Kathmandu, Jan. 5
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FNCCI) has demanded reforms in the Bill on Amendment and Integration
of Laws related to Food Purity and Quality, 2020, stating that the provisions
on the proposed law will make it difficult to operate food-related industries
and business in the country.
"If the law is passed as proposed, no business
and industry related to food will flourish in Nepal. Entrepreneurs are
apprehensive about the amendments and new provisions in the laws," said
Shekhar Golchha, FNCCI President, in a meeting with the Chairperson of
Legislation Management Committee of the National Assembly, Parshuram Meghi
Gurung and other lawmakers on Wednesday.
Stating that the government forwarded the draft of
the bill without consulting the private sector entrepreneurs, Golchha urged the
committee to take the bill to the business community for discussion and review.
The bill is registered at the National Assembly.
The FNCCI had organised a discussion on the draft of
the bill with the stakeholders including the government authorities about three
months ago. The business body has prepared a set of recommendations on the
basis of that discussion and submitted to Gurung.
The recommendations include the provision of
mentioning 'best before date' on food products that bear 'food handler
protocols and food safety rules', and compensating the economic loss to the
retailers due to the ban on food products on the basis of doubt.
The FNCCI also demanded a provision for the review
of lab reports as there could be chances of lapses due to technical
shortcomings.
In response, Chairperson Gurung expressed commitment
to accommodating the suggestions of the FNCCI, and pledged to hold discussions
with the private sector on the bill.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 January 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment