Presenting his ‘Industrial Sector
Reform Action Plan’ amidst the journalists at the Ministry, Joshi said that in
order to attract more investment from Nepalese and foreign investors, the
government would organise national industrial conference on November this year
and international conference on March next year.
“The contribution of the
manufacturing industries to the gross domestic product of the country has been
continuously plummeting for many years. Therefore, the government will create
an investment climate to attract more investors,” he remarked.
Likewise, Minister Joshi informed
that he was all set to operate the state-owned industries that were out of
operation for many years.
Agriculture Inputs Company
Limited, Nepal Metal Company, Nepal Oriend Magnesite Company, Birgunj Sugar
Mills, Nepal Drug Company Limited, Butwal Dhago Karkhana, and Gorakhkali Rubber
Udhyog are on the top priority of re-operation.
“Whatever reasons behind the
closure of those industries, they will be brought to life once again. The state
had invested a huge amount of money in those industries,” he said.
In the first phase, Nepal Drug
Company will be operated while Birgunj Sugar Mills and Gorakhkali Rubber Udhyog
will be run in the next phase.
According to Joshi, the
government is developing modality to reoperate the industries. Public Private
Partnership (PPP), management contract and government were major considerations
for the reoperation modality.
The minister also stated that
the Minister would conduct studies in the seven major cities – Biratnagar,
Birgunj, Kathmandu , Pokhara, Bhairahawa,
Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi – to gauge the demands of the large investors.
Likewise, it will organize consultation meeting with the private sector.
Saying that the country needed a
long-term foundation for industrial development, Joshi claimed that 12 Acts,
bylaws and procedures would be developed and ratified by the Parliament within
three months.
Minister Joshi’s action plan
includes calling for letter of interest from people from all 75 districts to
run community based industries and providing seed money to anyone who wants to
establish and run business and industries of any scale.
It also plans to mobilize
‘entrepreneur motivators’ in all districts.
“There will be four levels of
reforms – policy and legal reform, structural procedural reform, development
and promotion of micro, cottage and medium industries, and establishment of
industrial areas and special economic zones,” said Minister Joshi.
Joint-secretary of the Ministry
Yam Kumari Khatiwada said that the government was contemplating on inviting
strategic partners to run Udaypur Cement and Hetauda Cement Industry.
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