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For more than a quarter century, GoodWeave has supported the carpet industry in meeting the requirements of Nepali national labour law and the GoodWeave Standard related to child, forced and bonded labour, fair wages and a safe working environment. And, along the way GoodWeave has provided educational opportunities for more than 4,950 children in Nepal. This success is thanks to the many Nepali carpet manufacturers partnering with GoodWeave on this effort through a joint commitment to end child, forced and bonded labour in the sector.  GoodWeave’s work with companies to assure clean supply chains, helps them highlight their ethical production and be in a position to sell more products to international buyers who are increasingly looking to make purchases from responsible sources. A portion of the sales price of products with the GoodWeave® certification label support GoodWeave’s ongoing social programmes.  In 2020 and 2021 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, GoodWeave also supported workers and families in Nepal with COVID-19 relief. This relief included food aid to 15,000 individuals and distribution of health and hygiene aid, such as masks, to over 23,000 people.  How does the GoodWeave programme work? Based in Kathmandu, GoodWeave Certification Nepal and Nepal GoodWeave Foundation are local affiliates of GoodWeave International – a global nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC founded in 1994 by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi to stop child labour in global supply chains.  In Nepal, GoodWeave Certification Nepal and the Nepal GoodWeave Foundation, together carry out the GoodWeave System, a holistic, market-based approach that protects children and families, and addresses the root causes of child labour in the carpet industry. The model is also expanding to the home textile sector.  GoodWeave Certification Nepal partners with local businesses exporting products for sale in the United States, Europe and other markets. GoodWeave Certification Nepal then conducts audits and random, unannounced inspections of exporters’ full supply chains, while also providing tools to businesses so they are in compliance with the GoodWeave Standard (which states no child, forced or bonded labour is allowed) and Nepali labour laws. With international buyers seeking further assurance against exploitation due to consumer pressure and increasing human rights due diligence legislation that requires full supply chain oversight and remediation, being part of the GoodWeave programme provides exporters with documentation to verify they are in compliance.  Reinforcing the certification work, Nepal GoodWeave Foundation, implements social programmes that directly support families by enrolling children in school and engaging communities on topics such as workers’ rights, the importance of early childhood education and vocational training. When child labour is detected, remediation steps are individually tailored to the child. In some cases, children are reunited with their families and enrolled in public school. In other cases, alternative education programmes, such as Bridge Schools or skills-training programmes are options for older children. In cases where the child cannot return to their family, they may be enrolled at Hamro Ghar, GoodWeave’s home for children, which provides a safe place to live and learn. Children are provided counseling and are supported in the pursuit of secondary education or vocational training. Additionally, together with local education partners, GoodWeave supports two early childhood education centers in factory cluster areas in Kathmandu. These subsidized education centers provide a safe space where workers’ children can socialize, play, receive hot meals and prepare for primary school, putting them on track for learning and valuing education. Better Brick – Nepal GoodWeave also works in the brick sector through the Better Brick – Nepal (BBN) project. BBN is a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to transform the brick industry by addressing exploitative labour practices on brick kilns. Launched in 2014 by Humanity United in collaboration with GoodWeave International, Global Fairness Initiative and a coalition of Nepali NGOs, BBN has grown from five to 40 progressive brick kilns committed to eliminating child, forced and bonded labour and creating decent working conditions for brick kilns workers throughout Nepal. In 2021, 90% of programme kilns were verified as free of child labour. Get Involved GoodWeave supports Nepal’s commitment as a pathfinder country, through Alliance 8.7, the global partnership for eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour. If you are a Nepali business producing carpets or home textile products (pillows, blankets, poufs, etc.) for export, or are involved in the brick-making industry, and are interested in partnering with GoodWeave, contact Samjhana Pradhan at [email protected]. To learn more visit, www.goodweavenepal.org.

Nepal reported 271 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 485 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 224 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 435 people underwent antigen tests, of which 47 were tested positive. The Ministry said that 175 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. As of today, there are 3, 194 active cases in the country.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has directed the Bhrikutimandap-based Kathmandu Fun Park to pay tax dues within 24 hours. Sending a letter on Wednesday, the KMC directed the park to pay the tax within 24 hours. The Metropolitan City said that the fun park was served 24-hour ultimatum to pay the tax along with fine after it ignored the city’s repeated request to pay the amount. The fun park has not been paying business tax, entertainment tax and advertising tax among others to the KMC for the past many years. According to the KMC, the fun park will be sealed if it did not pay the tax within the given timeframe.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 21. 97 points to close at 1,973.38 points on Wednesday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4.  36 points to close at 384. 59 points. A total of 2,992,873 unit shares of 224 companies were traded for Rs 1. 12 billion. Meanwhile, RBB Mutual Fund 1 was the top gainer today with its price surging by 1. 97 percent. Likewise, Himalayan Power Partner Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 6. 86 percent. At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 83 trillion.

Suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana said that the impeachment motion was filed against him to make Deepak Karki the Chief Justice. In a statement given to the Parliamentary Impeachment Recommendation Committee on Wednesday, Rana said that he had to face false accusations while trying to strengthen the judiciary. “The impeachment motion was brought to make Deepak Karki the Chief Justice,” he said. While recording his statement, Chief Justice Rana said that he came to the Impeachment Recommendation Committee to respect the Parliament. He further said that some elements are trying to weaken the judiciary. Meanwhile, he expressed his dissatisfaction over the impeachment motion registered against him. “Why did the ruling coalition bring the impeachment motion proposal?” he questioned, “The CPN-UML should have brought the proposal.” Rana said that the impeachment motion should be filed against five other incumbent justices of the Supreme Court, not only him. On top of that, he said that the Parliament should maintain power balance with the judiciary. Rana reached Singha Durbar to give his statement this morning. The Parliament has formed an 11-member committee to look into the case. One-fourth of the members of Parliament had tabled an impeachment proposal against Rana as per Article 101 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal. As many as 98 lawmakers of the ruling coalition on February 13 had registered the motion against Rana. The then Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Whip Pushpa Bhushal, Maoist Center Chief Whip Dev Gurung and Unified Socialist Party Whip Jeevanram Shrestha were the proposers. The proposal was supported by 95 lawmakers. Earlier, the Nepal Bar Association had staged protests for 109 days demanding resignation of Rana.

Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd organized Career Fest 2022 on Aug 29, which saw an attendance of more than 3,000 high school graduate students. Former education minister Arjun Narasingha KC inaugurated the one-day event, where experts from various fields including banker Anil Keshary Shah, Capt Vijay Lama, journalist turned politician Rabi Lamichhane and education entrepreneur Ramesh Silwal shared their experience with high school graduates to help them choose a better career. Bishal KC, of Career Point Education, said the objective of the event was to provide important information to the students from the experts in their respective areas of profession. 

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 800 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 94, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 94, 800 per tola on Tuesday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 93, 500 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver has decreased by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 1,130 per tola today.

Vehicular movement along the Narayangarh-Muglin road section has been obstructed following a landslide at Kerabari in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29. Two-way traffic has been disrupted due to the landslide, DSP Narahari Adhikari of the District Police Office, Chitwan said. Efforts are being made to clear the mudslide, he said. Officials have been facing difficulties to remove the debris due to torrential rainfall.