New CNI leadership unveil 9-pt action plan

The new team at the helm of Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Sunday unveiled a new action plan that, among others, aims to restore good industrial relation in the country.
The action plan has been unveiled at a time when domestic and foreign investors are hesitating to put their money here, citing worsening industrial relation.
“There will not be major departure from the long-term vision and mission of the organization. The new action plan, however, has incorporated some policies, including restoring good industrial relation to boost investors´ confidence,” said Narendra Basnyat, newly elected president of CNI, unveiling the nine-point action plan.
The action plan, however, is silent on the ways to improve labor relation in the industrial sector.
CNI has also said that it would lobby with concerned government agencies for industry friendly policies and programs. “We will lobbying for new special economic zone (SEZ) bill, industrial enterprises act and policy on foreign direct investment that would be compatible with the government economic policies to be adopted under upcoming federal structure,” added Basnyat.
Promoting export oriented projects by attracting more foreign investment into the country is also among the top priority set by the action plan.
"We need huge investment from foreign and domestic investors to achieve double digit growth," said Hari Bhakta Sharma, senior vice president of CNI.
CNI has also expressed commitment to promote social business so as to make efforts for reducing poverty. "As the responsible business people, we will never deviate from our social responsibility. So, promotion of social business is also one of our top priorities,” Basnyat added.
CNI´s new leadership has also urged the government and political parties to end existing political impasse at the earliest so as to create favorable economic environment in the country. The organization has also reiterated its demand for allowing Nepali businessmen to invest abroad.

CNI appeals for more investment

Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), the umbrella organization of Nepali industrialists, has appealed both local as well foreign investors to raise their investment in Nepal.
“Nepal holds immense potentials for investment. It is the right time to invest here and reap maximum benefits,” Hari Bhakta Sharma, vice president of the CNI, said, presenting a working paper at the special session of the 10th Annual General Meeting of CNI on Sunday.
Given the increasing demand for energy within domestic market as well as in India, Sharma said hydropower is one of the best sectors for investment in the country. “The country has the capacity to generate 83,000 MW, of which generation of 43,000 MW is feasible technically,” Sharma said in his working paper on ´Prospects and Challenges on Enabling Investment in Nepal´. “Farming of high value agriculture products and agro-processing industries also hold immense potentials here.”
Speaking on the occasion, former finance minister Surendra Pandey said Nepal has been failing to attract investment despite having high potential in different sectors. “Deteriorating labor relation and rise in labor costs are the major factors hindering the development of industrial sector,” said Pandey.
The AGM, which concluded on Sunday, was mainly focused on ways to develop country´s industrial sector and establish good labor relations.
Industrialists have urged the government and all the political parties to come up with a common minimum economic agenda at the earliest so as to give a boost to economic activities.
“The minimum economic agenda is a must to lure investment and also keep the nation´s economy buzzing. We have to strengthen formal economy and discourage informal economic activities,” said Sharma.
Basnyat elected CNI prez
KATHMANDU (REPUBLICA): The 10th Annual General Meeting of Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Sunday unanimously elected Narendra Basnyat as its new president.
Basnyat was senior vice president in the outgoing executive committee.
"I will put my best efforts to accomplish the vision and mission set by CNI,” Basnyat told Republica after his election to the post. He further added that there won´t be major departure from CNI´s current strategies and programs. “My main priority will be to attract more investment in the country. We will continue to lobby with the authorities concerned to create favorable investment climate.”
Outgoing president Binod Kumar Chaudhary has been named CNI´s president emeritus.
Basnyat is the chairman of the Bank of Kathmandu and president of Nepal USA Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

CNI to open chapters in Pokhara, Jhapa, Nepalgunj

Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) -- an umbrella body of domestic industries -- has decided to expedite its expansion drive by opening CNI chapters all over the country.
A special general meeting of CNI held on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to open new chapters in different places of the country in order to improve and expand the network of the organization. Going by the decision, CNI announced that it was starting its expansion drive by opening chapters in places like Jhapa, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Kanchanpur.
“The improved network will be a step toward attaining optimum utilization of resources, giving new impetus to economic activities and ultimately generating more jobs opportunities in the market,” thh CNI said, issuing a press release after the special general meeting.
The enhanced and improved network of the CNI, according to the release, will focus on the promotion of investment, market by holding industrial exhibitions, and manpower development by providing educational and vocational trainings to the local people.
"We will open new chapters in the places that hold strong industrial potential," the release quoted Binod Chaudhary, president of the CNI, as saying in the meeting. "Our network will be meaningful in utilizing the human resources, technology and eventually maintaining the quality of industrial output."
Officials of the CNI that endorsed the proposal also made a strong commitment to make CNI chapters more active to promote industrial development in the country. "The CNI and its chapter offices have to work more efficiently in the upcoming days in order to utilize the potential we have," Narendra Kumar Basnyat, senior vice president of CNI, said.
During the meeting, industrialists from different parts of the country urged the CNI executive body to work for enhancing the capacity of chapter offices. They also urged the CNI leadership to work aggressively for industrial infrastructure development in the country.