KATHMANDU: Economic Digest, a daily morning email digest, is basically a relatable summation of important business news from Nepal into easy-to-understand summaries.

NAC to rescue Nepalis from Kuwait on Aug  28 and 31

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is conducting two flights to rescue Nepali people stranded in Kuwait.

According to Nepali Embassy in Kuwait, NAC will conduct flights on August 28 and 31 to rescue them. Those who booked flight tickets on August 23 will be rescued on August 28.

The Embassy has urged the passengers to contact the concerned airlines to verify their hotel bookings and tickets.

Those who return to Nepal via flights have to stay in hotel quarantine for a week as determined by the Nepal government once they touch down at Tribhuvan International Airport, said the Embassy.

Domestic, int’l flights set to operate from September 1

The government is to resume operation of the domestic and international flights from September 1. The government is making preparations to operate domestic flights considering the approaching festivals.

The first phase of the domestic flights, however, would be operated from Kathmandu to destinations in the mountainous and hilly regions only.

The government, which had decided to resume regular international flights by adopting specific conditions five months after the imposition of the lockdown, has also decided to start operating the domestic flights from September 1.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, said the domestic flights would also be started soon keeping in mind the big festivals like Dashain, Tihar and others.

Talking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, he said to begin with the domestic flights would be operated to some districts in the hilly and the mountainous region.

Rice import doubled to Rs 2.66 billion in the first month of current fiscal year

The import of rice has doubled in the first month of the current fiscal year. This has raised a question on the government’s repeated commitment to make the country self-reliant in a number of agricultural products, including the staple food.

According to records of the Department of Customs, Nepal imported rice worth Rs 2.66 billion between mid-July and mid-August od this year, up from Rs 1.25 billion during the same period last year.

The import of the staple food this year was mostly done from India. A very small quantity was imported from Vietnam.

In the review period last year, Nepal imported rice from South Korea, Thailand and China, apart from India.

In the last fiscal year, Nepal imported rice worth Rs 23.17 billion. Just in the five months since the government imposed the first lockdown on March 24, Nepal imported rice of Rs 11.06 billion.

International flights schedule for September made public

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has approved the schedule of regular and chartered flights from September 1.

According to the ministry, there will be 60 regular flights and 27 charter flights in September. For regular flights, the ministry has approved the schedule of Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Turkish, Fly Dubai, Malindo, China Southern, Air Arabia, Malaysian Airlines, Air China and Cathay Dragon.

Apart from Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines, only Jazeera and Salaam Air are among the foreign airlines whose charter flights have been approved.

Passengers arriving in Nepal on regular flights must bring a certificate of COVID-19 negative 72 hours prior to boarding the aircraft and make a written commitment to stay in self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

Similarly, those who come to Nepal by charter flights will have to stay in hotel quarantine in Kathmandu at their own expense and then stay in home quarantine for 14 days.

(Compiled and prepared by 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.