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The Non-Resident Ambassador of Nepal to Cambodia, Dhan Bahadur Oli, on Thursday presented his letter of credence to Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia, amidst a ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Phnom.

Following the presentation of the letter of credence, Ambassador Oli was granted an audience with the King of Cambodia, the Embassy of Nepal in Thailand said in a press statement.

During the audience, the Ambassador conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President Ramchandra Paudel as well as from the people of Nepal for personal good health and happiness of the King and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Likewise, the King extended his greetings and best wishes for the personal good health and happiness of President Paudel as well as for the prosperity of Nepali people.

On the occasion, the Cambodian King expressed his confidence that the friendly, cordial and cooperative relations between Nepal and Cambodia would be further strengthened during the tenure of the Ambassador, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Thailand.

The country has received Rs 763.08 billion in remittance in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Releasing the mid-term review report of the current fiscal year on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance stated that remittance inflows increased 4.1 percent in the review period compared to the same period of the last year. However, the remittance inflows had increased 22.2 percent in the same period of the last year.

Likewise, net secondary income, also known as net transfer, reached Rs 832.76 billion in the review period by increasing 4.2 percent, while the net transfer had increased 21.1 percent in the same period of the last year. 

According to the Ministry, the number of Nepalis taking first-time approval for foreign employment stands at 230,439 with an increase of 11.7 percent and those for renew entry stands at 162,628 increasing 21.4 percent in the review period compared to the same period of the last fiscal year.

The Ministry shared that the balance of payment in the review period remained at a surplus of Rs 249.26 billion while the balance of payment was at a surplus of Rs 273.52 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

A person died and five others were injured in a car accident at Golanjor Municipality-5 in Sindhuli district along the BP Highway this morning. The car was heading to Kathmandu from Jhapa.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Govinda Raj Kafle of Sindhuli District Police Office, the deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Sushant Nepali, the driver of the car, of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality in Dolakha district.

The condition of 34-year-old Devi Limbu of Letang Municipality–2 in Morang district is critical. She is currently receiving treatment at Sindhuli Hospital.

Others injured in the accident include San Bahadur Tamang (53) of Deumai Municipality–8, Ilam, Shweta Giri (28) and Sanjaya Rokka from Kageshwori Manohara Municipality–5, Kathmandu and Kiskhu Mandal (27) of Bahraghadi Rural Municipality–1 in Jhapa district, according to SP Kafle.

The impacts of lengthy grounding of aircraft due to management incompetence have been reflected in the balance sheet of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). The revenue of the national flag carrier fell by 23.58 percent to Rs 6.09bn in the first six months of fiscal year 2024/25. According to the NAC, revenue fell by Rs 1.87bn from Rs 7.97bn in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. International passenger numbers also fell by over 49,000 during the period.

NAC’s sole source of revenue is from international flight passengers and cargo services. Its operation in domestic sectors was negligible in the review period. The NAC last month halted its domestic operations after its sole Twin Otter had to be grounded due to technical reasons. Its other Twin Otter has been grounded for years due to the inability of the management to repair it.

Over the first six months of 2024/25, NAC flew 253,000 international passengers. The international passenger number was down compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year when the NAC handled 302,000 passengers. A monthly breakdown of revenue shows, the national flag carrier earned Rs 940m in mid-July to mid-August, Rs 680m in mid-August to mid-September, Rs 1.42bn in (mid-September to mid-October, Rs 1.45bn in mid-October to mid-November, Rs 1.73bn in mid-November to mid-December and Rs 1.3bn in mid-December to mid-January.

Average monthly revenue of the NAC has dropped to around Rs 1bn in the current fiscal year, compared to around Rs 1.5bn in the previous fiscal year, according to NAC officials. NAC’s flights were affected in the review quarter as its aircraft had to be grounded for a long time for scheduled C-checks or other repairs. Out of four aircraft for international operation, one double-aisle and one single-aisle aircraft had to go to Italy for scheduled C-checks during the review period, while the third aircraft remained grounded for nearly three months.

The grounding of aircraft during peak tourist and festive seasons led to decline in both revenue and passengers, according to NAC.

The government is set to raise Rs 10bn in domestic debt through a development bond auction. The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) issued a notice regarding the six-year ‘Development Bond-2087’ on Wednesday. This will raise the amount that the government has raised in the form of domestic debt in the month of Magh (mid-January to mid-February) to Rs 50bn. The government earlier raised Rs 10bn through treasury bills and Rs 30bn through development bonds.

Banks and financial institutions, non-banking financial institutions, insurance companies, organized groups, and the general public participated in the auction between 10 am and 3 pm on Wednesday. The bonds will be issued on Thursday. According to the PDMO, competitive and non-competitive bidders have been allocated 85 percent and 15 percent of the total amount, respectively, i.e., Rs 8.5bn and Rs 1.5bn. If the full amount is not received from non-competitive bidders, the remaining amount will be sold to competitive bidders. The interest rate will be determined through the auction process.

Interest payments on the bond will be made every six months, while the principal amount will be repaid on 7 Feb 2031. According to the PDMO, interested institutions and Nepali citizens can buy bonds for a minimum of Rs 500,000 and up to the total issued amount in multiples of Rs 500,000. The certificate of this loan or bond can be used as collateral to obtain loans and can be traded in the secondary market.

Taking advantage of the high liquidity and lower interest rates in the financial system, the government has expedited the process of raising domestic debt by revising its schedule. The PDMO has revised the quarterly domestic debt schedule for the current fiscal year. The government plans to raise Rs 113bn in the third quarter (mid-January to mid-April) of the current fiscal year. As per the revised schedule, only Rs 35bn will be raised in the fourth quarter.

According to the PDMO, the government raised Rs 115bn in the first quarter and Rs 66.5bn in domestic debt in the second quarter of the current fiscal year. It has set a target to raise Rs 330bn in domestic debt in the current fiscal year. Of this, it has already raised Rs 221.5bn.

Several projects under the Lumbini Province government, costing millions, remain incomplete due to insufficient budget allocation.

Twenty lift drinking water supply projects, initiated in the fiscal year 2018/19, have stalled. These projects, requiring significant funding, have struggled to progress due to minimal budget allocation, according to Raj Kishor Mandal, Chief of the Water Supply and Sanitation Division in Pyuthan. While some work was completed in the initial years, the lack of consistent funding has left the projects classified as complex and unfinished.

“The work was completed as per the budget received in the first year,” Mandal said. “Due to irregular and insufficient funding, we have categorized 20 projects as complex drinking water projects.” He added that a request has been made to the ministry for additional funding to complete the projects and operationalize the water supply.

The Luplung Lift Drinking Water Project, with an estimated cost of Rs 54.515m, has so far spent only Rs 833,000 in Naubahini Rural Municipality-8. “Not a single penny has been allocated in the last two years,” said Hemanta Raj Bhandari, Chairperson of the project construction consumer committee. “One government allocated funds, and the next reduced them.” Despite budget constraints, the construction of three tanks and a pump house for the three-stage lift project, which began in 2019/20, has been completed.

Bhandari mentioned that the project’s bank account has been updated following reports that Rs 2m worth of pipes will be purchased from this year’s Rs 6.4m budget allocation, with the remaining funds used to continue construction. “We plan to sign an agreement by depositing one percent of the total amount on behalf of consumers. If funds are consistently provided and work progresses as scheduled, 380 households in Luplung will benefit.”

Efforts are underway to provide drinking water facilities through lift systems in water-scarce areas with no nearby water sources. Water shortages persist not only in rural regions but also in the district headquarters. The Jhimruk Large Lift Drinking Water Project, designed to serve Khalanga and surrounding areas, faces similar challenges. Estimated to cost Rs 98.269m, the project has already incurred Rs 18.3m in expenses. However, the five-stage lift project, initiated in 2019/20, has yet to become operational. If completed, it would benefit 557 households.

Lumbini Province’s Urban Development and Drinking Water Minister, Saroj Thapa, assured that funding will be secured for projects nearing completion. “Many projects have stalled due to budget shortages in previous years,” he said. “We will allocate funds based on project status—either by transferring funds within this fiscal year or incorporating them into next year’s budget.”

So far, Rs 224.73m has been spent on 20 drinking water projects, which have an estimated total cost of Rs 842m. However, none of these projects have been operationalized.

Additionally, under the Climate Adaptation Comprehensive Drinking Water Project, several projects have been classified as complex, including the Pangraghat, Pyuthan, Satmule Barjivang, Bangesal, and Hanspur Drinking Water Projects. These initiatives, launched in 2014/15, remain unfinished. To date, Rs 122.8m has been spent on these projects, which have a combined estimated cost of Rs 269m.

How many cooking gas cylinders does an average Nepali household have? How many of them are empty, how many are in use and how many are full? How many of them are safe for use and how many are unsafe—and need scrapping?

What percentage of cooking gas consumers have some knowledge about safety precautions they should take while handling the flammable material? Do they have fire extinguishers in their houses? Do they know how to use the extinguisher?

Thursday’s gas cylinder explosion at a momo shop in Kamalpokhari has once again given rise to a slew of difficult questions regarding the safe handling of cooking gas cylinders at the household level. 

These questions make sense because cooking gas cylinders and gas stoves have become a part and parcel of an average Nepali household. Leave the cities, it is not uncommon to find gas cylinders and stoves in far-flung areas of the country.

It is quite possible that an average Nepali household has more than one gas cylinder (filled) because supply-related obstructions of the past have taught us to have a cylinder or two for rainy days. 

Imagine more than one cylinder at almost every house in a city with high population density. Add to it a general lack of awareness on safety measures that one should take while handling gas cylinders and stoves. 

The scenario sends a chill down the spine, doesn’t it? It should. 

Of course, the consumer should know about safe handling of gas cylinders and stoves. But the buck does not stop there, and it should not. The onus is on the Nepal Oil Corporation, the sole importer and supplier of petroleum products throughout Nepal, as well as other relevant government authorities to inculcate in the consumer a safety culture pertaining to the use of gas cylinders and stoves. 

The momo shop gas cylinder blast, in which around 12 people sustained injuries, also harks back to a promise our political leadership made some years ago, to supply cooking gas in the consumers’ kitchens through a pipeline. The big talk at that time was that all you have to do is turn on the pipe and the gas will flow (provided you have paid the bill, of course). 

While much water has flown down our rivers since then, the gas is yet to come through the gullible Nepali people’s pipelines. 

In summary, both the government and the consumer should learn lessons from the Kamalpokhari blast and do their bit to lessen the risks of such blasts. 

In the long run, the political and bureaucratic leadership of a country with considerable hydropower potential should switch from dirty and costly fuels to clean and green energy if it is indeed serious about achieving national progress and prosperity, and bringing happiness to the masses. 

Nepal’s first-ever young women-led Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Shadow Report was unveiled at an event in Kathmandu. Organized by Yuwalaya, a youth-led organization advocating for gender equality, in collaboration with Plan International Nepal, the initiative highlights the challenges young women face across the country.

Young women aged 18-25 from all seven provinces played a key role in leading the report, which was developed through provincial discussions. The findings expose gaps in Nepal’s gender policies, particularly affecting marginalized communities, and call on the government and global stakeholders to take action.  

Key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Women Commission, the National Youth Council, and the National Human Rights Commission, attended the event alongside national and international civil society organizations and embassies.  

Speaking at the event, Yuwalaya President Dharma Raj Rimal emphasized the need for immediate action. “We don’t need to wait for ministers to start the equality movement. Change can begin in our workplaces, homes, and classrooms,” he said.