'Entrepreneurs, businessmen will be given due respect'

Kathmandu, Apr. 7

Ganesh Parajuli, a leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and a Member of the House of Representatives, said the government would work to create an environment in which entrepreneurs and businesspeople feel respected in the days ahead.

Speaking at the 45th Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NFTA) held in Kathmandu on Monday, he stated that the party—having secured nearly a two-thirds majority through elections—requires the support of the private sector to fulfil the five commitments outlined in its pre-election manifesto.

“The Export–Import Act is being drafted, and collaboration with you will be essential in this process," he said.

Parajuli emphasised that just as taxes due to the government can be paid online, refunds owed to businesses should also be processed online.

“If businesses can pay revenue and fees online, why can’t refunds be issued online? Work on this should begin from tomorrow,” he said to the officials of the Department of Customs present at the programme.

Sharing that he has closely experienced the challenges faced by the private sector, Parajuli said the government would regulate, not control, entrepreneurs. He also suggested that policy-related problems and challenges be brought to parliamentary committees, noting that Parliament is the appropriate forum for policymaking.

Likewise, stressing the need to formalise the informal economy in order to remove the country from the FATF grey list, he urged businesspeople to operate with integrity. “Come forward with clean intentions, and we will amend the necessary laws,” he said.

Speaking at the programme, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that the federation and other private sector organisations must work together to resolve policy-related issues.

Similarly, Birendra Raj Pandey, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, highlighted the need for policy arrangements that support the private sector and emphasised the importance of boosting production and exports.

Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal, President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, said that with the change desired by the public and the stability sought by the private sector now in place, the time has come to initiate an economic transformation. He pointed out that around 150,000 businesses have been blacklisted due to policy issues and stressed the need to study the multi-rate Value Added Tax system.

Agrawal also pledged to move forward in unity with the association in advocating issues of concern to the private sector.

Shiva Kumar Agrawal, President of the NFTA, stressed the need to adjust tax and duty rates so that there is no wide price gap between Nepali and Indian markets, in order to curb unauthorised imports through loopholes along the open border.

He also emphasised that imports should not be restricted arbitrarily and that the practice of pressuring businesses to clear goods under higher-revenue categories must be brought to an end.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 April 2026.