ONly 8.6 % women entrepreneurs have access to finance

Kathmandu, Dec. 18

Joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry (MoI) Yam Kumari Khatiwada Sunday said that the women's access to the finance was poor in Nepal as only 8.6 per cent women entrepreneurs received loans from the banks and financial institutions.

Speaking at an interaction programme on 'Trade and industrial policy for women entrepreneurs' in Kathmandu, she said more than two thirds, 67 per cent, of women entrepreneurs had been running enterprises from their own financial resources.

"Rest of the entrepreneurs have been managing the financing from local lenders, relatives and neighbours," she said.

She said that more women should run their business as it would enhance their capacity to be involved in decision making process.

"Entrepreneurship helps in self employment, income generation, self-reliance, access to resources, human development, improving lifestyle," she remarked.

According to Khatiwada, about 90 per cent of the enterprises in the country, 250,000, were micro, small, and medium scale enterprise which created 2.2 million employments.

Chairman of Women Entrepreneurship Development Committee at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kamala Shrestha said that the interaction was aimed at finding out the potentials that women entrepreneurs have in every district and suggest the government to address the demands of entrepreneurs.

"Representatives from 51 districts are participating in the programme. They will be updated about the Industrial Policy and other related laws," she said.

Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Naindra Prasad Upadhyaya said that the Trade Policy 2015 had an exclusive provision for the women entrepreneurs.

"Programmes shall be launched to link micro, cottage and small and medium industries and industries run by women and marginalized classes/communities to export sector," he quoted the policy.

He said that women empowerment could come through entrepreneurship, and empowerment of women lead to better family, better health of children and better living standard.