Kathmandu, Aug. 29
The government is set to complete the exploration of five
industrial minerals in various locations across the country within current
Fiscal Year 2024/25.
According to the Reform Action Plan of the Ministry of
Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), 2081 published by the ministry on
Wednesday, exploration of limestone, dolomite, kaolin, phosphorite and iron
will be completed by the end of this fiscal, mid-July 2025.
The Department of Mines and Geology (DMG) said that these
are the products that have the potential to propel industrial development so
the exploration work will be conducted by the internal technicians and
engineers.
"The Department has allocated budget for the
exploration of these minerals. Since primary study on the feasibility of
exploration and deposits has already been conducted, further work can be
conducted on time," said Narayan Banskota, Senior Divisional Geologist of
the DMG.
Currently iron extraction is being conducted in Dhaubadi of Nawalparasi
(East) by the state-run company Dhaubadi Iron Company Limited. Further
exploration of iron will be conducted in Rukum (East).
Likewise, the country has iron deposits in Jelbang of Rolpa,
Jhumlabang of Rukum (East) and Those of Ramechhap. However, Jumlabang is said
to have more than 200 million tonnes of hematite deposit, making it a lucrative
project for mining and industries.
The DMG is in the final stage of conducting the chemical
test of the iron retrieved from the site in Rukum (East).
Exploration of dolomite will be conducted in Dhading and
Tanahun districts, and additional study on phosporite exploration will be taken
up in Baitadi district. Dolomite is used in cement and bitumen mixes instead of
limestone while phosporite is used in animal feed, detergents, fertilisers,
herbicides and other industrial products.
Similarly, limestone exploration is underway in Udayapur
district which has a reputation of having a high quality of the product. The
exploration site is nearby Jaljale, where the limestone mine of the Udayapur
Cement Industry is located.
Likewise, kaolin exploration will be completed in various
areas of Madhes Province and other Tarai districts, informed Baskota. Kaolin is
a kind of clay that is used in making tiles and similar products.
Meanwhile, the Action Plan of the MoICS, has set out the
plan to complete the petroleum drilling work in Dailekh, prepare the Detailed
Project Report (DPR) of the Dhaubadi iron mine, and complete petroleum
exploration in other blocks within this year.
Nepal has 10 identified petroleum exploration blocks –
Dhangadhi, Karnali, Nepalgunj, Lumbini, Chitwan, Birgunj, Malangawa, Janakpur,
Rajbiraj and Biratnagar, which are assigned with number from 1 to 10,
respectively.
The MoICS is also set to issue license for the six mineral
sites that have the deposits of limestone, iron and copper oars.
To expedite the industrial development, the Ministry has
laid out the plans to implement various development works at the proposed new
industrial zones including Laxmipur, Daiji, Naubasta, Motipur, Shaktikhor and
Mahurdhap, and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Panchkhal of Kavre and Simara of
Bara.
"A proposal will be forwarded to lease out the SEZ in
Panchkhal and Simara (Block B and C) to operate them in
public-private-partnership model," mentions the action plan.
It has also proposed the formulation of various policy
and legal instruments for micro, cottage and small enterprise, startups,
industrial villages, business incubators, inustrial investment promotion and
corporate social responsibility. Standardisation rules wil be implemented for
the use of raw materials, contract manufacturing and production and branding of
micro-brewaries.
In terms of trade
facilitaion, a master plan for trade logistics will be formulated. Dry port at
Timure in Rasuwa and Integrated Check Post at the Nepal-India border in
Bhairahawa will be completed.
Likewise, the country will
prepare a strategy for trade promotion in at least three countries, conduct
bilateral dialogue with India to review the Trade Treaty, sign trade agreements
with Bangladesh and Bhutan, and sign trade and investment framework agreements
with South Korea and Vietnam.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 August 2024.
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