Believes election for local bodies will improve doing business environment.
KATHMANDU, May 12: Private sector leaders are upbeat with the local level elections scheduled for Sunday.
They say that the election for local bodies with improve doing business environment in the country and put economic agendas into priority. Talking to Republica, they said that the local bodies will drive the economic engine of the country, protect industries and contribute to job creation.
The private sector leaders are also hopeful that the election of local bodies will increase government's development spending, leading to completion of infrastructure projects within the stipulated timeframe.
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Hari Bhakta Sharma, the president of Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said that the elected body will lay a foundation to boost economic activities and expedite development activities in a more organized way.""Industrialists and business community were feeling helpless with the absence of people's representatives in local bodies. They will feel more secure now as they can turn to the local bodies whenever their enterprises face a roadblock"" Sharma, who will cast his vote from a polling center at Bansbari, Kathmandu, told Republica.
He also said that the elected local bodies will improve governance and mitigate risks in doing business.""This will make the private sector feel comfortable and improve the country's doing business indicators"" Sharma added.
Bhawani Rana, the president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), said that the private sector was encouraged by the local level election.""The elected local bodies will expedite works of building infrastructure like roads, and drinking water and irrigation projects, among others, which have slowed down over the past two decades"" Rana said, adding:""The other important thing is that the elected bodies will be more accountable and it will set a ground for doing business""
Rana will cast her vote in the second phase of election from Nepalgunj.
Anil Shah, the president of Nepal Bankers' Association, has high hopes on the local level elections.""I am hopeful that the local level polls will bring stability in the society which is a prerequisite for doing business. The local bodies, which are seeing people's representatives after nearly two decades, will focus on job creation and enhancing economic activities, among other issues"" Shah, who will cast vote at a polling center at Narayanchaur, Kathmandu, said.
President of Federation of Contractors Association, Sharad Kumar Gauchan, is hopeful of seeing a major shift in infrastructure development works after the local level elections.
The local bodies under the federal set up will have more power and resources compared to the previous local bodies. The federal government can no longer dictate local bodies during project selection. It has to allocate budget directly to local bodies which are free to select projects.
Economist Chandra Mani Adhikari hopes that the new local bodies will be more powerful than that previous ones.""The powerful local body, therefore, can bring notable changes in the country's economic front as the private sector representatives have expected"" Adhikari said.
It can lead to manufacturing growth, jobs creation, improvement in economic indicators, import substitution, and lowering of trade deficit, among others, according to Adhikari.""To see these changes, elections of all three levels - local, provincial and parliamentary -- should be held in time, and a political party should get clear majority"" said Adhikari.
