KATHMANDU: A delegation of industrialists, traders and entrepreneurs led by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) president Kush Kumar Joshi held a meeting with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today to discuss the issues plaguing Nepali industrial sectors. This is the second such formal meeting after the March 2 session held between FNCCI and PM Nepal to discuss the issues of industrial security, lack of power-supply, bandhs and liquidity crunch.

The delegation demanded that the government give a guarantee of security, establish an industrial protection force, enact a law banning bandhs and strikes, reduce banks’ lending interest rates and do away with the prolonged load-shedding.

In order to relieve industries of the load-shedding problem, he asked for a separate feeder for industrial corridors, cancellation of demand fee, granting of diesel at Nepal Oil Corporation’s buying price for the operation of captive generator plants and the involvement of private sector in the operation of multi-fuel plants at Hetauda and Biratnagar. He said, “The whole sector is facing losses worth millions due to politically motivated industrial bandhs that take place every other day.

PM Nepal reiterated that the government was seriously working to solving the problems of industrialists. He added that the setting up of an industrial protection force and other issues would also be addressed soon. He directed the ministers concerned to resolve these issues within a fortnight by holding talks with the industrialists.