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Kathmandu Saturday December 15, 2001 Marga 30, 2058.
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Private sector’s role
stressed
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Dec 14 - Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deupa has said that in the era of the globalisation and liberalisation, private sector
should enhance its role to improve competitiveness and efficiency to withstand with the
emerging challenges in the international market.
Addressing a function organised to celebrate the
32nd anniversary of the Trade Promotion Centre (TPC) here today, Premier Deuba stressed
that the private sector should play a lead role in the development of trade and export
business of the country. "The government cannot do everything as it has limited it
role to only as a facilitator. It is the private sector that should actively involve in
expanding trade and export business," he said.
He also pointed out the trade deficit of Nepal
is increasing with almost all the countries and urged the private sector to boost its
export to bridge the existing trade deficit by enhancing quality and competitiveness.
Speaking on the same occasion, Purna Bahadur
Khadka, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MICS), emphasised on the need of a
long-term planning for a sustainable development of the export oriented industries of the
country.
Referring to the ongoing accession process of
Nepal into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), he said that Nepali entrepreneurs should be
ready to face tougher competition in the global arena.
"Nepali businessmen should immediately take
concrete steps to minimise the threats that WTO-membership would invite. The only the way
to do so is to improve quality of the products by enhancing competitiveness by adopting
cost effective technologies," he said.
Referring to the various measures recently taken
by the government to improve its service delivery systems, he said that the new mechanism
would greatly help the business community to get necessary services quickly in a simple
manner.
Prakash Bahadur Gurung, Assistant Minister of
the MICS, stressed upon the need to develop import substitution industries in the country.
He said though the trade sector has expanded impressively after the government adopted
liberal economic policies, all concerned should make sincere efforts for the
diversification of exportable products.
Appreciating the role of TPC in developing
foreign trade of Nepal, he urged the staff and trade experts at the centre to make more
efforts to solve the current problems of the export-oriented industries.
Bhanu Prasad Archarya, Secretary at the MICS,
said that tumbling export in the recent months is a worrisome fact. He urged both the
centre and the private sector to work more effectively to curb the dwindling export trend.
He was of the view that limited exportable goods
along with limited markets is the prime cause of such problems and stressed that products
as well as market diversification is the need of hour. He also assured the business
community that the government is ready to extend the maximum possible co-operation to the
private sector in that direction.
Rabi Bhakta Shrestha, President of Federation of
Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), highlighted the role of the TPC in
strengthening the competitiveness of the exportable items.
He also welcomed the recent government decision
to establish a Board of Investment, which he hoped would come up with innovative measures
to boost the current sluggish economy. He also appealed to all quarters of the society to
discourage industrial unfriendly activities for the healthy growth of the industries.
Dev Bahadur Rokaya, Executive Director at the
TPC, highlighted the various roles played by the centre in promoting export business. He
also stated some of the problems faced by the centre and urged the government to pay its
attention towards addressing the problems.
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