KATHMANDU: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala said the door to prosperity would open only through sustainable infrastructure development.
The minister made the statement at the 33rd anniversary of the Society of Consulting Architectural and Engineering Firms (SCAEF) and a programme with the theme of 'Emerging Challenge of Consulting Firms' organised here today.
Expected achievements could not be made due to various problems in the field of infrastructure construction, he said. "There are many problems and challenges in the construction sector. There are problems like a delay in construction works, and administrative and legal hassles etc. We are sure that the door to prosperity will open through infrastructure development. We are committed to abiding by the commitments made by the government in its annual policies, programmes and budget," he said.
The minister urged one and all to provide suggestions to the government on the reforms to be carried out for sustainable infrastructure development in Nepal. He also pledged that the government would take responsibility to remove the political, legal and administrative hassles in the construction sector.
Despite consultancies having an important role in the development work, there are legal problems in granting a licence to them. So, the government was at work to address such problems by bringing a new act, he said. The process of preparing the draft of the bill relating to consultant services is underway, he informed.
At the programme, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma said the government linked the consulting companies with infrastructure construction reposing trust in them.
He added that maintaining the quality of work and completing the projects on time always remained a challenge. Secretary Sharma also called on the consulting companies to be responsible for completing the project works on time. He reiterated that the government is ready to make policy improvements to address the problems being faced by the consulting firms.
Director-General of the Department of Roads Sushil Babu Dhakal viewed that the problem has arisen due to a lack of adequate competitive environment among the consulting companies.
SCAEF President Tuk Lal Adhikari underscored the role of consulting firms in the construction sector.
He said it has been over three decades since Nepal's consulting firms have been organised and they have also been affiliated to various international forums.
