Kathmandu, April 18

The government has received 63 proposals from different domestic and international firms to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of new industrial estates in all seven provinces of the country.

Purshottam Nepal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry (MoI), informed that a separate committee of MoI is currently evaluating the proposals.

“As soon as all the proposals are analysed, MoI will select a company to prepare the DPR of industrial estates based on the recommendation of the analysing committee,” he said.

After the country adopted a federal system, the then Cabinet meeting held in March last year had approved the proposal tabled by MoI to develop one industrial estate in each province. Moreover, the meeting had also decided to separate 3,038 bighas of government land in different provinces to construct industrial estates.

As of now, MoI has already identified land plots in all provinces for the construction of industrial estates and has started developing infrastructure in a few. MoI is gearing up to construct new industrial estates in Damak of Jhapa (Province 1), Murtia of Sarlahi (Province 2), Mayurdhap of Makawanpur (Province 3), Chyalingtar of Gorkha (Province 4), Naubasta of Banke (Province 5), Surkhet (Province 6) and Daiji of Kanchanpur (Province 7).

There are 11 industrial estates in operation and one special economic zone (SEZ) across the country at present. While the government inaugurated the first SEZ — Bhairahawa SEZ — in November 2014, 11 industrial estates which are currently in operation were set up more than five decades ago.

By establishing new industrial estates in the country, the government aims to encourage investors in the industrial sector of the country and boost exports of industrial products.

Like industrial estates, MoI currently is also establishing SEZ in each province and has finalised the location for its construction in all provinces. In a bid to promote export-oriented industries, MoI is constructing SEZ in Biratnagar (Province 1), Simara (Province 2), Panchkhal (Province 3), Gorkha (Province 4), Bhairahawa (Province 5), Jumla (Province 6) and Dhangadhi (Province 7).