महासंघको पहलमा स्थापित लगानी कम्पनीले स्टार्ट अपमा लगानी गर्ने (२०८१/०५/०५)

नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघका अध्यक्ष चन्द्रप्रसाद ढकालले नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघको पहलमा स्थापित लगानी कम्पनीले स्टार्ट अपमा लगानी गर्ने जानकारी गराउनु भयो ।

बुधबार काठमाडौंमा आयोजित स्टार्टअप नेसन २०३० को उद्घाटन सत्रमा मन्तव्य दिँदै ढकालले सो कुरा बताएका हुन् ।

नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघको पहलमा १० अर्ब रुपैयाँको लगानीमा लगानी कम्पनी स्थापना भएको ढकालले जानकारी दिनु भयो । तर, यो स्वतन्त्र रूपमा सञ्चालन हुने र जुनसुकै लगानीकर्ताले कम्पनीमा लगानी गर्न सक्ने ढकालले स्पष्ट पार्नु भयो ।

नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघ ७७ वटै जिल्ला र नगरपालिकामा जम्मा १२३ स्थानमा रहेको पनि ढकालले बताए । उनले नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघको सबै प्रदेशमा कार्यालय रहेको र यस पहललाई अगाडि बढाउने क्षमता रहेको बताए । त्यसैले हामी प्रदेश सरकारसँगको सहकार्यमा यी केन्द्रहरू स्थापना गर्न सक्षम छौं,’ उनले भने । नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघको केन्द्रीय कार्यालयमा पनि केन्द्र स्थापना गर्ने हाम्रो लक्ष्य रहेको उनले जानकारी दिए ।

अर्थतन्त्रलाई टेवा दिन प्रत्यक्ष वैदेशिक लगानीसँगै उद्योग वा व्यवसायमा लगानी गर्न चाहने मुलुकभर रहेका साना लगानीकर्ताको कोषमा पनि ट्याप गर्न सक्ने ढकालले बताए । यद्यपि, व्यक्तिगत रूपमा लिँदा कोष थोरै हुने भएकाले हामीले ठूलो कोष बनाउन सबै पैसा जम्मा गर्नुपर्नेछ, उनले भने।

यो ठूलो कोषले देशलाई आवश्यक पर्ने ठूला विकास आयोजनामा लगानी गर्न सकिने ढकालले बताए । कोष वर्षौंदेखि बन्द रहेका सरकारी स्वामित्वका उद्योगहरूमा लगानी गर्न पनि प्रयोग गर्न सकिन्छ। यसले औद्योगीकरणमा मात्रै नभई देशभित्रै रोजगारी सृजना गर्न पनि सहयोग पुग्ने ढकालले बताउनु भयो ।

स्टार्टअप कार्यक्रमका लागि करिब एक दशकअघि बजेट विनियोजन गर्न थालेको तर पछिल्लो समय मात्रै स्टार्टअपको औपचारिक परिभाषा भएको ढकालले बताए । चार महिनाअघि लगानी सम्मेलनमा परिमार्जन गरिएका आठ ऐनमध्ये एउटा औद्योगिक व्यवसाय ऐनमा स्टार्टअपको कानुनी परिभाषा समावेश गरिएको ढकालले जानकारी दिए ।

त्यसपछि स्टार्टअप नीति पारित भएको भन्दै ढकालले नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघले यस नीतिको पहिलो मस्यौदा सरकारसमक्ष पेश गरेकोमा खुशी व्यक्त गरे ।

ढकालले स्टार्टअप र नयाँ उद्यमीलाई सहज बनाउन युवाहरुलाई सहयोग गर्न इन्क्युबेशन र इनोभेसन सेन्टरहरु स्थापना गर्नुपर्ने पनि बताए । प्रारम्भिक चरणका रूपमा नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघले सुदूरपश्चिम प्रदेश सरकार र कैलाली उद्योग वाणिज्य संघसँगको सहकार्यमा इन्क्युबेशन सेन्टर स्थापनाको प्रक्रिया अघि बढाएको ढकालले जानकारी दिए । यसका लागि उनले संघीय र प्रदेश सरकार दुवैलाई सहयोग गर्न आग्रह गरे ।

स्टार्टअप नेसन कार्यक्रम नेपाल सरकार, नेपाल उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघ लगायत औद्योगिक व्यवसाय विकास प्रतिष्ठान, विश्वविद्यालय अनुदान आयोग, ICIMOD र PUM नेदरल्यान्डस् द्वारा आयोजित गरिएको थियो । 



FNCCI-backed investment company to invest in startups

Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has said that startups and small entrepreneurs can seek investments from the Investment Company that the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry has established. 

Dhakal mentioned this while delivering his speech at the inaugural session of Startup Nation 2030, held on Wednesday, in Kathmandu.

The Investment Company, with a capital of Rs 10 billion, was established on the initiative of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dhakal said. However, it will be operated independently and any investor can invest in the company, Dhakal clarified. 

Dhakal added that to boost the economy, along with foreign direct investment, we can also tap into the funds of small investors spread across the country who want to invest in an industry or business. However, since the funds are small when taken individually, we need to pool all their money to form a large fund, he stated.

Dhakal said that this large fund then can be used to invest in bigger development projects that the country requires. The fund can also be used to invest in state-owned industries that have remained shut for years. Not only will this help in industrialisation but also help in generating employment within the country, Dhakal said. 

Dhakal also stated that the budget started allocating funds for startup programmes nearly a decade ago but it was only recently that startups were formally defined. Just four months ago, a legal definition of startups was included in the Industrial Business Act, one of the eight laws amended during the investment summit, Dhakal informed. 

Subsequently, the Startup Policy was passed, said Dhakal, expressing his delight that the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry had presented the first draft of this policy to the government.

Dhakal also said that to facilitate startups and new entrepreneurs, we need to establish incubation and innovation centers to assist young people. As an initial step, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Sudurpashchim Provincial Government and Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has begun the process of establishing an incubation centre, Dhakal informed. He urged both the federal and provincial governments to collaborate in this endeavour.

Dhakal also mentioned that the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry has a presence in all 77 districts and even in municipalities, totalling 123 locations. He said the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry has offices in all provinces and possesses the capacity to drive this initiative forward. Therefore, we are capable of establishing these centers in collaboration with the provincial governments, he added. We also aim to establish a centre at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry's central office, he informed. 

The Startup Nation programme was organised by the Government of Nepal, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, along with the Industrial Business Development Centre, the University Grants Commission, ICIMOD, and PUM Netherlands.