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Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun last night held separate meetings with World Bank (WB) Group Vice Presidents Akihiko Nishio (Development Finance) and Guangzhe Chen (Infrastructure) at the Washington DC-based WB Headquarters.

According to the Minister's Secretariat, the minister thanked Akihiko Nishio for entertaining Nepal's proposal to organize a meeting of the International Development Association (IDA-21) under the World Bank Group in Kathmandu in the coming June.

He also met with Riccardo Puliti, International Finance Corporation (IFC) regional vice president for Asia and the Pacific.

The finance minister apprised WB Vice President Akihito that preparations for hosting the event are going well in cooperation with the WB Nepal Office in Kathmandu. He also utilized the time to call on the WB to explore further areas of investment in Nepal through concessional loans or grant schemes.

He said that Nepal's latest achievements in the areas of telecommunications, transport, and clean energy are capable of catching global attention.

The minister said that Nepal has adopted the Kathmandu Declaration incorporating a strategic action plan for Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (Grid) that was endorsed by the Government of Nepal and its 16 development partners in 2021.  As per the concept of the Declaration, Nepal will be implementing the First Nepal Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Programmatic DPC in the upcoming year.

The minister also acknowledged the WB's initiation to invest in the 1,063-MW upper Arun Semi Reservoir Project and the 635-MW Dudhkoshi Reservoir Project.

Similarly, during his meeting with another Vice President, the minister said Nepal accorded top priority to infrastructure development.  "The Nepal Government focuses on energy, transport and urban infrastructure-centered projects," he said.

He said a roundtable meeting held with the WB's Kathmandu-based officials regarding the financial modality of the Upper Arun and Dudhkosi was productive, expressing his hope of finding a solution for the financial management for the implementations of projects soon.

Stating that both projects are the 'game changer' projects of Nepal, he expressed the belief that their development will enhance the country's capacity of building big infrastructure projects. He shared that they were confident that the finance management of the Upper Arun Hydropower Project would be done within the coming mid-July.

The finance minister informed that works like distribution of compensation to the people affected by the Upper Arun Project, construction of the approach road and land acquisition are in completion phase.

Reiterating that Nepal has ensured the regional market for hydropower, he said an agreement has been reached for exporting 10,000 megawatts power to India in the next 10 years and the process has been forwarded for Bangladesh to buy Nepal's power. 

During the meeting with IFC Vice President Puliti, Finance Minister Pun expressed the belief that collaboration between IFC and Nepal would be further deepened in the coming days. Recalling that Nepal and IFC have five decades long collaboration, he said IFC has invested in Nepal's tourism sector for the first time.

He said the cooperation extended by IFC for Nepal's economic endeavors and for the private sector development through capital management is laudable. He also appealed for increasing the investment areas as well as capital mobilization and technical assistance in the days to come, noting that IFC has been providing assistance in Nepal's tourism, energy, transportation and agriculture sectors.

Minister Pun reiterated that there are better investment opportunities for investment in the information technology sector in the coming days. According to him, Nepal has adopted the policy of welcoming foreign direct investment due to its small economy, which is looking for investment capital.

In the three separate meetings, the finance minister informed that the Third Investment Summit is going to be held on April 28 and 29 in Kathmandu with the goal of increasing the foreign direct investment, adding that high-level participation is expected in it.

Minister Pun left for the USA on Monday to participate in the Joint Spring-time Meeting of the WB and the IMF.

Nepal advanced to the semi-finals of the ACC Premier Cup defeating Saudi Arabia by six wickets in Al Amerat, Oman on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia set a target of 74 runs against Nepal in the match, reduced to eight overs due to rain. Nepal achieved the target in 7. 2 overs losing four wickets.

Gulsan Jha scored highest unbeaten 32 runs off 19 balls hitting two sixes and two fours.  Similarly, captain Rohi Paudel unbeaten 16 runs off seven balls with one six and one four.

Likewise, Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 17 runs off nine including three boundaries.

Saudi Arabia, who were invited to bat first after losing the toss, scored 73 runs losing seven wickets in the allotted eight overs.

Abdul Waheed scored highest 37 runs for Saudi Arabia. Other batters failed to score in double digits.

Karan KC and Abhinas Bohara took two wickets each for Nepal and Lalit Rajbasni and Pratish GC claimed one wicket each.

Ram Prasad Sapkota has been appointed as the vice chairman of the Nepal Tourism Board. A 368^th meeting of the Board held on April 15 under the chairmanship of Dr Deepal Kafle, Board’s Director and Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, appointed Sapkota as the vice-chairman of the Board.

A Cabinet meeting held on March 28, 2024 had appointed Sapkota along with Rajendra Lama and Rishi Bhandari as the members of the Board.

Among the Board’s members, there is a provision to appoint the senior as the vice chairman.

Sapkota was appointed as the vice-chairman according to the same provision.

The tenure of the newly appointed vice chairman will be three years.

The Nepal Tourism Board, established for the promotion of Nepal’s tourism sector, is the supreme body of the tourism sector of Nepal.

According to the provision of the Nepal Tourism Board Act 253, one member selected by the Board’s members will be appointed as the vice chairman of the Board from among the Ministry’s secretary, chairman and nominated members.

There is a provision to have an executive committee of 11 people including Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, Director General of the Immigration Department, Joint Secretary at the Finance Ministry and five members nominated by the government.

Sapkota of Jyamarung, Nilakantha Municipality, Dhading has been active in the tourism business for a long time.

Sapkota, who received an honorary degree from the Word University of France, has received dozens of national and international awards like 'South Asian Youth Tourism Award 2019', 'Surya Nepal Asha Social Entrepreneurship Award 2011' and 'International Sustainable Tourism Inspiring Story Competition 2013' Award and Tourism Man of the Year Award.

Chief of Sudurpaschim Province Nazir Miya has rejected contesting claims for the position of the province’s Chief Minister coming from rival factions of the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP).

On Sunday, Laxman Kishor Chaudhary of NUP’s Resham Chaudhary faction approached the province Chief’s Office staking claim for chief ministership, with support from the Nepali Congress and CPN (United Socialist). The day also saw Kailash Chaudhary of NUP’s Ranjita Shrestha faction staking claim for the position, with support from the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center).

But the province chief was far from impressed and called the contestants to submit their claims again within two days.

In accordance with Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, Miya has given both sides till 5 pm on April 18 to submit their claims for chief ministership, Dirgharaj Bhatta, information officer at the province Chief’s Office, said. 

NUP emerged as a formidable force in Sudurpaschim through the last general elections.  Now, there are fears that an ongoing conflict between Resham Chaudhary and Shrestha—founder and chair of NUP, respectively—may end up destabilizing the five-party ruling coalition at the Center. 

The 54-member Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly has 18 members from the Congress, 11 from the Maoist Center (including the Speaker), 10 from the UML, nine from NUP, four from CPN (US), one from Rastriya Prajatantra Party and one independent member. Out of nine NUP members, two are from the Resham Chaudhary faction. As things stand, the four-party CPN (US) will have a crucial role in forming a majority government in the province.

Police have arrested All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Vice-President Dawa Lama on Wednesday.

A team of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office apprehended Lama from Kathmandu.

"Lama had been on the run after the High Court Patan convicted him of dealing in narcotics (brown heroin) in 2064 BS. Our team arrested him today," Office spokesperson and Superintendent of Police, Rabindra Regmi, said.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Bin Hamad Al Thani, is arriving in Nepal on April 24 on a two-day official visit, sources said. 

 The government is expected to make an official announcement of the high-level visit soon. The Emir’s earlier visit, scheduled for November last year, was canceled due to an unfavorable situation in the Mideast. This is his first visit to Nepal. 

During the high official’s visit, Nepal plans to make a proposal for amending the labor agreement signed between the two countries 19 years ago. Qatar has reportedly responded positively to Nepal’s proposal, but it’s still unclear whether an updated agreement will be signed during the visit. About three lakh Nepali are working in Qatar, making the Gulf country one of the major destinations for Nepali migrant workers. The Emir came to power in 2013, following an announcement to this effect from his father, Sheikh Hamad Khalifa Al Thani. Born on 3 June, 1980, the Emir pursued his higher education in the United Kingdom where he attended the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst, graduating in 1998. 

Fourteen people were injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Thinbang, Bagchaur Municipality-2 of Salyan.

The incident occurred when the bus (Ra 1 Kha 2085) heading towards Rukum from Dang fell off a bridge at Thinbang, Bagchaur-2, said Deputy Inspector General Kuber Kadayat, the Chief of the Lumbini Province Police.

According to him, four of the injured persons are in serious condition.

Nepal Police personnel and the locals have rescued the injured persons and taken them to a Tharmare-based hospital and the District Hospital in Salyan for treatment.

Further details of the accident are awaited, DIGP Kadayat said.

The gold is being traded at Rs 139, 200 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 138, 550 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 750 per tola today.