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Kathmandu Wednesday November 07, 2001 Kartik 22, 2058.
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PM supports relaxation of
Labour Act
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Nov 6 - At a time when the Nepali
entrepreneurs are strongly demanding to simplify the existing Labor Act, Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Daupa today urged them to develop a national consensus to change the present
Labor Act asserting that he personally supported hiring and firing labour policy.
Addressing an interaction programme organised by
the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) here today, Prime
Minister Deuba opined that the private should play an active role for the effective
implementation of the liberal economic policies through greater participation in the
privatization process.
Referring to the ongoing Maoist-government
negotiation, the premier expressed hopes that a peaceful solution would be reached.
"Though there is pressure for the talks to end soon, I believe that we should try to
ensure positive results."
He also stressed upon the need of cordial
relations between the business community and the government and added that the government
has always responded positively towards the various recommendation forwarded by
businessmen.
Commenting on the proposed formation of an
Investment Board with joint participation of the government and business community, he
expressed his commitment towards the proposal and assured that necessary steps would be
taken soon to materialized the idea.
Accepting that fact that weak monitoring
mechanism of the various development projects has greatly hindered the realisation of
desired outcome, premier Deuba said that the government is forming an Monitoring Cell at
the Prime Minister’s office very soon to strengthen the monitoring capacity.
Speaking on the same occasion, Rabi Bhakta
Shrestha, President of FNCCI, said that Nepali industries are facing series of serious
problems, which has greatly obstructed the process of industrialization in Nepal.
"Conducive environment is the foremost
condition needed for the development of business and industry in the country, in the
absence of which domestic as well as foreign investment shrink," Shrestha said.
He also said that the national goal of reducing
poverty could be achieved by generating enough employment opportunities, which ultimately
depends on the industrial development of the country.
Furthermore, he expressed pessimism over the
materialisation of the different government commitments and said that the existing huge
gap between the commitments and actions is emerging as the biggest problem.
He appreciated the government’s efforts to
end the Maoist violence through peaceful means and hoped that the Maoist-government talks
would bring permanent peace.
He expressed deep concern over the dwindling
tourism and export related industries and urged the government to bring a package program
and use economic diplomacy to safeguard the industries from collapsing.
On the occasion, Shrestha also presented a
22-point recommendation to the prime minister that he opined should be taken acted upon to
address the present problems of Nepali businessmen.
Among others, the recommendation has stressed
upon the need to ban all types of strikes, bandhs and other anti-industrial activities.
Furthermore, it has emphasised that entrepreneurs should be given the right to hire or
fire labours, in addition to the formulation of a budgetary policy for rehabilitating sick
industries.
The FNCCI has also recommended the introduction
of multiple entry visas to tourists to boost the ailing tourism industry and to revise and
review the various tourist fees. In the light of the present precarious condition the
Nepali industries are in, the FNCCI has also urged that the banks should reschedule its
investment.
Similarly, the FNCCI has also pressed for the
issuance of the 5-year debentures to refund the duty drawbacks that the government owes to
the private sector. Also, it has urged that refinance rate on convertible currencies for
exportable industries should be reduced. It has also demanded seriousness on the part of
the government to provide security to liquor industry and has requested to purchase
domestic products as far as possible by increasing the development expenditure.
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