Joshi vows to make FNCCI dynamic

Kush Kumar Joshi, the newly elected president of the umbrella organisation of Nepali private sector, has vowed to make the organisation more dynamic and reputed with his new executive committee that has a vibrant entrepreneurs like Suraj Vaidhya as senior vice-president and Krishna Prasad Tamrakar, Pradip Jung Pandey and Bhaskar Rajrajkarnikar as vice-presidents.
"Private sector must build its own image and unity among entrepreneurs as it will help us increase bargaining power. The government will be compelled to listen to us," says the 14th president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce (FNCCI), who has always wanted to be an entrepreneur. "Apart from that I wanted to be an engineer," adds modest Joshi.
An average student, Joshi passed his SLC from Saraswoti High school, Chainpur, Sankhuwasabha in second division in 2032 BS. "Though I was just an average student, I had command over Mathemetics and Science," he confesses adding that he did his IE (electrical) from Pulchowk Engineering Campus. He holds an Electrical Engineering diploma from Society of Engineering, UK.
Born in 2017 BS, Joshi started his business of transmission lines and electrification in 2040-41 BS. As an electrical engineer, he started the business of electrical lines."
Ekarat Thailand wanted to expand its business in Nepal at the same time," Joshi, who is leading the 19th executive committee, says. It was 2045 BS that he entered into JV with Ekarat Thailand. It was most probably the first JV in equity participation in Nepal. However, we got licence after 1990 after a long struggle. Because policy doesnot guide us and the individual is more important in our system," says the managing director of Nepal Ekarat Engineering Company Pvt Ltd that manufactures the transformers.
Though, he has become a member of Makwanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2051, he entered FNCCI in 2054. "FNCCI gave me an exposure and confidence," Joshi, who believes that only industrialisation can develop Nepal, admits.
Private sector as the driver of economy must have one agenda and one platform, he says, adding that business sector should have a combined and one voice for a consensus on economic agenda.He thinks that Nepal is heading towards remittance economy which is short-lived and industrialisation is the only long-term solution.
The current labour unrest is one of the factors that has hit the industrialisation process. "Labour and entrepreneurs, both is responsible for the unrest," he thinks. "The present labour unrest is also due to politicisation. However, we can workout a win-win solution."
"The current trend of foreign employment should be changed and we should create more employment opportunity back home that is possible only with industrialisation," according to him. "For long-term sustainable growth, more employment is needed in the country which is possible only if we have more industries."
The people, who return home with money and skill should get chance to use their expertise and money here in the country," Joshi adds.The entrepreneurs claim that the country is in transition phase and the present priority should be security and dealing with load-shedding. He agrees, "Political stability is the first priority but in the transition phase our concern is security."
"FNCCI will submit its economic agenda to the government after CA polls," he says.