Kathmandu, June 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar inaugurated the 20th annual general body meeting of the Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at a function held here this afternoon.

Speaking as Chief Guest Minister Tamrakar said “An agreement had been reached with the Government of India on the establishment of an export promotion zone which will end the hassles faced by Nepalese exporters’. “We should stop grumbling about the slow pace of work of the government rather the entrepreneurs, businessmen and industrialists themselves should uphold their responsibility and strive to advance the economy of the country, Minister Tamrakar said, adding ‘This year’s budget brought by the government has entrusted certain responsibilities to the entrepreneurs, businessmen and bureaucrats while giving them ample concessions and benefits’.

Kedar Lal Kosi, President, Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said that the government should declare Lalitpur as a ‘City of Handicrafts’ and a tourism destination and must not burden the entrepreneurs by banning factories and industries in the name of saving the environment. ‘This year’s budget has allocated budget for the construction of the Hetauda-Kathmandu highway, an old demand put forth by the LCCI. But it is the obligation of the people’s representatives of both the Makawanpur and Lalitpur districts along with the two chambers of commerce and industry to make sure that this project is completed in time’, he stressed.

Binod Bahadur Shrestha, Vice-President, LCCI outlined the various activities of the three decade old organization.

On the occasion, Minister Tamrakar also distributed prizes and certificates to the exporters earning maximum amount of foreign currency during this fiscal year.