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Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a courtesy call on newly elected President Ram Chandra Paudel in Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday. During the meeting, the Chinese Ambassador congratulated him on his election to the post of President and wished for a successful tenure. According to Sagar Acharya, spokesperson at the President’s Office, they discussed various matters related to bilateral cooperation and other issues of mutual interests.

The social security scheme of the country is including migrant workers and self-employed persons from today onward. In the presence of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Social Security Fund is hosting a program today to initiate the task of including migrant workers in the contributions-based social security scheme. Fund Spokesperson Bibek Panthi said that the Fund was extending its coverage to the migrant workers in foreign employment. Tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers would reap benefits from the scheme once it comes into effect today, he said. In this connection, the Fund had already approved procedural guidelines to enroll migrant workers, informal sector employees and self-employed persons in the social security scheme. The trade union organizations have long been demanding inclusion of informal sector employees and self-employed persons in the net of the social security scheme. Though informal sector workers have been receiving benefits from the social security plan three years back, migrant workers and self-employed persons living abroad were being deprived of the service. The Non-Resident Nepali Association has also long been advocating for including migrant workers in the social security scheme. Those obtaining a new work permit would be mandatorily included in the scheme from today onward. Around 2,000 people are obtaining work permits on a daily basis. Those obtaining work permits should deposit contributions equivalent to a month's salary to the fund. Spokesperson Panthi said a worker going abroad for employment would be entitled to receive a 10 percent discount while depositing contributions worth amounting to a six-month salary. The migrant workers living abroad could enlist them from the website of the fund and deposit their contribution amount. According to the approved procedural guideline, the migrant workers or self-employed persons living abroad could participate in the facility by depositing at least 21.33 percent of basic remuneration or minimum Rs 2,000 monthly and its three-fold in maximum. Panthi informed that 399,566 employees of the formal sector have so far enrolled in the fund. Rs 30 billion and 870 million has been deposited to the fund. The Fund has made payment of Rs 3 billion and 810 million to the contributors as per their claim. The contribution-based social security scheme has been brought into implementation since 27 November 2018.  

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Shalikram Jamarkattel is seeking a vote of confidence on Wednesday. Province Assembly Secretariat Chief Secretary Krishna Hari Khadka said that Jamarkattel is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence at 3 pm today. With the change in the political equation in the central government a few weeks ago, he fell into minority after the Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew support extended to the province government. When the Bagmati Council of Ministers was formed on January 10, Shalikram Jamarkattel was appointed as the Chief Minister and Jagannath Thapaliya and Uddhav Thapa were appointed as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning and Minister for water supply, energy and irrigation respectively from the joint alliance of the CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has already left the government. The CPN-UML, however, is still participating in the government without giving any reaction. The Bagmati Province Assembly has 110 lawmakers of seven political parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Hamro Nepali Party. Chief Minister Jamarkattel needs 56 votes to give continuity to the current government.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) formed a three-member task force under the headship of party Chairman Madhav Nepal to carry out necessary homework on the issue of joining the government. A Secretariat meeting of the party held at the party office in Aloknagar on Tuesday formed the task force, party spokesperson Jagannath Khatiwada said. He said that party Chairman Madhav Nepal, Vice-Chairman Pramesh Hamal and General Secretary Ghamshyam Bhusal are in the task force. The meeting also discussed contemporary political issues, leaders said.