Policy reforms top priority: Minister Baskota

Kathmandu, Mar. 17: The government is at the final stages of creating a favourable investment climate in the country.

"All the complexities in the policy and process will be removed and provisions will be implemented within a week for easy and fast business registration and operation," Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota said while initiating a roundtable, Gorkhapatra Dialogue, organised by the Gorkhapatra Corporation, the publisher of The Rising Nepal.

The corporation will continue the dialogue under the banner of 'Gorkhapatra: Pride and Prosperity Campaign' as a weekly event where interactions with the experts and policymakers will be conducted and significant details will be carried by its publications.

He said that the government had given the top priority to policy reforms targeting the Nepal Investment Summit 2019, which will be held in the Capital on 29 and 30 March.

"We are encouraged by the increased number of tourist arrival so far. It indicates Nepal is safe for tourists and investors," said the minister.

Nepal witnessed a 35 per cent growth in tourist arrivals in February 2019 against the same month last year.

About 400 investors from 40 countries have confirmed the participation in the summit and the government has an expectation of receiving Rs. 3,000 billion, about the size of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, in investment intent from the prospective investors.

It is showcasing about five dozen projects – on infrastructure, urban development, tourism, energy and agriculture - prepared by the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) with support from the line ministries and subnational governments.

According to Baskota, the government will guarantee the security of life, property and investment of the domestic and foreign investors.

He also said that the sporadic criminal activities by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) would not disturb the investment environment. "Foreign investors are showing interest in Nepal and we will solidify their confidence to come here and invest. The government will not allow any political outfit or other groups to disturb peace and business environment," he said.

Likewise, commenting on the direct approach of the International/Non-Government Organisations to the sub-national governments, Minister Baskota said that the donors and INGOs would not implement any programme without asking the central government.

"All the donor agencies and INGOs should go through the government channel to implement any programme, even to work with the State and local governments. Nepal is a federal State and all three levels of government work together," he said. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 March 2019.