Sebon warns against market manipulation

Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) has directed the merchant bankers and share brokers not to disseminate sensitive information that could manipulate the movement of secondary market.
After receiving numerous grievances from the investors, the capital market regulator issuing a directive today said that share market seems to have been manipulated due to dissemination of sensitive information by the broker companies and merchant bankers. "In recent days, we have received many complaints about the market movement being swayed due to release of sensitive information,” said joint spokesperson for Sebon Niranjaya Ghimire. "The brokerage firms and merchant bankers are engaging in market manipulation through media and other platforms."
The regulator has also directed merchant bankers and share brokerage firms not to make any comments on the price of individual company or sub-index.
The Sebon has also warned to take strict action against the brokerage firms found to be disseminating information based on speculations related to individual company or sub-index.
Nepal Investors’ Forum Working Committee members yesterday had met Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) officials and chairman of Sebon to discuss the market.

South Asia Economic Summit from tomorrow

Nepal is hosting a three-day regional economic summit to strengthen economic integration in the South Asia and sub-region.
The tenth South Asia Economic Summit (SAESX) – with the theme Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia – will start tomorrow. It will be attended by more than 200 delegates, including ministers, members of Parliament, planners, senior government officials and leading think tanks and researchers from South Asian countries to discuss on inclusive and sustainable development, according to a press note from the National Planning Commission (NPC).
The main theme of the summit will be strengthening economic integration in the sub-region for attaining inclusive and sustainable development, it added.
National Planning Commission and Commerce Ministry in collaboration with South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) is organising the summit that consists of 18 sessions in which a wide range of issues, including regional trade potentials, cooperation on power trade, collaboration for reducing disaster impacts, intellectual property relating to herbs, employment generation, trade facilitation, collaborate on climate change, international labour migration will be discussed.
South Asia Economic Summit is a civil society initiative – almost a track 2 initiative – of the South Asian think-tanks and is organised in different countries of South Asia. Five South Asian think-tanks including South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Bangladesh, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) India, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Pakistan and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) Sri Lanka take turns to organise the annual event in one of the SAARC countries.
Established in 2008 the regional economic platform has also initiated debate and discussions on various issues relating to South Asian development challenges and succeeded in developing itself as an effective medium of regional integration and economic collaboration in less than a decade, said vice chair of NPC Swornim Wagley.
The main objective of the summit is to help the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process on economic development.
Wagle said the conference would help to develop consensus among the participating countries on the main agendas and challenges of development issues as the South Asian region is known as the least integrated region of the world due to lack of connectivity. Intra-regional trade and investment among South Asian countries is just around five per cent of the total trade and investment of South Asian countries with the countries beyond the region.

NOC rolls back petro price hike

Nepali Oil Corporation (NOC) has rolled back its decision to hike the prices of petroleum products after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba asked them to take it back.
The state-owned petro monopoly had increased the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas on Wednesday night but the premier has today morning asked the NOC to take the decision back as the country is nearing election.
NOC had increased Rs 2 per litre in petrol, Rs 1.5 each in diesel and kerosene, and Rs 25 per cylinder in cooking gas effective from Wedbesday midnight.
"But NOC withdrew its decision to increase the prices of petroleum products under the directive of prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba," according to the government oil monopoly.

Global IME Bank launches 3D secure services to make online transactions more secure

Global IME Bank from today launched 3D secure services for its credit cardholders to perform online transactions and now part of initial few banks that offer such services in Nepal.
"The service allows Global IME Bank credit card holders to use their cards during online transactions and allow them to participate in verified by visa process," the bank said, adding that the new value-added service by Global IME Bank is an extension of the banks mission to reiterate its commitment to its consumers to meet the needs of an ever-changing market in terms of security, technology, and financial solutions. "The few simple steps will enable cardholders to activate the new feature while performing first ecommerce transaction where customers need to enroll and set credentials for future usage."
Subsequent online purchases will then be validated with additional layer of security for cardholder’s authentication, said the Global IME Bank that has in association with visa partnered with Izealiant Technologies for implementing the solution that provides flexibility to choose authentication types like password or OTP depending upon customer preference.
As a direct benefit, Global IME Bank cardholders can now enjoy additional security for their online card usage on various ecommerce sites worldwide, it claimed. "It will also increase acceptance across more merchants participating in 3D secure services for using Global IME cards."
The protective feature enables the bank to authenticate not only the card but also the cardholder during payment of internet purchases thus protecting their online transactions against theft and illegal use of cards, it added.
Acting chief executive of the Global IME Bank Janak Sharma Poudyal said that the bank's new 3D Secure Services for card holders plays a significant role as it enhances security which is a critical aspect of any online business transaction. "This along with our impressive card features ensures that we always meet the evolving security needs of our customers to give them a world class banking experience," he added. 

नेपाल दक्षिण एसियामा तेस्रो व्यवसायमैत्री देश

दक्षिण एसियामा नेपाल तेस्रो सहज व्यावसायिक वातावरण भएको देश बनेको छ । व्यवसाय गर्ने वातावरणमा सुधार गर्दे गएपछि यस क्षेत्रमा भुटान तथा भारतपछि नेपाल तेस्रो व्यवसायमैत्री मुलुक भएको विश्व बैंकको प्रतिवेदनले देखाएको हो ।

सन् २०१८ का लागि बैकद्वारा मंगलबार प्रकाशित ‘डुङइ बिजनेस’ प्रतिवेदनअनुसार अघिल्लो वर्षभन्दा २ स्थान सुधार गरेर नेपाल १०५ औं स्थानमा उक्लिएको छ । यसअघि गत वर्ष सन् २०१७ को लागि प्रकाशित प्रतिवेदनले नेपालको स्थान १ सय ७ मा रहेको देखाएको थियो । नेपालले आफ्नो स्थानमात्र सुधारेको नभइ दक्षिण एसियामा नै तेस्रो सहज व्यावसायिक वातावरण भएको देश बन्न पुगेको हो । विश्वका १ सय ९० देशको अर्थतन्त्रलाई समेटेर तयार पारिएको प्रतिवेदनले नेपालले १ सय अंकमा ५९.९५ अंक पाएको जनाउँदै नेपालको अवस्था सुधारोन्मुख रहेको देखाएको हो ।

दक्षिण एसियामा नेपालभन्दा अगाडि भारतले आफ्नो अवस्थामा सुधार गरेर गत वर्षको १ सय ३० स्थानबाट फड्को मारेर यस वर्ष १ सयौं स्थानमा उक्लेको छ भने ७५ औं स्थानमा रहेको भुटान दक्षिण एसियाकै सबैभन्दा राम्रो व्यावसायिक वातावरण भएको देश बनेको छ ।

भारतले ‘डुङइ बिजनेस’का १० सूचकमा ८ वटामा सुधार गरेको भन्दै विश्व बैकले भारतमा व्यवसाय सुरु गर्न, निर्माणसम्बन्धी कार्यको अनुमति, कर्जा प्राप्ति, विद्युत् प्राप्ति, साना लगानीकर्ताको संरक्षण, कर भुक्तानी प्रक्रिया, वैदेशिक व्यापार, कामदारसम्बन्धी सम्झौता र समस्याग्रस्त संस्थाको व्यवस्थामा सुधार आएको जनाएको छ ।

यस्तै, प्रतिवेदनमा श्रीलंका १११ औं स्थानमा छ भने माल्दिभ्स १३६ औं, पाकिस्तान १४७ औं, बंगलादेश १७७ औं र अफगानिस्तान १८३ औं स्थानका रहेको पनि उल्लेख छ । नेपालमा पछिल्ला वर्षमा चल सम्पत्तिको धितोमा पनि कर्जा दिन सकिने व्यवस्थासहितको सुरक्षित कारोबार प्रणालीको कार्यान्वयन, संस्थागत पारदर्शीताको कायम गर्दै साना लगानीकर्ताको संरक्षणमा सुधार भएकोले व्यावसायिक वातावरण सुधार भएको प्रतिवेदनले उल्लेख गरेको छ ।

यस्तै, नेपालले १० वटा सूचकमध्ये साना लगानीकर्ताको संरक्षणमा सबैभन्दा राम्रो स्थान (६२), वैदेशिक व्यापारमा सहजता (७६), समस्याग्रस्त संस्थाको व्यवस्थापनमा (७६) तथा सम्पत्ति दर्तामा (८४) अंक प्राप्त गरेर राम्रो स्थान प्राप्त गरेको छ । सोही कारण नेपालले आफ्नो स्थान गत वर्षभन्दा २ स्थान माथि उकाल्न सफल भएको प्रतिवेदनले जनाएको छ । तर, नेपालले सुधार गर्न नसकेका केही क्षेत्रहरू जस्तै, निर्माण अनुमतिसम्बन्धी प्रक्रियाहरू लामो हुँदै गएको तथा यसमा समय बढी लाग्ने गरेकाले सुधारको अझै आवश्यकता रहेको औंल्याइएको छ ।

प्रतिवेदनले न्यूजिल्यान्ड पहिलो, सिंगापुर दोस्रो, डेनमार्क तेस्रो, दक्षिण कोरिया चौथो तथा चीनको हङकङ क्षेत्र पाँचौं स्थानमा रहेको पनि जनाएको छ । प्रतिवर्ष विश्व बैंकले निकाल्ने यसै प्रतिवेदनको आधारमा संसारका धेरै लगानीकर्ताले आफ्नो लगानी विस्तार जस्ता निर्णय गर्ने पनि बैंकले जनाएको छ । यस्तै, वल्र्ड इकोनोमिक फोरमद्वारा यसअघि सार्वजनिक विश्वको प्रतिस्पर्धी क्षमता २०१७ का अनुसार नेपाल गत वर्षभन्दा सूचकांकमा १० तह माथि उक्लेर ८८ औं नम्बरमा परे पनि दक्षिण एसियामा भने चौथो स्थानमा नै रहेको छ । विश्वको प्रतिस्पर्धी क्षमता २०१५ मा नेपाल दक्षिण एसियाको तेस्रो प्रतिस्पर्धी अर्थतन्त्र रहेको थियो ।

वल्र्ड इकोनोमिक फोरमले १ सय ३७ देशमा गरेको अध्ययनअनुसार विश्वव्यापी प्रतिस्पर्धी मुलुकको सूचीमा नेपाल ८८ औं नम्बरमा परेको थियो । तर, दक्षिण एसियाली मुलुकमा भने नेपाल चौंथो नम्बरमा छ । अध्ययन प्रतिवेदनमा दक्षिण एसियाका ६ मुलुकलाई समावेश गरिएकामा नेपाल बंगलादेश र पाकिस्तानभन्दा अगाडि छ । भारत ४०, भुटान ८२ र श्रीलंका ८५ औं नम्बरमा छन् ।

NOC hikes petro price

Nepal Oil Corporation has jacked up price of petroleum products effective from midnight.
According to NOC spokesperson Birendra Goit, the corporation has increased Rs 2 per litre in petrol, Rs 1.50 per litre in diesel and kerosene, and Rs 25 per cooking gas cylinder. "As per the new price, petrol will be available on Rs 100, diesel on Rs 75.50 and a cooking gas cylinder on Rs 1350," he added.
Since Nepal has been importing petroleum products from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), NOC fixes price of the petroleum products based on price list sent in by the IOC on 1st and 16th of every Gregorian month.
The government owned oil monopoly said that it has increased the price of petrol, diesel and kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas – popularly known as cooking gas – today as the price of the crude oil in the international market has seen increament. "We had to adjust the prices of other products due to increment in prices in the international market," he added.
NOC has, however, has not changed the price of aviation fuel. 
Even with the increment in the price of petroleum products, NOC will make profit of only Rs 19.70 million due to heavy loss in cooking gas, the NOC claimed, adding that it bears Rs 115 million loss per month even after implementation of the new rate.
Though, NOC has adopted automatic pricing system to adjust price of petroleum products according to the international price, it has not changed the fuel price since February.