This has reference to the news story “Nepal investment summit kicks off” (THT, March 3, Page 1). On Friday, in Kathmandu, the two-day Nepal Investment Summit 2017 concluded with the pledge of Rs. 1.35 trillion from investors from half a dozen countries, mainly China.

The summit was jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry in association with Investment Board Nepal. Of course, Nepal is moving ahead on the path of economic prosperity.

That is the reason why Nepal wants huge investment in sundry areas like energy, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, health and education, mines and cement industries. In the globalized world, no nation can move forward with a single effort to make sure that sound economic progress materializes in the long run.

So, all countries should gear up for economic revolution to ensure double digit growth joining hands together with like-minded countries or potential investors. In the context of Nepal, there are many “virgin” areas where investors can invest, and in return they will get maximum profits from such investments.

Most importantly, it is worth noting that the government should carefully formulate plans and policies to attract foreign direct investment through a one door policy lacking in practice. Holding investment summits is not enough.

Still, there are 42 different government agencies one has to pass through before acquiring any permission for making investments.

Such bureaucratic hurdles must be cleared and such permissions must be narrowed down to just a few, possibly into one, if the country really wants to attract FDI.

Saroj Wagle, Bara

Self-help

This is with reference to the news story “Seminar to promote vocational education” (THT, March 6, Page 2). Vocational education is something which is imparted to those people who cannot pursue higher advance level of education or academic courses.

In Nepal’s context, vocational education must be offered to the youth in rural areas where they can earn their living within their villages and localities.

When we talk about vocational education, most people think about the professions that are mainly concentrated in urban areas. Statistics show that most of the youths who work as migrant workers in the Middle-East and Malaysia hail from rural areas where they do not get any opportunity to get any jobs that make them self-reliant.

Vocational education must be given to those youths in rural areas, mainly on agriculture, horticulture, seri-culture, wood works, herbal collection or processing, vegetable farming, fishery, poultry farming and others that can generate employment opportunity locally.

The trained youths must be educated about accounting, marketing and packaging.

After they are fully trained in these subjects then the government should provide them with seed money and technical supports to run their businesses that they want to.

Raghubir Bhandari, Damauli