Collaboration with private sector essential for national prosperity: Tourism Minister Pandey

KATHMANDU, Sep 29:Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey said that the collaboration with the private sector was a key driver for national prosperity.

At a welcome programme organized by the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce in Pokhara today, Minister Pandey said that fostering investment could create jobs in the country. Stating that the government’s role was to create an enabling and secure environment for entrepreneurs to invest, Pandey argued that the more investment from entrepreneurs, the quicker Nepal could attain economic prosperity.

The Minister saw the need for the government to introduce various subsidy schemes to attract industrial investment. Citing some countries achieving economic prosperity due to robust industries, he viewed that if we could attract domestic and foreign investment, we need not wait years to attain economic prosperity.

Minister Pandey reaffirmed the commitment of the incumbent government to maintain good governance by revitalizing the national economy and combating corruption. Mentioning the tourism potential of Pokhara, he shared that the government intended to enable a tourism-friendly environment by putting in place a tourism policy.

The Tourism Minister said that about ongoing discussions with foreign airline companies to make Pokhara International Airport and Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport robust in terms of operation. He also underscored the need to spread the message that Nepal’s aviation sector is safe.

On the occasion, former President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce Anandraj Mulmi provided insights into the overall economic development of Pokhara.