Minister Sinha vows promotion of cottage industries

Kathmandu, Sept 28: Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supply, Anil Kumar Sinha, vowed government support to develop and promote cottage and small industries for a thriving economy.

He said it during a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries on Saturday. “Small and cottage industries are the backbone of the national economy. So, the government prioritizes this sector to make it further boom,” the Minister reiterated.

Although he was made the Minister for a short period, he would try his best to promote small industries with proper initiatives, according to Minister Sinha. He also reminded the delegation that the government would prioritize the use of locally available products, which, he argued, would help create jobs and reduce imports.

In his view, the locally available resources could be utilized for the reconstruction works. The public offices would also be made to procure national products, especially for furniture and rebuilding activities, Sinha added. On the occasion, Federation’s Chairman Umesh Prasad Singh drew the Minister’s attention to the fact that many small and cottage industries were facing the problem of high interest rates.

Concessional loan is necessary for such industries, he stressed. Also attending the meeting were Ministry Secretaries Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire and Krishna Bahadur Raut, Federation’s Vice Chairman Satya Narayan Prajapati and members.