Author name: Anupam

Second Nepal Infrastructure Summit in February

Kathmandu, December 21 With an aim to give momentum to sluggish infrastructure growth of the country, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has announced it is organising Second Nepal Infrastructure Summit 2017 in the Capital on February 19 and 20. CNI had organised similar summit in the Capital in November of 2014. Railway Minister India Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has consented to attend the summit as guest of honour, according to CNI. Second in the series, Nepal Infrastructure Summit 2017 aims to attract large-scale private investment in areas of Nepal’s core needs and strengths, CNI officials said during a press conference held today. “As a result of infrastructure deficit, industrial and other sectors in Nepal are lagging far behind compared to other countries,” said Hari Bhakta Sharma, president of CNI, adding that infrastructure summit not only targets to draw big investment in infrastructure sector, but also forge stronger network and alliance in South Asia for seamless connectivity. According to CNI, the summit will also focus on strategic vision of infrastructure, value proposition, competitiveness and policies, particularly in land acquisition and also consolidate and build upon the achievements of the first Nepal Infrastructure Summit. With an aim to draw more than 500 domestic and foreign investors, CNI will showcase the project bank developed by Investment Board Nepal (IBN) to investors that comprises 50 viable infrastructure projects. The summit will also present and explore different barriers and constraints in attracting private and public investment, ways to expedite public-private partnership (PPP) model in investment and financing issues in infrastructure. Informing infrastructure has been the biggest bottleneck for development of other sectors, Sharma said huge investment in infrastructure is required for Nepal’s target to become a middle-income nation by 2030 and graduate out of status of least developed country by 2022. “This would be possible with high growth rates sustained by productive capital formation, which is possible through active participation of private sector in development activities.” As per CNI, the summit will gather potential investors as well as consulting partners, legislators, diplomats, thought leaders, consulting service providers, development partners, among others. CNI has also announced it would gather ideas related to infrastructure development from different sectors of the community in collaboration with Idea Studio to address existing infrastructure deficit and project future needs for country’s development. A version of this article appears in print on December 22, 2016 of The Himalayan Times. https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/second-nepal-infrastructure-summit-february/

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CNI to promote public’s infra development ideas in summit

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE Kathmandu, February 15 Along with the project bank developed by Investment Board Nepal (IBN) comprising 50 viable infrastructure projects, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) is also promoting among investors 10 different ideas gathered from the general public during the Nepal Infrastructure Summit, which is scheduled for Sunday and Monday next week. CNI had highlighted these 10 ideas to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament today. Such ideas include developing Rara Lake as a tourism hub by constructing needful infrastructure, connecting different parts of Himalayan districts via ropeways, developing monorail in the capital, developing the Great Himalaya Trail as one of best trekking routes, promoting sustainable farming through the use of information and technology (IT), and introducing different means of mass transportation in the capital and other cities, among others. The CNI had launched a campaign entitled ‘Infrastructure Idea Hunt’ in collaboration with Idea Studio Nepal with an objective to increase public’s participation in identifying problems in the tepid infrastructural development of Nepal and solutions to address infrastructure deficits in the country. CNI also informed that top three ideas out of the 10 ideas gathered will be awarded during the summit. “Lack of enough investment in the country’s infrastructure sector is the major setback for infrastructure development in Nepal. The annual budget allocated by the government for the development of infrastructure is not enough,” said Bishnu Agrawal, vice-president of CNI, adding that the private sector should be welcomed in infrastructural development process of the country to ensure that Nepal develops good infrastructure.

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