Good morning!
Here’s a quick summary of important, ignored and interesting reports from Wednesday to kick-start your day:
Important
Environment Minister pushes for infrastructural development in conservation areas
Minister for Forest and Environment Shakti Bahadur Basnet has said that conservation areas should also be developed for tourism. Minister Banset said if the government’s plan to bring in 2 million tourists in 2020 was to become a success, conservation areas had to have proper tourist infrastructures. Giving examples of Everest and Langtang regions, Basnet said that areas like Rara, Khaptad and Phoksundo should also get an infrastructural revamp.
Bharatpur airport upgrading to start soon
The plan to upgrade Bharatpur Airport has been put forward by Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai. Minister Bhattarai on Wednesday said that a team which would include officials from all three levels will be formed within a week for the upgrading project.
Minister Bhattarai said that he was in talks with Nepal Army to acquire a part of the land it owns to upgrade the runway. He said that he was also in talks with NCP co-chair and Chitwan lawmaker Pushpa Kamal Dahal regarding the renovation of the airport.
Minister Bhattarai also asked Bharatpur Metropolitan City to remove all the buildings which have been built against regulation around the airport area.
Ignored
Govt to make bank accounts mandatory for foreign employment workers
Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies has shown their dissatisfaction towards the government’s plan to make bank account mandatory for all foreign employment workers leaving the country. The association says that the new rule will increase the workload of recruitment companies.
The association has said that the workers’ privacy would come under threat due to all the paper works required to open a bank account. Its president Rohan Gurung said that the government had made the decision hastily and asked them to reconsider.
848 employment agencies registered in Nepal
A total of 847 foreign employment agencies have registered themselves in Nepal. The Department of Foreign Employment stated that 303 agencies will have to close down as they did not deposit a certain amount asked by the department on time. However, most of them have merged with other agencies forming 131 new companies who have jointly deposited the amount.
ANNISU’s coordinator beaten by police
Police have beaten Nepal Communist Party student union ANNISU’s coordinator Ain Mahar and various others on Wednesday. Mahar and other people were beaten with sticks when they went to Nepal Police Club to meet the president of Tribhuvan Universitity IoM’s free student union Milan Gaire.
Interesting
Nepal taking on Kuwait
Nepal will take on Kuwait on Thursday in the first match of the second round of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. The match will take place in Kuwait at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium at 10:45 PM Nepali time. This is the seventh match between the two nations and Nepal has never been able to get the better of their opponents, losing six and drawing one. Nepal in this match too looks at stealing a point from their hosts.
EU and other European nations pledge to give Rs 11 billion
European Union along with Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom has pledged to give Nepal Rs 11.4 billion. Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada signed an agreement with the countries on Wednesday. According to the minister, the funds will be given to the local government for their capacity building and will be spent on innovative projects within the local governments.
