FNCCI forms statute amendment committee
Kathmandu, April 16
The annual general meeting of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry held last week has formed a statute amendment committee.
The committee has been formed to amend provisions of the statute based on consultation with district municipal chambers, commodity associations and associate members (corporate houses and bi-national chambers). The AGM has granted the responsibility to convene the committee and submit the report to executive committee in nine to 10 months to former president of the federation Chandi Raj Dhakal.
Dhakal is pushing the agenda of direct election in top post of the federation, in contrary to the FNCCI special general meeting in October 2016, which had amended the provision of direct election and provisioned senior vice president to be directly appointed as president after the completion of tenure of president in three years. Hence, incumbent President Bhawani Rana was appointed president directly from the post of senior vice president without having to face an election.
The agenda of statute amendment has tarnished the image of largest private sector umbrella body. Critics have warned of over politicisation in the organisation that was set up for policy advocacy for growth and development of the private sector.
The former presidents of the federation have said that statute amendment is a serious matter that could threaten the very life of the organisation. It has to be noted that the FNCCI had amended its constitution and removed the provision of direct election to the top post to end the polarisation and politicisation in the organisation. “Statute amendment when not even a single tenure of FNCCI president has been completed threatens to tarnish the image and authenticity of the federation,” said immediate past president of FNCCI, Pashupati Murarka.
Sources seeking anonymity reported that Dhakal exerted his influence on the representatives of district/municipal chambers to register the proposal to form a committee to amend statute citing that a senior vice president tended to become passive towards the agenda of local levels when he or she automatically became the president in following term.
There are 104 district and municipal chambers, 93 commodities associations and a dozen bi-national chambers at the FNCCI. As district and municipal chambers hold 50 per cent of weightage of votes, they are considered as the strength of FNCCI and can easily influence the AGM's agenda, as per FNCCI sources. The tenure of the FNCCI president is for three years and Rana will be in the top post of FNCCI till mid-April, 2020.
