BUSINESS & ECONOMY

AAAN calls for national ad policy

By a staff reporter

Members of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nepal (AAAN) have demanded the government to bring about a national policy on advertising.

“A national advertising policy is not only necessary but also indispensable for the flourishing of advertisement business in Nepal,” said AAAN President Bhaskar Rajkarnikar while addressing a function organized to mark the occasion of eleventh anniversary of the organization.

Rajkarnikar also urged the media to join hands with AAAN in a bid to build up pressure on the concerned authorities to bring about the much-awaited national advertising policy.

According to AAAN reports, the annual growth of advertising business in Nepal is about 25 percent. However, a big chunk of the advertising business is going out of Nepalese hands to the foreign companies.

“We believe that the national advertisement policy should ensure Nepalese participation in the foreign multinational ad companies,” said the AAAN President.

SAFA tempos get new lease of life

By a staff reporter

The government has announced that it will lift the ban on new registration of Safa tempos in the Kathmandu Valley. An expert team at the Environmental Assessment and Material Testing Division (EAMTD) has pointed out that these three wheeler electrical vehicles have not added much to the deterioration of the valley’s air quality. 

After a thorough data analysis carried out by the EAMTD, the experts have concluded that the air quality in the valley has not improved despite the ban on more than 600 diesel-operated Vikram tempos since last year.

The EAMTD experts have compared this year’s level of Total Suspended Particulate matter (TSP) in various thoroughfares of the valley with that of last year.

According to the researchers, TSP levels in Thimi and Battisputali area stood at 237.15 and 350.5 respectively last February, while this February the figures were recorded at 235.8 and 219.4 respectively.

“This shows that the ban on Vikram tempos has not made a significant change in the valley’s air quality,” Senior Analytical Chemist Dr. S. K. Giri said at a press conference organized by Society of Environmental Journalists in Kathmandu.

Besides blaming vehicular emission, Dr. Giri also pointed out other factors like the Himal Cement Factory, brick kilns and dozens of dyeing factories, bad condition of the roads, two-stroke motorcycles and burning of plastics and rubber for the high level of TSP in the valley.

Speaking on the same occasion, secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment, Dr. Govinda Bhatta said that the government is doing its best to improve the air quality in the valley.

“We can’t ban highly emitting factories and two-stroke motorcycles right away. There are thousands of two-stroke motorcycles in the valley,” he said and added that there will be a significant improvement in the air quality of the valley in the next few years.

HAN programme for tourism promotion in Sri Lanka

By a staff reporter

Hotel Association Nepal organized an interaction programme at the presence of newly appointed Ambassador to Sri Lanka, His Excellency Bal Bahadur Kunwar and Sri Lankan ambassador to Nepal, Her Excellency Mrs. Pamela J. Dean, to discuss on strategies to promote tourism in Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion Narendra Bajracharya, President, HAN emphasized the need of direct air link between Nepal and Sri Lanka and undertaking joint venture for the promotion of tourism in both countries. He also emphasized on promotion of tourism in SAARC region in a regional basis.

Sri Lankan Ambassador, Her Excellency Mrs. Pamela J. Dean underlined the close relationship between Sri-Lanka and Nepal and assured full cooperation for the promotion of tourism between two countries. Emphasizing on people to people relationship between two countries having cultural and religious resemblance; His Excellency Bal Bahadur Kunwar said that in his tenure he will give special priority for the enhancement of tourism between Nepal and Sri-Lanka. Extensive discussions were held on various aspects of tourism development in both countries and most of the participants in the meeting expressed the view that Nepal Tourism Board should study the necessary ground work to be done in this regard and open a dialogue with concerned people and organisation of Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Present at the meeting were 1st Vice President Prakash Shrestha, Hon. Secretary Ajaya R. Sthapit, Hon. Treasurer Sagar Man Shrestha and Excellency Members M.A. Lari, Ribhu Chatterjee, Samir Khanna and Rajan Sakya and Executive Director, Madhav Om Shrestha.