Nepal hopes to further ties with Germany: Experts

December 1, 2000
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Kathmandu:  Nepal is optimistic in furthering the bilateral expansion and enhancement in the business sector with Germany, a country with which Nepal’s business covers more than one-third of total national trade, experts and business persons said.

Germany is one of the few countries with which Nepal had observed a surplus in the trade sector in the fiscal year 1998-1999, they said at the Ninth General meeting of Nepal-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NGCCI) held here today. During that period, Nepal had enjoyed the export of 208.42 million rupees to Germany while the import value to Nepal totaled 38.39 million rupees in the last fiscal year, they added.

The programme aimed at discovering better opportunities and seeking avenues with Germany at public and private level while maintaining the existing relationship.

“Basis for the development of present global economy is no doubt competitiveness. Keeping in view this economic reality, Nepalese economy can grow faster with mutual cooperation and collaboration with Germany in diversified form,” said German Ambassador to Nepal Rudiger Lemp, who is also the Honorary President of NGCCI. “The German Embassy and myself will continue to support and encourage Nepal as we have been doing for the past 10 years.”

He assured that Germany, despite her compact budget, would provide Nepal with greater financial assistance in 2000-2001. “Nepal stands as a major priority for the German economic co-operation as it is one of the least developed countries in the world,” said Lemp while talking about the prospects of new opportunities and challenges for the Nepalsese business community in the context of German policies.

Addressing the meeting, the Vice-Chairman of National Planning Commission, Prithvi Raj Legal said that the present reality of the world is survival and development through competitiveness. “So we all look forward for Nepal-German bilateral investment in Nepal in the fields of communications, hydro-power and tourism.”

“Nepal is in such a strategic position that with the two giant neighboring countries India and China, the German investment can prove to be fruitful in the context of exporting manufactured goods”, Legal said. “Besides, manpower is cheap over here and resources can be found abundantly.”

However, Jom Tomecko, team leader of German Agency for Technical Co-operation and Private Sector Promotion Project (GTZ-PSPP) said that despite the abundant capital and resources, Nepal lacks the ‘know-how’ technology. “Besides this, there should also be a strong partnership between the government and the private sector,” he said. “New strategies are required to emerge into the international arena with the revision of the existing policies.”

At the meeting, ‘Public Private Relationships,’ the joint projects operated by German businessmen and development organisations was launched. The projects will provide opportunities in Nepal with the specific know-how of development, invest under enhanced conditions and provide back-up services as required.

Despite all the positive matters discussed, the participants held the grudges that the government never supported the private sector. NGCCI President B.K. Shrestha charged the government of not co-operating with them. “The government never supports us fully except in their speeches and reports, and now we are once again coming up with new proposals for the rectification of the existing policies and for its co-operation.”

The meeting ended with the distribution of awards to the best exporters of traditional and non-traditional products, best German importers and two other awards for prominent business personalities.

The NGCCI General Assembly also elected new President and Executive Board Members at the Ninth General Meeting.