Speaker of the House of Representatives, Agni Prasad Sapkota, has called on the private sector to focus on the development and expansion of a self-reliant economy.
“Several problems have been seen since the economy is not self-reliant,” he said and stressed the need for meaningful cooperation and partnership between the government and the private sector for building a self-sufficient and robust economy.
Speaker Sapkota said this while addressing the 56th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and ‘Industry and Commerce Day’ in Kathmandu today.
Stating that the private sector has knowledge, skills, talent and capacity, everything, he urged the private sector to play a role in sailing out of the ‘present economic crisis. Sapkota added that he was ready to fulfill his responsibility as the Speaker in building an environment conducive to business and investment expansion in the country.
“The government and the private sector should have common views on matters relating to the economy. We should work with long-term vision and not get bogged down in short-term agendas,” he suggested. The Speaker also underscored on steering the country ahead on the path of prosperity by utilizing the private sector’s capabilities.
FNCCI president Shekhar Golchha blamed the lack of transparency and the confusion around the short-term policies for what he termed medium-term and long-term crises facing the economy.
On the occasion, Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi attempted to address the concerns raised by the FNCCI president that the government had ignored the private sector. He refuted it saying, “The government has never ignored the private sector, rather it has taken it to be its partner and a compatriot.” He described the private sector as the integral development partner of the government and that the government has always had a meaningful partnership with the private sector.
The Chief Secretary also tried to assuage concerns about the economic crisis. He said, “The economic situation is not as bad as it is made out to be. There are some signs of risk. We should all, together, address this problem.” He said the government is doing homework for creating an investment-friendly environment.
FNCCI senior vice-president Chandra Prasad Dhakal also spoke on the problems in the economy and their solution through coordination between the government and the private sector.
