Amend Black-marketing Act: Businessmen

Kathmandu, Oct. 29: Businessmen Sunday demanded that the Black-marketing Act should be amended.

A delegation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce (NCC) led by its Chairman Rajesh Kazi Shrestha, in a meeting with the Chief Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi, demanded the amendment of the Black-marketing and Some Other Social Offenses and Punishment Act, 2032.

According to the delegation, the 4-decade old legal instrument is outdated and is not business friendly, and has largely failed to address the problems in the market.

“Some of the provisions in the Act are against the open market principles. It has become an instrument in the hands of the government officials to create trouble for the businessmen,” said Shrestha.

He said that new amended Act should clarify the areas of marketing monitoring for the ministries of Finance, Commerce and Supply.

The delegation also urged the chief secretary to make provisions whereby the banks and financial institutions remain open in the public holidays other than announced in prior.

Chief Secretary Regmi assured the delegation that the government would not treat the private sector as its opposition, and said that the cooperation and collaboration between the two was must to lead the country on the path of development.

First Vice-President of NCC Gyanendra Ratna Tuladhar, Second VP Rajendra Malla, General Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal, secretaries Devendra Bhakta Shrestha, Santosh Kumar Pandey and Parshuram Dahal were in the delegation.