MP Kshitij Thebe Calls for Policy Reforms in Industrial Development and Worker Welfare

Kathmandu. Opposition party CPN (UML) MP Kshitij Thebe has said that the parliamentary committee should focus on policy reforms for the industrial development and welfare of workers in the country.

Speaking at the meeting of the Industry, Commerce and Labour and Consumer Interest Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday, MP Thebe stated that it is necessary to intervene in policies in a way that benefits all three parties – the government, entrepreneurs, and workers – rather than being limited to monitoring physical structures.

Mentioning that the health and safety conditions of workers in the workplace were found to be very poor during the monitoring, he emphasized the need for immediate improvement. He demanded that the committee implement strict standards, considering the pollution and safety hazards from industries operating within urban areas. Thebe argued that the state should view industrial areas within the valley and corridors outside the valley differently.

“It is natural to show good structures during monitoring, and they should be visible,” he said, expressing his views at the meeting. “But our main objective should be to identify the real problems there and take initiatives for policy reforms. Our objective should be to make the government effective, encourage entrepreneurs, and ensure the welfare of workers.”

He stated that the issue of 'Health and Safety' needs to be raised seriously, as it was observed during monitoring that in some places, workers were working with chemical substances without even using basic safety materials like masks.

Speaking on the topic of startups, MP Thebe clarified that merely registering with the Department of Industry does not fulfill the goal of a startup. He suggested connecting 'A' class commercial banks in all local levels of the country with youth entrepreneurship. He believes that as long as a conducive environment for entrepreneurs is not created at the local level, employment cannot be generated, and the foreign migration of youth cannot be stopped. He emphasized the need to provide concessional loans by taking the youth population, which constitutes 40 percent of the total population, into confidence.

“The thinking of the Honourable Minister regarding startups is very positive,” he said. “But our objective will not be fulfilled by merely increasing the number of startups registered with the Department of Industry. We need to create an environment policy-wise that helps expand entrepreneurship up to the local level.”

He suggested that future industrial monitoring should be conducted only after 'pre-workout' (preparation) to make it more systematic. He stressed that monitoring should not only identify problems but also bring concrete results and policy clarity.