Open greenhouse

Dabur Nepal has re-opened its greenhouse for rare and endangered plants in Banepa. The greenhouse was shut down on 21 December after the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Trade Union threatened employees and made repeated demands that its members be given employment. Dabur says the issue was resolved through the mediation of Banepa’s VDC representatives. The greenhouse creates thousands of jobs and helps preserve 12 endangered species of rare herbs, through over 40 satellite farms and cooperatives in 22 districts.

Certified

Machhapuchchhre Bank has been awarded the ISO 9001:2001 certification by the UKCAS Quality Management Company for all its 12 outlets around Kathmandu. The bank plans to open a new branch in Itahari.

Fortune Cookie Ventures was launched this week at CAN Info Tech 2007. The company is an international joint venture set up by successful ICT entrepreneurs in Nepal and Intelligent Capital LLC, a US-based international venture capital firm. Fortune Cookie plans to both provide venture capital to deserving innovators and work as an incubator for start-ups in the ICT sector. Fortune Cookie intends to invest up to Rs 100 million in Nepal’s ICT sector over the next two years, and hopes that by creating successful ventures, it can attract much-needed foreign investment in ICT.

Qatar travels the world

Qatar Airlines is now also flying to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The new route on its international network takes Qatar’s global reach to 71 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and the Far East.

Strategic National Campus for Business Studies (NCBS), Baneswor has signed a strategic alliance with KJ Somaiya Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai, to allow Nepali students access to a top class business education and the opportunity to gain employment in the competitive Indian market.

New Product

Preeti: Asian Thai Noodles has launched the new Preeti brand of noodles. The brown chicken-flavoured noodles are priced at Rs 12.50 for a 70gm packet, and the introductory offer encourages consumers to ‘buy two get one free’.