make the people feel about the presence of a democratic state.
During a meeting with quake-hit people of Rukum Paschim on Tuesday, President Paudel shared that the state mechanism is always with quake-affected people to combat the situations surfaced after the disaster.
He also requested not to panic as the government has focused its attention in rehabilitation of earthquake survivors and ensure facilities to them. The President directed to carry out activities keeping relief, temporary housing and health of quake survivors in priority.
On the occasion, Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Panta briefed President Paudel about the loss of lives and physical property and immediate need of the district. The earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale at 11:47 pm on Friday, with its epicenter in Jajarkot, resulted in significant casualties and property damage in Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim districts of the Karnali Province.
A total of 52 people lost their lives and 16,570 houses suffered complete damages in Rukum Paschim district.
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PM Dahal invites investment from the Asia Pacific
Kathmandu, Nov 7: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has urged businesspersons from the Asia Pacific region to invest in Nepal.
In a meeting with Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) President Peter McMullin and his delegation members, he sought for cooperation in Nepal’s journey towards economic prosperity.
Prime Minister Dahal assured that Nepal has suitable laws and favourable environment for investment and that the government is ready to provide all kinds of support to investors. On the occasion CACCI president McMullin expressed the commitment to support the expansion of investment and economic business relations between Nepal and members of CACCI.
Finance Minister Dr Praka Sharan Mahat, Chief Secretary Dr Baikuntha Prasad Aryal and CACCI officers and members were present in the meeting. Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is founding member of the CACCI.
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Mangaladevi Birthing Centre handed over to TUTH officials
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu handed over the Mangaladevi Birthing (Maternity) Centre at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) to the Hospital representatives on Tuesday.
The Centre was built as part of the commemorating 20 years of implementation of the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal.
The Centre was built with India’s financial assistance of Rs 44.04 million as an HICDP under Nepal-India Development Cooperation framework. According to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the project was handed over by Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minster for Federal Affairs and General Administration Anita Devi and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava.
Political representatives, officials of Nepal Government, social workers and local community leaders were present at the event, the Embassy stated in a press statement. Likewise, agreements for three more HICDP projects of Rs 130 million to be implemented in Baitadi and Mustang districts were also signed on the occasion.
India’s HICDPs were launched in 2003 through bilateral agreement between the governments. On the occasion, Finance Minister Mahat thanked India for its continuous support in the creation of development infrastructure in Nepal and assured of full support in implementation of such projects.
Likewise, Minister for Anita Devi said that such projects despite being small in size create big impact on people’s lives. In his remarks, Ambassador Srivastava said that nearly 550 projects have been taken up under this framework in various sectors including education, health care, road and bridges, river training, drinking water and others in the past two decades. “Of these, 480 projects have been completed and remaining are ongoing,” the Indian Ambassador said.
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Cricket stadium will be built as a project of national pride
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that the government will build a cricket stadium as a project of national pride.
Speaking at a programme here Tuesday in honour of the Nepali national men’s cricket team that qualified for the 2024 T20 cricket world cup, he said, “The government will soon announce a cricket stadium to be built as a project of national pride.”
On the occasion, the Prime Minister also lauded the team for enhancing the reputation of Nepal at the international level with an excellent performance. “After ten years, Nepal has qualified for the T20 world cup, please work hard for it as well,” he said.
Noting that the Nepalis especially the youth have increased their attachment to the sport of cricket, he said, “This attachment has motivated the government as well. We are inspired to encourage the players, invest more for them and develop more sports infrastructure.”
Stating that the sports sector is an important sector that can increase the reputation of the country, the Prime Minister mentioned that the role of cricket is important in it. “The work of cricket stadiums in Bharatpur, Mulpani and Kirtipur will be accelerated.”
Acknowledging that distribution of prize as an incentive to the cricketers has been delayed due to some legal and procedural problems, the Prime Minister said that the government will be fully aware that this does not happen in the future. On the occasion, Captain of the Nepali cricket team, Rohit Paudel, said that he was very excited with the importance accorded by the government to the game of cricket. “We are grateful for the efforts of the government including to improve infrastructures at TU cricket stadium. We are confident that the rest of the work will be completed soon”, said Captain Paudel.
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Microfinances suggested to mend intuitional governance
Kathmandu, Nov 7 : The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has stated that the status of microfinance institutions in the country was deteriorating due to their excessive focus on profitmaking, poor internal control mechanism and poor institutional governance.
Likewise, lack of training to the employees, heavy concentration of microfinance institutions on the urban areas and limited access to the rural community are identified as some of the challenges of this sector. A study report released on Tuesday by the central bank, which formed a committee to identify issues of micro finance institutions and recommend suggestions to resolve them, stated that excessive loan to a few clients, excessive expanded system, weak institutional governance, failing credit discipline, economic slowdown and deviation from the organizational goals have created problem and pressures on the microfinance sector.
The report has offered more than 180 recommendations in 20 main themes for short-term, mid-term and long-term. The key recommendations are in the credit system, interest rate, microcredit and target community, customers protection, internal control mechanism and others. The report has mentioned that decreasing profit and rising non-performing loans have created pressure on the microfinance institutions as the ratio of NPL has crossed 7 per cent in the last fiscal year while it used to be less than three percent in the previous years.
According to the report, presence of microfinances has centered in the comparatively developed areas having more economic activities. The number of branches of the microfinances is high in the districts of Tarai and is low in the remote and mountainous districts. The branches of the microfinances are in all districts but their presence is not in almost 100 local levels so far.
Concentration of the microfinances based on credit, branch and other indicators is high in the districts of Bardiya, Morang, Bara, Rupandehi and few others.
As the issues regarding the microfinances were raised in the recent months and public disappointments were also expressed in some districts, the central bank had formed a seven-member study committee under the leadership of its Executive Director Dr Prakash Kumar Shrestha.
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