Gold price still high

KATHMANDU: Gold price did not see any change on Monday and remained at Rs 27,100 per tola (11.664 gram). It was traded at the same price on Sunday also. The weak Nepali rupee and fluctuating international market have pushed the price of gold to this record last Sunday on par with the Sunday before last. The precious yellow metal was traded at Rs 23,235 per 10 gram on Monday while silver also remained at Rs 328 per 10 gram. — HNS

LBL’s 17th branch

KATHMANDU: Laxmi Bank Limited has opened its 17th branch in Bhairahawa. “It marks the beginning of the bank’s branch expansion in the western part of the country,” said a bank statement. The branch will offer full range of banking services ranging from personal banking solutions such as innovative savings schemes, home loans, life insurance, credit cards, bill payment services, e-banking services, loans to small businesses and large corporate. The bank reported earnings of Rs 165 million — an increase of 36 per cent — in the first quarter of this fiscal year compared to the same period the previous year. With an asset base of over Rs 15 billion, it has the best quality loan portfolio with non-performing loans of 0.10 per cent. — HNS

Flight-25 winners

KATHMANDU: Morang Auto Works (MAW), the authorised distributer of Yamaha bikes in Nepal, has awarded free tickets for Japan to Sudhir Manandhar, Surendra Kumar Tuladhar, S K Bhattarai, Sadhu Ram Panta, Nirjala Thapa and 15 others under its ‘Flight 25 Dashain Tihar scheme’. In the Yamaha Mahamela-III, Badri Pudasaini and Dilip Dangol won Rs 25,000 each on scratch coupons. — HNS

NEFL holds AGM

KATHMANDU: Nepal Express Finance Ltd (NEFL) held its third AGM on Monday. The company posted 201.84 per cent increment in its deposit in the first six months of this fiscal year in comparison to the same period the last fiscal year. — HNS

Plant padlocked

HETAUDA: Locals of Chaukital in Hetauda-1 padlocked the diesel power plant of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) at Chaukital from 8 am to 2 pm on Sunday, demanding that NEA make the locality load-shedding free. Sabin Nyupane, a local, said people were suffering both from the pollution of the diesel plant and the load-shedding. He said that several houses in the vicinity of the plant diesel had developed cracks due to noise. — RSS