9 new factories in Hetauda Industrial Estate

HETAUDA, Jan 2:

Number of factories in Hetauda Industrial Estate (HIE) is increasing in recent months.

Nine new factories opened at the industrial estate in the first five and half months of the current fiscal year 2014/15, according to data of Hetauda Industrial Estate Management Office.

Kishor Kumar Panday, administrative officer of HIEMO, told Republica that they have allocated 30 ropani of land to the new factories.

New factories can take land in HIE on lease contract. They have to pay leasing fee of Rs 6,300 per ropani per year.
HIE is the largest industrial estate in the country. There are a total of 12 industrial estates in the country including Balaju Industrial Estate, Bhaktapur Industrial Estate, Birendranagar Industrial Estate, Butwal Industrial Estate and Dhangadi Industrial Estate, among others.

Shree Touch Lamp Power, Om Shiva Shakti Poly Processing, Supreme Plasto and Shilu Metal Industries are have already established their production plants in the industrial estate. Similarly, Surya Gum Industries, Jaya Bishnu Plastic, Jaya Shree Ganesh Industries, Apex Footwear Industry, and Himalayan Allo Silk and Handicraft are setting up their production units in the industrial estate.

These new factories are investing a total of Rs 150 million. They are generating more than 150 jobs, according to HIEMO.
Rishi Ram Ghimire, chairman of Hetauda Industries Association, said opening of new factories in the industrial estate was encouraging news for the business community. He, however, expressed his dissatisfaction over delay in implementation of working procedures for industries in HIE. "Due to delay in the working procedure, the industrial estate has been failing to attract new factories," Ghimire said.

Only around 1,938 ropani of the total of 2,819 ropani in the industrial estate has been leased out so far. At present, there are 85 factories in HIE. Another 10 are in the process of setting up their plants, while 10 are closed.

Though the industries in HIE contribute around Rs 7.5 billion to the national coffer annually, physical infrastructure in HIE are not in good condition. Industrialists say the government has not been paying any attention at all for the renovation of infrastructure in the industrial estate.

Source: Republica