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Kamal Shrestha is the chairperson of Nepali Club in Bahrain, which used to be involved in official works like renewing passports and addressing the problems of Nepal workers. He is also involved in a few business houses in Bahrain. ApEx caught up with him to talk about the situation of Nepalis in Bahrain. What is Nepali Club? Nepali Club was established in 2000. This club does social service work and helps Nepali workers when they are facing any kind of problem. The club also helps workers with tasks such as renewing passports and preparing travel documents. Besides, it also creates an environment for Nepali delegates for sports and other events. What is the club currently working on?  After the establishment of the embassy in 2013, we started focusing more on social and cultural events. We have been conducting awareness programs, medical camps and cultural programs. I would like to show my immense gratitude towards our Nepali community and all of the Nepali migrants in Bahrain who have directly and indirectly served the club in its endeavors. What are the business opportunities for Nepalis in Bahrain?  The government here has policies for certain foreign-owned businesses like consultancy service companies, tourism, contracting and other service companies where they can get to have 100 percent ownership by fulfilling certain criteria. Within two or three days after fulfilling the governmental requirements you can have full ownership of a business even if you are a Nepali. So, there is a huge potential for Nepalis who would like to do business in Bahrain. In terms of security too Bahrain is a safe place to invest on a business. Fraud cases are very rare here. What is the importance of the Nepal Embassy in Bahrain?  The embassy holds a lot of importance for our Nepali community. It offers guidance and supervision to the workers. It looks after them individually and provides them with necessary guidance, advice and solutions. The embassy has become a major role of supervisory agent and has played a huge role in uplifting the condition of our Nepali community in Bahrain. What type of skills is in high demand that Nepalis can fulfill?  There are various opportunities for Nepali workers in Bahrain. Although the opportunities are endless, they still must have some skill. The Bahraini employers have faith in the Nepali workers. Many Nepalis here are working as welders, pipe fitters, electricians, plumbers, and medical assistants. A normal electrician can save about Rs60,000 to Rs 70,000 a month. If you are a skilled or semi skilled worker, you can find well-paying jobs in Bahrain. But the problem is that most of the recruiting agents and agencies can be careless while sending workers. Corruption in the labor recruitment industry has harmed the workers. What are the problems faced by the Nepalis in Bahrain?  Employers paying wages lower than what was promised is a common complaint among Nepali workers. We try to address these issues through the embassy. Other than that, I would say a lack of direct flight connection between Nepal and Bahrain is the major problem. What advice would you give to the Nepal government to solve the problems of workers and Nepalis who are willing to work in Bahrain?  Firstly, I would like to request the Nepal government to make an environment where Nepalis can have job opportunities in Nepal itself. Working abroad is not a choice but a compulsion for many migrant workers. Secondly, the government must make the process of applying overseas jobs simple and secure through government-to-government labor agreements and by regulating the recruiting agencies to ensure transparency. The government must also establish and open training centers in order to build skilled manpower. As for the workers willing to come to Bahrain, I suggest they bring some skills with them. If they are skilled and qualified, there are opportunities for them here.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 500 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 101, 000 per tola today. The yellow metal was traded at Rs 101, 500 per tola on Wednesday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 100, 500 per tola. It was traded at Rs 101, 000. Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,220 per tola today.

On March 5, Simrik Air conducted a daring operation in Langtang, rescuing a renowned Spanish paraglider, who was battling for life after suffering multiple fractures in a crash. The team consisting of pilot-in-command Captain Surendra Paudel, rescue specialist Tshering Pande Bhote, and technician Uttam Chaudhari rescued Xavier Bonet Dalmau from an elevation of 4,560 meters at the north-central Himalayan range. Airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, Dalmau is on a recovery path. This rescue operation shows the importance of a well-trained and well-equipped team in life-and-death situations like accidents in the rugged rugged terrains of Nepal. This is not the first instance of Simrik Air’s involvement in critical operations. On April 11, 2021, a Simrik Air heli team under the command of Captain Siddartha J Gurung, pilot-in-command Captain Paudel and comprising other experienced crew members doused a raging fire at the Shivapuri national park using the Bambi bucket, thereby averting a loss of life and properties. Equipped with cutting-edge technology and equipment and aware of Nepal’s trying terrains like the Himalayas, Simrik Air is well aware of the importance of well-trained human resources in critical operations. In the first week of February 2023, it conducted a heli-training and orientation for the crew, staff, and medical team to prepare them better for rushing crucial assistance during natural and man-made disasters by enhancing their skills and expertise. Captain Gurung led a Bambi Bucket training session for helicopter pilots Capt Hare Ram Thapa and Capt Rajendra Duwal at Bojinee Dam in Nagarkot. The pilots learned the proper use and operation of this specialized tool. Simrik Air is the sole provider of this water-based firefighting service in Nepal, apart from Long-line operation and Sling operation and Yak Winch. Simrik Air also offered realistic engagement training options such as Recco, Yak Winch, Sling Operation, Long-line Operation, Medical Evacuation, and management training to keep the staff up-to-date and maintain safety, efficiency, and consistency in service. Captain Bimal Sharma and Captain Bhaskar Pokharel were trained on this. Crew members Ang Tashi Sherpa, Tshering Dhenduk Bhote, Tshering Pandey Bhote and Sonam Bhuti also received training during these sessions, conducted under the supervision of instructor and trainer from Germany and Switzerland Bruno Jelk, Daniel Brunner and Beat Marti. This kind of training is crucial for saving lives and properties during natural and manmade disasters like flooding, fires and mountaineering accidents because the state alone is not adequately equipped in dealing with such contingencies.  

The government has decided to register the bill formulated to amend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons Act, 2071 (2014) in the House of Representatives today. A Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s office in Singhadurbar made the decision to this effect, the PM’s media expert Manohari Timilsina said. Meanwhile, Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago.  

Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The Supreme Court administration said that Shrestha’s bench will hear the writs. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago. During a program held on January 15, 2020, Dahal had said that out of 17, 000 people killed in the Maoist insurgency, 5,000 were killed by the Maoist and he would take the responsibility for it. The advocate duo filed writ petitions demanding that the court order Dahal's arrest and punish him for taking the responsibility for 5,000 deaths, but the court administration had refused to do so, claiming that the issue was related to transitional justice. Earlier on Friday, a division bench of Justice Ishwor Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal ordered the Supreme Court administration to take petitions against Dahal. Then rebels had kidnapped and murdered advocate Aran’s father Tilakraj. Similarly, advocate Budhathoki’s father was displaced. The Supreme Court’s decision has rattled Prime Minister Dahal and his party. They are crying foul over what they say is a conspiracy to corner them by bringing up the conflict-era cases, which ought to be dealt by the transitional justice commissions.      

Voting to elect a new President of Nepal has begun at the Parliament building in New Baneshwor amid tight security and surveillance. Voting that started at 10 am will end at 3 pm, said assistant returning officer Amrita Kumari Sharma. Separate polling stations have been designated for the voters in the Lhotse chamber in the Parliament Building. Ram Chandra Paudel of the Nepali Congress and Subash Chandra Nembang of the CPN-UML are vying for the coveted position. Paudel, former Speaker, has been supported by the recently formed nine-party alliance. Nembang had served as the Chairperson of the then Constituent Assembly. According to the Constitution of Nepal, a President will be elected, and the President is entrusted with the responsibility to protect and abide by the Constitution, and promote national unity. The country entered the presidential system following the establishment of the republic through the 2062/63 movements. The electoral college comprises the members of the Federal Parliament and Province Assemblies. There are a total of 882 eligible voters in the federal Parliament (the House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the Province Assembly (332 under the Federal Parliament and 550 under the Province Assembly). The federal Parliament has 79 weighted votes, and the Province Assembly 48. According to the Constitution, no person shall be elected to the Office of President more than twice.  

Commercial banks have disbursed 28.88 percent of their total loans to the priority sectors in the first half of the current fiscal year. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has identified agriculture, energy, and micro, cottage, small, and medium industries (MCSMI) as 'prescribed sectors'. According to NRB statistics, of the total lending of Rs 4,276.33 billion, banks have invested Rs 1,235 billion in these sectors till the first half of FY 2022/23. Of the total loans to the priority sectors, 13.09 percent went to the agriculture sector, 6.29 percent to the energy sector, and 9.51 percent for the MCSMI sector. Of the 22 commercial banks, only five banks have extended credit to the agriculture sector beyond the minimum threshold by mid-January 2023. Similarly, the extension of credit of only three banks is above the threshold in the energy sector and four banks' credit is above the threshold in the MCSMI sector. As per NRB guidelines, the banks have to extend at least 13 percent of their total loans to the agricultural sector, 7 percent to the energy sector, and 12 percent to the MCSMI sector. In total, banks have to extend 32 percent of their total loans to these priority sectors by the end of the current fiscal year. The central bank statistics show banks' credit disbursement to the agriculture sector is as per the NRB's threshold while that to the energy sector is close to the threshold. However, credit disbursement to the MCSMI sector is well below the threshold. Bankers admit that it is a challenge to provide loans to the MCSMI sector as per the NRB threshold by the end of this fiscal year. While the prolonged liquidity crunch has hit the banks' credit expansion this fiscal, the MCSMI are also hard hit by the rising price and slowdown in market demand, say bankers. According to them, it will be a tough task to increase credit flow to the MCSMI sector in the current macroeconomic environment. As of mid-January, 2023, only Agricultural Development Bank Limited, Himalayan Bank, Nepal SBI Bank, Standard Chartered Bank Nepal, and Sunrise Bank have their credit disbursement to the agriculture sector above the NRB threshold. In the energy sector, NMB Bank, Sunrise Bank and Sanima Bank have credit disbursement above the NRB threshold of 7 percent. Similarly, four banks - Agriculture Development Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank, Kumari Bank and NIC Asia Bank have credit disbursement above the threshold of 12 percent in the MCSMI sector. The state-owned banks fare better than private sector banks when it comes to priority sector lending. Among the commercial banks, Agriculture Development Bank's disbursement to the priority sectors is the highest. The bank has disbursed 57.50 percent of its total loans to the priority sectors. The ADBL has disbursed 28.35 percent of loans to the agriculture sector, 4.79 percent to the energy sector, and 24.36 percent to the MCSMI sector in this fiscal. Similarly, the lending of another state-owned bank - Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) to priority sectors stood at 36.98 percent. RBB has 12.16 percent of its total loans to the agriculture sector, 6.89 percent to the energy sector, and 17.93 percent to the MCSMI sector. Among the private sector banks, NMB Bank is ahead of others when it comes to lending to the priority sectors. The bank has 32.90 percent of its total loans to the priority sector. NMB Bank has disbursed 12.74 percent of its total loans to the agricultural sector, 8.94 percent to the energy sector, and 11.22 percent to the MCSMI sector.  

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has said that it will take a decision on the presidential election only on Thursday. Party Vice-President Dol Prasad Aryal said that the party will take a necessary decision on the presidential election by holding a meeting tomorrow. Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang are vying for the post of President slated for tomorrow. Voting for the election will begin from 10 am and end at 3 pm.