FM seeks to allay FCAN’s fears

Kathmandu, March 2:

Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai today assured of solving the problems of contractors through the formation of a taskforce.

“The government is very concerned over the appropriate demands raised by the contractors. We will soon form a taskforce which will collect suggestions and comments in

order to work out solutions to the demands of the contractors,” he said.

Speaking during an interaction programme organised by the Federation of Contractors’ Association of Nepal (FCAN) on ‘Contractors and consumer committees in Development Construction’, Dr Bhattarai said the construction works done by the consumer committee earlier were not satisfactory and that granting Rs 60 lakh to the consumer committee for construction works does not mean the committee can do all the work. He added that it was a fixed sum for the committee but not for all construction works.

“There is a communication gap between the contractors and the government which has created misunderstanding about the government’s decision to grant

Rs 60 lakh to the consumer committee for construction works,” Dr Bhattarai added.

According to Keshav Prasad Gautam, president of Consultant Society, Rs 60 lakh is not a small amount. The consumer committee lacks quality, experience, technology, and equipment, he said pointing out that instead of granting it Rs 60 lakh the amount should be limited to Rs 35 lakh. There are more than 12,000 small contractors while the contract business contributes 10.49 per cent to the total GDP of the country.

FCAN has submitted a memorandum with a 21-day ultimatum to Dr Bhattarai on February 13.