However, Minister Rawal asked them to calm down and promised that the government would soon work out appropriate measures to guarantee their safety. [break]
During the meeting, officials of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) even warned that if the government did not respond to their call sensitively, businessmen reeling under crisis could do so informally.
“Amid growing threats and attacks, more businessmen in Tarai feel they have no choice other than making safety arrangements individually. This worrying psychic is growing rapidly and should be dealt before it moves beyond government´s control,” said NCC President Surendra Bir Malakar.
Talking to myrepublica.com, he said that the FNCCI-NCC officials also informed the Home Minister that the facility they were seeking now was an alternative safety means, but should be implemented if the government finds it difficult to address safety concerns of individual entrepreneurs.
In such a situation, FNCCI lobbied that the permission to keep armed security guards be pledged on its recommendation. Presently, businessmen can hire non-armed forces for security purpose. Keeping an armed security force by any local individual or firm is banned.
Apart from individual safety, entrepreneurs have also asked the Home Minister to put Industrial Security Force (ISF), a much-touted plan that has not been implemented even after completion of five years, in place within a month.
FNCCI and NCC mainly raised concerns over rising trend of extortion, killings by armed groups in Tarai and growing tensions in the private sector and adverse impact they have had on the investment and production climate.
They noted that if the government continued to turn deaf ear to their demands, they will start handing over keys of their enterprises to the government after a month. FNCCI and NCC officials had expressed their helplessness in this connection to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Tuesday.
Responding to businessmen, Minister Rawal said that budget constraint was the sole factor behind holding up the implementation of the program. “Nonetheless, I will seek appropriate information on constituting ISF with the Ministry of Finance immediately and start works to implement your demands within a month,” he stated.
If the budget is the constraint, the businessmen said they would eagerly contribute finances for the implementation of the ISF.
Related story
NCC signs MoU to support major esports events
