Ministry Approves and Implements Trade Policy Implementation Action Plan

Kathmandu. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has approved and brought into implementation the 'Trade Policy, 2081 Implementation Action Plan'. The ministry has approved and implemented this action plan as per the decision of the minister level dated Ashar 4, 2083.

Earlier, the ministry had formed an inter-ministry and inter-agency coordination task force on Chaitra 1, 2081 to prepare an action plan for the effective implementation of the Trade Policy, 2081. This implementation action plan has been finalized by incorporating the opinions and suggestions of umbrella organizations of the private sector and inter-ministries on the report submitted by the task force.

As per the approved action plan, strategies and tactics included in the Trade Policy, 2081 are to be implemented by the federal, provincial, and local governments at all three levels, incorporating them into their annual programs and budgets according to their respective work divisions and areas of work.

The responsible bodies specified in the action plan are required to identify and include implementable activities while formulating annual budgets and programs. Similarly, the provincial and local governments are expected to play a coordinated and active role in productive work, maintaining forward and backward linkages, in addition to their specified responsibilities and supporting roles in the action plan.

The responsibility for policy implementation will lie with the leading ministry and agency, and the roles of subordinate departments, offices, councils, boards, and centers will be identified and performed. As per the responsibilities specified in the action plan, entrepreneurs, businessmen of the private sector, and their umbrella organizations will also be brought forward as direct partners. Progress reports and necessary suggestions for policy implementation will be regularly collected from the concerned ministries, provinces, local levels, and the private sector, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has made arrangements to provide necessary facilitation to remove obstacles arising during the implementation of the action plan.

Under this implementation action plan, various concrete activities and timelines have also been determined for export promotion and trade infrastructure development. Under this, specific programs will be implemented for the production and export promotion of goods with export potential identified by the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy, 2080. Additionally, processing units, well-equipped warehouses, cold storage, quality testing laboratories, and quarantine facilities will be upgraded and expanded as trade infrastructure. To promote Nepali goods, the goal is to organize an international trade fair at least once a year within the country and ensure the participation of Nepali exporters in 5 international trade fairs annually.

In addition, facilitation will be provided for geographical indication, organic certification, and quality certification to increase the export of Nepali goods with relatively higher value and lower volume. The action plan states that a working procedure related to providing production-based facilities and incentives to export-oriented industries will be prepared and implemented by 2083.