IFL rights shares

KATHMANDU: Imperial Finance Ltd (IFL) will distribute rights share in the ratio of 1:1. According to a press statement, during the fiscal year 2007-08 the company registered a net profit of Rs 16 million, deposit of Rs 377.73 million and loan of Rs 374.1 million. It recently held its 13th annual general meeting (AGM). — HNS

New trekking route

BABIYACHAUR: A new trekking route has opened from Khopralek of Shikh VDC to Khayarbarah Lake in Myagdi district. The construction of the route began two years ago and was completed recently. The 10-km route was opened by locals of Paudar VDC. — RSS

Palpali dhaka caps

PARBAT: Parbat dwellers are making their own cloth to make Palpali and Purbeli dhaka caps. Local production became possible after women of Deupur VDC were trained to weave cloth under Micro Entrepreneur Development Programme. They produce shawls, caps, mufflers etc. The products fetch good prices. A public facility centre was set up at a cost of Rs 900,000 which has 10 weaving machines. There are 40 women working in the centre. — RSS

Customs office idle

MANGALBARE: The Jogmai-based Lumling Chhoti Customs Office in Ilam is idle due to the absence of employees for the past week. Cases of wildlife smuggling are on the rise in the northern belt of the district as the office is not functioning. Locals said the employees stay at home after the office collapsed for want of repair. Till recently, they were performing their duties on the street. — RSS

Pro-poor scheme hit

ITAHARI: The poor people-oriented programme Garibsanga Bisheswar Karyakram being operated in 10 villages of Sunsari is affected due to non-allocation of budget. Locals said this year the government did not allocate the budget. Volunteers in the programme risk losing their jobs due to this. The programme has succeeded in making poor people self-dependent through income-generating programmes. — RSS

Beer sales poor

LONDON: Consumers from Latin America to eastern Europe have apparently resisted drowning their economic sorrows in a glass of beer, trading figures from SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer, showed on Thursday. The group’s trading update for its third quarter up to the end of December showed lager shipments in Europe dropped by 1 per cent as a result of the ‘impacts of the global financial crisis. — DPA