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If you don’t like the food there, you can always marvel the exquisite motorbikes Genesis Café displays inside its premises (Yes, INSIDE its prem­ises) or in the parking lot. But it’s a rare chance you won’t like the food there either, because the owners at Genesis, some of whom are experi­enced chefs with international exposure, make sure that the bites at are as tasty as the stunning bikes on display.

Although its location is a little obscure, (the first left turn from Pani Pokhari petrol pump if you’re coming from Maharajgunj), Genesis café has a regular group of patrons, mostly bikers and biking enthusiasts. The café opens for breakfast, lunch, dinner and quick in-between bites and is also popular for its “Cheap Friday” events—a one-night offering of exclusive imported drinks at below average prices.  

THE MENU

Chef’s Special: Nepali Thali By Genesis

                           Fresh Baked Chicken and Mushroom Pie,

                           Chilli Frittata (Italian Omelette)

Opening hours: 9 am-10 pm

Location : Panipokhari, Ktm

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,200  

He informed that the Lalitpur Met­ropolitan City would collaborate with Sajha Yatayat to provide the bus service. The city is also plan­ning to rope in private companies and increase the number of elec­tric buses. So far it has received three proposals.

Lower operational cost

Studies show that China has increased production of electric buses in recent years. In particular, BYD, the Chinese battery and electric vehicle maker, has been producing large electric buses. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City decided to col­laborate with the company after it announced that it would produce buses of lengths 9.5m and 12m.

Apart from the trolley bus service, which is no longer in operation, the electric buses are a new experi­ment for Nepal although the country has been importing electric cars in recent years. These buses will cost between Rs 20 to 30 million each. Despite the high initial cost, the electric buses will have lower oper­ational costs and be more durable and environmentally-friendly than petroleum buses.

Data from the Department of Transport Management show that there are over three million petroleum vehicles in the coun­try, of which 1.2 million ply in Kathmandu Valley.

EV for the mayor too

While the Kathmandu Metropoli­tan City has already bought a petro­leum vehicle worth Rs 12 million for its mayor, the Lalitpur Metropoli­tan City is planning to purchase an electric vehicle for its mayor in the upcoming fiscal year. Environmen­talist Bhushan Tuladhar argues that the state needs to subsidize electric vehicles, since they are far better for the environment. “Private compa­nies should also be encouraged to operate electric vehicles,” he says.

Many environmentalists accuse government officials of having a vested interest in the petroleum trade and therefore being uninter­ested in electric vehicles. Apparently they also receive petroleum vehicles as gifts from private companies.  

By CHHETU SHERPA

KFC, a world-renowned fast-food chain, has launched its spe­cial Wednesday offer in Nepal. With 10 pieces of Hot and Crispy Chicken now available for only Rs 990, KFC just made mid-week Wednesdays “finger lickin’ good.”

Commenting on the offer launch, Samir Menon, Manag­ing Director, KFC India and Area countries said, “With this offer, we aim to get closer to our con­sumers across the region and introduce them to KFC’s world of crave-able and unique food and beverage options at an all-new value.”

KFC opened its first restau­rant in Nepal in 2009 and cur­rently has five restaurants in Kathmandu and one in Pokhara. The brand has also renovated its store at Durbar Marg to give its consumers an environment that allows them to relax and enjoy their meals even more.  

Alibaba, the Chinese internet giant, has expanded its e-com­merce empire into South Asia after acquiring Daraz in an undisclosed deal. Daraz Group, a leading e-commerce company in Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myan­mar and Bangladesh, was fully acquired by Alibaba to become a member of Alibaba Group.

Daraz was founded in 2012 by Rocket Internet, and it is the sec­ond time Alibaba has bought a Rocket company, the first being Lazada in Southeast Asia two years ago. The deal is part of Ali­baba’s second wave of interna­tional expansions into South Asia.

With the acquisition, Daraz will be able to leverage Alibaba’s lead­ership and experience in tech­nology, online commerce and operation to drive further growth in the five South Asian markets that have a combined population of over 460 million, 60 percent of which is under the age of 35. Daraz will continue to operate under the same brand name.

Advanced Automobiles, the authorized distributor of Renault vehicles in Nepal, has opened pre-book­ings of the Renault CAPTUR, a premium SUV with class leading features. According to the company, the upcoming CAPTUR embodies their new global design language with exclusive fashion-inspired dual tone body colors. Renault Captur is loaded with pre­mium features—innovative lighting systems (ILS), ergo design, leather seats and one integration concept.

Renault’s design approach seamlessly connects car and driver through a plethora of innovations. The premium SUV also comes fully loaded with projec­tor headlamps, C-shaped sapphire LED DRLs, fully automatic temperature control with rear cooling vents, integrated audio system with USB and aux-in with Bluetooth, steering wheel controls and push button start with remote central locking as well as dual airbags.

Learn how to start your own business at the RSTCA Global Entrepreneurs Boot-camp 2018. Entrepreneurship can be a myth. Break down the myth from management and entrepreneur­ship consultants from RSTCA. Learn from your favorite mentors and connect with RSTCA club of around 15,000 members. Mentors from across the globe will attend. You will get to tie up with major funders, think tanks, business houses, gurus and others. The boot-camp will cover vari­ous topics like Legal Aspects, Financial Planning, Fund Raising, Product Development, Marketing, Branding, Business Development, Scalability and Various other things that will make you a perfect entrepreneur.

The competition winner will be eligible for three-month-long Accelerator and Mini MBA in CEO Skills Program. Charges: Rs 25,000 for seven days including food, lodging, travel, materials, template, training and other accessories

For registration: Visit at https://rstca.com.np/ funding-request-form-entrepreneurs/

Nepali art is famous the world over for its traditional forms like Paubha and Thanka. Iron­ically, the artists are rarely known. It was to provide exposure to these obscure Nepali artists that Tilicho Kala, which works to promote Nepali art, organized the second edition of Synthesis Art Exhibition this week by. The exhibit of traditional and contemporary paintings, photogra­phy and sculptures at the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Babarmahal ran from May 2 to 5.

“Our aim was to bring together the who’s who of Nepali art under a roof and provide them with a common platform to interact and appreciate each other’s works,” says Ujen Nor­bu Gurung, the event organizer and founder of Tilicho Kala.

The event, as its name suggests, was a synthesis of traditional and contemporary arts. Indeed, the rich display symbolized the evolution of Nepali art from its traditional form to its more modern expressions, accord­ing to Gurung.

Some of the notable works on display were Erina Tamrakar’s ‘The Third Eye’, The Bajracharya Fam­ily’s ‘Wooden Sculptures’ and Lok Chitrakar’s ‘Pancha Buddha’. The exhibition also featured live band performances and poetry recitations.

Punya R Bajracharya, Samundra MS Shrestha, Kichaa M Chitrakar, Prem Chitrakar, Yanik Shrestha, Samir Maharjan, Aakash Pradhan, Pratham R Bajracharya, Sapta R Bajracharya, Amir Shakya, Pradip Shakya, Rashana Bajracharya, and Michelle LL, were other artists featured. APEX BUREAU

Without any investigation, the Depart­ment of Immigration (DOI) on May 6 released 11 North Koreans—10 women and one man—who were arrested on charges of working illegally in Nepal. The Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) had arrested the North Koreans during a raid at the Pyongyang Arirang Restaurant in Durbar Marg on May 4. Nepali law bars foreigners from working in the country without a permit issued by the Department of Labor. The metropolitan police had handed the North Koreans over to the DOI on May 6 for further investigation. But the DOI turned them over to the North Korean Embassy in Kathmandu the same day, after the North Koreans promised, in writing, that they would not abuse their visa provisions again.

The DOI, which was making preparations to deport the North Koreans, reportedly backed down after Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa stood firm against their deportation. The minis­try spokesperson Ram Krishna Subedi claimed that the arrestees would face action in accor­dance with the law. Meanwhile, Director Gen­eral of DOI Dipak Kafle refused to comment.

In their statement to the DOI, the North Kore­ans said that they were in Nepal as tourists and not as workers and that they would return to their homeland in a few days. Of the 11 arrest­ees, two have business visas while the rest have tourist visas. Three are employees at the North Korean Embassy. Four have initiated a process with the Department of Industry to change the restaurant’s ownership.

In its letter to the DOI, the metropolitan police mentioned that the arrestees were found to have abused their visa by working in the country. Dhiraj Pratap Singh, Superintendent of Police at the MPCD, said, “Our investigation revealed that they had violated the country’s immigration laws, so we handed them over to the DOI for further inquiry and action.”

Officials at the DOI said there was no conclu­sive evidence that the North Koreans had been working in violation of the law.

Apart from violating immigration laws, the North Koreans were also charged with evading taxes. The restaurant they were working in, by cooking the books and claiming that it is always in the red, has not paid any taxes to Nepal government.

Most functions organized by the North Korean Embassy are held at Pyongyang Arirang Restaurant, which is apparently run under the embassy’s direct supervision. It employs some Nepali cooks but most of its workers are North Korean citizens. Some of the restaurant’s employees were also found to be working at a Chinese restaurant at the nearby Rising Mall.

It has also come to light that some North Korean doctors with business visas have been working at Ne Koryo, a hospital run by North Koreans in Damauli, the headquarters of the central hill district of Tanahun. Such employ­ment is also in violation of their business visas.

The metropolitan police had conducted a secret investigation after it was tipped off that some North Koreans were working without per­mits and that they could be involved in other illicit activities.

By Shambhu Kattel | Kathmandu