Dark star
With load shedding encroaching upon our lives day and night, CG Electronics' recent launch of inverters is timely. With the purchase of every CG inverter, customers will get a free CG iron and with the purchase of a CG inverter as well as a luminous battery, a free CG rice cooker.

Liquidity concerns
Kathmandu Frontier Associates organised a half-day workshop on current liquidity problems faced by banks and financial institutions, and the role of Nepal Rastra Bank, in January at the Hotel Everest.

Remittance saviours
With a view to providing customised deposits products and services to its remittance consumers, Himalayan Bank has launched a deposit product named Himal Remit Savings Account. It provides a minimum balance of zero, an interest rate of five per cent per annum, a free visa debit card, accidental death insurance of up to five hundred thousand rupees and more.

Board of Trade
The Government of Nepal nominated Padma Jyoti, Rajendra K. Khetan and Diwakar Golchha as the first ever constituted Board of Trade under the chairmanship of the Minister of Commerce and Supplies. The board will look after all the issues related to the Commerce Policy of 2008.

Banking boom
The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Bank of Kathmandu concluded successfully with the AGM approving 40
per cent bonus shares and 7.3684 per cent cash dividend to valued shareholders. The total deposits at the end of the fiscal year 2065/66 increased by 14.21 per cent in comparison to the last fiscal year and similarly, loans and advances increased by 17.24 per cent to the end of the fiscal year 2065/66.

Innovative services
Laxmi Bank entered into a Channel Partner Agreement with Beed Invest, the first operational licensed portfolio manager, to offer new investment products to customers. Laxmi Bank will be the first commercial bank in Nepal to introduce portfolio management products to its clientele through its various branches.

Active Citizens
The British Council and the Association of Youth Organisations in Nepal launched the project Active Citizens on 17 December. The project works with young people, helping them recognise their potential and exercise their responsibility to engage effectively for the positive development of their communities at a local and international level. Two hundred young people from Bhaktapur were chosen as Active Citizens.

Ride away!
Syakar Company, the sole distributor of Honda Motorcycles in Nepal, has launched the new Honda Activa in its scooter line. It has special features like a combined braking system, low weight metal parts, fuel tank capacity of six litres, under seat storage space, key shutter, tuff up tube and 15 per cent more mileage.

Big winners
The winners of the Tata Passenger Vehicles-Chakkar Lagaune Offer were announced last week. While 30 people got consolation prizes worth Rs 25,000, twelve couples won a free trip to Pokhara including paragliding. Five more couples won a free trip to Bangkok-Pattaya and the grand prize winner, Gyanendra Subedi, won a million rupees.