Dhakal urges UK to simplify visa process for Nepali businesspersons

Kathmandu, Sept 14

Senior Vice President of the Federation of the Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Chandra Prasad Dhakal has urged the concerned authorities to make visa process easy and accessible to Nepalis business community to facilitate in expanding bilateral trade and business relations.

Addressing a virtual interaction on UK Visas and Immigration organised by the FNCCI in collaboration with British Embassy in Kathmandu, Department of International Trade of UK, UK Visas and Immigration on Tuesday, Dhakal stressed the need for providing UK visa for Nepali private sector from the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

"We are aware that UK visa is not directly available from Nepal itself, and there might be many difficulties and issues faced by the visa applicants from Nepal.  I am confident that both sides will openly discuss on the issues, and find possible way out so as to make it easy and accessible for Nepalese applicants," he said.

Although Nepal and UK share a long history of economic relations, bilateral trade and investment have not realised to their full potential. As per the TEPC data, in 2020/21, Nepal’s export to UK was only 1.7 per cent, and import from UK was barely 0.16 per cent of the total trade of Nepal, he said.

Highlighting the two-century old Nepal-UK bilateral relations, he said that the role played by the private sectors of the two countries was vital in building the relations stronger and cordial.

Nepal and UK have strong economic and business relations through the private sector cooperation.

In Nepal, the FNCCI is leading the Nepal-UK business cooperation in coordination with the FNCCI's active bi-national chamber member - Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 September 2021.