National Industrial Trade fair aimed at promoting entrepreneurship

JAN 23 -

Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is organising the annual event of National Industrial Trade Fair. Basanti Bastola talked to PCCI President Sanjeev Bahadur Koirala about the trade fair. Excerpts:

It is said the fair has just become a formality. What do you say?

We started the festival 18 years ago.

These types of activities promote entrepreneurship, offering a single platform for emerging business es, producers and consumers. Even during the Maoist conflict, these types of fairs and festivals organised by the private sector kept the business es running.

People say the PCCI has been holding fairs focusing only on profits. Is it true?

Trade fairs are held to boost business activities. We spend resources and also make income. The profits earned are spent in social work. The PCCI, in collaboration with Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City, is working on a project to develop an exhibition centre on a land plot owned by the Pokhara Valley Town Development Committee. We are also allocating funds for the procurement of fire brigade vehicles in Pokhara. The PCCI secretariat does not use the funds collected.

It is said infrastructure projects like the regional international airport are being delayed due Pokhara’s weak political reach. What do you say?

When it comes to Regional International Airport issue, we feel political reach matters. The government must assure about infrastructure development so that the people are not forced to call protests and should be responsible for proportional development of all sectors.

What do you say about the idea that Pokhara has to be developed as a business centre, when the nation is going towards federal system?

There is no political figure from our area who can influence the national level politics. Let us be hopeful Pokhara will have such a figure in future. As for developing Pokhara as a business centre, if the government comes up with a sound policy, any part of the country can be developed as such centres. When we go into federalism, Pokhara will hold an important position in terms of physical infrastructure and geography.

(Source: The Kathmandu Post)