Author: space4knews

The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) has introduced a new policy to streamline the milk collection system, making it mandatory for cooperatives and farms to establish contact and complete renewal procedures by the end of July. The corporation has clearly stated that it will not be obliged to purchase milk from those who fail to comply within the stipulated time frame. Dairy producers must maintain continuous communication with the district project office or chilling centres to continue their milk business and complete the renewal process.

The government-owned Dairy Development Corporation aims to modernize and better organize its milk collection system with this new policy. The DDC, which has been collecting milk from farmers nationwide for many years, has made it compulsory for cooperatives and private farms supplying milk from the fiscal year २०७८/७९ onwards to contact and renew their status by the end of July.

In a notice issued by the DDC central office in Lalitpur, the corporation announced the implementation of this policy to make milk collection technology-friendly, predictable, sustainable, and more organized. Dairy producing cooperatives and private farms interested in continuing milk trade with the DDC must establish mandatory contact by July.

The notice states: ‘DDC will not be obligated to conduct business with any institutions or farms that do not make contact by the end of July २०७८.’ After this deadline, the corporation may also refuse to collect milk from farms or cooperatives failing to establish contact. The DDC, active in the dairy sector for 57 years, has continuously collected milk from cooperative organizations, private farms, and farmers.

Bankers have demanded the removal of provisions that disqualify bank CEOs or directors solely on the basis of receiving a general warning. Santosh Koirala, President of the Nepal Bankers’ Association, expressed dissatisfaction with the ban on CEOs becoming governors in the proposed bill, suggesting that alternatives should remain open. Rajesh Upadhyay, Senior Vice President of the Confederation of Bankers and Financial Institutions Nepal (CBFIN), emphasized the need to classify punishments according to the nature of the offense and called for the regulation of cooperatives by the central bank.

3 Shrawan, Kathmandu – Bankers participating in discussions on the Nepal Rastra Bank Bill at the Parliamentary Finance Committee have stated that the central bank should not disqualify CEOs or directors of banks and financial institutions merely on the grounds that a warning or clarification has been issued. They suggested that the bill amending the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058, should clearly define the circumstances under which CEOs and directors can be disqualified.

Recommendations include providing punishments proportional to the nature of offenses and introducing practical amendments to the banking sector regulations. Additionally, bankers expressed discontent with the proposed measure preventing commercial bank CEOs from becoming governors.

Santosh Koirala, President of the Nepal Bankers’ Association, argued that the bill should not categorically bar bank CEOs from assuming the governor’s position. Instead, he proposed keeping the option open by instituting a cooling-off period after serving as CEO before eligibility to become governor. He also indicated that bringing large cooperatives under the supervision of the central bank could help address persistent issues in the cooperative sector.

Rajesh Upadhyay, Senior Vice President of CBFIN, stressed the importance of categorizing punishments based on the severity of offenses when disciplining banks and financial institutions. He cautioned against treating matters that warrant simply warnings or advisory notices as serious offenses.

“There is a need to distinguish the classes of offenses; subjects receiving general warnings or advice should not be treated as committing serious crimes,” he stated. He further explained that since the bill’s definitions encompass all financial institutions, including cooperatives that collect deposits from the public, their regulation should also fall under the jurisdiction of the Nepal Rastra Bank. Cooperatives engaged in banking activities must be subject to constitutional and Nepal Rastra Bank Act regulations, he remarked.

Surendra Raj Regmi, Vice President of the Nepal Bankers’ Association, recommended eliminating provisions that disqualify CEOs or directors due to minor errors made by employees. He argued that holding CEOs or directors disqualified for minor mistakes of low-level staff contradicts the principles of natural justice. He pointed out that many CEOs with over three decades of service currently feel uncertain about these provisions and that the bill should address and remove these ambiguities.

Sanijiv Manandhar, CEO of Prime Commercial Bank, also urged for more flexibility in disciplinary measures. He emphasized that warnings or advisory actions should not be grounds for removal from office. Citing a writ petition before the Supreme Court in which the Nepal Rastra Bank has categorized such actions as basic administrative penalties, he recommended that the amendment to the Nepal Rastra Bank Act be adjusted accordingly.

Despite requests from the Nepalese government and protests from foreign employment agencies, Saudi Arabia has implemented the controversial Skill Verification Program (SVP). The Saudi authorities are pressuring manpower agencies via email to pay a fee of 50 US dollars through a private company. The Foreign Employment Association of Nepal describes this process as a form of financial exploitation, adding an economic burden on both workers and agencies.

Kathmandu, 19 July — Despite appeals from the Nepalese government and strong opposition from foreign employment agencies, Saudi Arabia has launched the disputed Skill Verification Program (SVP) for Nepali workers. The Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment had urged the Saudi government to withhold immediate implementation of the program. However, in practice, the Saudi side continues to collect fees through a private company, maintaining the program’s operation.

Dik Bahadur Khatri, President of the Foreign Employment Association of Nepal, has labeled this procedure as “outright fraud.” Initially, the program was introduced as an ‘Employer Pay Model,’ in which the employer would bear all associated fees. Currently, however, Nepali manpower agencies are being pressured through emails to remit 50 dollars. According to Khatri, authorized manpower companies are receiving emails requesting payment via a private firm named “Sai Vision Digital Pvt. Ltd” based in Samakhusi.

As Saudi Arabia advances its fee collection process, employment agencies have accused the state apparatus of ineffectiveness. Although the Nepalese government has officially called for suspension of the program, questions remain about how it is being enforced through private companies. Agencies also report plans to expand examination centers beyond existing ones, with additional centers slated for various locations in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

Himalaya Television has decided to broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match for free. Executive Director Shyam Kandel stated, “Starting today, we have removed all paywalls, allowing everyone to watch the match free of charge.” The final match between Argentina and Spain will be broadcast tonight at 12:45 AM via Himalaya TV, Himalaya Sports, and the Digo app.

The management of Himalaya Television made this decision to ensure no one is excluded from watching the final match. Kandel added, “Even those who have not subscribed to Himalaya Sports or the Digo app will be able to watch the final game.” According to Nepal Standard Time, the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match will take place tonight at 12:45 AM.

Despite the government deadline for embossing producer details on drinking water jars having passed, the enforcement of this standard remains very weak. Instead of ensuring regulation compliance, the Department of Commerce, Food Technology, and Environment has been passing responsibility among themselves, resulting in a total lack of market supervision. The Nepal Water Industry Federation has acknowledged that due to absent government monitoring, businesses have resisted adhering to the new rules.

July 17, Kathmandu – Although the government’s deadline to enforce new standards for quality assurance and environmental pollution reduction of drinking water bottles and jars has expired, implementation remains extremely lax. The government’s tendency to formulate rules without backing enforcement efforts has confined the plan to regulate water jars to paper only.

On March 13, 2026, the Department of Commerce, Supply, and Consumer Protection issued notice mandating that within 60 days, drinking water jars must carry an embossed certificate number from the Food Technology Department and the producer company’s name. Similarly, the traditional neck seal on bottles was to be replaced with producer identification directly on the neck label within 35 days.

At the time, representatives from the Commerce Department, Food Technology and Quality Control Department, Environment Department, and Nepal Bottle Water and Water Industry Federations collectively decided on these new regulations prioritizing consumer health and the environment. Although a month has passed since the deadline, while bottles largely comply, water industries continue to resist implementing directives on jars.

Without government inspections, the market still contains jars with paper stickers over paper labels, leaking containers, and the problem of cross-filling—where different companies fill water in the same jar—has increased. Consequently, consumers have yet to access clean drinking water, as negligent producers continue distributing contaminated products, with no clear identification on these jars to trace the source.

The joint notification from March 13, 2026, cited shared monitoring and regulation duties among the Commerce, Environment, and Food Technology Departments, but these agencies have merely shifted responsibilities without action.

Federation Admits Failure to Enforce: Although rules mandating embossing of the license number and full producer details on water jars were introduced, the Nepal Water Industry Federation has been unable to ensure enforcement. Federation president Bikram Limbu Chemjong stated that despite expiration of the government timeline, embossing on jars has yet to be effectively implemented.

President Chemjong claims that even though the federation urges industries to comply, lack of government oversight emboldens businesses to disregard the rules. “The regulation has been applied to bottles but not as effectively with jars,” he explained. “Directives alone will not suffice; monitoring must be carried out. If only we as federations do it, businesses will simply ignore the rules.”

He further criticized governmental agencies for passing responsibilities to one another. The federation’s requests for monitoring and issuing notices have met with little interest, he lamented. “When I requested the Food Technology Department to issue notices, they redirected me to the Commerce Department. Progress seems dependent on the appointment of a new director general,” Chemjong added.

The lack of government inspections and enforcement after issuing notifications has rendered the regulation ineffective, enabling businesses to flout the rules. Although the federation has begun embossing within its own industries, absent monitoring prevents broader acceptance among competitors. “We are holding meetings to address some technical issues and anticipate resolutions within this week,” Chemjong said.

Responsible Agencies Admit to No Supervision: The Environment Department, tasked with joint monitoring, admits it has taken no action and remains unaware of market conditions related to embossing. One inspector said, “No progress has been made, nor have we conducted inspections to verify whether jars have been embossed or standards implemented.”

The Commerce Department’s daily market inspections primarily cover grocery stores, fruit shops, furniture outlets, sweet shops, kitchen stores, and restaurants, with minimal involvement in the water industry’s oversight.

The Food Technology and Quality Control Department reports having conducted some inspections, resulting in destruction of damaged jars and issuing improvement orders due to unsanitary conditions.

Consumer Rights Advocates Condemn Government’s Negligence: Consumer activists say expired deadlines without inspection expose businesses’ disregard for government and regulators. Consumer rights advocate Madhav Timalsina noted that although quality standards were introduced under the Prime Minister’s Office direction, they failed due to governmental apathy.

“Publishing notices with a deadline but then failing to enforce inspections or penalties mocks the government itself,” Timalsina said. “Issuing regulations without following through is shameful. Businesses exploit this gap to manipulate quality, pricing, and measurements.”

He accused the Commerce Department and related agencies of lacking seriousness about consumer health and maintaining clean markets. The removal of plastic or paper from bottles reduced production costs and financially benefited industries, facilitating swift bottle compliance. Conversely, rules related to jars lagged due to cost concerns from small producers and lack of inspection.

Timalsina emphasized widespread issues across product categories due to non-enforcement. “Backtracking after setting deadlines confirms the government does not want a clean market. Businesses are abusing this weakness, so immediate inspections and penalties are necessary,” he stated.

While industries welcomed the rule to install technology costing approximately NPR 15,000 to prevent cross-filling, small producers’ cost concerns and absent government monitoring have halted this critical market reform.

When discussing food safety, most people tend to focus on hotel kitchens, clean utensils, or general hygiene. However, food safety is not just about serving food on a clean plate. True food safety can only be ensured by securely managing the entire food chain—from the pesticides used in the fields to storage, transportation, processing, marketing, and ultimately the consumer’s plate. What exactly is food safety? How many types of food contamination exist? What impact does it have on human health? And how can food safety be realistically achieved? Here is an interview with senior nutritionist Bhupal Baniya discussing these key issues:

What is food safety?
In Nepal, when food safety is discussed, people primarily imagine hygiene in hotels, restaurants, or kitchens. There is a common understanding that food safety means using clean utensils, cooking in a clean kitchen, and eating well-cooked food. However, food safety is far more than just kitchens or plates—it encompasses the entire food chain from production to the consumer’s table.

The food safety journey begins at the farm. Factors such as the quality of seeds used by farmers, the quantity and type of pesticides applied, whether fertilizer usage was scientific, and whether irrigation water was safe are all linked to food safety. Excessive pesticide use during production does not simply vanish after cooking. These chemicals can enter the body and gradually affect organs like the liver and kidneys, increasing the risk of chronic diseases.

After production, every stage including storage, transportation, processing, and sale must adhere to proper temperature control, cleanliness, and standards. If any of these stages falter, even safe production can become unsafe. Therefore, food safety is based on the concept of “farm to fork”—ensuring safety along the entire chain from production to consumption. We must focus not only on the final stage but safeguard the entire system.

What is the difference between food hygiene and food safety?
Many people consider these two terms synonymous, but food hygiene and food safety are distinct, though closely related concepts. Food hygiene refers to cleanliness practices during food preparation, cooking, storage, and serving. It includes habits like hand washing, using clean utensils, covering food, separating raw and cooked food, and using safe water.

Food safety, however, is a broader concept. It encompasses managing potential risks throughout the entire process from production to consumption. Hence, food hygiene is not only an important component but also the foundation of food safety. For example, if a farmer uses excessive pesticide, no matter how clean the kitchen is, the food will not be safe. Similarly, if standards are not followed during processing or storage, the final meal served on a clean plate will still carry risks.

In Nepal, monitoring still primarily focuses on cleanliness, but equal attention is needed on the scientific aspects of food safety and the entire food supply chain.

An exhibition of paintings by renowned artist Pradip Kumar Bajracharya titled ‘Utsav: In the Rhythm of the Jatra’ will open on August 22 at Gallery 108 on Durbar Marg. The exhibit features artworks depicting various historic settlements of the Kathmandu Valley and important festivals such as the Machhindranath Jatra, Bhoto Jatra, and Sindure Jatra.

According to Gallery 108, Bajracharya’s paintings aim to capture the deep drumbeats of the festivals, the flow of the crowds, vibrant colors, devotees’ reverence, and the dynamic energy of the streets on living canvases. All the pieces are created in a square format, which the artist explains brings rhythm, harmony, and interconnectedness throughout the series.

This exhibition places special emphasis on preserving Nepal’s vibrant cultural heritage. Sugat R. Shakya, founder of Gallery 108, states the show sends a message supporting the conservation of tangible and intangible cultural assets. The exhibition will run through September 22.