The
three-day Nepal Economic Summit 2014 concluded here today with a 19-point
declaration, which pledges to create 50,000 jobs in four different large scale
projects each in agriculture, energy and tourism sectors by 2015.
The
declaration also envisages a high-level mechanism – that includes government
officials and private sector representatives – which will identify regulatory hassles
and recommend to ease doing business in the country. "It will help country’s
position in the World Bank’s Doing Business Index go up by 10 notches by 2016,"
read the declaration that is proposed to be a basis for 'minimum common
economic agenda'.
The
government and private sector jointly come up with the declaration after three
days of deliberations and it will be owned by the political parties too, president
of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Suraj
Vaidya said, addressing the closing ceremony of the summit, here today.
Joint
secretary and the coordinator of the Foreign Aid Coordination and Cooperation
Division under the Finance Ministry Madhu Kumar Marashini, reading the
declaration said that the government will start the second phase of economic
reform. "The government will also come with a strategy paper to develop
three key sectors – energy, agriculture and tourism – and identify some 10
sectors for investment by 2016," he said, adding that the government will
identify and work with domestic and foreign investors to create at least 50,000
additional jobs by the private sector in agriculture, energy and tourism areas
of Nepal by 2015.
It has also
emphasised the need to create an economic system that enables the private
sector to grow and create wealth.
Organised
jointly by the government and FNCCI, the three-day summit's declaration also
focused on increasing tourist earning too. "Average tourist spending
stands at $36 but it will be increased to $60 per day," it said, adding
that the construction of infrastructure like regional international airport in
Lumbini, Pokhara and Nijgadh will be expedited, apart from upgradation of
Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA).
On the
occasion, chief secretary Leela Mani Poudyal directed the state authorities to
start implementing agendas highlighted in the declaration that has called for formulation
of development strategies for the three sectors within the next six months.
Likewise,
the declaration has also stressed on the need to review the existing land
management systems and bring about regulatory framework that allows for
contract farming and effective utilisation of land to give a boost to the
agriculture sector.
It also envisages an idea
of establishing an independent power trading company – that will provide a
platform for trading energy between individual consumers and suppliers – to encourage
innovation in energy supply and increase private sector participation in this
sector.
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