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A new working committee has been elected under the leadership of Balram Gurung in the Nepal Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

A 21-member working committee was elected under the chairmanship of Balram Gurung, who is also the Chairman of Everest Loom Company, from the seventh anniversary and third convention of the association.

Those elected are senior Vice Chairperson Dawa Sherpa, Vice Chairpersons Radha Kumari Pant, Sonam Lama, Dan Bahadur Chand, General Secretary Sukuman Bomjan, Secretary Ashish Lama, Bivas Yonjan, Treasurer Rajesh Kumar Rayamajhi, Co-Treasurer Dima Jangbu Sherpa, members Dolmo Bomjan Tamang, Lamin Maya Lama, Ang Dorje Sherpa, Pushpa Ratna Maharjan, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Krishnaman Prajapati, Chhatralal Shrestha, Suresh Lama, Krishna Bikram Shah, Narahari Thapa and Namlang Tenzing.

The government has paved the legal way for the private sector to build and operate industrial zones.

These facilities, operated by the private sector, will enjoy the same benefits as government-run industrial zones, as per the Industrial Zone Declaration and Operation Work Procedure, 2025 approved last week. The work procedure was approved following a minister-level decision.

The new legal arrangement is expected to complement the government’s ‘One Local Unit, One Industrial Zone’ program announced in 2018. Although 120 out of 753 local units had announced plans to build industrial zones under the program, only three–Mellekh of Achham, Anbukhaireni of Tanahun and Madane of Gulmi– have operational industrial zones at present.

Since the government’s vision of building at least one industrial zone in each local unit has failed to materialize due to lack of interest from local governments, the government is now bringing the private sector on board.

According to industry ministry officials, the new work procedure allows private investors to acquire land, and develop, construct, operate and manage industrial zones in coordination with local governments.

Private companies interested to invest in industrial zones must apply to the concerned local governments with documents such as a pre-feasibility study report, land ownership documents, survey report, and a commitment letter to operate the industrial zone for at least 20 years.

If the local government deems the proposal feasible, it will recommend that the ministry declare the area as an industrial zone. The ministry will then submit the proposal to the cabinet for approval under Section 55 of the Industrial Enterprises Act.

The private sector can also build industrial zones through partnerships with local governments. Firms may develop zones by entering into land-leasing agreements with local governments or forming partnerships with local governments. The work procedure also permits local governments to hire private entities to manage industrial zones built by them.

These zones should be spread over at least 25 ropanis of land in mountainous districts, 35 ropanis in hilly districts, and seven bighas in Tarai districts. Sites selected for industrial zones should be at least 500 meters away from human settlements, should have access roads with 10-meter width, and an 11 kVA electricity supply. Only micro, cottage, and small industries are eligible to operate in these zones, with priority given to enterprises run by women, youth (below 30), or foreign returnees.

The Plant Quarantine and Pest Management Center Quarantine Office Kakarbhitta has shared that agricultural produce worth Rs 17.73 billion has been exported via the Kakarbhitta border point in the eight months of the current fiscal year.

According to the Information Officer of the Office, Chandreshwar Thakur, cardamom, tea, ply and veneer, ginger, broom grass (Amliso) are among the main items exported.

During the eight months, the highest amount of export goods is tea worth Rs 8.20 billion, cardamom worth Rs 5.24 billion, ply and veneer worth Rs 2.73 billion have been exported.

Similarly, according to the office statistics, ginger worth Rs 260 million, broom grass worth Rs 760 million, cabbage worth Rs 80 million, herbs worth Rs 40 million lentils worth Rs 40 million have been exported.

According to Information Officer Thakur, agricultural goods worth Rs 2.44 billion have been imported from the Eastern border during the same period. The main crops are maize, wheat, barley, oats, rye, barley, hemp and potatoes.

According to the data shared by the Quarantine Office, millet worth Rs 131 million, rice Rs 49 million and fresh vegetables worth Rs 288 million have been imported.

Similarly, fresh fruits worth Rs 263 million, garlic worth Rs 644 million and potatoes worth Rs 37 million have been imported.

Nepal’s economy is projected to grow 4.5 percent in FY25, up from 3.9 percent in FY24, despite significant natural disasters in late 2024. Growth is expected to be driven by increased domestic trade, hydropower generation and paddy production, according to the World Bank’s latest Nepal Development Update: Leveraging Resilience and Implementing Reforms for Boosting Economic Growth, released on Thursday.

The report also forecasts that Nepal’s economy will grow at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent in FY26 and FY27, driven largely by the services sector.

“Boosting private sector-led economic growth is critical to creating the jobs that Nepal needs. To achieve this, Nepal can build on its impressive track record of resilient growth backed by implementing key structural reforms,” said David Sislen, World Bank Country Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

The report highlights downside risks to the economic outlook, including geopolitical and trade-related uncertainty. It also points to the potential further deterioration of asset quality in Nepal’s financial sector, the risk of policy inconsistency arising from frequent bureaucratic changes in the government, and delays in the execution of the capital expenditure budget.

“The Nepal Development Update provides valuable insights on recent economic developments and highlights Nepal’s resilient growth. Boosting growth further to meet the country’s 16th Plan targets requires effective execution of the capital budget and timely completion of ongoing projects,” said the Vice-chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Shiva Raj Adhikari. The Nepal Development Update, produced biannually, offers a comprehensive analysis of key economic developments over the past year, placing them within a long-term global context.