The ministry has also forwarded a proposal to set up a special fund for developing entrepreneurship skills among women. [break]
In a set of programs that the ministry proposed for the inclusion in the budget for 2011-12, it has strongly pushed for developing Nepalgunj, Surkhet and Jumla as herbs collection and processing centers with a view to attaining value addition and exporting them to the international markets.
Yam Kumari Khatiwada, joint secretary of MoI, said that the ministry has also demanded additional budget for initiating exploration of natural gas and petroleum products.
"As several studies have shown that we have a huge potential of finding natural gas and petroleum in our country, MoI has sought budget to tap such resources," Khatiwada, who is also spokesperson of MoI, told Republica.
The ministry has sought budget for setting up Women Entrepreneurship Fund — first of its kind in the country to develop entrepreneurship skills among women, especially those from underprivileged communities.
"We will impart entrepreneurship training to women entrepreneurs apart from providing them with incentives to open small scale businesses," she said.
The ministry has also asked the government to incorporate Micro Entrepreneurship Development Program in the coming budget so as to support generating job opportunities in rural areas to support poverty reduction and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target.
"Under this scheme, we plan to give appropriate training to the needy people along with necessary equipment to run micro-businesses," said Rishikesh Dhungel, under-secretary of the ministry.
In order to boost the confidence of the private sector, MoI has asked the government to continue the support for infrastructure development and incentives to cement manufacturers.
The government has been providing incentives to producers by establishing access roads and electricity lines to the factories.
The ministry has also pushed for enactment of special economic zones (SEZ) law, which is expected to intensify investments and support industrial development.
The government has almost completed the construction of SEZ in Bhairahawa and has announced plan to establish more SEZs in Birgunj, Panchkhaal, Kapilvastu, Jumla and Biratnagar.
MoI has asked the government to establish a separate office for the registration of industrial intellectual properties.
It has also asked the government to set up Nepal Accreditation Board (NAB) to certify the standards of Nepali industrial and agricultural products. It has also pushed for strengthening of Nepal Bureau of Standard and Meteorology.
Related story
What is missing in budget for agriculture?
