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Indraprastha Apollo Hospital New Delhi organized an interaction program in Kathmandu to inform the Nepali mass about the complexities of lung and heart disease.

 Senior doctors MS Kanwar, Vanita Arora, and Mukesh Goel briefed journalists about the advanced treatment modalities available in the hospital. They provided details about the lung and heart transplant services of the hospital.  

Speaking at the interaction, Dr. Kanwar said: “The lung transplant is not just a surgery but a process starting with extensive pre-lung transplant work up and optimal stabilization of the patients of end-stage various diseases.” He said many international patients from other countries are currently under our treatment at Apollo hospital or waiting to be stabilized and transferred for the lung transplant.

Dr. Arora said that in patients with reduced heart function, the cause of high mortality is either heart pump failure or sudden cardiac arrest. She said, “After careful screening patients can be saved by implanting Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy device or automatic implantable defibrillator device.”

Dr. Goel said living with chronic lung failure is very painful and taxing for the patient and family. “Lung transplant as a treatment modality can improve the quality of life for a patient suffering from end-stage of lung disease.”  

In the interaction program, they informed about the tentative cost, procedures, and other aspects of lung and heart transplants in New Delhi. They underlined the need of creating awareness in Nepali society about the transplant. There is not much awareness in Nepal about the lungs and heart transplants. 

A group of civil society leaders has objected to the political criticism and comments on the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Nijgadh International Airport.

Issuing a statement on Friday, former lawmaker Damannath Dhungana, former Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma, former Justice Bal Ram KC among eight leaders termed the directive issued by the International Relations Committee to the government as an interference in the jurisdiction of the court.

Earlier on May 30, the Committee had directed the government to start the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport at the earliest saying that the verdict of the Supreme Court does not seem practical from any point of view.

They said that the directive curtailed the rights of the judiciary to deliver justice.

The leaders have also said that the directive issued by the Committee to the government was against the rules of the House of Representatives.

The other civil society leaders who issued the statement were Charan Prasain, Kanakmani Dixit, Taranath Dahal, Gita Pathak and Raju Prasad Chapagain.

The government has presented a Rs 1.79 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. Critics say the allocation is bloated, given the country’s precarious economic situation. The ‘populist’ budget has been bought with the one and only intent of pleasing prospective voters, they argue. Is that really the case? ApEx talked to Achyut Wagle, professor of economics at Kathmandu University School of Management. 

What are the positive points of this year’s budget?

The budget is not very ambitious and is largely a ritualistic continuum of the past. It has expanded by less than nine percent from the last fiscal year. The idea of handing over small infrastructure projects to provincial and local levels is in conformity with the spirit of federalism. Its focus, at least in principle, on increasing productivity, particularly in agriculture, is welcome. The scheme to gradually replace cooking gas stoves with electric induction stoves with the objective of increasing the consumption of domestically-produced hydroelectric power is also a welcome proposition. Farmers’ pension scheme and setting up of a separate fund to increase farmers’ access to agricultural loans, if implemented, can help make agriculture more attractive. Incentives for tourism and export promotions were also desirable. ‘Make in Nepal’ and ‘Made in Nepal’ certainly create some branding vibe and opportunity for Nepali products.

When then are its biggest downsides?

The budget certainly has missed the bull’s eye. In 10 and half months of the current fiscal year, only 33 percent of the capital allocation has been spent. Such a trend is also observed in provincial and local governments. This exhibits Nepal’s serious capacity constraint in resource absorption. This has multiple ramifications. The shortage of loanable funds in banks is a major concern. Infrastructure and development activities naturally get curtailed as a result. This, in turn, affects the overall economy. The budget lacks convincing programs to enhance productivity and create enough jobs. On the front of agricultural productivity, lack of availability of cultivable land for commercial scale agriculture has been a big concern that this budget seems to completely ignore. Incentives, subsidies and rewards will be meaningful if there is production. The budget also has failed miserably to take subnational governments on-board in key programs related to boosting trade and productivity.

There is also a criticism that this budget is populist and election-centered. 

In multiparty competitive politics, it is natural for incumbent forces to make all possible effort to woo voters through populist elements in the budget. This government of five-party coalition is no exception. Extended social security schemes and extensive pork-barrel approach in allocation certainly indicate that. 

But this will certainly put pressure on the exchequer as it is an unsustainably deficit budget. The proposed deficit financing of over 30 percent in an allocation of Rs 1.79 trillion is unsustainable, and financing unproductive populist schemes by borrowing is absolutely undesirable. The national debt has already crossed the 38 percent mark of the revised GDP of Rs 4.85 trillion.

Will this budget help overcome the current economic crisis?

This is the saddest part of this budget. Nepali economy is heading towards a crisis primarily for three reasons. The first is the growing trade deficit that needs to be bridged entirely in foreign currency. Real exports are small due to limited value addition on input-imports. The major source of forex is workers’ remittance, which is always volatile. Our big trade deficit is also an indication of import-dependence even for survival. The budget has failed to take up and address these entangled issues. 

The second issue is the dismal state of capital expenditure. A thorough review of the problems and commitment of structural and legal reforms, for instance in facilitating transparent and timely public procurements including at the local government levels, is missing. 

Lastly, the country faces a crisis in fiscal governance at every level of government. This has given rise to pervasive corruption, irregularities and, the most alarmingly, impunity for financial crimes. 

This budget has deliberately missed these key aspects, which could result in further inefficiency and exacerbate the crisis.

What are the budget’s implementation challenges?

The revenue target may not be achieved without serious reforms in revenue administration. As Nepal’s main revenue source is customs duty, it is vital to break the politician-business-bureaucrat nexus to check under-invoicing of imported goods. But this will happen only with strong political will. 

Sourcing international funds to the tune of around Rs 300 billion (in loans and grants) is definitely daunting. Development partners are unlikely to commit new support until parliamentary elections are over. 

The ‘swadeshi’ sloganeering might just turn out to be a fiasco, as it lacks a mechanism of investment in the productive sector. Viable products for the scheme that have both scope and scale have not been identified; moreover, the possible backward linkage to Nepali products is not even duly thought about. 

Labeling the products that don’t even have 20 percent value addition as ‘swadeshi’ is a mockery of the branding endeavor.

Press Council of Nepal (PCN) has taken a series of fresh measures to implement the journalistic code of conduct.

“Implementation of ethics has become a more challenging job with the emergence of digital technology-dominated media platforms. So these measures are aimed at promoting professional, independent, and healthy journalism,” says PCN Chairperson Balkrishna Basnet.

The council recently held a code of conduct orientation for journalists on the importance of ethics. It plans to run classes on the journalistic code of conduct if any journalists are found to be violating their professional ethics.

According to Basnet, it is not just online media platforms that are breaching journalistic ethics.
“Even some established mainstream media have failed to enforce the code of conduct for journalists,” he adds.

PCN is presently offering training to the owners, editors, and journalists of new online platforms since many people are entering the media field with little or no idea of their professional responsibility. The council is also taking measures to prevent the registration of online news platforms whose names closely resemble already established news sites.  

Besides, it is also monitoring YouTube channels that call themselves purveyors of news, events, and analysis but in reality, broadcasting misinformation and provocative content to increase their viewership.  

“There are many YouTube channels that give their viewers an impression of being a legitimate news outlet. But the truth is they are acting with impunity and no one to regulate or monitor them,” Basnet says. ‘We are trying our best to bring them under the framework of proper journalism if that is what they plan to do with their channels.”  

The council has formed a panel to recommend ways to regulate the mushrooming online news media platforms.

To make the journalistic code of conduct more accessible, PNC has made the document available in languages including Doteli, Nepal Bhasha, Bhojpuri, and Maithili.

Adherence to the journalistic code of conduct, Basnet says, is vital to not just for the credibility of the concerned media, but also for promoting fact-based news stories.

“A trustworthy media is vital for society. Right now, there are several shortcomings in the Nepali media industry. We have to work together to fix them,” says Basnet.

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma said that the budget presented for the next fiscal year 2022/23 is not ambitious.

Reponding to the questions raised by the lawmakers on the budget in the Parliament, Minister Sharma said that the budget is not ambitious but based on reality.

"The budget sees the private sector as the engine of economic growth," he said, adding, "The budget has stressed on agricultural production."

He further said that the budget has given top priority to domestic production. 

Minister Sharma went on to say that the budget is trying to resolve the problems by increasing the production.

World food prices dipped in May for a second consecutive month after hitting a record high in March, although the cost of cereals and meat both rose, the United Nations' food agency said on Friday, Reuters reported.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 157.4 points last month versus 158.3 for April.

The April figure was previously put at 158.5.

Despite the monthly decline, the May index was still 22.8% higher than a year earlier, pushed up in part by concerns over the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In separate cereal supply and demand estimates, the FAO said it expected global cereal production would drop in the 2022/23 season for the first time in four years, easing 16 million tonnes from record 2021 levels to 2.784 billion tonnes.

While the dairy, sugar and vegetable oil price indices all fell last month, the meat index edged up to hit an all-time high and the cereal index climbed 2.2%, with wheat posting a 5.6% month-on-month gain. Year-on-year, wheat prices were up 56.2%

FAO said wheat prices were shunted higher by India's announcement of an export ban, as well as reduced production prospects in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, according to Reuters.

The vegetable oil price index dropped 3.5% from April, pushed down in part by Indonesia's decision to lift a short-lived export ban on palm oil.

"Export restrictions create market uncertainty and can result in price spikes and increased price volatility. The decrease in oilseeds prices shows how important it is when they are removed and let exports flow smoothly," said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen.

The dairy index also dropped by 3.5% month-on-month, with the price of milk powders shedding the most because of market uncertainties tied to continued COVID-19 lockdowns in China.

The meat index rose 0.6% in May, with stable world bovine meat prices and falling pig meat prices offset by a steep increase in poultry prices.

Issuing its first forecast for global cereal production, FAO predicted declines for maize, wheat and rice production, while barley and sorghum outputs were seen increasing, Reuters reported.

"The forecasts are based on conditions of crops already in the ground and planting intentions for those yet to be sown," FAO said.

World cereal utilization was forecast to ease in 2022/23 by 0.1% from 2021/22 levels, to 2.788 billion tonnes -- the first contraction in 20 years.

A day after the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) slashed the prices of petroleum petroleum, the Department of Transport Management reduced the public transportation fares.

The department reduced the fares of public transportation plying in the inter-state with effect from today.

The NOC had slashed the prices of petroleum products by Rs 10 per liter on Thursday evening.

The department has reduced the public transportation fares by 2 percent.

Similarly, the department has also reduced the fares by 2.6 percent and 2. 9 percent for cargo carriers serving routes in the hills and the Tarai respectively.

The death toll from heavy rains last week in the Brazilian city of Recife and its metropolitan area has risen to 126, with two people still missing, the government of the northeastern state of Pernambuco said, Business Standard reported.

At least 9, 302 people have been driven from their homes due to rains that caused major floods and landslides in Recife, burying dozens of hillside houses and causing most of the deaths, Xinhua news agency reported.

It is the worst tragedy to occur in Pernambuco since the start of the 21st century and the second worst in the state's history, after the May 1966 flooding caused the Capibaribe river to overflow leaving 175 dead.

Firefighters and army soldiers are working to recover the bodies of the two missing victims with the help of trained rescue dogs.

A total of 31 municipalities in Pernambuco have declared a state of emergency due to the rains, while 51 towns suffered some type of damage.

The federal government has announced it will allocate some $200 million to rebuild affected areas, according to Business Standard.

Rains also affected the states of Sergipe, Alagoas, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, in the northeastern region of Brazil.

In Alagoas, four people died and nearly 12,000 remain homeless.