Kathmandu, Jan. 27: Office-bearers of Nepal Tor-Steel and Iron Rod Manufacturers Association and Nepal Biscuit Industries Association met separately with Minister for Industry Omkar Prasad Shrestha at the Ministry of Industry today and held discussions.

On the occasion, Minister for Industry Shrestha said that  regular consultations and discussions with industrialists and businessmen have been organised with the objective of soliciting practical suggestions from the entrepreneurs regarding steps to be taken to run the country’s industries at full capacity.

He also said that the government was seriously contemplating what steps were necessary to run the industries at full steam.

During the discussions suggestions were given for strictly monitoring the quality of food items like biscuits which are mostly used by children and the sick.

At the programme, advisor of the Ministry of   Industry Ananda Raj Mulmi underlined the need for the government and the private sector to join hands in ameliorating the problems facing the nation’s industries.

He said the government was making a serious study as to the steps necessary for the creation of a sustainable economic system by eliminating the present impracticalities.

President of Nepal Tor-Steel and Iron rod Manufacturers’ Association and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (fncci)  pradip Kumar Shrestha spoke on the problems facing iron and steel manufacturing units.

He said Nepalese firms should be given priority in the supply of iron rod and tor-steel products to big projects through open competition, regular supply of electricity of the designated voltage and time slots should be ensured, concession given on  power tariff since electricity is a major component of the iron and steel industry and monitoring carried out on the quality of products being supplied and sold.

He also called for timely amendmend of the Labour Act, effective implementation of the  One-Window Policy, stopping of unauthorised trade and equal treatment of imported items and items manufactured in the country.