Nepal Chamber of Commerce Calls Furniture Sector a Strategic Industry for Economic Growth

Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal, President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, has emphasized the need to develop Nepal’s furniture and furnishing sector as a strategic industry during the 11th Annual General Meeting and 6th Convention of the Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Entrepreneurs Federation. He highlighted that the sector should not be seen merely as a producer of furniture but as a key contributor to industrial growth, employment generation, and economic development, closely linked with construction, tourism, hospitality, education, and office infrastructure.

He noted the industry’s strong potential due to rapid urbanization, housing growth, and expansion of hotels, offices, and modern lifestyles in Nepal. However, he also pointed out several challenges including raw material shortages, rising production costs, high interest rates, limited access to finance, lack of skilled labor, weak branding, competition from foreign products, and inadequate use of modern technology.

Agrawal stressed the importance of quality, innovation, and branding for sustainable growth and urged policies that strengthen domestic industries instead of weakening them under open market competition. He also called for increased government support, including the use of domestic furniture in public institutions, concessional loans, skill development centers, tax incentives for machinery imports, and stronger export promotion.

He further added that Nepal’s economic future should not rely only on imports and remittances but must be built on production and entrepreneurship, with strong collaboration between the government and private sector.