Google Business Group to host second edition of GBG BizFest & BizStart 2019

Google Business Group Kathmandu – a community of business professionals in Kathmandu – is hosting the second edition of GBG BizFest and Bizstart 2019, Nepal’s biggest startup meet and expo on December 28. GBG BizFest is the first and only of its kind technology and business exhibition in Nepal, claims the organiser. “This edition of the event is being organised in collaboration with Genese Software Solution, a cloud consulting company in Nepal,” it said, adding that the main objective of GBG BizFest 2019 is going to bring together entrepreneurs and startup-founders from around the country in a single platform. “In this expo, along with exhibiting products and services to their potential customers, startup founders of Nepal will get an opportunity to learn new strategies and expand their businesses with the Google’s technology.”
“GBG BizFest is an annual event happening in different countries throughout the world,” manager of GBG Kathmandu Amit Agrawal said speaking about the concept of organising the event. “We are excited to host this event for the second time in Nepal and bring all the emerging startups under one umbrella,” he said, adding that startup, in Nepal, is a very recent phenomenon. “We can see many startups emerging to solve various need gaps existing in our society but not many people know about the emerging Nepali startups and there are no such expos in Nepal that are focused on startups only.”
Also, it’s not possible for all recently founded startups to pay a heavy fee to exhibit in expos, he added. “Thus, GBG Kathmandu is taking an initiation to bring all major startups of Nepal in a single platform.”
Through GBG BizFest & Bizstart 2019, the organisers claim that they are trying to provide a free and open platform to connect with their potential customers.
More than 200+ startups, app developers and tech communities of Nepal are expected to participate in GBG BizFest 2019 to promote their products and services. Likewise, GBG Kathmandu is expecting to bring more than 10,000 visitors in the event. The first edition of the event was held in January 2019 and was participated by 120+ startups and 5,000+ visitors from across various parts of Nepal.
Along with the BizFest expo, the day will also see BizStart, a series of special tech-focused workshops delivered by experts in the industry. The participants will be given a hands-on opportunity to listen to leading individuals in the industry, who will talk about various topics, ranging from Google’s suite of tools of online marketing – including Google Analytics and Google Ads – to growth hacking in modern organizations.
To the delight of budding entrepreneurs in the country, the event will have a stall dedicated to Google My Business. Startups can get themselves enlisted in Google’s business ‘directory’, which can help them in two ways: Customers would be able to find the business and its details – such as location, working hours – much more conveniently and the startups’ websites would gain much more chances of appearing on the first page of Google Search Engine Results Page (SERPs), which would effectively mean that their website would get Search Engine Optimised (SEO) automatically.
The title sponsor for the startup fest is Genese Software Solution, Nepal’s first and only Consulting Partner of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, and a partner for Microsoft, IBM, Nagios, VMware, Barracuda, TrendMicro, and Neo4j for Nepal. Likewise, ConnectIPS is the associate partner, NIC Asia is the banking partner, Turkish Airlines is the airlines partner, LBEF is the knowledge partner, WorldLink is the internet partner, Sparrow SMS is the SMS partner, and Pathao is the mobility partner. The event is powered by Google.

Surya Nepal, Siddhartha Rana highest taxpayers

Surya Nepal has become the highest taxpayer and been honoured today.
Surya Nepal has already been honoured thrice in the past too. Likewise, Siddhartha SJB Rana is the top taxpayer under the individual category. Rana is involved in hotel, trading and travel sectors. He has been honoured continuously for the last six years as the top individual taxpayer.
Similarly, Dabur Nepal is honoured for being the highest exporter and Jagdamba Steel Industries for paying the highest taxes from among firms not selling tobacco or alcohol products. Among cooperatives, Chhimek Laghubittiya Bittiya Sanstha bagged the highest taxpayer award while Kamana Sewa Bikash Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank were honoured among development and commercial banks, respectively. Similarly, Nepal Life Insurance Company is felicitated among the insurance companies.
In the Information and Technology sector, WorldLink Communication is the highest taxpayer and Taragaon Regency Hotel is honoured in the tourism sector for paying highest tax. Other companies to be felicitated are Annapurna Agro International, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Agni Incorporate,  VS Services and Ghorahi Cement Industry.
The government honoured the highest taxpayers of the country – for promoting the taxpaying culture – under different categories on the occasion of the eighth National Tax Day, today.
Finance minister Dr Yuba Raja Khatiwada honoured the top companies in 15 categories at a programme organised by Inland Revenue Department (IRD). IRD has classified the highest taxpayers as individual, industry, agriculture, financial sector, insurance, tourism and trade categories.
On the occasion, IRD also awarded its 10 best employees for their performance.

CDC Group, WorldLink ink investment deal

The UK’s development finance institution CDC Group today announced its investment of Rs 1.35 billion (approximately $12 million) in the private sector internet service provider WorldLink.
The investment is expected to facilitate WorldLink in aggressively expanding its internet network throughout the nation reaching out to the most marginalised areas, according to a press note issued by the company. “CDC Group has made the investment in WorldLink as equity, securing 10 per cent share in the company.”
This marks CDC’s first equity investment in Nepal but also second investment in the country this year. Earlier, CDC Group has injected a three-year loan of $15 million in NMB Bank.
“The investment will help fund WorldLink’s ambitious expansion throughout Nepal, reaching further remote territories and connecting hundreds of thousands of households and small enterprises to the internet,” confirmed the WorldLink that has grown into the country’s largest internet service provider, laying over 8000-km of fibre and reaching some of the most remote places like Chhatrakot Rural Municipality and Ruru Rural Municipality.
CDC’s capital will accelerate its expansion, helping WorldLink to provide even more small businesses and families with a reliable internet source. WorldLink – as claimed by itself – is already a large employer, particularly of young people, with nearly 3000 employees. “CDC’s investment will support the hiring of over 1,000 additional employees,” the WorldLink, said, adding that CDC will also help develop a skills and training programme for all staff and progress health and safety standards.
“We firmly believe in the power of connectivity to help bring communities out of poverty,” managing director and head of Asia at CDC Srini Nagarajan said, adding that advancing the internet to MSMEs across Nepal gives them access to global trade and markets. “It also brings families into contact in Nepal and overseas.”
CDC’s capital will help accelerate this, helping it reach further remote regions.
“We are delighted to be creating long term partnerships in a country where our capital will make a meaningful difference to people’s lives,” he added.
“We feel honoured to be the first CDC equity investment in Nepal,” managing director of WorldLink Dileep Agrawal. “It is a recognition of our 24 years’ hard work and commitment to Nepal’s internet and telecoms industry,” he said, adding that with CDC’s backing, our ambition is to transform Worldlink into a world-class company that will serve as a model and inspiration to other companies in Nepal. “Our partnership will accelerate our pursuit to connect everyone, anywhere, all the time.”
Compared to other countries in Asia, access to digital services remains low in Nepal and presents a real challenge for the development of businesses. Improving access to affordable and quality internet is central to Nepal’s development and economic growth, and a key part of UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG9).