KATHMANDU: Nepal Beverage & Cigarette Industries Association (NBCIA) has drawn government's attention to allowing of the affiliated industries' operations by easing some measures of extended lockdown in the country.

In a statement today, the umbrella organisation (NBCIA), urged the government to allow suppliers to operate at least a few hours a day, within strict guidelines, to ensure their sustainability during these testing times

The industry injects more than 10 billion rupees to the GDP and generates employment for around two million people, both directly and indirectly.

With the extension of lockdown, thousands of people will be jobless, affecting the national economy directly, reads the statement. The association also drew the government's attention towards the illegal production and distribution of liquor during the lockdown.