Kathmandu, December 17:

The government today made public a number of cabinet decisions taken on last Friday.

The cabinet has made appointments in public sector enterprises including Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA), Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Development Board, National Cooperative Board, Nepal Agriculture Research Council and Emergency Insurance Fund.

The government has for-med a nine-member committee to make recomme-ndation, within two months, on how to go ahead while turning public sector publishing houses as autonomous bodies.

Minister of State for Information and Communication Dilendra Prasad Badu publicised the cabinet decisions today. The NTV authorised capital has been raised from Rs 700 million to Rs 1,050 million.

While the government decided to give Rs 1.5 million to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Network of Weekly and Fortnightly Newspapers, Reporters Club, Press Chautari and Press Union each got Rs 500,000.

The Cabinet has also decided to accept Swiss grant assistance to the tune of Rs 50.4 million to livelihood projects in Doti, Achham, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Dolakha and Ramechhap. The Edu-cation Sector Programme gets further loan to the tune of $30 million. The cabinet has also approved the SAARC Arbitration Council which is expected to boost trade in the SAARC region. In another important decision, a bill drafted to guarantee access to information will be moved in the House soon. The government has also made new coat of arms.