Govt inducts private sector representatives into Economic Reform Commission

Kathmandu, Nov. 22

The government has expanded the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission by including representatives from the private sector. The Cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to appoint President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, and President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal, as the new members of the commission.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel handed over appointment letters and the commission’s terms of reference to the newly added members at an event held at the Ministry of Finance on Friday.

DPM Paudel congratulated the appointees and expressed confidence that their inclusion would help identify and address the challenges facing Nepal's economy. He emphasised that the participation of private-sector leaders in the commission would enhance their sense of ownership and add more responsibility to the initiative.

Dhakal thanked the government for including the private sector in the nation-building process, expressing optimism about strengthening the economy. Likewise, CNI's Agrawal stated that the commission’s efforts could bring transformative contributions to the country's economic landscape. NCC's Agrawal also welcomed the decision and pledged to take the new responsibility seriously to achieve the commission’s goals.

On the occasion, Commission Chairperson Rameshore Khanal provided an update on the commission’s activities over the past month and outlined upcoming programmes.

The Commission was formed in mid-October at the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to provide recommendations for economic reforms. Dr. Prakash Kumar Shrestha, member of the National Planning Commission; Prof. Dr. Ram Prasad Gyawali, head of the Central Department of Economics at the Tribhuvan University; economist Dr. Bishwas Gauchan; and senior researcher Dr. Kalpana Khanal from the Policy Research Institute are the members of the Commimssion. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 November 2024.