Submit your Article

Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma has claimed that the country's economy has not faced any crisis. 

“The country has not gone through any big economic crisis based on the evaluation of available details so far,” Minister Sharma said at a press conference organized here on Monday at his office to brief on the latest situation of the country’s economy.  

Sharma further said that misinformation on the issue was making the rounds with an intent to discourage traders and mislead people and viewed such acts should be stopped. “The government is alert and aware about making the country’s economy function smoothly.” 

In another context, the Minister clarified that the investigation into the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, Maha Prasad Adhikari, was conducted in compliance with the law and the Rastra Bank Act. 

A probe committee was formed to look into the matter and further decisions would be taken acting on the report by the committee, according to him.

Similarly, the cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to launch a probe into the Governor, the Minister informed adding that although loan expansion was more than the deposits, it had not yielded quality results for the national economy. 

Urging one and all not to go by rumours about the country’s flagging economy, Minister asserted that country’s economy was moving in a positive direction despite the COVID-19 crisis and ‘struggle’ between Russia and Ukraine. 

According to him, industries were being operated properly and the inflow of remittance was also positively increasing. The country recorded remittance inflow amounting to over Rs 91 billion as of mid-March this year, it was shared. 

He claimed that the revenue collection was also exceeding the expectations. 

In a bid to increase remittance inflows, Minister Sharma informed that the proposal seeking approval for setting up a reserve fund for Nepali migrant workers abroad to invest, set aside the quotas for IPO and FPO, allow the remittance companies to use wallets and reduce the cost of fuel used in the government and governmental agencies had been forwarded. 

Furthermore, he shared that a proposal had been made to temporarily ban the import of expensive and luxurious vehicles and not to allow the government agencies’ vehicles to be used on public holidays.

Construction process for International Cricket Stadium to be established at Bharatpur Metropolitan City of Chitwan district has formally begun from Wednesday. 
At a programme organized by Dhurmus Suntali Foundation, the Foundation and Bharatpur Metropolitan City signed an agreement related to land acquisition for the same. 
The agreement was signed to construct the international cricket stadium on 20 bigha of land used by the Agriculture and Forestry University at Bharatpur Metropolitan City-16. The land is under the ownership of the Tribhuvan University. 
The stadium will be named as ‘Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium’. Chief of the Foundation, Sitaram Kattel, said that the stadium would be handed over to the Metropolitan City after completing construction works within two years of the formulation of master plan. 
The foundation has formed advisory committee, main committee, construction and management committee, legal committee, financial committee and technical committee to make facilitate the construction work. The construction cost of the stadium is estimated Rs 3 billion. 

Inaugurating the High Definition (HD) version of four channels of the Nepal television on the occasion of 34th anniversary of the Nepal television here today, Prime Minister said that agriculture, industry, tourism, infrastructure development, energy, education and health sectors of Nepal would be modernized. 
He further said that super computer has already been made jointly by scientists of Nepal and Switzerland. 
The Prime Minister said, “Nepal has been moving one-step ahead with modernization every day in every sector. We have been moving forward with the national goal—economic prosperity, good governance and prosperous Nepal on the basis of gained achievements. We all can move ahead in the race of modern Nepal.” 
Recalling that he was in Pokhara jail in course of the anti-Panchayat movement at a time when Nepal Television was established, Prime Minister Oli said that an era of change and awareness has begun in Nepal. 
Similarly, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, said that Nepal television has different responsibility as compared to other television channels. He said the Nepal television is not a government organisation, it’s the television of the people. 
The Communications Minister said, “There is no any government interference on Nepal Television”, adding that the government has always been providing support to the Nepal television. 
The Communication and Information Technology Minister stressed the need of providing resources to the NTV and making it well-equipped to enhance its competitiveness with other television channels, calling on the NTV staffers to be more professional and hone their expertise, rather than looking up to this or that party or the government minister. 
He also suggested that the NTV should go for the public service broadcasting (PSB) model in the six months from now. Legal framework for combining the NTV and Radio Nepal into PSB is still awaited. 
Chairman of NTV Dr Mahendra Bista said guidelines have been issued for making the television newsroom independent and professional as well as for addressing the national aspirations by being people-centric. 
He added that although the media should be critical, there is no longer any need now for it to be more pessimistic. 
NTV General Manager Govinda Rokka said a year of transformation has commenced for NTV in its content and presentation along with the new technology. 
All four channel in HD from today 
All the four channels run by NTV – Nepal Television, NTV Plus, NTV News and NTV Kohalpur- have been simultaneously converted to the HD mode from today. 
Nepal Television with its signature theme, ‘Communications for Development’, is the first television channel in the television history of Nepal. It was instituted in 2041 BS. Its reach covers 52 per cent of the territory and 72 per cent of the population at present through geo-terrestrial medium. 
Advertisers honoured 
On the occasion, Minister Baskota presented letter of honour to the representatives of the Media Hub Pvt Ltd, Key Advertising Service Pvt Ltd and Expo Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agencies making the highest transactions. 
Similarly, comedy artists Marich Man Shrestha, Raju Poudel, Daman Rupakheti, among others were also honoured. 
Also honoured on the occasion were Deepak Kumar Joshi who designed the Nepal Television’s logo and Gopal Thapa, the host of the Bimba Pratibimba programme- the longest running programme on NTV. 
Likewise, prizes were awarded to nine local reporters and 28 staffers completing 28 years of service. 

Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Bishwakarma has said that two parallel associations of a sport cannot exist at a time. 
At a programme organized in the capital city on Wednesday to congratulate the newly formed office bearers of Nepal Gymnastics Association, Minister Bishwakarma said that the ministry has forwarded the concept of a single committee of a game in the country to avoid the conflict over the sportspersons' participation in the national and international tournaments. 
On the occasion, Chairman of Nepal Olympic Committee and province lawmaker Jibanram Shrestha said that unity among the sports association results in success and strength. 
Likewise, Vice Chairman of National Sports Council Pitambar Timsina, who heads the committee formed by the ministry to patch up the conflicting committees of different sports, vowed to manage other sports associations as well in the future. 
During the event, Chairman of newly formed Gymnastics Association Dhurba Bahadur Pradhan and co-chair Kishor Bahadur singh said that unity in the association was possible thanks to mutual understanding in both the sides and promised to move ahead jointly for the quality promotion of gymnastics. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said Nepal is a country that believes in democracy and where everything is under the Constitution. “We have brought tremendous changes in the field of democracy by abolishing an autocratic system to establish a federal democratic republic,” he added. 
Speaking as a panelist in a session on “Shaping the Future of Democracy” under the 49th meeting of the World Economic Forum here today, Prime Minister Oli said Nepal follows the prime ministerial system with the executive powers resting on the cabinet and Prime Minister. However, there is no question of centralization of power as we have independent parliament, judiciary and press while the people are sovereign. 
Sharing that he fought for democracy for half a century spending many years in prison, Prime Minister Oli said, “I do not want to be a ruler but a servant of the people. I want to extend democracy from the political sphere to bring changes in the life of the people.” 
The government is focused to bring change with a focus on good governance and economic development guided by our motto of prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepalis, he added. 
In regards to relation with the press, Prime Minister Oli said he has normal relation with the press, as in democracy there is always need for normal relationship. “In autocracy, media is controlled to praise the rulers but in democracy they criticize, which is normal”, he added. 
The press is very instrumental to strengthen democracy, to bring prosperity in the lives of the people and to inform accurately and to educate the people. However, people want to see responsible press. 
The Prime Minister noted that yellow journalism however was not good, it disturb the things and misleads the people. “In the name of press freedom, if somebody gives false news and hurts others and damages other's family life, prestige and business then it is not good”, Prime Minister Oli said. 
He also cautioned about the likelihood of the younger generation being misled by some social media. 
Prime Minister Oli however said there was no intention and no action taken to control or bring restriction to the press. “Press is completely free in Nepal and there is no question of restriction.” 
Democracy is a system for all not only for people who are involved in press and hence it must care for the life, prestige and loss and benefit of other people also. 
Other speakers in the panel were President of Colombia Iván Duque Márquez, American journalist Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project Daniella Ballou-Aares. The session was moderated by British journalist Martin Harry Wolf. 

Humla, Jan 23 (RSS): Snow-skiing has begun in Humla for the first time. Locals have initiated the recreational snow-skiing and snowboarding in collaboration with foreign tourists. 
The snow-skiing – a recreational action of travelling over snow – has been conducted in collaboration with Humla Cultural and Tourism Promotion Youth Alliance and Ski Snowboarding Foundation Nepal, shared Alliance Chair Abinash Lama. 
“We had brought the materials required for snow-skiing and snowboarding a week ago. We were just eagerly waiting for the snowfall”, he added. 
Lama expressed his confidence that the district could draw attraction of both domestic and foreign tourists if the sports evets related to snow-skiing and snowboarding are given continuity. 

Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, a source close to the MINUSMA force said. 
"According to a new toll, still provisional, at least eight peacekeepers have been killed," the source said. 
The attack happened early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, the source added. 
A Malian security source spoke of at least six killed and 19 wounded, while a diplomat in northern Mali told AFP that several of the attackers were also killed. 
An attack at the same base last April killed two peacekeepers and left several others wounded. 
More than 13,000 peacekeepers are deployed in Mali as part of a UN mission that was established after Islamist militias seized northern Mali in 2012. They were pushed backed by French troops in 2013. 
A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability to Mali following a brief Islamist takeover in the north. 
But the accord has failed to stop violence by Islamist militants, who have also staged attacks in Burkina Faso and Niger. 
Earlier this month, both France and the United States criticised the authorities in Mali for their failure to stem the worsening violence. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has left here for Switzerland this evening, leading a Nepali delegation to participate in the 49th annual meeting of World Economic Forum to be held at Davos city of Switzerland. Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to address two sessions of the meeting taking place from January 22-25, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Prime Minister Oli would hold meetings with political leaders and entrepreneurs of different countries during his stay in Switzerland, it is said. This is the first prime ministerial participation from Nepal in the meeting taking place since 1974. 
PM Oli was seen off at the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) by Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Timilsina, DPM and Minister for Defence Ishwar Pokharel, Ministers, and Chiefs of constitutional bodies among other high level officials. On the occasion, a contingent of Nepal Army presented guard of honour to PM Oli. 
Prime Minister Oli's spouse Radhika Shakya, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Finance Dr Yubraj Khatiwada, MoFA Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and other officials are in the delegation. 
The Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to return home on January 26, according to MoFA.