Government is in favor of creating business friendly environment: Home Minister

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said that the government is serious about creating a business-friendly environment.

 On the occasion of the 23rd General Assembly and 12th Convention of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, he said that priority has been given to the work of facilitation including policy reform to make the construction industry business systematic and effective.

 Home Minister Khand informed that the government is preparing to amend the Procurement Act along with the 11th amendment of the Public Procurement Regulations for the upliftment of the construction industry. He said that the government would make efforts to amend the Procurement Act as soon as the House convenes. Stating that the construction industry is the heritage of the country, Minister Khan said, "The government is always ready to provide much needed security to the construction industry." He said that the government has done a historic job by passing the MCC project as it is directly related to the development of physical infrastructure.

 On the occasion, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu kumari Yadav expressed confidence that the 11th amendment of the Public Procurement Regulations would change the face of the country. Minister Yadav said that the current government is not only committed to the big but also to the rights of small construction entrepreneurs.

 Minister Yadav said that the construction businessmen should work for quality work instead of 'low bidding' as the construction world would reflect the country. Minister for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhakri said that the construction industry should be made systematic by changing the procurement law. Stating that there are many errors in the drawing and design since the selection of the plan, Minister Bhankri said that the people have to suffer the most due to poor quality of construction work.

 He said that the 11th amendment of the Public Procurement Regulations has addressed the demand more than the demand of the entrepreneurs. Giving an example that fuel prices are rising at the international level, he said that the price rise is not under the control of the government.

 Jeep Chirring Lama Sherpa, Member of Parliament and Honorary Member of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Nepal, said that the problem of all entrepreneurs, big and small, was the same and expressed confidence that the Eleventh Amendment to the Public Procurement Regulations would solve the problem.

 Expressing gratitude to the government for passing the 11th amendment to the Public Procurement Regulations, FNCCI President Ravi Singh expressed confidence that many problems in the construction industry would be solved now.

 Stating that the construction industry has collapsed due to the sharp rise in fuel prices, he said that the industry could not move forward in this situation. He said that the private sector was excited about the passing of MCC. FNCCI Senior Vice President Nicholas Pandey said that the construction industry was suffering due to lack of construction industry friendly laws and skyrocketing prices. The general assembly and convention of the federation will select a new working committee for the next three years.