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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the rich intellectual heritage founded on native and indigenous knowledge systems of the South can help provide answers to the global problems today, be it the question of medicine, lifestyle or peace.

In his address to the Association of Indian Universities AIU-North Zone Vice-Chancellors’ Meet and the Bharat-Nepal Higher Education Summit, in Dhulikhel today, the Prime Minister made this remark.

In the meet themed "Globalization and internalization of higher education" and hosted by the Kathmandu University, he said, "We must do away with the south versus north divide purely based on economic parameters. Rather, we must think of ways to connect the south and north by finding common grounds."

 According to the Prime Minister and the University Chancellor, the gathering, therefore, has great significance to devise a higher education manifesto for the global south.

"I believe that this meet will be a starting point for harnessing our own resources to contribute to the global order, which is changing anyway. 

Kathmandu University is leading the way from Nepal in writing such a manifesto. In its 32-year history, Kathmandu University has served as a beacon in this endeavor, with its commendable efforts in internationalization and the expansion of academic programs, he added.

Police have arrested two Pakistani nationals with nearly Rs 10 million in foreign currency from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Yasin Ahmed (31) and Mohammad Adnan Lakhani (48), who arrived in Kathmandu from Dubai, were arrested with 500, 000 Danish kroner.

The seized foreign currency is worth Rs 954,3000.

Police said the duo were apprehended with the foreign currency during a regular security check.

They have been kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala.

The Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress will be held at 1 pm at the party’s central office in Sanepa on Thursday.

The meeting is scheduled to discuss preparations for the Mahasamiti meeting of the party to be held at Godavari in Lalitpur from February 19 to 23.

NC Central Office Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel said that the meeting will focus on the issues of the upcoming General Committee meeting.

The party has also requested the office-bearers, members and invitee members of the party's central working committee to attend today's meeting.

A public holiday has been announced in Gandaki Province tomorrow to mark the Gandaki Provincial Government Establishment Day.

The Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers has issued a notice stating that all government offices, educational institutions and public institutions across the province will remain closed on Friday.

Spokesperson of the Office Praveen Dhakal shared that as per the decision of the Province Council of Ministers, a notice regarding the holiday has been published in the Provincial Gazette.

The day the first chief minister of the Province, Prithvi Subba Gurung, assumed office after the first provincial government was formed through the election of the provincial assembly is observed as the establishment day of the government every year.

On the Establishment Day, the provincial government is scheduled to organize various programs including morning procession, foundation day celebration, main program and an illumination in the evening.

Ten persons died when a commuter bus they were traveling in met with an accident near the Surahi Bridge in Shivaraj Municipality-1 of Kapilvastu on Thursday.

According to the District Police Office, Kapilvastu, one of the deceased has been identified as Narayan Bahadur Bhandari of Pahurani Municipality-3, Rautahat.

The identities of nine others are yet to be established.

Police said that 30 persons were injured in the accident.

Among the injured, nine have been taken to Butwal for treatment. Remaining others are undergoing treatment at various health institutions in Chandrauta.

The tragedy occurred when the bus (Su-Pa-Pra-02-001 Ba 0098) heading towards Mahendranagar from Kathmandu fell some 100 meters down the road at 1 am, police said.

Zero tolerance for corruption and good governance have been the buzzwords in public administration in Nepal in recent years. However, the reality paints a different picture as corruption continues to proliferate at an alarming rate.

Although Nepal’s standing has marginally improved in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, reaching a score of 35 this year, corruption remains a significant challenge for the country. Since Transparency International identifies a score below 50 as indicative of a high risk of corruption, there is a pressing need for Nepal to redouble its efforts in combating corruption and promoting good governance.

Prem Kumar Rai, the Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), said that the desired success in controlling corruption cannot be achieved unless politicians, employees, and citizens across all three tiers of government, exhibit a sense of responsibility towards good governance.

According to the CIAA’s annual report, different forms of corruption are rampant in Nepal. Here are some of them:

Infrastructure development

Following the adoption of federalism, corruption has thrived in development and construction projects implemented by all levels of government. Instances of misusing state resources during budget allocation, grants distribution, and service delivery have surged. The CIAA has received a significant number of complaints over the past five years related to bribery, illicit gains, and acquisition of illegal assets.

Procurement

The trend of making unnecessary purchases by public offices is on the rise. Construction companies are colluding with government officials to stifle competition in public procurement and construction projects. Direct procurement without competitive bidding has become increasingly common, Such cases are particularly evident during times of disasters. Allocation of budgets without proper justification and planning, as well as procurement without adherence to standards, are growing challenges in combating corruption.

Intermediaries

Middlemen have infiltrated public offices and are obstructing service delivery of these offices. As a result, the general public is forced to pay a fee for services they are supposed to get free of cost.

Appointments

Corruption is rampant in employee appointments. Some public institutions have become like recruitment centers for cadres of ruling parties. Staffers are being promoted without considering merit and criteria. Such activities have also led to misuse of government resources such as vehicles and fuel.

Land

Land-related irregularities are widespread across the country. Government land and forest land being leased for commercial purposes at minimal rates to serve the interests of certain individuals and groups. Encroachment on public, Guthi, and forest lands are going unabated. Recent land scams related to Lalita Niwas, Bansbari Leather factory and Nepal Trust shows this has become a chronic issue.

Political appointments

The practice of appointing offenders to various positions in public offices perpetuates corruption. Instances of appointees with foreign residency permits and those listed as absconding criminals shows the government is taking good governance very lightly. Political affiliations often outweigh qualifications and experience in appointments in all three tiers of governments. 

Revenue leakage

Incidents of revenue leakage are on the rise. As many as 49 such cases were reported to the CIAA in 2022/23 alone. Unjustified exemptions in customs duty and taxes as well as activities such as revenue evasion through under-invoicing, are on the rise. Authorities responsible for curbing such activities have failed in their duties, according to CIAA.

Policy corruption

Policy corruption has emerged as a significant issue in recent years. Decisions that fall under the purview of ministries and departments are being routed through the cabinet to evade scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies. The CIAA has long been calling for all three tiers of government to maintain transparency in their decision making process.

The CIAA is formulating an institutional strategic plan to address the challenges identified during its fourth strategic plan review. It has provided 22 recommendations to public offices to enhance transparency, competition, and quality in public procurement, among others.

President of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Chandra Dhakal, has requested world business leaders to connect with Nepal's virgin land of opportunities.

He urged the world businesspersons to invest specifically in Nepal's hydro power, tourism, agriculture and production.

Addressing the World Governments Summit-2024 organized in Dubai, UAE, President Dhakal informed the global business leaders that Nepal is a country with immense potential for economic growth and development. Located between the two largest markets of the world- India and China, Nepal has duty free market access to India, China and other developed countries. This means world investors can produce in Nepal and sell to the world, he made them aware.

In his address on behalf of Nepal's private sector, President Dhakal said, "Our government has been making efforts to improve the business environment by implementing reforms to simplify business procedures, reduce regulatory burden and enhance transparency. We are organizing the Investment Summit 2024 on April 28 and 29 this year."

He also shared that as part of the preparations for the Summit, the private sector has proposed amendments in 12 laws and regulations.

Similarly, the Nepal government has finalized the framework agreement of bilateral investment agreement, which will soon be materialized with potential partner countries.

"We have also been investing in infrastructure development to improve connectivity, reduce transportation costs and promote economic growth. Nepal has a lot of untapped potential in sectors, such as hydropower, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing," he reiterated, adding that the government has relaxed a few provisions on investment in tourism infrastructure, such as hotels, resorts, theme parks and cable cars.

The FNCCI President also shared that he had developed three cable cars in three different provinces and saw a huge potential in developing cable cars in hill stations close to the Indian border.

He argued that it could be a rewarding investment sector for foreign investors. "I would like to welcome you all to grab this investment opportunity. We believe that these sectors can play a vital role in driving economic growth and creating employment opportunities," Dhakal underlined.

He also committed to creating an environment conducive for businesses to thrive in Nepal. Nepal is also pursuing a liberal trade policy to promote exports and attract foreign investments. Dhakal expressed confidence that they would be excited to consume organic agro products produced on the lap of Himalayas and fresh water of high mountains. Nepal is well connected to the Middle East, according to him.

He mentioned that Nepal is looking for technical support from the UAE government and business community to produce and export here. Similarly, Nepal is working to improve trade relations with other countries and create a level playing field for businesses.

"In the last seven months we organized business summits in India, China and the UAE too. I would like to thank the government of the UAE and also Dubai Chambers for partnering with us to organize the event. We are now connected with Dubai Chambers to further explore possibilities to work together," he mentioned during the address.

The business leader of Nepal informed that FNCCI would also be holding its AGM on April 10, for which he extended an invitation to the world businesspersons.

FNCCI is the apex body of Nepali private sectors with around 600,000 direct and indirect members.

The World Governments Summit is held under the theme of 'Shaping Future Governments' on February 12-14.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 5. 91 points to close at 2,076. 50 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2. 27 points to close at 372. 27 points.

A total of 12,363,027-unit shares of 302 companies were traded for Rs 4. 25 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Finance Ltd. (NFS), Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Limited (BNL) and Panchthar Power Compant Limited (PPCL) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, People's Power Limited (PPL) was the top loser as its price fell by 5. 81 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 26 trillion.