KATHMANDU, Sept 11: The government has allowed the Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and Food Management & Trading Company to import 30,000 metric tons of sugar with 50 percent customs duty waiver so as to avoid shortage of sugar in view of the upcoming festivals. 

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung shared that a meeting of the Council of the Ministers held on Monday decided to grant 50 percent exemption to the STC and FMTC on customs duty applicable to the import of 15,000 metric tons of sugar each. 

At a press conference organized at the Ministry, Minister Gurung clarified that two state-owned companies have been allowed to import sugar with customs exemption with the aim of preventing shortage of sweeteners during Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals. 

The cabinet meeting also recommended Chitralekha Yadav, a resident of Siraha, for the post of Resident Ambassador to Australia and Non-Resident Ambassador to Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Palau, Nauru, Marshall Islands and Tonga Kingdom. 

The Council of Ministers extended the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and SJVN Limited for the development of Arun-IV hydropower project through a joint venture by one year, said Minister Gurung, who is also the government’s spokesperson. 

The meeting also approved temporary positions of 12 gazetted posts in the National Youth Council under the Ministry of Youth and Sports and four in the Fapla International Cricket Ground and Sports Village Infrastructure Development Committee for the fiscal year 2024/25. 

The government has approved conducting an organization and management (O&M) survey of the Ministry of Finance and subordinate offices. The Cabinet has decided to approve the Land Use (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2081 and approve the national report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and submit it to the concerned United Nations Committee.

 
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