- Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Kathmandu, May 8: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ expressed his confidence that with the implementation of Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project (SMDMP), there will be quantitative contribution to national economy.
Conducting a breakthrough of the SMDMP tunnel at Kanadhungri of Sunkoshi rural municipality-7 in Sindhuli district today, PM Dahal believed that irrigation system will be improved and the agricultural produces would increase after the project is completed.
“This project will ensure irrigation facility to fertile land of five districts in Madhesh Province which will ensure qualitative contribution in national economy besides generating electricity,” Dahal said, addressing the event after making the breakthrough.
“The breakthrough of tunnel under the project has been made, the remaining works of the Project would be completed within stipulated time,” the PM hoped.
It may be noted that the breakthrough of the 13.3 kilometres long tunnel stretching from Kusumtar, Kamalamai municipality-2 to Kanadhungri of Sunkoshi rural municipality-7 was completed a year ahead of the target.
Stating that the SMDMP was a transformative national project, PM Dahal opined that timely execution of such projects would significantly contribute in the goal of productivity increment and prosperity.
In his address, the Head of the Government mentioned that the breakthrough of tunnel had infused new energy and encouragement in all of us and has added enthusiasm in construction of huge infrastructures.
Stating that the agriculture sector is the main backbone of Nepal’s economic development and a sector to contribute nearly one third to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the PM argued that it was imperative to increase agricultural production and productivity so as to become self-sufficient in food supply, ensure food security and advance economic status of the people.
Sharing that 60 per cent of arable land of Nepal is within Terai Madhesh and Inner Madhesh region, PM Dahal said that the irrigation projects being run in Terai-Madhesh zone were based on river water flow system.
Pressing for utilizing water originated from glaciers for agricultural production, the PM on the occasion pledged to leverage same source of water for generating electricity, drinking water supply and other purposes for overall development of the country.
Arguing that the goals of good-governance, social justice and prosperity could be achieved through the successful construction of the mega infrastructures, he instructed the concerned parties for timely completion of mega projects.
He also urged cooperation and support from all quarters for timely completion of transformative national projects.
According to him, the successful implementation of the SMDMP had spoken volume for the technical efficiency achieved by the technicians working in hydro power projects and irrigation sector by optimizing new technology.
He viewed that by optimizing water resources, we could increase agricultural produces and productivity thereby reducing the imbalance of imports.
The PM also expressed that upon the operation of the SMDMP, the demography around Sunkoshi and Tamakoshi river basin area would witness multifaceted development for them.
He opined that fishery and tourism business would also boom in these areas with the operation of the project. The project is expected to provide irrigation facilities on 122 thousand hectares area in Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari and Dhanusha districts.
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12- ATI regional workshop underway in Kathmandu
Kathmandu, May 8: A regional technical workshop of Addis Tax Initiatives (ATI) is underway in Nepal. The event is attended by 60 people, including tax administrators, experts, and representatives from the development partners from 16 nations who are ATI members.
The event is organized by the Inland Revenue Department and is supported by the Council of Economic Policy and the German Institute for Development and Sustainability.
The regional workshop held in the Philippines last year decided to host the event in Kathmandu this time. Speaking at the inaugural session, Revenue Secretary Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire expressed his hope that the event would be fruitful in exploring ways to deal with financial challenges faced by the ATI nations.
He hoped the event would provide a roadmap for making the tax administration transparent, accountable, and effective, achieving inclusive and sustainable development goals through fiscal mobilization and promoting collaboration among the ATI nations.
As he said, the workshop will play a role in building a collective approach regarding the upcoming revenue mobilization and tax exemption policies by reviewing the existing ones.
According to the organization, the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) is dedicated to advancing equitable and efficient domestic revenue mobilization (DRM), enhancing policy coherence, and strengthening the social contract through collaborative partnerships and knowledge exchange. Originating from the Third International Conference on Financing for Development held in Addis Ababa in July 2015, ATI has played a pivotal role in actualizing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) and remains firmly integrated into the Financing for Development discourse, it is said.
On behalf of the ADDIS Board of Directors, Alistair Lobo, insisted on the need to implement a tax system capable of supporting the member nations in accomplishing sustainable development goals.
He underlined the need to increase the transparency of tax expenditures, reduce the tax burden on payers, and ease the cost-benefit evaluation. “The workshop will contribute to developing a fair and transparent tax system, and regional mechanism and achieving the SDGs.”
UNDP Resident Representative for Nepal, Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, commended the efforts of ATI nations towards the advancement of SDGs, expecting that the workshop would be effective for the financial mobilization.
As said by Department Director General, Shiba Lal Tiwari said the event would be productive for enhancing Nepal’s tax administration and sharing the experiences of Nepal’s tax administration with the member nations.
Currently, 32 partner countries, 20 development partners, and 22 supporting organizations are members of the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI). Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia are its partner countries.
Its development partners include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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14- Cottage and small industries need promotion from State level: President Paudel
Kathmandu, May 8: President Ramchandra Paudel has said it is needed to promote small and cottage entrepreneurship to take the country towards a phase of industrial development.
Inaugurating the 17th International Industrial Trade Fair and Cottage Industry Festival, 2081 BS here today, the Head of the State wanted the government to be responsible for promoting the cottage and small industries.
Small industries are the foundation of the nation’s economy, according to the President who said,” Cottage and small industries have contributed to poverty alleviation, job creation, and economic sustainability.”
He was of the opinion that the government and entrepreneurs should work hand in hand to promote such businesses by addressing issues of capital, availability of raw materials and skilled resources, competitive proficiency, marketing, and so on.
In the event organised by the Federation of Nepali Cottage and Small Industries, the President said small industries can significantly contribute to the increment of production and productivity by using local skills, technologies, raw materials, and human resources. He believed such industries could be a tool to promote local labour and culture internationally by achieving the community’s economic sustainability.
As he said, cottage and small industries are marred by their hindered access to capital, the President said the State must ensure concessional loans for small and cottage entrepreneurship and come up with policies and programs targeting the promotion of such business.
He also drew the government’s attention to the need to introduce and implement special programmes targeting micro, cottage, and small industries operated by women.
The provision of a concessional loan and a discount on tax for small enterprises led by women and youths, the establishment of sales outlets, the market guarantee for their products, and the priority to consume such products are essential, according to the President.
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15- Industry Minister emphasizes on establishing international-standard sales gallery
Kathmandu, May 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari has said that it was necessary to establish an international-level sales gallery at the centre to promote the goods produced by the small and cottage industries.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Nepal 17th International Industrial Trade Fair and Cottage Industry Festival organized by the Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI) and the Central Women Entrepreneurs Committee at local Bhrikutimandap today, he expressed the commitment of the Ministry to provide the support and assistance for the construction of infrastructure required for the sales gallery.
Minister Bhandari said that small scale, cottage and women-run industries in the country have created a large number of employment opportunities, stating targeted programmes will be introduced in the upcoming budget to promote such industries.
“Potential cottage and small industries will be exempted from all kinds of taxes for a certain period of time and a special programme for capital, technology and access to such industries will be moved forward to enhance domestic production,” he added.
The Industry Minister shared that there will be no shortage of support from the State for the industrial exhibition organized by the FNCSI every year for promoting the market of industrial products produced by micro, small, cottage and women entrepreneurs at the national and international level.
Noting that the campaign initiated by the Federation for the promotion of national and international market of indigenous goods, establishment of sales room, sale market of indigenous products, use of domestic goods in public bodies are positive, he emphasized that the government will support in its implementation.
Minister Bhandari said, “In order to boost the production and consumption of domestic goods, initiatives will be taken for the speedy implementation of various industry promotion programmes including the Prime Minister’s Domestic Product Production and Consumption Enhancement Programme and various funds.”
Mentioning that concessional loans for women, youth and agricultural entrepreneurs will be made more effective, he said a special package programme with tax exemptions will be brought in the upcoming budget to include women and indigenous nationalities in the economic and industrial sector.
Minister Bhandari also stated that the government will give special priority to make the country’s economy self-reliant by commercializing and industrializing agriculture.
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16- RoK to scale up assistance to Nepal
Kathmandu, May 8: The Republic of Korea (RoK) has said it has pursued a policy of increasing its assistance to various sectors in Nepal.
RoK’s ambassador to Nepal, Park Tae-Young, shared information about this with the media during an interaction held to commemorate the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Nepal and RoK (South Korea).
On the occasion, the ambassador said South Korea’s assistance to Nepal’s various sectors will be increased in the days to come.
South Korea’s support to Nepal mainly features in health, education, agriculture, and good governance sectors.
As the ambassador said, Korea’s support to Nepal is a model one and over 100,000 Nepali have benefited from employment in South Korea since the Employment Permit System (EPS) agreement between the two countries in 2007. At present 43,963 Nepali citizens are employed in multiple sectors in South Korea under the EPS.
The Ambassador said South Korea faces a low birth rate and labor is its demand. The process of hiring workers from Nepal will be intensified in the days to come. Nepali workers are presently engaged in Korea’s production, agricultural, and in shipbuilding industry. It plans to hire Nepali workers for the wildlife and forest sectors in the upcoming year.
South Korea hires 100,000 workers annually from 16 countries and among them, Nepal is in the topmost position.
On the occasion, Korea International Cooperation Agency( KoICA) Nepal chief Mohan Kong said Nepal receives support from Korea in education, health, agriculture, good governance, and entrepreneurship sectors.
Its assistance aims to achieve poverty alleviation and good governance. Nepal and the RoK had established diplomatic relations on May 15, 1974.
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17- Minister Chaudhary directs for proper management of Bhrikutimandap market
Kathmandu, May 8: Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, Bhagbati Chaudhary, today inspected the Bhrikutimandap market. Following the inspection, she directed the authority concerned to further systematize the market operated under the Social Welfare Council.
She said the open market could be at risk any time, seeking the Council’s efforts to make it systematic.
According to the Minister, the government in the current fiscal allocated Rs 40 million for the management of the market. According to her, the process has begun to build semi-permanent structures in the market area.
The exhibition hall at Bhrikutimandap is in a dilapidated condition, presenting a prompt initiation to rebuild and upgrade the structure, she said.
Council member-secretary Manoj Bhatta pledged to work for the proper management of the market area.
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18- Minister Sharma against provisions that put PM in difficult situation to decide
Kathmandu, May 8: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma suggested the lawmakers not to include any provisions that would put the Prime Minister in a minority position while devising laws.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives, State Affairs and Good-Governance Committee today, Minister Sharma said so while deliberating on the Bill to amend the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) Act-2066 BS.
The proposed Bill primarily focuses on revising the Council’s decision-making procedures and quorum requirements. A minimum of four members is considered a quorum for a Constitutional Council meeting where the Chairperson of the Council presides over the meeting.
During today’s meeting, Minister Sharma asserted, “It would be difficult if the provision on requirement of quorum puts Prime Minister in a tight spot. Let’s take forward the discussions on the issues in consensus of the Prime Minister.”
Sharma suggested the Committee to finalize on the Bill at the earliest and work in such a manner that it could be presented in the next session of the parliament.
Since there have been extensive discussions on the Bill in the past, today’s meeting agreed to conclude on the Bill in next meeting by considering deliberations on some important issues at top level.
The Committee members, recalling the history of the Committee that all the Bills that were tabled in the Committee had been endorsed unanimously, saw the need to finalize the proposed Bill in the next session of the parliament by forging consensus among the political parties.
They suggested that the Bill should be amended in such a manner that would put an end the trend of absenteeism and encourage attendance of its members in the Committee meeting.
Some members underscored making a proper schedule to deliver well on the duties of the Bill that are presented in Committee. They ranted that every governments in the past had attempted to make the Constitutional Council that would serve their interest which resulted in some wrongdoings. They viewed that the qualifications and competence of the person entrusted with the responsibilities of the Council should not be questioned.
The Committee currently has four Bills under deliberation.
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19- PM reports at Bir Hospital for dental examination
Kathmandu, May 8: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ reached Bir Hospital this afternoon to get dental checkup.
He reported at the Hospital for undergoing teeth examination after suffering from a toothache since the morning today, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said.
A team of dentists led by Ritu Shrestha is carrying out dental examination on and treatment to the Prime Minister.
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20- Additional postal service will be gradually phased out: Minister Sharma
Kathmandu, May 8: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said that the Additional Postal Services will be gradually phased out.
In a meeting of the House of Representatives, the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee today, the government Spokesperson said the announcement to withdraw the additional postal services in the budget speech for the current fiscal will be implemented gradually.
The quota in such services will be scrapped with the retirements of employees and this policy was pursued following a meeting among various trade unions in the service, Finance Ministry, and the Prime Minister.
As per the revised regulations (fifth amendment-2080 BS) regarding the additional postal services, employees will have to go for a compulsory retirement with the completion of 58 years of age. The positions that are already lying vacant shall be automatically removed with the commencement of the rules, she said.
As the Minister said, with the development of a paperless era, the relevancy of postal services has been almost over. The postal service is in use just for the exchange of official documents.
