Kathmandu: Qatar has agreed to review labor agreement with Nepal during the fourth meeting of the Nepal-Qatar Joint Committee held in Kathmandu on Friday.



According to the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, in the meeting, the Qatari side agreed to move ahead as per Nepal's proposal for the socio-economic reintegration of Nepalis who have returned from working in Qatar.



The Qatari side has also agreed to further organize the Qatar Visa Center. According to the ministry, the Government of Qatar has also agreed to set up training centers in all the seven provinces to enhance the skills of migrant workers from Nepal.



After the Qatari team called for the lifting of the ban on domestic labor, it has agreed to form a bilateral joint committee to decide on the issue and to include its suggestions in the review of the labor agreement.

Qatar agrees to review labor agreement

Kathmandu: Department of Customs (DoC) has stated that illegal gold are being imported in Nepal through passengers returning from abroad for who were migrated for foreign employment and other work.



The department published a notice on Sunday stating that gold was being hidden in flashlights, irons, mixers, radios, speakers and water pumps without the knowledge of the passengers coming to Nepal from abroad. The department also said that innocent passengers were trapped when they requested to deliver such luggage to their relatives.



The department has also requested all passengers not to carry illegal goods unless it is ensured that illegal items are hidden in the goods given by any acquaintance or stranger. The department has reminded the government about the order regarding personal use of goods that passengers can bring and take with them and urged all passengers not to bring more than that.



According to the department, the passengers have been carrying these items from abroad and have stated that they are not aware of the law.

Passengers returning from abroad bring illegal gold: DOC

Kathmandu (Rashtriya Samachar Samiti): Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has signaled to halt increasing silver imports.



The central bank today reviewed the monetary policy for the current fiscal year and indicated that it will tighten silver imports.



NRB has stated that provision has been made to provide an exchange facility for importing silver only up to the maximum exchange facility of the amount provided for import through draft / TT.



Similarly, considering the current state of foreign exchange reserves, it is mentioned in the review of the monetary policy that it is mandatory to keep cash margin while opening the import letter of credit for the specified goods.



The impact of the covid-19 epidemic has been gradually diminishing and the availability of vaccines has been increasing, which has had an impact on the market.



Explaining that the number of people going for foreign employment and the arrival of foreign tourists has also started, the central bank said that monetary and financial policy facilitation has been maintained with the commencement of electricity export. From these facts, it is clear that economic recovery is gaining momentum.



The central bank has said that the demand for loans is increasing in the phase of economic recovery and a large part of such loans are being spent on import payments. As remittance inflows have not been able to grow as expected, pressure on external sector stability is likely to remain.



Expenditure on local elections in the current fiscal year will further expand the aggregate demand and put pressure on prices and imports.



The recent rise in the price of petroleum products in the international market has also estimated that Nepal's inflation will increase.



According to a recent inflation expectations survey conducted by the bank, further pressure on inflation is expected in the coming days.



The review states that liquidity is under pressure as credit expansion is more than deposit mobilization of banks and financial institutions.



"As the economic recovery picks up, credit flows and imports have grown at a higher rate. Accordingly, the monetary policy stance has been continued keeping in view the need to manage the growing credit demand, increase the scope of resource mobilization and prevent a shortage of resources in productive activities,' the review mentioned.



The central bank has a policy of making monetary management effective keeping in view the recent pressure on the balance of payments and possible pressure on inflation.

NRB signals to tighten silver import

WASHINGTON (AP): The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year’s coronavirus recession.



Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. But seasonal adjustments around the Thanksgiving holiday contributed significantly to the bigger-than-expected drop. Unadjusted, claims actually ticked up by more than 18,000 to nearly 259,000.



The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, also dropped — by 21,000 to just over 252,000, the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic slammed the economy.



Since topping 900,000 in early January, the applications have fallen steadily toward and now fallen below their prepandemic level of around 220,000 a week. Claims for jobless aid are a proxy for layoffs.



Overall, 2 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment checks the week that ended Nov. 13, down slightly from the week before.



“Overall, expect continued volatility in the headline figures, but the trend remains very slowly lower,” Contingent Macro Advisors wrote in a research note.



Until Sept. 6, the federal government had supplemented state unemployment insurance programs by paying an extra payment of $300 a week and extending benefits to gig workers and to those who were out of work for six months or more. Including the federal programs, the number of Americans receiving some form of jobless aid peaked at more than 33 million in June 2020.



The job market has staged a remarkable comeback since the spring of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to close or cut hours and kept many Americans at home as a health precaution. In March and April last year, employers slashed more than 22 million jobs.



But government relief checks, super-low interest rates and the rollout of vaccines combined to give consumers the confidence and financial wherewithal to start spending again. Employers, scrambling to meet an unexpected surge in demand, have made 18 million new hires since April 2020 and are expected to add another 575,000 this month. Still, the United States remains 4 million short of the jobs it had in February 2020.



Companies now complain that they can’t find workers to fill job openings, a near-record 10.4 million in September. Workers, finding themselves with bargaining clout for the first time in decades, are becoming choosier about jobs; a record 4.4 million quit in September, a sign they have confidence in their ability to find something better.

US jobless claims hit 52-year low after seasonal adjustments

Kathmandu: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in association with the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) has successfully completed the Nepal Sales Mission to Bangladesh in the capital city of Bangladesh on Nov. 23, 2021. Fourteen Tour Operators from Nepal interacted and exchanged business propositions with more than 50 Bangladeshi Tour Operators in a one-day B2B and destination promotion program. This is the second international sales mission ( the first being to Sri Lanka) organized by the Nepal Tourism Board following the ebbing of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic which seems weak and less alarming particularly in South Asia for a few months now. Coupled with the thriving economy of the people of the Republic of Bangladesh which provides more disposable income and the growing confidence for cross-border tourism the participants observed that there is an unprecedented prospect of increasing tourist arrivals from Bangladesh to Nepal. According to the World Bank Group, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 6.4% in the 2021-22 fiscal year (FY), one of the highest economic growths in South Asia. It is also noteworthy here to mention that despite its proportionately dense population base, Bangladesh has managed the COVID-19 crisis relatively well which also has boosted the confidence of its citizens. According to the tourist arrival statistics, nearly 26,000 tourists from Bangladesh visited Nepal in 2018 which saw a sharp decline in the following years due to the global pandemic. However, tour operators from both countries seem very upbeat at the prospects of growing numbers in 2021 and onwards as Nepal cautiously opens its international borders for visitors and there is a huge demand for international travel among Bangladeshi nationals. The sales mission took place concurrently with the commencement of Himalayan Airlines’ flight between Kathmandu and Dhaka. According to the representative of the Airlines who participated in the event, the airline operates two flights a week now and is looking forward to increasing more flights shortly in the future. Biman Bangladesh operates two flights a week and the participants from both countries anticipate more frequent flights between the two capital cities so that there is enough air passage and competitive fares for the prospective visitors from Bangladesh to Nepal. Further, the Nepali delegates have been told that direct passenger train service shall begin soon between Dhaka and New Jalpaigudi station in India which might prove a boon for Nepali tourism trade as even the budget travelers have a better option of traveling to Nepal overland.

Nepal Sales Mission to Bangladesh Concludes

Mustang (Rashtriya Samachar Samiti): Apple production has increased in Mustang this year. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, apple production in Mustang has increased by nine percent compared to last year.



Chief of the office, Prakash Bastakoti, said that Mustang produced 5,100 metric tonnes of apples last year and 5,564 metric tonnes of apples this year. According to him, apple production has increased by 9 percent compared to last year.



"Apple production has increased due to expansion of area and favorable weather," he said.



Farmers have earned Rs. 550 million by selling apples produced in Mustang. Apples were sold at the rate of Rs 100 per kg.



Of the 1,440 hectares of land in Mustang where apples are cultivated, 520 hectares are planted this year. In the previous year, apple was cultivated in 1,400 hectares but 500 hectares of trees had borne fruit.



According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Mustang, 572 hectares of land has been cultivated in Gharpajhong, 594 hectares in Baragung, 162 hectares in Thasang, 86 hectares in Loghekar Damodarkund and 29 hectares in Lomanthang.



According to the center, 898 metric tonnes of apples were produced in Thasang, 2,568 in Gharapzhong, 1,936 in Baragung Free Zone, 120 in Loghekar Damodarkund and 32 metric tonnes in Lomanthang.



This year, the production has increased due to proper orchard management and disease control by apple farmers in places other than Mustang. Eighty percent of the apples were taken out of the district on Dashain-Tihar.



Some of the remaining 20 percent of the unsold apples are kept in moist houses. Some apples are used in retail and apple processing.



Indigenous Red Delicious, Royal Delicious, Richard Delicious and White Golden Delicious apples are cultivated in Mustang. Lately, farmers have started planting fast and high-yielding high-density apple seedlings. Last year, 50,000 high-density apple seedlings were distributed.

Apple production in Mustang increased by 9 percent

Kathmandu: President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said that electric vehicles should be operated for the prosperity of Kathmandu.



President Bhandari also clarified that the use of electric vehicles is essential to reduce the burden of petroleum products in the country, reduce air pollution and make Kathmandu clean and tidy.



Inaugurating the reconstructed Gyanmala Bhajan Khala Bhawan at the Kathmandu Swayambhu premises on Saturday, President Bhandari reminded that the use of clean electrical energy would be very useful for the country's self-reliance and making the Kathmandu Valley exemplary.



She said that Nepal could move from dependency to self-reliance by using electric energy as Nepal is producing enough electricity.

President Bhandari stress on operation of electric vehicle

Kathmandu: The UK Government has expressed its desire to employ skilled staff nurses from Nepal.



Discussions have been initiated with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security regarding the transfer of around 10,000 nurses to the UK for employment.



According to the ministry, coordination is underway as the UK only wants to bring in experienced and skilled nurses.



Government officials estimate that those who have completed the prescribed training and experience may be paid more than 250,000 rupees a month in the UK.



The government has said that if there is a labor agreement with the UK, all the expenses of service facility, insurance, healthcare, airfare and recruitment process will be borne by the employer. If a labor agreement is reached soon, the way will be open for nurses to go to the UK by 2022.

UK govt proposes to take 10,000 Nepali nurses for employment

Kathmandu: Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Center and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu have held a courtesy meeting.



During a meeting at Singha Durbar on Friday, US Assistant Secretary of State Lu urged President Prachanda to reach an early decision on the US Grants Agreement (MCC) and reminded him of the timeline of the agreement.



In response Prachanda said that efforts were being made to reach a common understanding on MCC.



Lu stressed that the US side should reach an early decision on whether to accept the grant aid or not. In response, Prachanda replied that the decision would be taken by making a national consensus.

US Assistant Secretary of State urges Prachanda to take quick decision on MCC

Kathmandu: The Government of India has proposed Nepal to operate 8 daily flights between Nepal and India. In response to such a proposal from the Indian Embassy, ​​the Government of Nepal has proposed to increase the number of destinations by approving the number of flights. At present, there are two daily flights on the Kathmandu-Delhi route.



Nepal Airlines Corporation is operating one daily flight and Air India is operating one daily flights. Accordingly, there are 14 flights a week. The Nepali company has proposed four daily flights and the Indian company four daily flights.



Accordingly, there will be 56 flights a week between Nepal and India. Flights are being operated between Nepal and India only based on the air bubble scheme.

Indian govt proposes to operate 8 daily flights on Nepal-India route

Kathmandu: As the government has increased the price of aviation fuel, the airline operators have also increased the price of fuel for air tickets.



The government has increased the price of air turbine fuel by Rs 5 per liter to Rs 101. Accordingly, passengers have to pay a maximum of Rs 220 more for air travel.



With the approval of the revised price from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the fare has been maintained since Sunday.



According to the modified fuel 'surcharge', the highest increase of Rs 220 has been made on the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi route.



Fuel charges for mountain flights from Kathmandu have been increased by Rs 170.



Passengers flying on the Pokhara-Biratnagar route have to pay Rs 180 more per ticket.



Fares from Kathmandu to Jumla will be increased by Rs 170.



The fare from Kathmandu to Surkhet has increased by Rs 175, from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj by Rs 160 and from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur by Rs 150.

Airline operators raise airfare up to Rs 220

(AP): Johnson &amp; Johnson is peeling off a consumer health business that helped it become the world’s biggest health care products maker.



The company said Friday that it will separate its segment that sells Band-Aids, Listerine and over-the-counter medicines like Tylenol from its pharmaceutical and medical device businesses.



Company leaders told analysts that the split, which will create another publicly traded company for the consumer health side, will make each business more nimble in adapting to their respective markets.



CEO Alex Gorsky said that while the company’s broad focus has worked in the past, the split addresses segments that “have evolved as fundamentally different businesses.”



“We’ve seen a significant evolution in these markets, particularly on the consumer side,” Gorsky said, referring in part to a shift toward online shopping that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.



An analyst asked company leaders during a Friday call to discuss the split why they were making the change now, when they have touted J&amp;J’s diversity in the past as a way to help offset a downturn in a particular segment.



“I think we have consistently had the belief that our diversified portfolio is rooted in strategy,” Gorsky said. “However, it’s not anchored in strategy.”



University of Michigan business professor Erik Gordon said he didn’t think the two, separate companies would wind up being more focused or nimble because the present company is already decentralized.



“(J&amp;J) gives its companies a lot of autonomy,” he said.



The segment selling prescription drugs and medical devices — J&amp;J’s two largest businesses — will keep the Johnson &amp; Johnson name and blockbuster drugs that include the cancer treatment Darzalex and a COVID-19 vaccine.



The new version of J&amp;J also will get incoming CEO Joaquin Duato, who is slated to replace Gorsky early next year.



The split comes at an ideal time for a leadership change, said Steve Brozak, who follows drugmakers as president of WBB Securities.



He noted that the new CEO takes over what will become a completely different company, one that won’t have easy metrics for comparing to past performances and evaluating progress.



“It buys time for decisions to be made on what to do next,” Brozak said. “This is the perfect vehicle for a management change.”



Pharmaceuticals and medical devices pulled in a combined $19.6 billion in revenue in the company’s recently completed third quarter, which turned out better than analysts expected.



Consumer health brought in $3.7 billion.



A leader and name for the new consumer health company have yet to be announced. It will house brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno, and the iconic Band-Aids, which a company employee created more than 100 years ago.



That segment has more than 20 brands that each have over $150 million in annual sales, Gorsky noted. He added that the portfolio includes well-known names like Tylenol and children’s Tylenol that have reached all-time highs in market share.



Johnson &amp; Johnson also faces thousands of lawsuits claiming that one of its consumer products, talc-based baby powder, causes ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.



Last month, J&amp;J announced that it had created a separate subsidiary to deal with those claims, and that subsidiary filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.



Company officials said that the split they announced Friday was “separate and distinct” from that baby powder liability and the bankruptcy proceedings.



But Morningstar analyst Damien Conover noted in an email that if the consumer division “no longer holds the deep pockets of the combined company, the risk of future consumer product litigation — such as the large talc settlement — may decrease.”



Johnson &amp; Johnson, which was founded in 1886, said Friday that its split will occur in the next two years, if approved by the company’s board of directors.



J&amp;J’s announcement comes just days after General Electric said that it plans to split into three separate companies.



It also follows similar moves by large pharmaceutical rivals Pfizer Inc., which spun off its consumer health product business in 2019, and Merck &amp; Co.



Shares of New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson &amp; Johnson climbed 2% to $165.12 in afternoon trading while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly.



J&amp;J shares had already climbed about almost 4% so far this year, while the Dow has jumped about 17%.



J&amp;J has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1997.

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