‘Industrial Development Plan Vision’ approved

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KATHMANDU, July 23 - In the first step towards realising the government’s former budgetary plan to formulate a 20-year long Industrial Perspective Plan (IPP), Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies last Thursday approved a project titled "Industrial Development Perspective Plan Vision - 2020 (IDPP:2020)."

The formulation of the project is a step ahead for the much-talked IPP, which will evolve the long term strategies, plans, policies and programs aimed at the overall industrial growth. The steering committee of the project even held its first meeting the same day.

The project will fomulate the 20-year IPP by taking inputs from the related ministries, the National Planning Commission and the private sector - especially the Federaiton of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Nepalese Federation of Small and Cottage Industries. The IPP would aims to lift the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP to 20 per cent from the current 10 per cent.

The necessary technical and financial help for the formulation of the IPP would be provided by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Chief Technical Advisor of UNIDO, Peter Dedvalk is presently in the Capital to select the required national advisors.

National Program Manager of the project and joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Govinda Prasad Kusum informed The Kathmandu Post that a preliminary draft of the IPP would be prepared within the next six months. He said that Peter Dedvalk would visit Kathmandu thrice during the period to aid the formulation of the IPP draft.

According to officials, IDPP:2020 will formulate a comprehensive and long term vision, mission, strategic plan and programs for the overall industrial sector.In addition, it will also identify and arrange the institutional capabilities for strengthening the catalytic role of the government so that the private sector will be able to perform in an efficient manner.

Furthermore, the thrust of the IDPP:2020, while formulating the IPP draft, will be on increasing the employment opportunities so as to contribute to poverty alleviation and empowerment of women through entrepreneurship development.

The IPP, once formulated, would aim at sustainable industrial development by ensuring policy consistency in terms of mobilizing resources and assigning active role to the private sector with the enhancement of its competitive strength.

Furthermore, the IPP with its new vision would also take up the challenge posed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) by upgrading its efficiency, competitiveness, qualitative strength and comparative advantage of the Nepali industrial sector, officials said.

Access to Nepali garments in US markets stressed

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KATHMANDU, July 23 - Garment entrepreneurs have urged upon the need for the government to include duty-free and quota-free market access to Nepali garments in the US markets as one of the main agendas in the upcoming discussions with Cristina Rokka, Deputy Foreign Secretary.

Christina Rokka is coming to Nepal on Wednesday, in a four day visit. The purpose of her visit is said to be of enhancing the trade relation with the US.

In a press conference organized by Garment Association of Nepal (GAN), Chandi Raj Dhakal, ex-president of GAN, expressed his view that garment industries would pass through a difficult phase within six months if Nepali garment products fails to get the privilege of duty free and quota free access in the US market.

He added that the cost of Nepali garment products is higher than other garment exporting countries because of higher transportation cost and the present imposition of direct tax on garment products. Concerning this, if Nepal doesn’t receive the privilege of duty free and quota free access in the US market, it would be difficult to sustain garment industry which is the major export industry in Nepal.

Thirty-three African and Caribbean countries are felicitated with duty free and quota free export to US market after the enactment of the Trade and Development Act 2000 that includes two separate acts - African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). These countries are emerging as major competitors to Nepali Traders as US buyers are giving preference to imports from African and Caribbean countries to get duty facility in the US market. Previously, Nepal had to compete with the exporters from South Asian Countries.

Bangladesh has already demanded the US Government same sort of facilities so as to receive duty free and quota free export to the US market as been provided to the African and Caribbean countries since last November.

Kiran Saakha, Acting President of GAN said " If the garment industry is to be saved, the government must take initiative to hold talks with Cristina Rokka and the US officials to obtain same facilities as applied by Bangladesh."

Pushker Dev Panta, Vice President of GAN said that Nepal’s export has started to tumble down as it’s facing a tough competition with the African and Caribbean countries, that are exporting under the duty free facility.

On the same occassion, entrepreneurs of the garment industries also opined that Nepal meets all the conditions led down by the US to the African and Caribbean countries to receive the duty free facility. As Nepal is the least developed country having one of the lower per capita income in the world, there is high possibility that Nepal can receive the privilege if the government attempts sincerely. They further said that Nepal would no more be recognized as the garments exporting countries in the international arena if Nepal have to export in the competition under similar conditions.

Fair management training to be held

KATHMANDU July 23 (PR) - Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is organising a two day ‘Fair Management Training’ in cooperation with the Center for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, the Netherlands.

The training program is said to be conducted in two groups: Group A (July 23 to 24) and Group B (July 26 to 27).

In a press release received here today it is stated that the program aims to transfer the fair management know-how and provide in-depth information in the same field to the participants from the travel trade. It is said that the training program is the first type of its kind and it incorporates the idea of skill development by the NTB.

The Central Bureau of Statistics is sponsoring the program and NTB is providing logistics support. A total of sixty participants from various tourism related associations like HAN, TAAN, NATA, NATO, PATO and many other institutions are taking part in the training programme, says the release.

CAN hails new budget

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KATHMANDU, July 23 - Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) has welcomed the budget for financial year 2001/02 for the policies and programs related to the information technology (IT) sector outlined in the budget.

According to a press release issued by the Association here today, the annual budget has encompassed most of the recommendations made by the Association for the development of IT. The budgetary program of producing 50,000 IT man power in the coming three years, along with producing 20,000 IT man power in the current fiscal year would contribute to establishing Nepal in the international market through IT. Therefore, CAN thanks the government for the good initiation, states the release.

Plans to place IT in the priority sector, make arrangement for concessional loans for IT entrepreneurs, to arrange money for venture capital fund and extend free Internet facility to the high schools of Pokhara, Birgunj and Biratnagar sub-metropolitan cities are quite good steps the government has taken, says the release.

Similarly, the budgetary provision for making all the textbooks produced by the Janak Education Materials Centre available on website and providing a loan assistance up to Rs 300,000 for IT education to the employees participating in the Employment Provident Fund are some of the praiseworthy steps of the budget, says the release.

Likewise, the budget has appropriated Rs 120 million for the construction of an IT Park, reduce tax deductible at sources (TDS) of internet service providers (ISPs) from 15 to 5 per cent and to waive telecom service charge (TSC) on ISPs and paging services are some of the positive aspects of the fiscal budget for 2001/02, lauds the Association.

The provisions of customs duty of 80 per cent on computer parts imported by a firm registered with the VAT department and one per cent export duty on computer programmed diskettes, along with acceptance of computer processed electronic document approved by the inland revenue department for auditing are complementary to the development of IT, appreciates CAN.