Govt to establish high-priority response desk for investors

Kathmandu, July 28

The government is set to establish a high-priority response desk at the Ministry of Finance to address concerns raised by the private sector as it steps up efforts to improve the investment climate and accelerate economic reforms.

Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle said at an interaction with the entrepreneurs on Tuesday that the proposed response desk would coordinate with relevant ministries, departments and agencies to resolve legitimate concerns raised by businesses. He said the government intended to replace delays in decision-making with a system focused on timely action.

According to him, the government had adopted a roadmap to repeal outdated laws, improve the investment environment, simplify and make the tax system more transparent, and enhance the ease of doing business.

He also said that expanding the capital market and alternative financing instruments, reforming the labour market and strengthening digital public services will get equal priority.

He said 42 laws directly related to the economy were currently under amendment or repeal.

FM Dr. Wagle said the government had identified three priorities - enabling existing industries to operate at full production capacity, creating conditions for businesses to expand with confidence and encouraging new enterprises and investment, particularly by young entrepreneurs.

According to him, improvements in these areas would contribute to higher economic growth, employment generation, revenue collection and exports. "The government's role is not to run industries but to create an investment-friendly environment in which businesses can operate without unnecessary obstacles," he said.

The finance minister has also sought feedback from the private sector on the factors behind high production costs, barriers preventing industries from operating at full capacity, reasons for weak investment decisions and administrative and legal hurdles related to land acquisition, electricity supply and tariffs, labour, transport, finance, raw materials and market access.

Likewise, the finance minister said the implementation of economic reforms announced through the national budget was progressing. Legal amendments, regulations, operating procedures and institutional reforms would be introduced according to a fixed timetable, while efforts to increase capital expenditure, speed up project implementation and strengthen the capital market and financial sector would continue in parallel.

He reiterated the government's commitment to protecting private sector investment and creating conditions that would allow businesses to earn returns and reinvest, saying private sector growth was essential for Nepal's economic transformation. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 29 July 2026.