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The Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office has urged citizens to promptly dial 1180 in case of suspected dengue infection and get required advice.

In response to the heightened risk of rapid breeding of dengue transmitting mosquitoes posed by ongoing rainfall, the local government has established a free hotline, 1180, offering counseling services to educate and assist citizens regarding dengue.

The local government has warned about a heightened risk of dengue infection amidst continuous rains.

The hotline service is available round the clock, said KMC Office's focal person for dengue, Rhishi Bhusal. 

Moreover, in case of health emergencies following dengue, the hospital has requested citizens to call 102 for access to a free ambulance service managed by the Office.

According to Bhusal, the KMC Office has deployed health workers and women health volunteers to raise awareness among citizens about dengue infection and its preventive measures.

In the fiscal year 2023/24, the government’s revenue and expenditure fell short of annual targets. 

According to the Office of the Auditor General, revenue collection reached 74.29 percent of the total target, while budget expenditures amounted to 80.44 percent.

For the fiscal year, the government had allocated a total budget of Rs 1,751bn. By mid-July (the end of fiscal year 2023-24), expenditures amounted to Rs 1,408bn.

Specifically, expenditures under the current heading amounted to Rs 952bn, which is 83.41 percent of the allocated budget of Rs 1,141bn. Similarly, expenditures under the capital heading totaled Rs 1,917bn, 63.47 per cent of the allocated budget of Rs 3,020bn.

Under the financial management heading, expenditures totaled Rs 2,646bn, reaching 86.07 percent of the allocated budget of Rs 3,074bn for the last fiscal year.

The government had set a revenue collection target of Rs 1,472bn for the fiscal year, but actual collections amounted to Rs 1,093bn, making up 74.29 percent of the target. 

The government collected Rs 944.55m in revenue in the last fiscal year against its target of collecting Rs 1,305bn. 

Towards non-tax, a target was set to collect Rs 117bn in the last fiscal year, but only Rs 114bn was collected. 

Similarly, the government was successful in receiving only 22.48 percent foreign grants (Rs 1,122bn) against the target of receiving Rs 4,994bn foreign grants.  

The government failed to meet the goal even after amending the income and expenditure estimate twice. It revised the income and expenditure estimate through a half-yearly review for the first time and second time while bringing up the budget of the last fiscal year.  

Revising the income and expenditure estimate for the second time on May 28, outgoing Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun presented the revised estimate of Rs 1,530bn (87.4 percent of  allocation). 

Of the total government expenditure, it was expected to spend Rs 1,067bn towards current expenditure, Rs 215bn towards capital expenditure and Rs 247bn towards financial management. 

Similarly, the government had set the target of collecting revenues worth Rs 1,253bn in the last fiscal year following the second revision. The government had reduced the estimates of revenue and expenditure by making a half-yearly review of the budget for fiscal year 2023/24 for the first time last February.

The government had brought a budget of Rs 1,751.31bn for the fiscal year 2023/24. The government had made a revised estimate of expenditure of Rs 1,530.26bn or 87.38 percent of the budget through the half-yearly evaluation of the budget. 

The estimates of expenditure towards current heading was revised through the half-yearly review to 88.84 percent, towards capital heading to 84.13 percent and towards fiscal management heading to 87.39 percent compared to the initial allocations for the first time. 

The estimates of income and expenditure were decreased through the half-yearly budget review and was expected to be Rs 1,007.45bn or 88.24 percent of the initial allocation towards the current heading, Rs 254.13bn or 84.13 percent of the initial allocation towards the capital heading and Rs 268.67bn or 87.39 percent of the initial allocation towards fiscal management heading.

The French Embassy in Nepal hosted a reception here on Tuesday at the French Residence in honor of the Nepali Olympians and the Nepal Olympic Committee, celebrating their journey and looking forward to their participation in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games which will start from July 26.

On the occasion, the French Chargé d’Affaires, Jean-Baptiste Lesecq, expressed pride in welcoming the athletes and their support teams. In his address, he congratulated the Olympians on their achievements, emphasizing the significance of their selection to represent Nepal on the world stage. He noted that this proud moment extends beyond the athletes to their friends, families, and the entire nation. “Success in sports is never due to one person but is the product of dedication from your coaches and the supporting team who are present here this evening,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the President of Nepal Olympic Committee Jeevan Ram Shrestha said, “We are confident that it (Paris Olympic Games) will be a magnificent event, demonstrating excellence and unity.”

During their stay in Paris, the athletes will reside in the Olympic Village, providing them the opportunity to meet fellow sportspersons who share their passion and values, the Embassy of France in Kathmandu said in a press release today. 

The Chargé d’Affaires encouraged the athletes to immerse themselves in the spirit of Paris and the Games, highlighting unique features such as the opening ceremony on the Seine River and iconic Parisian landmarks serving as venues.

The event was attended by Olympians Manita Pradhan/Judo, Prince Dahal/Badminton, Shantoshi Shrestha/Athletics, Sushmita Nepal/Shooting, senior officials of Nepal Olympic Committee and the coaches. Alexander G Shah/Swimming, Duana Lama/Swimming, and Santoo Shrestha/Table tennis were out of station.

As the Nepali Olympians prepare to represent their country on the world stage, the French Embassy extended its best wishes for a journey filled with unforgettable moments and personal and collective achievements.

The Paris 2024 Olympics promises to be an exceptional event, introducing new sports such as breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. These additions aim to be inclusive and appeal to younger audiences. The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee has also made strong environmental and social commitments, including ensuring gender parity among the athletes.

This event also holds a historical significance as the last time Paris hosted the Summer Olympic Games was in 1924.

A total of 77 people died in Koshi Province due to natural disasters in the last fiscal year 2023/24.

The casualties are highest due to floods, which cost the lives of 22 people while 24 suffered injuries, said Koshi Province Nepal Police Spokesperson Bhim Bahadur Dahal. The fatalities due to floods took place in 117 different places of the province.

Similarly, 20 people died and 134 people were injured in fire incidents that took place in 1, 731 different locations of the province in the previous fiscal year.

Likewise, 13 people died and 57 were injured due to wild animal attacks, 13 people died and 36 injured due to lightning, nine people were buried and 20 were injured in landslides.

According to reports, in the past one-year, natural disasters also took the life of 7,908 cattle heads in the province.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 149, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 149, 800 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 148, 800 per tola. It was traded at Rs 149, 100 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,860 per tola today.

Nepal’s economic situation is still in a  bad shape. According to the International Monetary Fund, the GDP growth is expected to recover modestly to 3.1 percent in the fiscal year 2023/24 from a weak two percent growth in the previous fiscal year. This achievement was made mainly  due to strong performance of export-oriented sectors and supported by increased agricultural production. 

IMF says capital spending is still weak, however, and imports are recovering only gradually, with year-on-year growth still negative. Political uncertainty continues to act as a headwind to growth. But the bright side is Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have come together to ensure political stability which is likely to contribute to the recovery. 

Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index hit a 26-month high and breached the psychological 2,300-point mark on Tuesday. The stock market rally coincided with CPN-UML Vice-chairperson Bishnu Prasad Paudel’s return to the finance ministry for his third stint as the finance minister. The stock market rally bodes well for Paudel who has inherited a troubled economy. The government has struggled to increase capital expenditure, stimulate loan demand, boost private sector confidence and make the market dynamic. 

Paudel needs to restore investor confidence and stimulate economic growth. He has signaled his intent to focus on production and employment which is necessary given the current state of Nepal’s economy.  The banking sector has seen only a five percent increase in credit growth which is far below the government’s target of 11 percent. The sluggish credit growth is indicative of a broader economic malaise that Paudel must address.

The new finance minister also needs to tackle the issue of idle capital in the banking sector. With banks sitting on approximately Rs 700bn of loanable funds, Paudel needs to create an environment conducive to investment. This will be possible only through policy reforms and by bringing different initiatives to boost investor confidence and create opportunities for investments.

Effective implementation of the new fiscal budget will be another significant challenge for the new finance minister. Paudel must navigate the complexities of implementing a budget prepared by his predecessor. The fact that Paudel’s party, UML, publicly expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the budget will make things further complicated for Paudel.

Minister Paudel also faces the challenge of improving public expenditure management and revenue collection. With capital expenditure falling short and revenue collection missing targets once again in the fiscal year 2023/24, Paudel must find ways to enhance government spending capacity and boost revenue streams for the government. 

Infrastructure development will be another challenging issue for Paudel. The Federation of Contractors Associations of Nepal (FCAN), the industry lobby of construction entrepreneurs, has claimed that the government owes contractors around Rs 40bn billion for completed works. It remains to be seen how Paudel resolves this issue and kick-starts new infrastructure projects which are crucial for economic growth and job creation.

Paudel must also address the challenges in the financial markets. The process of appointing a new chairperson for the Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) has seen legal complexities. Many are saying that this contributed to the failure of the ruling coalition of UML and CPN (Maoist Center). The new finance minister will need to handle this issue carefully to ensure stability in the stock market which is often described as a mirror of the economy.

The new finance minister will also need to tackle inflation and maintain price stability. This will require careful management of monetary policy in coordination with the central bank. The finance minister enjoys a good rapport with Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari who was appointed by the government led by his party.  

The finance minister will need to demonstrate strong leadership and implement effective policies to regain public and investor confidence. For this, he will have to introduce investor-friendly policies, streamline bureaucratic processes, combat corruption and improve the overall business environment. Additionally, he will need to work closely with other government agencies, the private sector, and international development partners to implement comprehensive economic reforms.

Paudel’s previous experience as finance minister in 2015 and 2021-2022 may prove valuable in navigating these challenges. However, overcoming these obstacles will require not only experience but also innovation, determination, and the ability to build consensus among various stakeholders.

The weather is generally cloudy across the country with light to moderate rain occurring at one or two places in all the provinces.

This is due to the effect of the Monsoon winds currently active in the country, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has said.

This afternoon, the weather will be partly to mostly cloudy in the country with a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at some places in Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali Provinces and one or two places in the remaining provinces. Heavy rain is likely at one or two places in Koshi, Bagmati and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

Similarly, tonight the weather will be partly to mostly cloudy across the country and there is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at some places of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces. Furthermore, there is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Koshi, Madhes, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

The weather in the next 24 hours will be partly to mostly cloudy across the country, states the weather bulletin released by the Department this morning.

Nepal has established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati today.

With this, the number of countries with which Nepal has diplomatic relations has reached 183.

Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas), which is located in the central Pacific Ocean, gained independence on 12 July 1979 from Britain. It has a total land area of 811 square kilometers with a population of over 120,000 people.

Kiribati became a member of the United Nations on 14 September 1999. Both Nepal and Kiribati are members of G77 and China and the Least Developed Countries.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Lok Bahadur Thapa and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kiribati to the United Nations Teburoro Tito signed a Joint Communiqué to this effect in a brief ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of Nepal in New York, today.

They also signed a joint letter informing the Secretary-General of the United Nations about the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On the occasion, both the Ambassadors exchanged views on various matters of common interest to strengthen bilateral cooperation in national and international forums, especially at the UN forums for the mutual benefit of the two countries, including the issues of least developed countries, according to a statement issued today by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations based in New York, USA.