Kathmandu, Mar. 30:Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said that the government was fully committed to promote the country’s industry and commerce.

“I, on behalf of the government, assure you of total co-operation and total support,” Premier Koirala said inaugurating the six-day industrial and commercial fair ‘Tradex–2000’ at Bhrikuti Mandap this morning.

“The government will extend full co-operation to the private sector to construct the exhibition centre,” Koirala said. “The government, traders and industrialists should work hand in hand to develop necessary exhibition infrastructure.”

Koirala also told the traders and exhibitors that the government would work towards simplifying laws relating the movement of goods in or out of the country for the purpose of exhibition.

Emphasising the importance of economic diplomacy in the present day globalised context, Koirala said that the private sector had to play a crucial role to expand export trade.

Minister for Industry and Commerce Ram Krishna Tamrakar said that the government was ready to assist the private sector in developing exhibition infrastructure by bringing in the donors.

“Nepal as a least developed country has appealed to the donor agencies that they should assist her in developing exhibition infrastructure and they are positive about it,” said Tamrakar. Minister Tamrakar said that the government was expecting a proposal on behalf of the private sector for the development of exhibition infrastructure.

Tamrakar said that the government was working to promote country’s trade and commerce. He said that Commerce Ministry was organising a seminar next week in collaboration with the private sector with a view to discuss the prospects of export trade.

President of Nepal Chamber of Commerce Mahesh Kumar Agrawal called for initiatives that would ensure the development of trade and tourism in which he said Nepal had comparative strength.

On behalf of the organisers, Everest Exhibitions (EE)’s managing director Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar said that they always tried to make the fair a consumer-oriented event in the past in line with the nature of Nepalese market. Rajkarnikar however said that the traders and exhibitors faced problems due to the lack of exhibition infrastructure.

From the chair, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Pradeep Kumar Shrestha stressed on implementation of the existing policy for the growth of industry and commerce.

The fifth annual fair has traditional as well as modern consumer goods on display. Besides, it features a competitive show of two wheelers and four wheelers. Modern garden in Nepalese tradition is another aspect of the fair, which the organisers expect, would attract women.

The fair also features the selective exhibition of decorative items, construction materials and industrial products.

The fair that aims at promoting and popularising new products from home and abroad comprises 100 stalls.

The organisers said that they had made necessary arrangements for communication service, advertising and marketing agencies, official travel agency and carrier service as well as insurance and entertainment programmes. The event sponsored by Tuborg Beer, Nepal-Bangladesh Bank, Quality Icecream and Professional Advertising can be accessed through Internet.