KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli has reiterated the government’s priority on good governance and development.
PM Oli said there is no option to speedy and multi-dimensional development to realize the goal of ‘Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepalis’.
Inaugurating the 8th International Trade Fair 2019 organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in Kathmandu today, the Prime Minister dubbed Nepal as a country with abundant possibilities for development.
He expressed the commitment to give more priority to domestic investment. He, however, emphasized on giving equal priority to foreign investment and technology since domestic resources were not enough for the country’s development.
Prime Minister Oli also assured the private sector that the government was willing to work in tandem with them.
Around 85 domestic stalls, and 90 stalls from China, 40 from Bangladesh, 10 from India, and two from Pakistan are kept in the exhibition that will run until April 1.
MOSCOW: Ford is closing three factories in Russia citing low customer demand. Ford says that it will close vehicle assembly plants in St. Petersburg and Naberezhnye Chelny, as well as an engine plant in Yelabug, claiming it will stop making passenger cars in Russia by the end of June.
The U.S. carmaker blames a slow recovery in the Russian car market after an economic slowdown in recent years, and moves toward cheaper cars.Ford will now focus solely on commercial Transit vans in Russia through its Ford Sollers joint venture.
(Agencies)
SOLUKHUMBU: Nepali indigenous paper industries in this mountainous district are gradually closing down in lack of a conducive atmosphere.
Of total of 20 such industries in the district only four are now in operation as revealed by that data maintained by the Cottage and Small Industries Development Committee.
Dudhkoshi Paper Industry in Jubhing of Khumbu Pasang Lamu rural municipality-1 is the latest of the industry to be closed. Lack of manpower is leading to the closure of such industries, according to Prem Thapa Magar, its proprietor. At present the people who invested in the traditional industry with the high hope of generating both income and employment for the locals are now struggling to merely sustain their business.
Saraswoti Nepal Paper Industry at Mahakulung rural municipality is also on the verge of closure. “Tedious government policy and rules are also blamed for the discouraging atmosphere for paper industries,” said proprietor Uttam Kumar Rai. He insisted that the government should bring a flexible policy and other measures to promote paper industries. Good profit is expected if such industries are provided appropriate atmosphere to operate to their full potentiality and efficiently.
Mangal Sing Tamang, who owns the MD Paper Industry based in Mapya Dudhkoshi rural municipality shares similar experiences. He has no sufficient human resources to collect Lokta (raw materials extracted from Argeli plant for making the Nepali paper) from the jungle.
Alpine zone in the district has much production of raw materials for the Nepali paper. Argeli plants are abundant in the community as well as private forests. However, its proper utilization is marred by various types of challenges. Lokta can be used for making doko traditional baskets and Namlo, a kind of thick rope necessary to carry or transport loads in the areas without road facility. However, lack of skilled human resources, state’s clear policy and less investment stand as the barriers for their production and promotion.
KATHMANDU: Food aimed for high altitude trekkers and mountaineers is introduced in Nepali market. The packaged food under the brand ‘Trekkers Fuel’ comes in three varieties, as revealed at a press conference today.
The food can be used even for over a decade from the date of buying as it is processed using American technology and 99 per cent of the water in the food is removed. The food is packaged at 40 degrees Celsius temperature, according to tourism entrepreneur and promoter of the brand, Ganesh Simkhada.
The manufacturers pan to introduce 20 more varieties of the food including rice and lentil soup in the near future.
Simkhada said that this food can be used not only by the trekkers and mountaineers but also by security personnel, rescuers and general public as it can be carried and prepared easily. He stressed the need of promoting this type of food.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) member Deepak Mahat also recommended the packaged food to the trekkers and mountaineers as it is easy to carry.
The packaged food is ten times lighter in weight, is fortified with protein, does not contain any chemicals and is tasty, especially for high altitude trekkers and climbers, according to its promoters.
KATHMANDU: Smuggling of invaluable medicinal herbs continues unabated in Nepal.
Authorities have claimed that high demand for the rare medicinal herbs in the markets of India, China, and other countries has tempted smugglers towards this lucrative business.
Around 7 hundred species of medicinal herbs are available in Nepal, according to a study conducted by the Department of Forests.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries, including the government-owned Singha Durbar Vaidyakhana, have complained that they are facing a shortage of medicinal herbs in recent times.
Herbs worth Rs millions smuggled
The absence of effective monitoring has encouraged smugglers to smuggle these herbs.
On February 8, police arrested a person Sher Singh Dhami, 48, with 715 kilograms of Setak Chini, locally known as Khiraula, concealed in a house at Chainpur of Bajhang district. Dhami, who originally hails from Apihimal Rural Municipality, Dharchula, landed in police net while he was preparing to smuggle the herbs to India.
On October 30, a squad of Armed Police Force (APF), Kalabanjar seized 75 kilograms of spikenard (Jatamasi) from Duduwa Rural Municipality of Banke.
Similarly, on September 22, police rounded up Mane Rokaya with 1,012 kilograms of Setak Chini in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura.
Rokaya had collected Setak Chini from a nearby jungle which is priced at Rs 1,600,000 per kilogram in the local market. He was held while he was preparing to smuggle it to India in cahoots.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg. The statistics maintained by the Nepal Police has shown that herbs worth millions of rupees are seized annually.
Police seized herbs worth Rs 16.6 million from Karnali Province in the Fiscal Year 2017/18 alone. Likewise, various types of herbs were seized from Kalikot, Mugu, Rolpa, and Rukum while they were being smuggled to India.
SSP Uttam Raj Subedi, the spokesperson of Nepal Police, admits the smuggling of herbs to India through porous borders.
“Priceless herbs available in Nepal are mostly smuggled to India. Only small portions of the herbs are illegally sold in the third country,” said SSP Subedi.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
Herbs are seized when setting fails
Herbs are collected from Nepal’s hilly districts, including Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Jajarkot, Darchula, and Bhajhang. Locals collect herbs in cahoots with the forest officials, local representatives and police despite government’s ban on the collection of such herbs.
“Herbs are smuggled in cahoots with locals, local representatives and police,” an official at the Ministry of Forests and Environment told Khabarhub on the condition of anonymity.
The herbs are seized when a disgruntled police official informs the higher authority about it after he is deprived of his pie.
According to herbs trader, the herbs are seized when setting among the local representatives, forest officials and police fails.
Nepali pharmaceutical deprived of herbs
With the Nepal government’s ban on the collection of some certain herbs, Nepal pharmaceutical companies are facing the shortage of herbs, entrepreneurs said.
Government-owned Sindha Durbar Vaidyakhana Development Committee had called for a quotation seeking 91 items of herbs in the fiscal year 2016/17. However, only 40 items of herbs were made available.
A quotation seeking 300 kilograms of Hadchur had been announced in the fiscal year 2017/18.
Vaidyakhana has not been able to meet the demands of Ayurvedic medicines due to the shortage of herbs, said Hari Prasad Yadav, acting chief of Vaidyakhana Development Committee.
No conservation despite the ban
The government has not taken any initiation to protect invaluable herbs despite a ban imposed on their collection.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Besides, fire, deforestation are the other causes leading to the disappearance of such priceless herbs.
“The government has to either bring concrete plans to protect these herbs or lift the ban on their collection,” said a trader.
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli asked banks not to impose interest rate arbitrarily in a meeting with FNCCI delegation today.
The PM also urged the investors to investment on productive sectors to contribute to national economy. He suggested that agriculture sector should be encouraged. The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister, Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada and Nepal Rastra Bank Governor, Dr Chiranjivi Nepal. The entrepreneurs had expressed their concern regarding investment climate. It is not good that banks float loan on one condition and impose interest arbitrarily,” the PM said, adding that government was always ready to solve the problems facing industrialists and entrepreneurs.
KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Thursday emphasized on promoting export in the wake of the ballooning trade-deficit with other countries.
Inaugurating the Nepal Entrepreneurship Summit-2019 jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Supplies, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Supplies, and Ministry of Finance in Kathmandu, she said it is high time that youths were encouraged for developing entrepreneurship skills, and creating conducive environment for investment in the country.
President Bhandari also emphasized on institutionalizing the government services besides encouraging vocational training, exchange of ideas and experience on entrepreneurship skill.
This, she claimed, would help in engaging the Nepali youths in the economic development through entrepreneurship as well as help in to exploiting their knowledge, skills and expertise to fulfill the government’s slogan of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali”.
KATHMANDU: The networking business, despite government’s ban, continues to flourish unabated in the country.
The government announced the pyramid styled networking business as illegal in 2011. Popularly dubbed as ‘One World One Business’ in the international market, this business has attracted a significant number of Nepali investors. The business, which continues to boom with several scams still active in the country, has remained out of reach from the security bodies.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIBI) of Nepal police had around eight months ago, revealed how a domestic company ‘IBOS Globe Marketing’ was duping people in the name of networking business.
However, that was not the first CBI action against such domestic companies running the illegal business racket. Prior to this, the CBI had already launched several operations against such illegal businesses in Nepal.
Episode one:
In 2003, the government banned a company called Gold Quest for running illegal networking business. The company invested by Indian nationals promised people of gold coins. Allegedly an estimated of one million people were duped by the company.
Episode two:
The police took action against a company called Unity Life Insurance Network that came into operation in 2003. It conducted networking racket under the cover of insurance business.
Episode three:
Police launched a raid on Herbo International Network that ran the illegal business under the cover of herbal business.
Episode four:
Last year, the government arrested some 102 persons affiliated to an organization called Q Network on charges of their involvement in networking business. Surprisingly, medical doctors, chartered accountants and engineers were among those arrested.
JAJARKOT: Beekeepers of Kalpat of Nalgad Municipality-1 has started exporting their home-made honey to the international market. Nahakuli Organic Herbal Agro Pvt. Ltd has started exporting the local products in the international market. The company has already collected 2,000 kgs of honey to export in Australia, America, United Arab Emirates and South Korea.
With the growing demand of honey in the market, the traders have increased the price to Rs. 700 per kg.
Hari Bahadur Budha, the manager of the company informed that Super World Traders has assessed the quality and the weight of the honey for its export to the international market. The company is waiting for the consignment papers from the Division Forest Office.
The Chief of the Nalgad Agriculture Branch Office, Mahesh Kumar Bista said honey production in Nalgad has increased by 15 per cent this year as compared to last year. Honey production in the district last year was 20 metric tons. Similarly, with the growing demand of honey in the market, the traders have increased the price to Rs. 700 per kg. Earlier, the price was Rs. 500.
The beekeepers in Jajarkot have been doing commercial bee-keeping since three decades and the Nalgad municipality has declared the Kalpat area as the pocket area for honey production in a bid to promote commercial bee keeping.
KATHMANDU: Altogether 369 products manufactured by 250 different industries have received the Nepal Standard(NS) Mark provided by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology so far.
The Bureau provided NS Mark to twenty five goods meeting the criteria produced by 71 cement factories, 25 goods from 25 steel bar factories, 23 products from 23 PVC cable, 10 products from 10 LPG, 13 products from 12 PVC pipe factories, and 29 goods from 29 HTPD pipes among others.
The Department started awarding NS Mark to the products manufactured from abroad since last year. Towards this end, 14 goods manufactured from 9 industries in India and one good manufactured from China has received the NS certification, according to Director General of the Department, Bishwa Babu Pudasaini.
Pudasaini stated that an applicant is entitled to get a recognition of Nepal Standard for any materials, products or services provided that criteria were met. According to him, some industries whose products were granted NS mark in the past had not renewed their licenses. So far, 19 goods from 16 industries have been granted NS mark as of now in the current fiscal year.