Pvt sector seeks smooth passage to exports
KATHMANDU, MAY 07:
The entrepreneurs in the eastern region recommended the government to remove hurdles in export of agro products, make Nepali and Bangladeshi currency convertible, promote agro products by developing market linkages and establish company registration desk in the region that could ultimately help the private sector for doing businesses.
During the Nepal Business Forum (NBF) meeting of Eastern Regional Business Forum in Biratnagar yesterday, they also asked the government to allocate budget for the Eastern Regional Business Forum to operate it effectively in the budget for next fiscal year.
The Eastern Regional Business Forum — co-chaired by Regional Administrator for Eastern Development Region on behalf of the government and president of Eastern Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industries on behalf of the private sector — also discussed on multi-fuel power plant, rehabilitation of multi-fuel plant at Duhabi and the building of transmission lines to and from India to ease the current energy crisis to maintain the supply of power, apart from planned Integrated Customs Point at Biratnagar, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) implementation, and improving industrial security.
The Eastern Development Region and Biratnagar industrial corridor are critical to the overall economic health of the country, they said, adding that the government should proactively support the region.
Eastern Regional Business Forum has been facilitating the business of eastern region by organising public-private dialogue bringing in 22 chambers in the regional forum with a mandate to cover ‘doing business’ issues of the 16 districts of eastern Nepal.
The recommendations from the forum were presented to the chief secretary Leela Mani Poudyal, and the secretaries of Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, National Vigilance Centre and joint secretary at the Ministry of Finance.
Responding to the private sector’s recommendations, chief secretary assured the business fraternity that the recommendations will be communicated accordingly for implementation. He also seriously raised the issues of promoting agriculture products and resolving power crisis in consultation with the related agencies.
Likewise, industry secretary Krishna Gyawali, on the occasion, committed to opening the Office of Company Registrar’s helpdesk in Biratnagar by July.
Commerce secretary Lalmani Joshi congratulating the NBF for facilitating trade through harmonisation of customs hours between India and China and streamlining of documents for trade said that the ministry will support the entrepreneurs’ recommendations.
Eastern Regional Administrator Janardhan Nepal and president of Eastern Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kishor Pradhan are the co-chairs of Eastern Regional Business Forum — a regional chapter of NBF — supported by International Finance Corporation, UK and Norad.
Source: THT
