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President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Chandra Prasad Dhakal has urged investors from around the world to seize the opportunity and invest in Nepal's burgeoning economy.

Addressing the Third Nepal Investment Summit 2024, he emphasized the country's colossal untapped sectors and its potential as an investment destination.

Dhakal highlighted Nepal's strategic location between the economic powerhouses of China and India, underscoring its significance as a gateway to vast markets.

He emphasized the abundant opportunities across various sectors, including tourism, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, technology, and ICT.

The FNCCI President particularly spotlighted the immense potential in renewable energy, citing recent agreements for power trade with India and Bangladesh as indicators of Nepal's capability in hydropower generation and regional trade.

He also underscored the need for modern infrastructure in tourism, agriculture, and technology sectors to harness Nepal's rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and young, dynamic workforce.

Moreover, Dhakal emphasized the importance of investing in technical education to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled human resources, thereby boosting both domestic employment and remittance inflows.

He commended the government's efforts in implementing business-friendly policies and initiatives to facilitate foreign investment, including recent amendments and bilateral investment agreements.

Highlighting FNCCI's role in boosting investor confidence through international business summits in New Delhi, Beijing, and Dubai, Dhakal assured continuous support and commitment from the Nepali private sector for joint ventures in all potential sectors.

He shared his belief in Nepal's emerging growth story and encouraged forging partnerships to chart a path towards sustainable development and prosperity.

Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has asserted that Nepal is an attractive destination for international investment.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Third Investment Summit today, he highlighted the key objectives of the Summit.

According to the Finance Minister, the key objectives of the Summit are: To project Nepal as an emerging destination for private sector investment; to highlight recent reforms in enhancing the investment climate and ensuring regulatory frameworks that support foreign as well as domestic investment, to showcase a wide range of projects across different sectors, including investment-ready projects; to facilitate productive negotiations and come up with a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between investors and stakeholders, advancing project development and management objectives; and to provide a platform for networking opportunities among the policymakers, investors, experts and other stakeholders to share ideas and views as well as encourage joint ventures in areas such as industry and infrastructure development.

The finance minister said there are multitudes of investment opportunities ahead, which will be further enhanced through this summit.

"Nepal has been able to achieve significant progress in recent years. Our macroeconomic indicators remain sound and stable. Nepal's economic landscape is evolving, complemented by a federal system of governance providing ample opportunities to foster growth and innovation," he said, adding that over the years, Nepal has witnessed significant achievements in the areas of clean energy, tourism, IT, agriculture, and agro-based industries as the drivers of its economic progress and prosperity.

Noting that as Nepal embarks on the journey of economic transformation, it is imperative to acknowledge that our existing technology and domestic markets alone are insufficient to sustain the high growth trajectory we hope to achieve, Finance Minister Pun observed that foreign investors in Nepal have made commendable achievements.

"Therefore, Nepal warmly welcomes foreign investment as a catalyst for industrial development, infrastructure development, job creation, export promotion, and knowledge, skill and technology transfer. The government is committed to collaborating with the private sector through private direct investment and various other models of public-private partnership. We are grateful to the development partners for their continuous support in creating an enabling environment for investment," he reiterated.

Stating that various policy reforms have been initiated with a view to improving the business environment and boosting investors' confidence, the finance minister said that these reforms include improving regulatory processes, reducing the time and cost of business, and ensuring transparency and accountability in public sector governance.

"Reform is an ongoing process; it will be continued in the days to come. Ladies and gentlemen, I am confident that this summit will serve as an important milestone for unleashing Nepal's tremendous investment potential and charting a path towards sustainable economic growth. Let us grab the opportunity to forge new partnerships, drive innovation, and create a brighter future for all," he added.

The Judges' Society Nepal, an organization of incumbent justices, has demanded action against sidhakura.com.

Saying that its serious attention has been drawn towards the news published by Sidhakura.com titled 'Secret deal to dismiss more than 400 corruption cases', the Judges Society said that the issues in the news were baseless and demanded that the news agency be brought under the law.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the Judges’ Society Nepal said that publishing the news without checking the facts and involving a Supreme Court justice is not only an attack on particular justice but also on the entire judicial system.

ALSO READ: Press Council directs sidhakura to remove fake content

“This Judges’ Society Nepal’s serious attention has been drawn towards the news titled ‘Secret deal to dismiss 400 corruption cases’ broadcasted and published by Sidhakura.com on April 26, 2024,'' reads the statement issued by General Secretary Tek Narayan Kunwar. “If you think that the verdict delivered by a particular justice was against the law, you should have to find the treatment by adopting the procedure as per the law in the concerned authority, but to publish and broadcast the news without cross checking the facts and even by saying that there has been bias in the verdict by involving a justice is not only an attack on specific justice but also on the entire judicial system.”

Although Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai was dragged in on this issue, the Judges’ Society claimed that he was not in the panel when the decision was made.

The Society said that this type of fake news has created confusion over the judicial system and judiciary among the people.

ALSO READ: Govt should immediately take action against those involved in disseminating fake news: Media Society

Nepali citizens visiting China will get a free entry permit (visa). Now, the Nepalis will not have to pay for the visa.

The Chinese Embassy informed that the entry permits for the Nepalis visiting China have been made free of cost. However, certain service charges will be levied.

According to the Chinese Embassy, this rule will come into effect from May 1.

The Nepali Embassy said that the free visa system has been implemented to further strengthen the relations between Nepal and China.

The Nepal government, however, has been providing 150 days free visa to the Chinese nationals.

The Chinese Embassy said that the visa fee will not be charged for single and multiple entry.

The Embassy further informed that no fee will be charged even for multiple entry permits of six months and one year.

Author Laxmi Devi Rajbhandari has released three captivating books of English poetry : “The Bird of Paradise”, “Eternal Vigilance” and “Briar  Rose".  All of them are long poems (Khanda Kabya), each contributing  a rich narrative of her years of  life experience.

There is a deep undercurrent of spirituality in her poetry. She shares her beautiful experiences of awakening through her unique spontaneously expressed poems and offers a glimpse of the realm of spirituality in most touching simplicity inspiring to open one’s heart to the Truth

The books were released on Baisakh 14, 2081/April 14, 2024 by Laxmi Devi Rajbhandari,  Prof. Dr Mohan Prasad Lohani (Chairperson); Prof. Ganga Prasad Uprety (Chief Guest); Prof. Dr Padma Prasad Devkota; Prof. Dr Shreedhar Gautam; and Prof. Keshav Sigdel at Bougainvilla Events, Kathmandu.

Laxmi Devi Rajbhandari has published nineteen books of poetry (eight in Nepali, one in Newari, and ten in English (including the 3 released on Baisakh 14).  Her first publication Banda Kitab – Closed Book, a poem, was published in Matribhumi weekly by Govinda Biyogi jyu nearly 35 years ago. Her first publication in book form was Jeevan Yatra ka Chyan haru - Moments in Life Journey, published in 1990.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has issued the Ordinance Amending Some Nepal Acts Related to Investment Facilitation, 2081.

The President issued the Ordinance on the recommendation of the Government of Nepal, Council of Ministers and in accordance with the Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal, stated a communiqué signed by Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, the Spokesperson at the Office of the President. 

The Ordinance has been issued in the context of the Third Investment Summit that kicked off in the federal capital from today.

Indoor plants are great—they make a space look aesthetic while bringing in an element of nature into your homes, they purify air, and many of them are fairly low maintenance. Greenery is known to have mood-boosting benefits and if you don’t have much outdoor space, indoor plants can be a great option.

But we know a lot of people who are always cribbing about how their Peace Lily doesn’t flower, or that their Fiddle Fig isn’t lush enough. Some even call themselves plant murderers. So, we thought we would come to their aid and find out some tips and tricks to get indoor plants thriving. It was something we could use some help with too. We spoke to some people who have happy plants at home to figure out what we might be doing wrong. Here are three things you should keep in mind for happy, thriving indoor plants. 

Choose plants based on light

The number one rule while getting plants for your home is to determine the amount of natural light your space receives and choose plants according to that. If you have south-facing windows, it will give bright light. If there are windows on the east and west, they will give moderate light while there’s low light from the north side. Most houseplants like bright, indirect light but some, like ZZ and Snake plants, can tolerate low light as well. If you don’t know which plant likes what type of light, place them where you like and then keep an eye out on them to see if they are thriving in the area.

“Consider placing them in well-lit spots for starters,” says Rajan KC, who works at a nursery in Khumaltar, Lalitpur. If you have a certain space where you feel the need for a plant or there is a particular plant you want to add in your home, research its light needs before you buy. KC says you shouldn’t hesitate to ask the gardener or the plant seller for information on how to take care of the plant you are buying. More often than not, they will be able to give you helpful tips.

Be careful about watering

Indoor plants are considered low maintenance mostly because they don’t need regular watering as outdoor, garden plants do. If you are confused about how much water your plants need, always remember that it’s better to underwater than to overwater them. Overwatering will lead to root rot and there’s often no saving your plants after that.

Make sure the soil is dry before watering your plants, says Sonam Lama, a primary school teacher, who has around 50 plants in her two-bedroom apartment in Kathmandu. She says how much water your plants need will differ around the year—they will need less water in the winter and slightly more in the summer. “If the soil is pulling away from the pot, that means the plant needs water,” she says.

How often you need to water your plants depends on various factors like how warm your home is, the type of plant, and the kind of pot. Plastic pots retain soil moisture longer than porous terra cotta containers, which let air pass through the sides. So be a bit mindful about the state your plant is in before frolicking around the house with the watering can.

Skip the fertilizer

Fresh soil has enough nutrients so if you have just repotted your plant, you don’t need to add fertilizer to it. Too much fertilizer can be harmful for houseplants as they don’t need as much fertilizer as outdoor plants do. When choosing to fertilize indoor plants, do so during the growing season which is early spring and monsoon.

If you make your own fertilizer from kitchen waste then you can use a fistful for each pot but if you are using store-bought fertilizer make sure to dilute it in water. “Always follow the instructions on the fertilizer packet and don’t just wing it,” says Rachana Karki. Her plants once shriveled from too much fertilizer and she had to replace around a dozen plants. Since then, she follows the ‘less is more’ rule when it comes to fertilizing indoor plants. “I’ve realized most plants do well with regular cleaning. I wipe down the leaves with a soft cloth after giving them a spritz of water every now and then,” she says.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 137, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 137, 200 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 136, 950 per tola. It was traded at Rs 136, 550 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver, however, has dropped by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 1, 660 per tola today.