KATHMANDU, July 3: It has come to the light that nearly one-third of Nepal's businesses are owned by women.

In its first-ever National Economic Census, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) stated that 29.8 percent of the enterprises in the country are owned by women.

As many as 247,880 enterprises are owned by women, according to the census. Director General at the CBS, Suman Raj Aryal, said that 30 percent of the total enterprises are run by women.

"This is really a good sign and it suggests that women in Nepal are coming out from household chores," Xinhua News Agency quoted Aryal as saying. According to the census, the highest number of enterprises owned by women is related to wholesale and retail and the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles category.

Accommodation and food service activities come second and manufacturing enterprises come third in terms of women's ownership. "It is really an encouraging figure compared to the past. But, we should not stop here," said Saraswoti Rai, a member of Women Entrepreneurship Development Committee under the Federation of Nepali Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 

As many as 923,356 enterprises are related to agriculture, trading and industrial services, and various other sectors as of April 14, 2018, Xinhua reported quoting the CBS report.

 
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