VIF Neighborhood News Digest: March 31, 2020

PAKISTAN

UN has sought govt proposal for assistance, says Qureshi: Dawn
March 31, 2020

The United Nations is likely to add Pakistan to its humanitarian appeal for helping it fight the pandemic and mitigate its impact on the country. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan Julien Frederic Morcom-Harneis in a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office on Monday sought a joint proposal from Pakistan’s health ministry and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for inclusion in the proposal. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Talks Will Solve Political Rifts: Waheed Omer: Tolo
March 31, 2020

The Presidential Palace said efforts are underway to resolve the political rifts. Waheed Omer, President Ashraf Ghani's senior adviser for public and strategic affairs, said Monday that talks will continue in order to end the political crisis between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. Omer says the president is busy working to address the coronavirus in the country. Click here to read.... [3]

BANGLADESH

Coronavirus fallout: SMEs seek fiscal, financial support: Dhaka Tribune
March 31, 2020

'Typically, SMEs run on a small amount of cash, but due to dwindling sales, their funds dry up'. As the coronavirus pandemic hit the economy, the country’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sought fiscal and financial support from the government, on Monday. Talking to Dhaka Tribune, entrepreneurs urged the government to take effective measures such as providing working capital, tax waivers, and incentives, low cost long-term loan facilities for small and medium-sized firms to keep their production running in the crisis. Click here to read.... [4]

MYANMAR

Myanmar reports four new COVID-19 patients, cases jump to 14: Myanmar Times
March 31, 2020

The Health Ministry on Monday reported four new COVID-19 patients, increasing the number of cases in the country to 14, just one week after Myanmar’s first two cases were announced. The new cases included three French nationals who had been in contact with a 60-year-old Myanmar tour guide who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. Myanmar authorities restricted the movements of the three after their tour guide tested positive for the disease. Click here to read.... [5]

NEPAL

Supreme Court orders government to ensure vulnerable people’s right to food: The Kathmandu Post
March 31, 2020

The Supreme Court on Monday issued an interim order to the government to ensure the constitutional right of food to the vulnerable workers who are worst hit by the ongoing lockdown enforced by the government to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The top court has also ordered government officials to furnish details of their work towards ensuring food security to the vulnerable people during the lockdown via the Office of the Attorney General on April 5. Click here to read.... [6]

Sri Lanka

Bandula on COVID-19: Apparels will take $2bn hit from supply chain disruption: Daily Mirror
March 31, 2020

The apparel sector will lose USD 2 billion for the three-month period starting from March because of the disruption to supply chain in Europe and the US following the COVID-19 outbreak, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardene said yesterday. He told Daily Mirror representatives of the apparel industry met him last Sunday and discussed their grievances triggered by the pandemic. Click here to read.... [7]

BHUTAN

All well-stocked in Trashigang and Trashiyangtse: Kuenselonline
March 31, 2020

Although Trashigang town is not as busy as it used to be and local businesses are affected by Covid-19, retailers claim they have all required essential items. Daejung Tshongkhang, a whole seller in Trashigang town, stocked 48 metric tonnes (MT) of rice that would last for three months. Another grocery shop, Pema Bakery has stocked 24MT of rice in his new store at Melphey, Trashigang. Click here to read.... [8]

CHINA

Coronavirus: China manufacturing economy bounces back strongly after lockdown: South China Morning Post
31 March 2020

China’s manufacturing engine bounced back strongly in March, recovering from a miserable February, when the country was effectively shut down due to coronavirus. Click here to read.... [9]

China pledges stronger macro policies to offset economic impact of COVID-19: People’s Daily
31 March 2020

To lower lending costs and offset the economic shock of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, China's central bank on Monday pumped liquidity into the market through seven-day reverse repos while cutting its interest rate by 20 basis points.The rate cut has echoed arrangements at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Friday that prudent monetary policy should be pursued with more moderate flexibility, said Wen Bin, a chief researcher with China Minsheng Bank. Click here to read.... [10]