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The Industry, Commerce, Labor and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives has instructed the government to take steps to ensure that Nepali workers employed abroad get to exercise their right to vote in periodic elections.  

The committee meeting held at Singhadurbar on Thursday instructed the government to take steps for securing abroad-based Nepalis’ right to vote, noting that a large number of Nepalis are outside the country.

According to the National Population and Housing Census-2021, 7.5 percent of the national population of roughly 29m is living abroad. Out of the 2.1m people based abroad, 82.2 percent are male and 17.8 percent female.

The issue of voting rights of Nepali migrant workers has been a topic of discussions for quite some time. In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a directive ordering the government to draft a law enabling eligible Nepali nationals based abroad to vote. More than 100 countries, including 28 African countries, respect the voting rights of their migrant citizens.

The meeting also instructed the government to identify Nepali workers stranded abroad because of war and other reasons, and take immediate action for their rescue and repatriation.

Abdul Khan, the committee chair, informed that the meeting instructed the Minister for Labor to put an end to all kinds of fraud in foreign employment by regularly monitoring and inspecting manpower companies.

Furthermore, the committee directed the ministry to spend funds allocated to it more effectively, describing the utilization of the budget allocated for the current fiscal year as ‘disappointing’, even as Dol Prasad Acharya, Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, said the offices related to foreign employment were delivering services smoothly.

Those willing to go for foreign employment can get labor permits within an hour through the online system, he said.

Committee members also drew the ministry’s serious attention toward instances of manpower agencies cheating Nepali workers heading for foreign employment. They urged the government to focus on solving migrant workers’ problems.

Vice-President (South, Central and West Asia) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Yingming Yang, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

During the meeting held at the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar today, they discussed the issues of economic development of Nepal and upcoming investment summit, according to the Prime Minister Dahal's Secretariat.

On the occasion, PM Dahal said Nepal is the appropriate destination for investment, adding there is ADB's significant investment in Nepal's physical infrastructure development.

He shared that Nepal would present effective and investment-worthy projects in the investment summit taking place in Nepal.

"The government has built an appropriate environment for investment by making legal and policy-level revision. It is the best opportunity for investment in Nepal", underscored PM Dahal.

Stating that ADB was ready to invest in Nepal's strategic projects, Vice-President Yang explained that the ADB would prepare a strategy to further invest in Nepal in the coming days.  

Dr Rupak Sapkota, Foreign Affairs advisor to PM Dahal, high-ranking officials of ADB in Nepal were present on the occasion.

China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Chairman Luo Zhaohui called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Baluwatar on Friday.

During the meeting, they discussed economic development of Nepal and upcoming Nepal Investment Summit, the Prime Minister's foreign advisor Dr Rupak Spakota informed.

On the occassion, Prime Minister Dahal said that the recent high-level visits between Nepal and China have enhanced the relations between the two countries and implementation of agreements has also been accelerated.

"More border points between Nepal and China have come into operation. This has brought relief to the people living near the border areas. I have also found that Chinese investors have also shown interest in the investment summit to be held in Nepal.

Chairman Zhaohui said that Chinese investors are interested to invest in the construction of Nepal's power transmission line and in the feasibility study of Tokha-Chhare tunnel.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1,400 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 137, 200 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 135, 800 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 136, 550 per tola. It was traded at Rs 135, 150 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 20 and is being traded at Rs 1,675 per tola today. 

Jeetendra Dev is a leader of the Nepali Congress. As a senior politician, he closely observes Nepal’s foreign policy and international relations. In this context, ApEx talked with him about the various aspects of Nepal-India relations.

How do you see the current state of Nepal-India relations?

Nepal and India have an age-old historic as well as civilizational relationship. This is the relation of emotion, daily life and shared destiny. We are interlinked with an umbilical cord towards shared destiny. Nowhere in the world could we see such a relationship between the two sovereign countries. On top of that we should never forget that this relation was not made by any government, parties or individuals; rather it was made by civilization, history and by the people itself and this bond is unbreakable.

After this we have the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950 and the international border is open as well as there is no passport and visa system. We have deep and fruitful political relations too. We have a wider range of dimensions and paraphernalia of socio-economic cooperation. For this purpose the Indian Aid Mission was set up in 1954 which was later transformed into Indian Cooperation Mission in 1966.

Nepal has been receiving socio-economic support and cooperation through this mission in the sector of connectivity, education, health, power generation, irrigation, flood control, empowerment of government agencies, and various community development projects. 

Overall, Nepal-India socio-economic cooperation is growing day by day and bilateral relationship is strengthening and getting deeper in mutual interest and advantages.

What is the current state of economic collaboration between the two countries ?

First of all, I believe that we are not distinguishing and differentiating between political and economic issues. Political issues should be tackled and resolved through political and diplomatic means and it must not be linked with economic issues. Nepal needs development and prosperity. For this we need investment and friend’s financial support. We cannot move forward without the support of our friends. Our public revenue is low, capital expenditure is low, economic activities are slow, investors are not attracting for investment, donors and friendly countries are becoming suspicious on our policies and dealings, we need employment generation activities to boost up the economy and to be graduated in middle income country in 2026 as well as to achieve SDG goals, among others. So the government and the political parties must bring the economic agenda to the forefront in the interest of the people and the country.

What should be our policy to enhance economic relationships?

It needs political trust and deep understanding between the political leadership of both countries and also the investment friendly environment in Nepal. We should be free from the mentality of skepticism and cynicism. In the present international order, bilateral economic relations can only be strengthened and made vibrant if there is a political trust. We only can garner maximum benefit from Indian economic powerhouse when we feel that India is our number one friend. When we enter this new thought, the whole bilateral scenario will move in a new positive direction.

Why are we failing to attract Indian investment?

As I explained above, I again say that for this, political trust and an investment friendly environment are needed. It is so nice that we are going to hold the Third Investment Summit at the end of April. For this purpose we have amended some Acts through ordinances to create an investment friendly atmosphere in the country. Now we have to strengthen inclusive democracy in the country as well as to bring good governance and maintain excellent relationships with our neighbor as well as other friendly countries.

What are your suggestions for the political parties to redefine bilateral relations in the changing context?

We have to review and reassess our whole political, socio-economic and foreign policies. Nepal needs inclusive and participatory democracy. Nepal should bring its socio-economic agenda on top priority. We need an employment generating economy and good governance. There is a need for a good and clean image of the political leadership.

We have to restructure and reorient our foreign policy. New priority should be drawn. We have to review our neighbor policy. I have the feeling that our India policy is not pragmatic and perfect. We have to keep in mind that India is our next door number one friend. If we take such a policy, the whole bilateral scenario will move to change in a new dimension and new vistas of economic cooperation will open and at the due course of time all our other bilateral unresolved issues will be solved.

The grade 12 examinations have begun across the country at once from 8 am today.

Chairperson of the National Examination Board, Dr Mahashram Sharma said the examinations were being conducted at 1,525 examination centers in all 77 districts.

A total of 1,526 examination centers have been set up by the board, including 1,525 in the country and one in Japan.

The examination has also been conducted by sending question papers through email to the examination center in Japan.

Dr Sharma said, "The grade 12 examinations have started peacefully across the country from 8 am today. We have received information that the students have participated in the examination with enthusiasm.

Center for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF) organized a National Seminar on “Reflecting on BRI: Experiences and Lessons from South Asia”. The seminar aimed to navigate the opportunities and challenges of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with experiences from regional neighbors who have implemented the projects under BRI. The seminar was held at a critical time of accelerated Chinese push for the BRI implementation plan agreement with Nepal.

Welcoming the participants, Executive Chairperson of CESIF Amb. Vijay Kant Karna raised concerns about the rationale and significance of the BRI Implementation Plan Agreement instead of negotiating projects on an individual basis. “The negotiation should be on an individual project basis; a single financing and implementation modality may not fit different nature of projects”, he said, reads a statement issued by CESIF.

Delivering the keynote speech, former Minister for Finance, Prakash Sharan Mahat stressed that Nepal should have the same approach to financial support from all sources because where the support comes from does not matter so much, as long as it serves the country’s national interest. “In the context where we struggle to utilize the low-interest multilateral loans from the World Bank and ADB, we should critically examine, compare, and question the terms and conditions of bilateral loans that have market rate and short-term repayment periods,” he said.

Mahat also pointed out the lack of homework on Nepal’s part when it comes to either bilateral or multilateral negotiations; only later do we engage in debates and discussions.

Another keynote speaker Raj Kishor Yadav, Chairman of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the Parliament, stressed the need for wider discussion on BRI in the Parliament, urging the government to release the BRI MoU signed with China in 2017, according to the statement.

He further mentioned that the government should clarify the current status of negotiation on BRI and should not opt for any commercial loans. “Our negotiation with China should focus on grants and concessional loans with interest rates at par with other multilateral financial institutions and should not have any strings attached”, he stated.

Following the speeches, the speakers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India presented the experiences and perceptions of individual countries on BRI. Elaborating on Nepal’s experience with BRI, senior journalist Anil Giri stressed the lack of understanding about BRI among policymakers, politicians, and the public alike. He pointed to forging a national consensus on the negotiation bottom line to move forward with BRI, particularly due to some ambiguous conditions in the MoU such as policy exchange and financial integration.

Talal Rafi, Economist and Fellow at Oxford Global Society, Sri Lanka, pointed out several issues on BRI projects in Sri Lanka while highlighting some positive aspects. Although International Sovereign Bank (ISB) debt ranks above the Chinese bilateral debt, Sri Lanka’s experience with BRI shows a lack of transparency, ad-hoc planning, selection of projects without viability assessment, lack of technological spillover, and environmental concerns. “The slow pace debt negotiation with China is delaying the economic recovery process”, he mentioned.

Mostakim Bin Motaher, Associate Professor at Jahangirnagar University of Bangladesh, highlighted that China’s presence in Bangladesh’s infrastructure has surged quite significantly in recent years, with deep trade and investment ties. Some of the common features of the projects financed by China are escalation of cost, non-transparent or absent bidding procedures, and delays in execution, the statement further reads.

Constantino Xavier’s presentation cited three reasons behind India’s decision to stay out of the BRI: the China-driven and led unilateral nature of the initiative, Chinese economic and strategic interests behind the Initiative unfavorable for India, and the concern about its capacity to absorb capital. He also highlighted how this decision has affected India’s relations with its neighbors, whereby India reinvented its delivery system. “Nepal needs to rely on itself and develop its capacity,” he stressed.

Following the country-specific presentations, the seminar hosted two panel discussions. The first panel discussion brought together Nepali experts to probe into current developments and Nepal’s concerns on BRI negotiation.

The panel hosted Amb. Madhu Raman Acharya, Rameshore Khanal, Akhilesh Upadhyay, and Amish Mulmi.

It was moderated by Amb. Vijaya Kant Karna. Key points in the discussion included the need for clarity on project implementation modalities, concerns about oversight, transparency, and environmental viability, as well as evolving narratives surrounding BRI's focus and China's interests in Nepal's development. The discussion underscored the necessity for transparent discourse and strategic negotiation to navigate Nepal's engagement with the BRI effectively.

Citing the example of Pokhara International, Amb. Acharya reiterated that China has been “shifting the goalpost” regarding BRI and emphasized that Nepal should have its own “objective assessment of each project,” as China has its strategic and economic interests in BRI.

The second panel discussion hosted delegates from countries across South Asia to discuss experiences and lessons for Nepal from their BRI journey. The session was moderated by Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, Research Director at CESIF.

Wrapping up the event, in his closing remarks, Arpan Gelal, Research and Program Coordinator at CESIF, summarized the key issues raised and the consensus reached on the seminar. “Nepal needs wider stakeholder consultation and debate to set Nepal’s negotiation priorities to ensure implementation of BRI that best serves Nepal’s interests”, he said.

More than 100 participants including policymakers, politicians, national and international experts, analysts, academics, diplomats, bureaucrats, and journalists attended the event.

Radisson Hotel Kathmandu launched the Thai Food Festival in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy on the occasion of the Maha Songkran, a vibrant celebration of Thai New Year. This food festival aims to bring the best flavors from Thailand. 

On this 9-day celebration of Thai culinary heritage from April 25 to May 3, Master Chef Yao from Thailand presents Thai delicacies at The Fun Café. The event was inaugurated by Suwapong Sirisorn, Thai Ambassador to Nepal along with the General Manager of Radisson Hotel Kathmandu Subrata Banerjee. 

“We are thrilled to start the culinary calendar with our inaugural food festival of the year. Collaborating with the Royal Thai Embassy has been a privilege, and we are delighted to present an event that celebrates the rich heritage and flavors of Thailand. We look forward to further collaborations and creating more memorable experiences together in the future.” said Banerjee, General Manager of Radisson Hotel Kathmandu.