Kathmandu, July 13:

National Planning Commission vice-chairman Dr Jagdish Chandra Pokharel today said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) helped sustain the national economy during the conflict period.

Inaugurating the fifth annual general meeting (AGM) of the Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI), Dr Pokharel also said SMEs were also helping alleviate rural poverty in some areas of the country.

“SMEs were in operation when several big industries had stopped operating during the Maoist insurgency period,” he said adding that the SMEs need to be promoted for the overall development of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, FNCSI president Jung Bahadur Shrestha said they intended to include medium scale enterprises in the priority area of FNCSI after transforming it into Federation of SMEs Nepal (FoSMEs-N).“We feel that we cannot contribute to the national economy by incorporating micro, cottage and small enterprises only.

We hope to consolidate our efforts by including medium scale enterprises also in our priority

area,” he added. Shrestha also disclosed FNCSI’s plan of opening training centres, cooperatives and business hubs to promote SMEs in Nepal.

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) vice-chairman Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar said entrepreneurial development was impossible without the development of SMEs. “The government must look into the marketing management for the products of SMEs. Otherwise, SMEs will suffer,” he said.

Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) acting president Narendra Bahadur Basnet said SMEs shouldn’t compromise on the quality of their goods.

Surendra Bir Malakar, president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) said the involvement of women in SMEs was a positive aspect.

According to FNCSI, 4.42 per cent of Nepali households are engaged in micro, cottage and small industries.