SURKHET, Oct 2: Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of Karnali Province, Suresh Adhikari has committed to formulating and implementing provincial level policies aimed towards promoting women entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the provincial level consultation workshop on policies and programs arranged for the promotion of women's entrepreneurship organized by the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs’ Association Nepal (FWEAN) in Birendranagar on Tuesday, Minister Adhikari committed to formulating and implementing necessary laws to solve the problems of women entrepreneurs in the province. Minister Adhikari attended the program as the chief guest while the president of the FWEAN, Shova Gyawali chaired the program.

“While leading the local government, I have understood the challenges and problems of women entrepreneurs," he said at the workshop, “For effective marketing of the products from Karnali we are establishing small industrial villages and gift houses at the provincial level.” 

Talking about women entrepreneurs, he said that because women are disciplined and transparent compared to men, businesses run by women tend to flourish. “Compared to men, women are disciplined and transparent, and their businesses do not wither,” he said, “That is the reason behind the provincial government making special policies to promote businesses involving women.” He added that the enterprises made by women are exemplary for society. 

At the program, president Gyawali said that if the government makes timely laws and policies, it will be easy to involve women in enterprises. “Karnali Province is capable of entrepreneurship, but all the three levels of  government should make necessary laws and policies to enable entrepreneurship,” President Gyawali said, “If such laws and policies are in place, products of Karnali will be able to find national and international markets.”

President Gyawali insisted that the province should adopt a policy that can modernize traditional skills and materials. “We can become self-sufficient only if we modernize the traditional skills imparted by our mothers," President Gyawali said, “For that, the provincial government should make proper laws and policies.” She added that even if the government employees wear local clothes two days a week, local entrepreneurs will be encouraged and local products promoted. 

At the workshop, former provincial lawmaker Goma Kunwar said that the province needs to value the honesty of women. “The province should involve women in business, bring incentive programs,” she said, “Only then the country will prosper and develop.” She added that politics should not be mixed with business.

Similarly, the former secretary of the government of Nepal, Yam Kumari Khatiwada, advised the entrepreneurs to keep track of the policies of the government, adding that the federal government has arranged a special subsidy for women entrepreneurs but the entrepreneurs are not aware of it. “The state has arranged to give Rs 500,000 to 5,000,000 for the export of goods produced by small enterprises, home industries, small industries, medium industries and large industries run by women,” she said, “Most of the women entrepreneurs are not even aware of this.”

She added that although the Karnali province government has introduced the Province Industrial Business Act, there is no separate provision for women. “According to the federal law, the services provided to women should have been included in the law,” she said, “Women entrepreneurs and the government of Karnali need to pay special attention to this.” 

In the program, senior women's development officer at the Ministry of Social Development of Karnali Province, Anita Gyawali, said that the provincial government is conducting programs to encourage women entrepreneurs. She said that such programs include ‘One District, One Female Entrepreneurship Promotion Program’, ‘Women's Income Earning Program’ and ‘Chief Minister's Women's Self-Employment Program’.

Similarly, President of Small Industrial Village, Udiram Dangi, said that they are active in the promotion of industries based on local raw materials. He informed the workshop that there are industries in the industrial village that are mostly run by women.

 
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