Kathmandu, July 19:

Senior leaders of Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) Prachanda and Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai, in a discussion with businesspersons associated with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), have promised that they would encourage local investors and protect ‘national capital’ for effective economic development of the country.

According to a press statement issued by CNI today, the Maoists stressed on the need to advance the future economic outlook, boost national capital, commercialise agriculture, create employment with a broader perspective, develop parallel policies for politics and economic. They stressed to ma-ke a strong Nepal with a new vision and commitment, and reiterated their pledge not to return to jungles.

While inviting foreign investment, Maoist leaders have stressed on the need for certain provisions and mechanisms so that domestic industries will not be hit hard, says the statement. Small and micro-enterprises should be strengthened so that they would not be harmed by external sectors, says CNI in its statement. “Domestic industries should be made more competitive.”

Maoist leaders have expressed inclinations towards mixed economy. However, CNI businessmen have reiterated that the government should handle sectors such as education, health, electricity and drinking water and infrastructure development, while the private sector should act as an engine of growth to boost economy.

The country’s economic sector should be left alone and the state and politics should never interfere as it may bring distortions, said the Maoist leaders. We don’t ignore the role of World Bank, WTO and IMF in the context of globalisation, but development programmes should not be guided by donors, Maoists said.

If the purchasing power of people is not increased, there is no meaning of industrialisation. In this effort, the government and the private sector have their own roles. Therefore, mixed economy needs to be adopted for our national progress, said the Maoists at the meeting, informed CNI.

Maoists and CNI have agreed on various issues such as creation of a sound and safe industrial environment, correspondence to international media stating that Nepal possesses peaceful environment to travel, an active role for Maoists to settle tricky issues between trade unions and industrial management and developing a code of conduct for creating a long-term economic road map.

CNI has agreed in principle that it would participate at a national conference of national businesspersons and create confidence between the business sector and the Maoists.