Kathmandu, February 6

The Ministry of Industry (MoI) has urged all government offices to strictly use domestic products as required by the Directive to Use Domestic Products in Public Offices, 2013.

Addressing a review meeting on the implementation of the directive today, Industry Minister Nabindra Raj Joshi said that public offices are not complying with the directive and are increasingly consuming foreign products over domestic brands.

As per the directive, all public offices should consume products like uniforms, furniture, medicines, electronic items, paper, woollen and cotton products, carpets, handicraft products, construction materials, dairy products, among others even if they cost up to 10 per cent more than foreign products. Moreover, the directive also states that Nepali textiles should be given top preference for the outfits of bureaucrats.

However, such Nepali products should have Nepal Standard (NS) recognition or should be manufactured by businesses registered with the concerned government agency or agencies.

“As the law mandates us to consume domestic products in public offices, it is the responsibility of all bureaucrats to abide by the law. I am committed to increase consumption of domestic products in MoI and its subsidiaries and urge all ministries and government agencies to consume Nepali products over foreign brands in their offices,” Minister Joshi said, adding that government offices promoting domestic goods will encourage public to choose local products over foreign brands.

Stating that consumption of domestic products will boost small and micro-enterprises of the country, Joshi said, “Development of small and medium enterprises sets a base through which Nepal can achieve its target of industrial and economic growth.”

Similarly, Joshi also shared his plan to establish a Nepali product outlet within Singha Durbar to facilitate ministries to acquire the necessary office supplies.

He also informed that MoI would soon fix quality standards of Nepali goods that are consumable in public offices.

Meanwhile, micro entrepreneurs have said that they are able to deliver quality products as per the demand of public offices.

“The government should gradually increase consumption of local products in public offices. It is better to begin from dress code of government officials,” Chandra Krishna Shrestha, vice-president of Federation of Nepal Small and Cottage Industries (FNSCI), opined.