OPMCM stresses on speedy implementation of export promotion action plan

KATHMANDU, Dec 1: As Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) on Friday held a discussion on ways to boost the country´s export and raise it to Rs 100 billion in the current fiscal year as targeted in the Administration and Economic Reform Action Plan.



The discussion was held as a part of the follow up meetings that the office has been organizing of late to achieve the goals of Administration and Economic Reform Action Plan.[break]



During the meeting, Secretary of the OPMCM Krishna Hari Baskota instructed the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) to speedily lay down ground works to develop 19 products which have been identified as possessing strong export potential in the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS).



“It is a welcome move that the MoCS has developed an action plan to implement the NTIS. But the ministry should also take immediate steps to implement those actions,” said Baskota.



In a bid to facilitate export growth, he also asked the MoCS and Ministry of Industry to simplify the procedures of distributing cash incentives that the government has pledged for overseas exports, end procedural hassles, support industries to attain cost competitiveness and enhance trade facilitation.



During the meeting, Secretary of MoCS Lal Mani Joshi said that the action plan of NTIS targets to increase export of each of the 19 listed items to one billion rupees within a year.



Out of the 12 goods selected in NTIS, Joshi said annual exports of ginger, essential oil, medicinal herb, noodles, hand-made papers and sliver jewelries presently stands below one billion rupees.



Under the action plan, he said the MoCS will initiate a process to set up a processing plant for ginger in Jhapa, diversify its market and impart necessary trainings to farmers to make ginger products.



”We will also initiate the management of residue and pesticide in local honey apart from training entrepreneurs to promote the international market of Nepali honey,” he stated.



Joshi said that his ministry also plans to initiate training for entrepreneurs to promote production, processing and market promotion of Nepali hand-made papers and noodles.



”We will also initiate process to establish medicinal herbs collection center in Surkhet, start processing of medicinal herbs to make semi-processed products and impart training to producers to increase production of essential oil,” he added.



Joshi said the MoCS will also start a process to register the collective trade mark of Nepali tea, facilitate branding of orthodox tea and intensify the quality monitoring to maintain the exportable quality of tea to promote production and market of tea, among others.

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