KATHMANDU: The Board of Himal Power Ltd has announced that Sandip Shah, Statkraft Nepal country director has taken over the additional role of general manager at Himal Power Ltd (HPL) with effect from July 17. Shah has been with SN Power/Statkraft, for the last nine years and has led SN Power/ Statkraft’s efforts to develop new projects in Nepal while supporting Himal Power’s operations. He has been involved with the hydropower sector in Nepal and the region for the last 23 years. Earlier in his career, Shah was the general manager of Bhote Koshi Power Company and was the president of Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), a position he held for over nine years.

Safety brings scheme

KATHMANDU: Jasmine Hygiene Products launched a consumer scheme called ‘Safety chha saathma, Upahar chha haat ma’ on Friday, which is valid for three months. Under this coupon based scheme, consumers will get a coded coupon on the purchase of every packet of ‘Safety’ sanitary pads. The consumer is required to SMS the code to 3131. Every week one lucky winner will win a Gitanjali diamond pendant and every month two lucky winners will win Samsung Grand Prime G530 each. For the bumper prize one lucky winner will win Yamaha’s Ray Z Blue Core scooter. Jasmine Hygiene Products is Nepal’s first manufacturer of sanitary pads and the only manufacturer of baby diapers, as per a press statement issued by the company.

Russia mixed deal

MOSCOW: The landmark deal on Iran’s nuclear programme that Russia helped steer through marathon talks is a diplomatic fillip for Moscow which will boost trade with Tehran but could also hit much-needed energy revenues, analysts said. Iran and the P5+1 group — Russia, US, China, Britain, France and Germany — struck an agreement on Tuesday that would progressively lift economic sanctions against Tehran in exchange for limitations on its nuclear programme. As an Iranian ally, Moscow appears to have been central in securing deal and experts say it could help burnish Russia’s international image that has taken a beating over crisis in Ukraine. And once Iran’s sanctions are lifted, Russia — which has seen its economy suffer due in part to western sanctions — could likely be first in line to win lucrative contracts in key sectors such as energy and transport.

German speculation

BERLIN: The German finance ministry dismissed speculation in German media on Saturday that Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was considering resignation over differences of opinion with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the issue of Greece. Germany’s Der Spiegel printed an interview with 72-year-old Schaeuble in which he said he could always ask the president to relieve him of his duties in response to a question about whether problems could arise if the chancellor and finance minister had divergent opinions on financial support for Greece. Some German media published reports based on the interview suggesting that Schaeuble was thinking about stepping down. A spokesman for the finance ministry referred to Schaeuble’s clear answer in the interview to the question of whether he was considering asking the president to free him of his obligations, which was: “No. Where did you get that idea?” The spokesman said he would not comment further on the report.