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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit, which is taking place in Thailand on April 3-4.

This will be the second meeting between Oli and Modi; the first meeting was held in September last year on the sidelines of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations. Despite multiple requests, India is refusing to extend formal invitation to Oli for the official visit to New Delhi. According to government officials, the Oli-Modi meeting is expected to create a conducive environment for Oli’s India visit and Modi’s visit to Nepal. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba has said more than once that Oil would soon receive the invitation from New Delhi for the bilateral visit. Presumably, the relationship between the two countries is not as it used to be after Nepal signed a framework agreement on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI and growing Chinese influence in Kathmandu is a cause of concern for us, says an Indian official requesting anonymity.

The summit was due to take place last year but was postponed in August, when Thailand was under a caretaker administration. The group’s meetings and summit will take place from April 2-4.  The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, includes Thailand, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan and its leaders meet every two years for a summit. According to media reports, India has informed Thailand that Modi will travel to the country for the summit. As SAARC is completely dysfunctional, India is boosting BIMSTEC for regional cooperation, connectivity and security. 

The Ministry of Finance has released an additional Rs 3.84 billion for health-related programs, including payment of health insurance.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel took the decision to this effect based on the demand of the Ministry of Health and Population, the Finance Minister's Secretariat said.

According to the Finance Ministry, of the amount released, Rs 3 billion has been allocated to the Health Insurance Board, Rs 600 million for the treatment of senior citizens and Rs 240 million to the Sahid Gangalal National Heart Centre for free treatment of heart patients.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel has said that the Bill Related to Banks and Financial Institutions (First Amendment), 2080 and the Bill Related to Securities (First Amendment), 2081 should be endorsed from the Parliament at the earliest.

Speaking at the meeting of the Finance Committee under the House of Representatives, he urged the Finance Committee to conclude deliberations on the two bills at the earliest and forward them to the House of Representatives for the discussion.

"I hope that the discussion on the bill related to banks and financial institutions and securities along with the customs bill will be completed soon and the Committee's report on these bills will reach the House of Representatives by mid-April," he said.

The finance minister said that the effectiveness of the committee and the House has been criticized even from the people's level for the sluggishness in law-making.

"There have been criticisms that the law-making process has slowed down. The government's attention has been drawn to this. Considering the national needs, the law making process should be expedited in the case of priority ones," said Finance Minister Paudel.

Today's meeting of the Finance Committee discussed the amendments made to the 'Bill to Amend and Integrate Customs Related Laws, 2080 BS'.

Lawmakers have proposed amendments seeking to streamline the customs administration for trade facilitation, to remove procedural hassles during customs clearance, to cut the discretionary powers of the employees, and to prepare adequate infrastructure for quarantine and quality testing of goods.

The government has brought this bill citing it is necessary to amend the Customs Act to make the customs clearance process more technology-friendly and easy, and to render it compatible with the Kyoto Convention, to which Nepal is a state party.

Similarly, the government has brought this bill stating that the provisions related to customs should be addressed through the Customs Act and rules for trade facilitation.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has said attention should be paid to ensure general people's equal access to health services as well as to increase quality of health services.

Addressing a program organized by Nepal Medical Association today, President Paudel shared that the nation, as per sentiments and aspirations of the Constitution, has put in investment in producing skilled and specialist doctors.

"I believe that doctors will take their profession from the viewpoint of service internalising the sentiments and aspirations of the Constitution," he mentioned. 

The President clarified that the federal democratic republic Constitution, gained from the struggle and sacrifice of the Nepali people, has guaranteed people's basic rights to health and education.

He shared that people from remote areas are still deprived of appropriate health services, stressing the need of providing health services of skilled doctors taking such situations seriously.

"Today on this special occasion, I request one and all to contribute in overall development of the health sector from respective areas," President Paudel mentioned, arguing producing skilled and specialist doctors in the country is the matter of happiness for all of us.

The President expressed the belief that the role of NMA would be further effective to achieve remarkable improvement in the health sector and ensure quality health services.

On the occasion, President Paudel honoured Dr Gauri Shankar Lal Das, Dr Mrigendra Raj Pandey, Dr Dinesh Nath Gangol, Dr DB Karki and Dr Saraswoti Padhya with 'Legend in Medicine' award.