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Swiss Ambassador to Nepal Elisabeth von Capeller called on Foreign Minister Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singhadurbar on Wednesday. During the meeting, the duo discussed matters of bilateral cooperation including the activities under Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Nepal has made an improvement by seven positions in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). In a report of 2022 unveiled by Transparency International Nepal, Nepal has been ranked in the 110th position by receiving 34 points out of 180 countries. It was in 117th position with 33 points in 2021. Organizing a program here today, Transparency International Nepal informed about the situation of the world and Nepal in CPI. "The import and export were decreased in 2022 as compared to 2021. Nepal got more points in the survey of World Economic Forum due to decline in corruption relating to import and export", said Padmini Pradhananga, Chairperson of TI Nepal. Denmark is in the first position with 90 points while Somalia is in the last position with 12 points. Of the 180 countries, 58 countries have received more than 50 points. Six different international organizations--- World Bank, World Economic Forum, Global Insight, Bartelesmann Foundation, World Justice and Varieties of Democratic Project (V-Dem) had carried out surveys of CPI in Nepal. The survey was carried out on various topics, including work performance of public office holders, access of civil society in information, import, export, public service, contract, judicial decision, trade, business, corruption, bribe, misuse of public post by the representatives of government, parliament, judiciary and security bodies for personal interest. Transparency Intentional unveils Corruption Perceptions Index every year.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal towards the economic crisis the country has been facing. A delegation led by Party Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal submitted a 20-point memorandum to Prime Minister Dahal, saying the government should be sensitive towards people's livelihood as the country has been facing economic crisis. The delegation urged the government to take step immediately to resolve crisis as farmers, general people and workers have started committing suicide due to price hike. The memorandum also demanded effective measures to improve the country's economy and stop brain drain of youths and intellectual human resources. Likewise, the government has been suggested to make arrangements of a skill-oriented subject in school level curriculum and to strictly implement the economic policy, control price hike, and give recognition to communication as industry. Saying the government was serious towards the demands put forth by the party, Prime Minister Dahal opined that he would hold discussions with all bodies concerned to resolve the problems. He also expressed commitment to ease people's livelihood by making necessary changes in policy-level to control price hike. Top leaders of CPN (Unified Socialist) including former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal were present on the occasion.  

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song held a meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, Minister Bhandari drew the attention of Ambassador Song on the issues of opening north-west borders, including Taklakot and Tinker. They also discussed further strengthening Nepal-China trade relations, said Minister Bhandari's secretariat. Export of Nepali products to China and facilitation of the imports at the borders also featured in discussion. He urged the Chinese Ambassador to bring in Chinese investment to run industries in Nepal. On the occasion, the Ambassador said that the Chinese government was positive to open the north-west borders and under-construction five dry ports, said Minister Bhandari. The Chinese Ambassador said that he would play a role to further strengthen trade relations between Nepal and China.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal is leaving for Sri Lanka on Thursday to participate in the 75th Independence Day program of Sri Lanka. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday decided to approve her visit to Sri Lanka. This is her first foreign visit after assuming the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister Paudyal will participate as the guest at the special ceremony to be organized in Colombo on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited the Foreign Affairs Ministers and other special guests from South Asian nations to the special ceremony to be held in Colombo on February 3 and 4. Minister for Foreign Affairs Paudyal will hold high-level bilateral political meetings during her visit. She will hold high-level bilateral talks with the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister and her counterparts from India and the Maldives. She will also hold various sideline meetings on Friday. Foreign Affairs Minister Paudyal will attend the main ceremony on Saturday, the Ministry stated. She will return home on Sunday.

The Election Commission has published the election schedules of the President and the Vice-President. The EC decides to hold the election of the President on March 9 followed by the Vice-President’s election on March 17. According to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel, the elections will take place on the above mentioned dates at the New Baneshwor-based International Convention Centre from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Members in the Federal Parliament and the Province Assembly in seven provinces are voters for the elections.  However, province-wise polling centers could not be ensured due to existing legal provisions. As per the endorsed election programs, the voters’ name list for the Presidential election will be published between 10 and 11:00 am of February 22 and 10:00 am to 3:00 pm of February 25 has been fixed for registering candidacy nomination(s). Similarly, the program to register the candidacy nomination(s) for the election of the Vice-President has been set from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on March 11. In accordance with the Article 63 and the 69 of the Constitution, the terms of the President and the Vice President shall be for five years. So, the term of incumbent President, who was elected to the post on March 11, 2018, is ending on March 12, 2023 and the term of the incumbent Vice President, who was elected to the post unopposed on March 18, 2018 is ending on March 17, 2023. As per the Act relating to the President and the Vice-President, the EC shall announce the election dates and inform it to the government. The election schedule shall be published in the Nepal Gazette.  The EC shall, through the government Chief Secretary, write to the Council of Ministers informing it about the election programs and the government shall facilitate the EC to conduct the elections.  

The weather will be cloudy throughout the country due to the influence of the Westerly low pressure system with chances of light rain and snowfall at some places in the Sudurpaschim and Karnali Provinces. The sky is cloudy across the country at present due to the general impact of the Westerly low pressure system, said Meteorologist Binu Maharjan of the Meteorological Forecasting Division, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The weather will be cloudy for the whole day today with the possibility of light rain at a few places of Sudurpaschim and at one or two places of Karnali province. The Division has forecast light snowfall at some places in the high hilly and mountainous region of Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces and at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous region of the rest of the provinces. The same weather will prevail tonight as well, states the weather bulletin issued by the Division today. The Division has urged for precaution for the next 24 hours, stating there is possibility of light rain at a few places of Sudurpaschim province and at one or two places of Karnali and Lumbini provinces. It has also urged for alertness, saying the occurrence of fog and mist in some places of the Tarai region towards the morning is likely to have a general impact on the daily life of people and affect the road and air transport.

The Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO) has black listed 12 various companies. The PPMO stated in a notice that construction and supplier companies have been blacklisted from one year to three years on the recommendation of various bodies. Those companies included in the black list are the Universal Multi Services Pvt Ltd, Shankhamul, Kathmandu with Gopal Dhakal as the main person; the Swargadwari Mahaprabhu Builders Pvt Ltd, Bhingri, Pyuthan with Kumar Bhandari as the main person; the Shree Sukrin Construction Service, Ghorahi, Dang with Krishna Bahadur Khadka as the main person; and the Shree SD Construction Janakpurdham, Dhanusha with Niraj Kumar Mishra as the main person. Similarly, the PPMO has blacklisted the Rastra Nirman Sewa, Bhageshwar Rural Municipality, Dadeldhura with  Jagat Bahadur Jora as the main person; the Muktinath Builders and Company Pvt Ltd, Tokha,  Dhapasi with Janardan Dhital as the main person; the Laxmi Nirman Sewa, Chhatradev, Arghakhanchi with Ram Bahadur Rana as the main person; the Jaleshwar Construction Service, Nilkantha, Dhading with Prakash Koirala as the main person; the DV Ghimire Construction, Ichhakamana, Kurintar with Madhav Bahadur Ghimire as the main person; and Anjana Construction Service, Bharatpur, Chitwan with Pushkar Prasad as the main person. Also blacklisted by the PPMO are the Dilli Trading Birgunj, Parsa with Rani Kumari Rauniyar as the main person and the B Management Pvt Ltd, Naya Bazaar, Pokhara with Shivahari Pudasaini as the main person. The blacklisted companies are barred from participating in any procurement activities of the public bodies during the designated time period, the PPMO said. The Rastra Nirman Sewa, Bhageshwar Rural Municipality, Dadeldhura with Jagat Bahadur Jora as the main person has been blacklisted for three years and the remaining construction and supplier companies have been blacklisted for one year.