Govt expedites preparations for setting up industrial security force

KATHMANDU, JAN 07 -

The government has begun preparations for setting up an industrial security force to provide security to industries and curb smuggling at border points.

The Cabinet in September, 2012, had agreed to form the Industrial and Revenue Security Force (IRSF) with personnel from the Armed Police Force (APF). The Cabinet had also approved recruitment of an additional 2,200 personnel in the APF for the IRSF.

Two committees — one each by the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) — have been formed to expedite the implementation of the Cabinet decision. The MoI-formed panel will hold negotiations with the private sector for logistics for security personnel deployed in industrial units, while the MoF-formed body will prepare a directive for the setting up of the IRSF.

MoI Spokesperson Yam Kumari Khatiwada said the committee formed by her ministry has started holding dialogues with the private sector. “Private sector bodies, including the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepali Industries (CNI), Nepal Chambers of Commerce (NCC) and other individual industrialists, have been asked to provide a security post inside the industrial units where security personnel will be deployed,” said Khatiwada.

MoI officials said the private sector has agreed to provide logistics facility for the deployed security force.

Meanwhile, the MoF-formed panel has been working to introduce the directive within the next two months, officials said. “The directive will define what sort of industries would be provided with the IRSF facility; what would be the modality for offering the service; and how would the IRSF be regulated and managed, among others,” said an official.

The budget for 2010-11 had talked about providing security for big factories. The budget had directed the MoI to establish police posts with five police personnel each at factories employing more than 500 individuals.

The formation of the IRSF is expected to provide some relief to the private sector suffering from militant trade unionism and extortions. The private sector said the setting up of IRSF would give a big boost to the Nepal Investment Year 2012-13.

Although the government has been providing security to a number of industrial units, the private sector has been asking for an institutional setup that could address the problem in long-term.

Initially planned for industrial security, the government later included revenue leakage control under the IRSF’s duty and the force will also be deployed at customs offices. The APF has already been deployed at major customs points.

Source: The Kathmandu Post