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While there has been growth in the number of five-star hotel properties in the country over the years, very few of them are publicly listed companies. As of now, only four hotel companies are listed on Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse). Now, one more hotel is planning to go public. City Hotels Limited which runs the five-star property Hyatt Place has received permission from the Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) for the initial public offering (IPO). The board has permitted the company to issue 1.674 units of ordinary shares worth Rs 167.4m at a base price of Rs 100 per share. The company is issuing 10 percent shares of its issued capital of Rs 1.674bn to the general public. City Hotels, a Golyan Group company, developed and brought the 153-room Hyatt Place into operation in Kathmandu one and a half years ago. Once the company completes IPO issuance, City Hotels Limited will be the fifth hotel company to be listed on Nepse. Till now, the hotel sector has been represented by four companies, namely Orients Hotel Ltd, Taragaon Regency Hotels Limited, Soaltee Hotel Limited, and Chandragiri Hills, in the domestic stock market. All four companies listed on the Nepse have posted net profits in the second quarter of FY 2022/23. Soaltee Hotel Limited posted a profit of Rs 251.43m in the second quarter of this fiscal, according to the company’s statement. The company posted a profit of Rs 40m during the same period of FY 2021/22. Orients Hotel Ltd. which runs a five-star property Radisson has recorded a profit of Rs 36.57m in the second quarter of FY 2022/23, compared to a loss of Rs 80m in the same period of FY 2021/22. Taragaon Regency Hotels Limited, which operates the Hyatt Regency Hotel has posted a profit of Rs 106.16m in the second quarter of this fiscal compared to a loss of Rs 1.25m in the same period of the last fiscal. The Chandragiri Hills, which operates a cable car and a five-star luxury resort in Kathmandu, reported a net profit of Rs 51.48m in the second quarter of 2022/23. The company which is the new entrant in the Nepse posted a net loss of Rs 5.8m in the second quarter of 2021/22. Among these four companies, only Soaltee Hotel Limited has announced dividends to its shareholders. The company's 48th annual general meeting decided to distribute a 26.31 percent dividend from the last fiscal year's profit.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 107, 800 per tola today. The yellow metal was traded at Rs 109, 800 per tola on Tuesday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 107, 300 per tola. Similarly, the price silver has dropped by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,335 per tola today.

Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) is planning to introduce a new index 'Nepse 50' for share trading. The country's sole stock exchange aims to launch the 'Nepse 50' within the current fiscal year. According to stock exchange officials, a preliminary draft of the new index titled 'Procedures for Development, Management, and Regulation of Index, 2079' has been prepared and is currently being discussed internally within the Nepse. A senior official close to the matter said that the proposed procedure related to 'Nepse 50' is being discussed with the board of the Nepse. "Preliminary discussions are being held about this now. We are planning to launch the index next month (April)," he said. The Nepse is currently updating the data of the last five years of all the listed companies. It is said that after the data is ready, it will be tested and only after the complete procedure is ready, it will be conducted. Nepse has envisioned Nepse 50 as an index based on the share trading of 50 selected companies. The new index will comprise the top 50 companies in Nepse in terms of market capitalization and liquidity and will serve as a barometer for the Nepali stock market. According to Nepse officials, the NEPSE 50 Index will be calculated based on the market capitalization of common shares of 50 listed companies that are eligible for trading and clearing multiplied by the share trading price of that company. The companies which will be included in the Nepse 50 Index must have traded 25 percent or more of the shares to the general public. Similarly, they should have an average daily turnover of Rs 2.5 million or more for the period of six months. They should have an average daily transaction of 5,000 shares or above. The companies should have a minimum of more than 75 percent of trading days in the six months period. According to Nepse officials, the proposed index will have criteria such as maintaining the presence of companies from all sectors in the index ranging from the minimum to the highest amount, turnover share, number of turnovers, and companies with turnover. The Nepse 50 Index can later be traded as a derivative instrument.  

Three persons died on the spot when a truck carrying cooking gas cylinders met with an accident in Dailekh on Wednesday. The District Police Office, Dailekh said that the truck was heading towards Dailekh from Nepalgunj when the incident occurred. Further details are yet to come, police said.    

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Shalikram Jamarkattel is seeking a vote of confidence on Wednesday. Province Assembly Secretariat Chief Secretary Krishna Hari Khadka said that Jamarkattel is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence at 3 pm today. With the change in the political equation in the central government a few weeks ago, he fell into minority after the Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew support extended to the province government. When the Bagmati Council of Ministers was formed on January 10, Shalikram Jamarkattel was appointed as the Chief Minister and Jagannath Thapaliya and Uddhav Thapa were appointed as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning and Minister for water supply, energy and irrigation respectively from the joint alliance of the CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has already left the government. The CPN-UML, however, is still participating in the government without giving any reaction. The Bagmati Province Assembly has 110 lawmakers of seven political parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Hamro Nepali Party. Chief Minister Jamarkattel needs 56 votes to give continuity to the current government.

SOS Children’s Village-Nepal has been working to uplift the lives of children in Nepal for several decades now. They have reunited children with their families, and given them families when they had no one. ApEx talked to Dereje Wordofa, president of SOS Children’s Village International, about their work in Nepal. Could you tell us about the work SOS Children’s Village International-Nepal has done so far? SOS Children’s Village was established in Nepal 80 years ago and since then, our work has been to uplift the situation of children in Nepal. Our priority has always been to reunite children with their families, be it through financial or other assistance. We want them to have a home, and someone to call them their parents, which means us working to uplift the overall lifestyle of the family and not just that of a child. In case that’s not an option, we give them a home where they have people they can call their own, a family to be precise. Beyond that, we try to advocate the importance of child rights and education, especially in rural parts of Nepal, where children are still suffering. What  is the main goal of the organization?  Our main goal right now is to work on reaching the goal on the agenda (Children’s rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) set by the United Nation (UN) in terms of child rights, not just in Nepal but countries all around the world. The agenda sets a goal to help every country realize the importance of child rights, as well as help them with the right’s revision in case it's necessary. We want to make sure that no child will have to give up education, have families with better economic standards, as well as have a chance to lead a good and independent life. How is the progress so far?  The progress, in Nepal’s context, has been going well, although we hit a small snag during the Covid-19 pandemic, which slowed the work down. There were around 500 children who lost their parents and needed assistance. We have helped them continue their education and get back on their feet. It was a traumatizing time for everyone, but even worse for these children. But I am sure that we will be able to get back on track with our goal by 2030 soon enough. The work has been going on rapidly. What difficulties do you have faced while working in Nepal?  The biggest obstacle for us has always been the geographical structure of Nepal. It is not easy to reach every rural part of the country because most of them lack proper infrastructures, especially in the Himalayan region. There isn't enough road access to reach those parts of Nepal, making it difficult for our human resources to reach those areas. We have improved over the years, and have reached out to several parts of the country, but that’s still not enough. What do you think Nepal currently needs in terms of child rights?  If you talk about Nepal’s policies on child rights, they’re good. But I believe what we currently need is its proper implementation. We are working closely with the Nepal government, who has recognized the need to improve on the implementation, as well as is committed to fulfilling the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal set by the UN. So, I would like to believe that the country is heading on the right track.

I’m a 25-year-old guy and the one thing I like about myself is how independent I am. I prefer not to ask for help and like solving things independently. Recently, I have realized that sometimes asking for help is necessary, especially when I’m struggling with my mental health. But I can’t bring myself to do that. I’m worried about being judged and that people might think less of me. It’s hard to rely on someone else when I have relied only on myself for so long. What do I do?–AD Answered by Aditya Dangol, psychosocial counselor, Happy Minds Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s a sign of strength and courage. It means that you have come to terms with your mental health issues and are now looking for a solution. I wouldn’t blame you for feeling this way though. Our society has always taught men to be self-reliant and to not show vulnerability, despite going through tough situations. No matter how hard we try, sometimes it’s difficult to let go of that stereotype. But we are here to help. One way to break down the barriers around mental health is to normalize therapy. It’s a safe space for people to discuss their struggles and emotions with a trained professional. Realize that therapy is not only for those with severe mental health issues. It can also be beneficial for anyone who wants to improve psychologically and develop new coping strategies. It can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships, and your experiences.  As far as asking for help goes, take baby steps. Start by opening up to a friend or family member you trust. And yes, sometimes you might not like the way they respond. But that doesn’t mean you should stop. If one person doesn’t work out for you, find someone else. You must understand that there’s nothing wrong in sharing your feelings, and that you deserve to have someone in your life to rely on when things go bad.  Once you are comfortable with that, you can then think of going for therapy, that is, in case you still feel like you need some professional help. Sometimes, finding someone to rely on can do the trick, but if not, I strongly suggest you visit a professional. That can be a great way to start improving your mental health and well-being. Asking for help is a brave and necessary step for healing and growth. It can provide us with the support, validation, and guidance we need to navigate our mental health challenges. By challenging harmful beliefs about masculinity and mental health, you can break the barriers that prevent men from asking for the support they need. Ultimately, seeking help is an act of self-care and self-love, and it’s important to prioritize your own well-being above societal expectations or fear of judgment.

Simrik Air Pvt Ltd has procured a Bell 505 Jet Ranger X (JRX) helicopter, further expanding its fleet to perform life-saving search and rescue operations in trying terrains of Nepal more efficiently. On March 20, a Simrik Air team in Singapore signed an agreement to bring the chopper (serial number 65430) for the first time ever to Nepal as its new aircraft. Bell 505 is one of the latest helicopters and successful models of Bell Textron Pte Ltd. Simrik Air agreed to acquire this aircraft after testing its capabilities in Nepal in 2019. With its outstanding performance and safety assurance during demonstration flights, the company had decided to procure the helicopter back then, but the procurement was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the addition of this 4-seater aircraft to its fleet, Simrik will be able to provide more efficient service in terms of medical evacuation, search and rescue, survey, adventure, training, public safety, corporate and chartered operations.  Simrik Air, a pioneer in the Nepali aviation industry, has been adding the finest and brand-new machines in its fleet to meet its safety commitments.