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Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder met the relatives of two Nepali students killed in Hamas attacks.

Ambassador Goder reached the homes of the relatives of Narayan Prasad Neupane of Ghodaghodi Municipality-4 and Ashish Chaudhary of Joshipur Rural Municipality-5 who had gone to Israel on ‘Learn and Earn program, and lost their lives in the Hamas attacks.

Ten Nepali students of agriculture from Sudur Paschim University working at Kibbutz Alumim of Sedot Negev Agriculture Centre in southern Israel were killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Ambassador Goder, who had reached Tikapur to attend the condolence assembly organized by the School of Agriculture on Tuesday, met all the relatives of the deceased.

“Before leaving for Israel, I had asked each of the students about their future plans,” the ambassador said, adding, “They had left for Israel with plans to learn some new technologies and return to Nepal. Unfortunately, they lost their lives in Hamas attacks, leaving all of us saddened.”

Sympathizing with the relatives of the deceased, Ambassador Goder said the relatives of each student, who lost their lives in Israel, are like the family of Israel.

“They had gone to Israel as guests. After the incident, they are the members of our family. You are our family,” the ambassador told the relatives of Neupane, adding, “We will provide you with the services and facilities that Israeli citizens get on a monthly basis. Israel will be with you forever.”

While meeting the relatives of Ashish Chaudhary, Ambassador Goder said that the incident was the height of cruelty.

“Hamas terrorists killed people indiscriminately. They left no one from foreigners, children to women,” he said.

Meanwhile, he told Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah that Israel will take any kind of steps for the safe release of Bipin Joshi, who is said to be in Hamas' captivity.

Nepal Airlines Corporation and Department of Immigration officials have been arrested for allegedly creating fake documents to send people abroad on visit visas.

Police on Wednesday morning apprehended Arbind Yadav for his alleged involvement in a racket of creating bogus to the general public to Gulf countries on visit visa.

Organizing a press conference at Minbhawan in the Capital this afternoon, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office said that Homenath Pokharael working at the Tribhuvan International Airport was rounded up on Tuesday and Yadav on Wednesday.

DSP Govinda Panthi of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office said that Narhari Khadka, Officer at the Immigration Department, was caught red-handed while receiving money through the agent.

With the arrest of the officials of Nepali Airlines Corporation and Immigration Department, police have also started investigation into other airlines companies.

Meanwhile, police have taken ahead the investigation process by detaining Manu Raj Chaudhary, operator of Ultra Trip Travels, Dev Raj Khanal, operator of Rolex Travels, Saroj Kumar Yadav, operator of Holiday Tour and Travels, Ram Prasad Bhandari, operator of HR Tours and Travels, Dinesh Gyawali, operator of Sky Travels and Bhaktar Bahadur Thapa, operator of Manjari Travels, Anish Amatya, operator of ACE Consultancy, Gopal Rijal, operator of Pragati Bidhyashram Consultancy, Pashupati Mainali, operator of Nippon Consultancy and Ganesh Pandey, operator of Advance Management Multiple Trading Center among others.

A team of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office swung into action after the visa and documents used in the visit visa were found fake.

Minister for Finance Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the national economy is reviving following the continuous efforts of the government and it would reach a decisive mode very soon.

At an interaction with mediapersons in the Ministry of Finance today, Minister Mahat shared that the economic reform programs incorporated in the annual policies and programs, annual budget and monetary policy of the current fiscal year had begun showing positive results.

Mahat said, "When I took up the office, many economic indicators were not so positive. Some problems certainly emanated due to the strict policies adopted to manage the effects of the easy monetary policy adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. But overall, the economic indicators are becoming positive. The share market has picked up a positive rhythm and transaction of real estate is on the rise."

The Minister, however, admitted that it would take some more time for achieving growth in production and employment. "The economy will take a decisive form and the basis for it is being built," he expressed his confidence.

According to him, some decisions were made regarding monetary policy after continuous decisions between his Ministry and Nepal Rastra Bank which led to reduction of interest in the banks and financial institutions. Furthermore, the government is attempting to address the problems of debtors.

Minister Mahat said that the economic reform programs followed by the monetary policy had slowly begun showing the results.

"Various procedures have been devised to implement monetary policy while some are in the process of formulation. The process of awarding contracts is also progressing rapidly which is expected to increase capital flow in the market. Our policies and priorities in the sector of foreign assistance have been changed."

"We have expressed our intention to seek support for those projects capable of yielding expected results and donor agencies have responded to it positively," he said. According to the Minister, the government is internally preparing to introduce more programs for economic reforms in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. 

Stating that no economy was free from challenges in the world, he said, in case of domestic economic scenarios, the problems were accumulative and instant solutions were not possible. "However, we hope they will be addressed gradually. We are not content with our current achievements but are committed to ensuring that the economy is moving in a positive direction."

According to the Minister, the government is making an effort to fix a ceiling to current expenditures and to promote capital expenditures. The first quarter of the current fiscal year recorded a rise in the revenue collections. The revenue collection increased by 7.57 percent in the first three months of the current fiscal year. Specifically, customs revenue saw a significant increase of 13 percent, VAT rose by 7.19 percent, and income tax recorded a 12 percent increase during this period. The government is dedicated to intensifying economic and budget system reform programs and establishing high-level coordination between the government and private sectors.

He added the government is working to reflect positive indicators of the economy in consumption and investment, to promote fiscal responsibility in government spending, remove obstacles in government investment, ensure housing for Jajarkot earthquake survivors, create more jobs at home and achieve the expected economic growth.

It may be noted that the government has announced the Third Investment Summit on April 21 and 22. Prior, some policy and legal reforms would be carried forward for the event. The government is at work to make the Summit comparatively beneficial and ensure the involvement of investors in the potential areas so as to replace imports, said Minister Mahat.

"An atmosphere conducive for investments will be built while making and implementing policies and laws related to economic reforms in the long term. The government has adopted a policy of attracting domestic and foreign investments while keeping in view the development of hydropower, the commercialization of tourism and agriculture and the creation of abundant opportunities in the information technology sector," he said.

On the Ncell share sale and purchase, the Minister said any activities beyond the periphery of laws of Nepal would not be allowed. "The company that started operations abiding by the law of the country cannot detach itself from following the law. The regulating bodies should seriously look into the issue. We will collect taxes from the Ncell as per laws."

Economic crisis has had its impact on Parsa's economy as it forced the closure of 177 industries last fiscal 2079-80 BS (2022/23), according to the Cottage and Small Industry Office, Parsa. The figure is an increase as compared to 152 industries shut in the previous year 2021/22.

Lack of loans from banks and financial institutions and capital is to blame for the situation, said office chief Dhananjaya Kumar Singh. In the FY, 2022/23, the office got the registration of 1,089 new industries, and 1,480 in the FY, 202/22.

Similarly, 1,275 industries were renewed in the FY, 2022/23. In the FY, over Rs 10 million in revenue was collected from the industries. Similarly, 4,460 people got employed at the industries, said Singh.

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

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 116, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 116, 300 per tola on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 115, 450 per tola. It was traded at Rs 115, 750 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,400 per tola today.

The selling and consumption of tobacco products have been banned in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) from today.

KMC, Health Department Chief Ram Prasad Poudel, said a complete ban has been imposed on the sale of tobacco products in all the 32 wards of the metropolis.

According to him, the selling, storage and consumption of tobacco products packed in plastics have been completely prohibited within KMC from today.

The banned tobacco products include raw tobacco, chewing tobacco, bidi, tambakhu, sulpha, gutkha, panparag, packaged in plastic pouches.

The KMC had on November 28 issued a public notice about this ban.

The KMC Police will seize such products if found selling them. "We are on a campaign of making Kathmandu a healthy city. We have decided to ban the storage, selling and consumption of tobacco products harmful to people's health and the environment, coinciding with the 29th KMC Day," said the KMC Health Department Chief Poudel.

He said this provision is included in Clause 42 of the Public Health Act the KMC issued in 2080 BS. The provision in the Act is being strictly implemented in a bid to reduce the adverse effects the use of tobacco products is having on individual health.

Tobacco control is the first condition for improving the public health and environment in the city. 

It has been learnt that the KMC is preparing to implement a program to control hukka in the second phase.

House of Representatives Secretary Padma Prasad Pandey has been appointed as the acting General Secretary of the Federal Parliament.

Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire gave the responsibility of the General Secretary to Pandey after President Ram Chandra Paudel put on hold the recommendation to appoint him to the post.

Ghimire in consultation with National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina entrusted Pandey with the responsibility of General Secretary of the Parliament, the Speaker’s Secretariat said.

Speaker Ghimire decided to appoint Pandey as the General Secretary of the Parliament after some of the work to be done in connection with the Federal Parliament Day were affected due to the lack of leadership, the Secretariat further said.

According to the Secretariat, Speaker Ghimire decided to give the responsibility of the General Secretary of the Parliament to Pandey after he could not contact the President to discuss the reasons for delaying to appoint him to the position.

Speaker Ghimire and National Assembly Chairman Timilsina recommended Pandey for the post following the resignation of General Secretary Dr Bharat Raj Gautam on Tuesday.

Gautam, who was appointed as the General Secretary in May 2020, still had 10 months for retirement.

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities Jhapa Chairman Pandav Lal Chaudhary has been arrested on the charge of pelting stones at the vehicle of Koshi Province Chief Minister Kedar Karki.

He was apprehended from his Arjundhara Municipality-8-based house on Tuesday night.

DSP Khagendra Prasad Rijal, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Jhapa, said that Chaudhary was detained after he was found involved in showing black flags to Chief Minister Karki and hurling stones at his vehicle.

He said that they are also searching for others involved in the incident.

Chaudhary said that police nabbed him by breaking the gate and door of his house.

He has been taken to the Area Police Office, Damak.

It has been learnt that Chaudhary along with others pelted stones at the vehicle of the Chief Minister who had arrived in Damak to take part in a program on Monday afternoon.

The window of the vehicle was smashed from the pelting of stones.