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APF to provide security to industries
KATHMANDU, MAR 28 -
The government is preparing to deploy the Armed Police Force to provide security to industries and entrepreneurs in response to the business community's long-standing demand to establish an industrial security force.
"We will soon reach a decision on deploying the APF for industrial security," said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal while addressing the inaugural function of the 57th annual general meeting of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC). He said that the government was always serious about making the necessary arrangements to ensure industrial security in the country and help businesses operate smoothly.
"The security situation has improved comparatively," claimed Nepal. "Earlier, there used to be continuous highway blockages on minor pretexts; now you don't see such tendencies."
Besides issues such as labour unrest, power crisis, liquidity crunch and increased bank interest rates, assurances of peace and security have always remained a major demand of the private sector.
The killing of media entrepreneurs Jamin Shah and Arun Singhaniya on Feb. 7 in Kathmandu and March 1 in Janakpur respectively had heightened the concern of the business community.
"Since the main issue is peace and security, the government must form an industrial security force with the assurance of security," said NCC president Surendra Bir Malakar. He said that the government must also address the labour issue, power crisis and problems of protests and strikes to create an investment friendly environment.
Malakar added that the liquidity crunch, increased investment in un-productive sectors, 11.3 percent inflation, decline of industrial production rate by 0.5 percent and increasing bank interest rates were some of the major matters that had distressed entrepreneurs in recent times.
Speaking at the function, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kush Kumar Joshi said, "If the government doesn't come up with some solid measures to tackle the problems of especially security, electricity and bank interest rates at the earliest, the situation will get worse."
He urged the government to create short- and medium-term mechanisms to deal with the problems with the cooperation of the private sector. "It will be a great relief if the government addresses these three demands," he added.
Posted on: 2010-03-29 08:12
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