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Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that it is the government's priority to reducing the trade deficit through export promotion and making domestic products of highest quality.

PM Deuba said this while inaugurating the Nepal Chamber Expo-2022 organised by Nepal Chamber of Commerce here today. He said it is also the priority of the government to substitute import by producing goods and services that can be produced within the country itself.

"Export promotion and import substitution, both topics, would not be possible without the active participation and collaboration from the private sector. The government is willing to move ahead hand-in-hand with the private sector to contain the trade deficit within acceptable limit through export promotion," the Prime Minister reiterated.

He stressed on the need of publicising and expanding the market for domestically-produced goods and suggested including the domestic goods produced by using domestic raw materials and the indigenous Nepali technology and skills in such trade fairs and exhibitions.

PM Deuba expressed the belief that the exhibition will help in export promotion as well as in the protection and sustainable development of small and medium scale industries of Nepal.

Local goods manufactured in Nepal and Bangladesh have been kept for display and sale in the trade fair cum exhibition that will last till June 20.

The Expo not only provides the venue for trading of large number of goods at one place but also establishes direct contact between the products and consumers, due to which the producers can contribute to trade promotion by assessing the market demand, Prime Minister Deuba said.

Stating that the Nepal Chamber of Commerce had its contribution to advising the government constructively for the country's economic development and prosperity and for the implementation of private sector-friendly policy, the Prime Minister reminded the role of Chamber in facilitating the government for formulation of policies relating to industry, commerce and other fiscal affairs to the implementation of such policies.

As the Prime Minister explained, the Chamber worked as a reliable bridge for enhancing collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sectors. He hoped the exhibition would be helpful in energizing the domestic trade and economic sectors hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic and further accelerating related activities. The event is expected to make the economic atmosphere lively by marketing and internationalization of Nepali products.

Interactions scheduled to be held among business communities and information exchanges on import and export on the sidelines of the event will provide a ground for operating and promoting transnational business and trade activities, according to the Prime Minister.

As he advised, if expo visitors would be made to visit nearby touristic sites, it would obviously help improve income generation at the local level and promote domestic tourism at the national level.

Bangladesh ambassador to Nepal, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury was hopeful of further consolidation of the trade and commercial ties between the two countries through the expo while Chamber president Rajendra Malla said the event is mainly aimed to promoting the production and trade of typical Nepali garments made of sisno (nettle) and dhaka items.

Nepal faced a 38-run defeat at the hands of the USA in ICC World Cup League-2.

The USA posted a 246-run target for Nepal in the match played at Moosa Cricket Stadium in Huston of the US. Nepal could muster 206 runs all out in 47.4 overs.

Nepal’s Aarif Sheikh scored the highest 63 runs including three fours while Sompal Kami gathered 47 runs, including a four from 72.

Sheikh and Kami made a partnership for 106 runs in the face-saving sixth wicket. Opener Kushal Bhurtel made 10, Ashif Sheikh 18, Dev Khanal 34 and Rohit Kumar Poudel 16 runs.

Saurav Netravalkar and Ali Khan of USA took three wickets each and Nothus Kaijing and Nisarga Patel one each to steer the USA team to victory.

Earlier, put on bat first after losing the toss, the USA mustered 245-7 in the 50-limited overs game.

Nepal’s bowlers Karan KC took three wickets, captain Sandeep Lamichhane two and Sompal Kami and Deepndra Singh Eiri one each.

Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale today said that Tribhuvan International Airport would be made a model airport in terms of cleanliness.

He said this while handing certificates to the participants of a two-week international-standard sanitation training. One-hundred-and-fifty-two cleaning staffers, including employees from the private sector working at TIA attended the training.

"We have put to an end the situation of tourists arriving at the airport and covering their noses. It is the responsibility of the cleaning staffers to keep the airport neat and clean.

I urge you to make the maximum use of skills and knowledge learnt in the course of the training. I will support you in this," he said.

Minister Ale also claimed that a lot of good work had been done to beautify the airport under his direction.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in most of the parts of the country with chances of heavy rain in some places today, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said.

The monsoon has its influence in Province no 1, Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces while the local wind and the Eat-West low pressure system prevailing in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India have their influence in the rest of the provinces.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of Province no 1, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki, among other provinces due to the impact of this weather system while partly to fair in the rest of the parts. There is the possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning at many places of province no 1, at some places of Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and at one or two places of the hilly region in the remaining provinces.

There is possibility of heavy rainfall at one or two places of Province no 1 and Madhes province, it is stated.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country tonight with chances of light to moderate rainfall along with thunder and lightning at some places of Province no 1, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, and at a few places of the hilly region of the rest of the provinces. There is possibility of heavy rain at one or two places of Province no 1, the Meteorological Forecasting Division said.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Devendra Paudel, has said an arrangement has been made to provide budget to 171 units in the coming fiscal year for the construction of sports infrastructures.

Responding to queries raised by lawmakers over the Appropriation Bill in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister Paudel shared a proposal has been presented to provide budget to 171 local units in the coming fiscal year by giving continuity to the sports infrastructures as per the government's policy of constructing one sports infrastructure in one local-level.

He further said concept of sports insurance has been developed in the coming fiscal year for the protection and development of players as well as arrangement of budget has been made to make the medical centre systematic in order to carry out treatment of injured players.

Arrangement of budget on various issues including player life insurance, player and training health insurance, player incentive award and allowance to Olympic players has been made this year to encourage players.

Minister Paudel on the behalf of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj, responded the queries of lawmakers on the issues related to Youth and Sports as Minister Gahatraj is in foreign trip.

On the occasion, the Education Minister opined that one school, one sports would be developed from school level for the development of sports sector.

The ninth meeting of the CPN-UML Secretariat has concluded that the party did not get satisfactory results in the key posts in the recently held local level elections.

A secretariat meeting of the UML came up with the conclusion while deciding to focus on a new course after a thorough review on the election results.

Sharing the information about the meeting held at the Party Headquarters in Chyasal today, Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said results of the local level elections should be accepted after participating in the election since the sovereign franchise of citizens was exercised in the elections.

He shared that the meeting discussed reasons behind the poor results in the posts of mayor and chairperson, adding that a fact had been established that the CPN-UML had emerged as the largest party with 34 per cent of popular votes.

The meeting decided that the concerned committees would take action against those involved in betraying the party's candidates, the UML leader mentioned.

Leader Gyawali also stated that no party leader should engage in blame game against the party's main leadership.

The meeting also decided to organise orientation programme for the newly-elected people's representatives from the party on June 16 and 17 in Kathmandu.

Similarly, the meeting also formed some departments of the party.

At a time when there is intense demand from across the country, including the voices raised in parliament for guarantee of chemical fertilizers to the farmers in the wake of monsoon, the Salt Trading Corporation Ltd has said it had begun importing the chemical fertilizer.

The Corporation responsible for importing the chemical fertilizer this year informed that 17,000 metric tons of DAP was already imported to the country and being distributed from various depots. Similarly, 22,000 metric tons of urea will also be imported within a week.

The Corporation was granted by the government to import as much as 100 thousand tons of chemical fertilizers, including 20,000 metric tons of DAP and 22,000 metric tons of urea. Remaining consignment of DAP had also arrived at Calcutta dry port.

Department manager at Corporation Brajesh Jha informed that 17,000 metric tons of DAP was being distributed from its depots. Remaining amount is also being brought. A sack of DAP chemical fertilizer weighs 50 kg.

It is said the current consignment in the country would be a huge relief to the scrambling farmers.

In the world agriculture market, the chemical fertilizer produced in Indonesia is considered the best. It is learnt that Agriculture Ministry has provided the grants of more than Rs 11 billion this year.

DAP is used for increasing the productivity of soil, while urea has nitrogen to grow plants.

According to Agriculture Ministry, some 200 thousand tons of chemical fertilizer is required for the cultivation done in a season. So, 500 thousand metric tons of fertilizers is used in Nepal annually. Agriculture sector contributes 27 percent to the gross domestic product in Nepal.

Similarly, with cereals having important role, rice production alone accounts 7 percent of GDP. Paddy is the major staple in Nepal.

The federal lawmakers in recent days have flared the voices for availability of chemical fertilizers.

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has formed a committee to investigate the repetition of question papers in its recent exams for two papers of the Master’s degree under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

According to TU registrar and central examinations committee chair Prof Dr Peshal Dahal, a three-member committee has been formed to probe the matter and it is coordinated by Professor Ghanashyam Bhattarai.

The committee is mandated to submit a study report within a week.

The question paper for MA degree in Economics (third semester, course title – Public Economics) for June 1 exam and the paper for MA degree in Political Science (first semester, course title- International Politics) for June 6 exams were allegedly repeated from the previous exams.

The 13 questions for 60 marks question paper were said to be ditto from the previous two exams.

The negligence of those assigned for setting the question papers is blamed for the issue.

However, TU has its expert teams to set the question papers.