Chinese investors to set up industries in Panchkhal SEZ
BANEPA, May 3:
China has expressed its interest to open industry at the land allocated by the government at the Panchkhal valley in Kavre to establish Special Economic Zone (SEZ). According to Dil Sundar Shrestha, executive committee member of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Chinese ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai has expressed interest of the Chinese to setting up industries there. “Chinese ambassador has told us that Chinese businessmen are interested to come here (SEZ) for the investment,” FNCCI executive committee member Shrestha told Republica.
Chinese Ambassador Chuntai had recently visited the construction site of SEZ in Hokse of Kavre upon the initiative of Shrestha.
“Products manufactured with raw materials of Nepal in the industries established with Chinese investment can get the market of Tibet as well as other countries,” Shrestha quoted Chuntai as saying. I have found that Chinese investors are interested in setting up furniture industries to export furniture products to Europe, Shrestha added.
Meanwhile, the assessment report has found that the community forest area of Devisthan and Shikharpur that were provided by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) to the Ministry of Industry (MoI) for setting up SEZ are appropriate.
“The assessment report has also suggested that the forestland in the Panchkhal valley is suitable for establishing SEZ,” said, Shankar Man Singh, executive director of SEZ Development Committee.
The government of Nepal has formed the SEZ Development Committee in January 2004 under the MoI to formulate laws, rules and regulations, implement planning, design and construction of SEZs throughout Nepal and to carry out relevant works.
Singh told Republica that the works related to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is also near to the completion. “It seems that at least 40 export oriented industries can be established in this SEZ,” Singh said.
MoFSC has provided 600 ropanis land at Devisthan Community Forest and 400 ropanis of land at Shikharpur Community Forest to MoI for establishing the SEZ. The MoI has already paid Rs 200 million in this fiscal year to the MoFSC for the land. The MoFSC has said that it has spent the money in the rehabilitation of the tiger victims of Bardia.
“We are returning the forest that we preserved with a care like to our children to the government,” said Karma Singh Lama, president of Devisthan Forest User Group.
According to Ganesh Ray, District Forest Officer at District Forest Office, Kavre, the office will start delineating the borders of the community forests. “We will delineate the border using Global Positioning System (GPS) of the forests as per the order of forest department. We will pay attention to minimize the impact on the loss of trees and plants as well as environment,” Ray said.
Saroj Kumar Vaidya, Senior Division Engineer of SEZ Development Committee, said that the construction of SEZ infrastructure will begin immediately as soon as the EIS report is approved and map delineation process completes.
“Construction of compound wall, roads and other infrastructure inside the four pillars of the SEZ will immediately begin,” he added.
The government has declared Panchkhal as SEZ three years ago to boost the exports by establishing industries in a single location. The government plans to establish 14 SEZs in different part of the country.
Source: Republica
