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The Election Commission said that all the preparations for the vice-presidential election slated for tomorrow have been completed. Issuing a statement on Thursday, the poll body said that voting will be held from 10 am to 3 pm. As the silence period has already started, the EC has directed the political parties not to get involved in publicity campaigns for or against the candidates. The statement issued by EC spokesperson Shaligram Paudel said that social media networks such as Facebook, Viber, Twitter and SMSes should not be used for campaigns during the silence period.  

As the expenses surged, the profit of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has declined by around 10 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year 2022/23. The state-owned power utility has posted a profit of Rs 10.91 billion (before tax) in the review period. NEA had logged profit of Rs 12.12 billion during the same period of  FY 2021/22. The authority's net profit in the last fiscal year was Rs 16.16 billion. The power utility's net profit had increased by a whopping 157.73 percent in the last fiscal year. Despite the decline in profit, NEA's operating income has surged by 22 percent in this fiscal year. The authority earned an income of Rs 58.57 billion till mid-January, 2023 from Rs 47.97 billion in the same period of last year. Data shows NEA's expenses jumped by 33 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year to Rs 47.65 billion from Rs 35.85 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. According to NEA officials, the increase in expenses are attributed to rise in the import of electricity from India as well as investments in various hydropower projects. Due to the prolonged dry season and decrease in water levels in the rivers, NEA has been importing more electricity from the southern neighbor this year. The dry season runs from December to April while the wet season lasts from May to November. According to NEA, the run-of-the-river type hydropower projects produce less than 40 percent of their installed capacity during the dry season. In the meantime, NEA has also invested Rs 15.22 billion in shares and loans in various hydropower projects and rural electrification projects. NEA Deputy Managing Director Pradip Kumar Thike said that the authority's profit generally contracts during the first half of the fiscal year. "The actual picture of the NEA's profit will be visible by the end of the fiscal year," he said. In spite of the decline in profit, business prospects are bright for NEA as the Nepal-India power trade is in the favor of Nepal. NEA's statistics show an earning of Rs 4.53 billion from the power trade in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The power utility exported electricity worth Rs 8.43 billion to India while the power import stood at Rs 3.90 billion. Similarly NEA said it purchased electricity worth Rs 22.85 billion in the first half of this fiscal from independent power producers (IPPs).

The state-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) Lainchaur has increased the prices of milk. According to DDC Deputy General Manager and Information Officer Rajendra Prasad Adhikari, the DDC today sent the milk packets with the new prices to the market. A Cabinet meeting held on March 3 had decided to increase the price of raw milk. The new rate of the raw milk has been fixed at Rs 65. The price of DDC standard milk which is available in a blue packet and the most-selling milk has increased by Rs 11 per liter. Now, a packet of milk will cost Rs 97. The government has set this price in Kathmandu, Biratngar, Janakpur and Hetauda. Likewise, a packet of milk will cost Rs 94 in Butwal and Rs 92 in Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi.    

The two new international airports of Nepal that recently started operation in Pokhara and Bhairahawa have one thing in common—-the involvement of Chinese contractors. China CAMC Engineering constructed the Pokhara Regional International Airport which was built with the assistance of China. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded Gautam Buddha International Airport was constructed by another Chinese contractor, Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group. Chinese companies have emerged as dominant players in Nepal's physical infrastructure development, be it the projects of the government or the private sector. The Chinese contractors were awarded the contract of constructing the important sections of the Kathmandu-Nijgadh Fast Track Project by the Nepal Army. Similarly, the Chinese contractors have also been awarded contracts for expanding the Prithvi Highway and the Narayangarh-Butwal section of the East-West Highway. According to officials of the Department of Roads (DoR), 60 percent of contracts under international bidding are handled by Chinese contractors. "Around 60 percent of contracts under the international bidding have been awarded to the  Chinese contractors related to roads and bridges,” said a senior DoR official. Zhang Shaogang, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) also boasted about the involvement of Chinese contractors in Nepal while addressing the ‘Nepal China Business Forum 2023’ organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the CCPIT) in Kathmandu on Tuesday. “Chinese enterprises are also the major players in the Nepali project contracting market,” he said, adding, “As of the end of last year, China had signed project contracts worth US USD 10.74 billion in Nepal with a turnover of USD 5.48 billion. This fully demonstrates the great attention and importance Chinese investors attach to the Nepali market.” The contracts handed over to the Chinese companies as claimed by Zhang are equivalent to the capital expenditure of the federal government in the last six fiscal years. In the last six fiscal years till 2021/22, the government spent Rs 1350 billion capital budget and USD 10 billion in contracts awarded to Chinese enterprises is around equivalent to the total capital expenditure in the last six fiscal years. The government spent a capital budget of Rs 225 billion on average every year between FY 2016/17 and FY 2021/22. According to the DoR official, the main reason behind the Chinese companies being able to outcompete bidders from other countries is that they usually make the lowest evaluated bid. “The government entities usually approve the lowest evaluated bids though the lowest bidder is not necessarily awarded the contract as per the public procurement law if there are other shortcomings,” the official said. While Chinese contractors have omnipresence in the country's infrastructure development, their performance in a number of projects has come under scrutiny in recent years. The contract with a number of Chinese contractors has also been terminated. For example, the contract with the first contractor for digging the tunnel of the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project was terminated because of slow progress. The Melamchi  Water Supply Development Board had terminated the contract with the China Railway Bureau Group. The Nepal Electricity Authority in December 2018, terminated the contract with company Guangxi Transmission and Substation Construction Company and the Shenzhen Clou Electronics Co Ltd for poor progress in first package of (New Khimiti-Bahrabise) under the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu 400 KV transmission line. DoR has also put pressure on the China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited for dismal progress in widening the Narayangarh-Butwal Road. “Currently, foreign contractors can compete without the involvement of Nepali contractors as joint venture partners,” said the DoR official. “Studies show that involvement of Nepali contractors as joint venture partners has been more beneficial to complete the work in a shorter period.”

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 106, 700 per tola today. The gold was traded at Rs 105, 700  per tola on Wednesday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 106, 200 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,305 per tola today.

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Shalikram Jamarkattel is seeking a vote of confidence on March 22. Province Assembly Secretariat Chief Secretary Krishna Hari Khadka said that Chief Minister jamarkattel, who fell into minority after the Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew the support, is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence in the Province Assembly meeting on March 22. With the change in the political equation at the center, three ministers representing the Rastriya Prajatantra Party in the Cabinet in the Bagmati Province resigned a few weeks ago. The incumbent government fell into minority after the Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew support extended to the government. Earlier on January 10, the Cabinet was formed with Shalikram Jamarkattel as the Chief Minister, Jagannath Thapaliya as the Economic Affairs and Planning Minister and Uddhav Thapa as the Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation Minister from the joint alliance of the CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. The current Cabinet includes only the ministers of the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN-UML.    

Commemorating the contribution of Nepali female political leaders Itihasko Harayeka Pana: The Tyranny of Exclusion, a photography exhibition was held at Patan Museum recently. The exhibition showcased around 90 photos of female political leaders. A historical chronology of leaders from Yogmaya Neupane to the recent leader Sobita Gautam. Historic photographs of Bidya Devi Bhandari in politics during her student days, Onsari Gharti Magar in People’s War; photos of Astalaxmi Shakya, Sahana Pradhan protesting outside the Singhadurbar; Mangala Devi addressing public in Tundikhel, Shailaja Acharya delegating in International conferences and many others were exhibited in the event. The exhibition also tried to cover various political movements that happened in different time periods in the country such as People’s Movement I, People’s Movement II, Tharu Movement, Terai Movement, Maoist Insurgency Period, where women were seen in action and power. Considering the historical oppression and current underrepresentation of women in governmental domains, the project aimed to challenge traditional narrative that often downplays their contributions and exhibited significant roles played by women in shaping the political landscape of Nepal. The exhibition was curated and organized by Mega Maskey, Abhijeet Adhikari and Satyam Shiva Mishra, with the support of Nepal Leadership Academy and International Republican Institute.

Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Kikuta Yutaka hosted a reception at his official residence in Tahachal on Wednesday to celebrate the 63rd auspicious birthday of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito. Around 400 guests including Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, National Assembly Vice-Chairperson Urmila Aryal, former prime ministers, former ministers, ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations in Nepal, members of the Federal Parliament and government officials among others attended the program, read a statement issued by the Embassy of Japan in Nepal. Ambassador Kikuta welcomed all the guests mentioning his pleasure at finally being able to host the reception after three years. It is the fifth year of the “Reiwa (beautiful harmony)” Era in Japan, which started in 2019. In October, 2019, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari had attended the Ceremonies of the Accession to the Throne of the Emperor. The Ambassador also said that the high-level exchanges stalled by COVID-19, had resumed with the visit of Takei Shunsuke, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, to Nepal last November. On the occasion, the Foreign Minister's Commendation for Fiscal Year 2022 was presented to Japanese Universities Alumni Association, Nepal (JUAAN). The year 2022 marked the 120th anniversary since the first eight Nepali students were dispatched to Japan and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of JUAAN. The Commendation was awarded in recognition of JUAAN’s contribution to the long history of educational exchanges between Japan and Nepal. Dr Prabin Shrestha, the President of JUAAN delivered a thank-you speech in the program.