National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

Questions Of Accommodation

Will the newly elected FNCCI president Binod Bahadur Shrestha be able to bridge the widening gulf among the business community?

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

The first thing Binod Bahadur Shrestha spoke about immediately after winning elections was the "accommodation of all sections of business community". This is an indication how the relations among the business community have soured in the last couple of months of election campaigning.

As such, winning could be an easy part for the Binod Bahadur Shrestha who now has to face tough challenge of having to bury the differences. Besides, having taken over the reins of the federation at a time when the country is passing through economic slowdown and political turmoil, he certainly has no less than a Herculean task ahead.

Shrestha : Will he accomodate all ?

After all attempts to arrive at consensus candidate failed, the business community, for the second time in history, had to resort to voting to elect their leader.

Shrestha won the election, on August 2, for the post of president of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) by securing 546 votes at the 37th general assembly of the federation. But the margin of his victory was not impressive. His contender for the post Dr. Gopal Prasad Shrestha also garnered 434 votes. The close race suggests that the winner cannot simply ignore the other faction.

Shrestha, therefore, quite wisely spelt out his immediate moves giving top priority to accommodation. He said he would also focus on lobbying for resolving existing problems in laws, policies and implementation aspects. He said that the federation will also work towards promoting good governance, fiscal discipline and transparency.

"Before the elections there was a race. But that thing is over now. All of us, including the ones who won and those who lost must join hands," he said sounding a reconciliatory tone.

The tenure of FNCCI president is two years. Binod Bahadur Shrestha has been involved in the finance, health and infrastructure sector of the country.

At the previous FNCCI election, he was voted as its first vice president. However, after then president Rabi Bhakta Shrestha joined the previous Lokendra Bahadur Chand government as state minister, Shrestha had become acting president.

The 37th general assembly of the federation also chose its new central executive members. The first central working committee meeting of the newly elected members of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry held on August 4, has unanimously nominated four vice presidents.

Chandi Raj Dhakal, the leading garment entrepreneur, has been chosen as the first vice president. Diwakar Golchha and Suraj Vaidya, two renowned industrialists, are the second and third vice president. Likewise, Rohini Thapaliya is the ex officio vice president of the FNCCI.

During the meeting, the federation decided to hold talks with the Maoists as well as major political parties regarding economic issues. The federation also decided to give away Rs 500,000 as relief assistance to victims of floods and landslides.

"At a time when the business community in the country has come under pressure from extortion from the Maoists and discouraging environment for investment, the new president will have to work doubly hard to promote the private sector," said a businessman.

Likewise, the FNCCI also needs to work closely with the government that seems to be keen on promoting public-private partnership. "The government also needs to keep up its promises for this partnership to really prosper," said Shrestha.

"That apart, the question of transparency and clean business is also equally important. The federation will work towards making this sector clean and respectable," he added.

With the new leadership at the helm, the Nepalese business community now needs to come out with their vision for the economic prosperity of the battered nation.