KATHMANDU: Economic Digest, a daily morning email digest, is basically a relatable summation of important business news from Nepal into easy-to-understand summaries.
Construction of Gautam Buddha Airport stalled due to lockdown
Works of the under-construction the Gautam Buddha International Airport have been halted after necessary electrical equipment and skilled workers were stopped abroad due to lockdown.
The project has stated that the remaining works will be completed within two months of the arrival of construction materials and manpower at Bhairahawa.
Runway light fixtures and conveyor belts of the baggage handling system are the main equipment left to arrived, while 95 percent of equipment has arrived already.
Even if Nepali technicians can connect equipment like light fixtures, technicians have to come from abroad to connect conveyor belts.
Sauraha hotels to remain closed till Dashain even if lockdown ends
Hotels in Sauraha, one of the major touristic destinations in Chitwan, are likely to remain closed at least till the upcoming Dashain festival.
According to Regional Hotel Association Chair Deepak Bhattarai, Sauraha-based hoteliers have agreed not to resume business before the Dashain.
However, small hotels and restaurants may get back to business with the end of lockdown.
“The decision not to reopen big hotels is for avoiding additional loss as we are almost sure that no foreign tourists are arriving here in the wake of the relaxation of lockdown,” Bhattarai added.
34 Industries in Pokhara are open despite lockdown
Though the lockdown has brought all sorts of movement and activities to stand still, 34 industries of Pokhara are still busy manufacturing their products.
Out of 34 industries, 17 produce substantial food products like milk products, noodles, biscuits, mineral water, spices and so forth and two factories produce oxygen gases.
There are 76 industries in Pokhara. Bhusan Kumar Upadhyaya, the Manager of Pokhara Industrial Estate said that most of the industries have been shut down as per the government directives, whereas some have to operate as they produce the things of daily use or consumption, though not included in the ‘most essential goods.’
Rukum East faces shortage of coronavirus testing kits
The district of Rukum East in State 5 is facing shortage of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits subsequently creating problem in carrying out testing of coronavirus.
The test has stopped for the last two weeks due to the non-availability of testing kits. As many as 162 people have entered the district from India and other third countries so far in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The State government has supplied 160 testing kits to the district. Office officiating chief Yadav Prasad Sharma said they had requested the state government to provide more testing kits.
NSU demands free internet for students
Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), a Nepali Congress-affiliated students’ organization, has demanded the authorities to provide free internet access to students.
The NSU representatives, on Sunday, submitted a memorandum to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority and Nepal Telecom to provide free internet to the students.
As all academic institutions have remained closed due to the nationwide lockdown, to providing online education to the students can be the best option, the NSU has said in a statement.
Around 7 million students are currently studying at different levels in the country.
Bardiya farmers hit hard by lockdown
Farmers in Bardiya are worried about their agricultural produce not finding the market owing to the nationwide lockdown.
Watermelon, in particular, at Gulariya municipality has rotten in the farm. As many as 55 farmers at Babai have grown watermelon in 10 bighas of land. However, these farmers are facing difficulty to get the market for selling their produce.
The local administration has allowed the market to open for three hours a day from 11 am to 2 pm to ease the supply and sale of essentials and agricultural products during lockdown.
Farmers, however, say the time set by the government for the supply and sale of agricultural products during lockdown was not enough.
(Compiled and prepared by Swastik Aryal and Nitish Lal Shrestha)
Nepal Economic Digest is a daily morning email digest, basically relatable summations of the most important business news, happenings from Nepal into easy-to-understand summaries. The Institute for Strategic and Socio-Economic Research (ISSR), Nepal’s independent think tank, and Khabarhub — Nepal’s popular news portal — have joined hands to disseminate news from Nepal in the form of Economic Digest.
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