CNI hands over laboratory instruments worth Rs 2m to NBSM

KATHMANDU: Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has handed over laboratory instruments worth about Rs 2 million to the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM). The donation aims to restore testing capacity for footwear and garments damaged during last year’s protests.

The equipment was presented at a ceremony at NBSM on Tuesday and is intended to replace apparatus destroyed by fire and vandalism during the Gen-Z protests on September 8 and 9 last year. The loss had forced NBSM to send samples to neighbouring countries for testing, increasing costs and delaying certification for domestic producers.

On the occasion, CNI President Birendra Raj Pandey said quality certification is vital for the production and marketing of domestic goods. He said the equipment was provided to support private sector entrepreneurs by making the certification process more accessible and that CNI’s support would continue.

Director General of NBSM, Kumari Jyoti Joshi Bhatta, said the destruction of laboratory materials and equipment had created problems in testing the quality of domestic products. She said the lack of local testing facilities had raised production costs and affected competitiveness. “The initiative taken by CNI to provide the necessary laboratory equipment will facilitate the quality testing of footwear and garments. We express our heartfelt thanks to CNI for this,” Joshi said, adding that such initiatives would strengthen cooperation between the government and private sector.

The handover is expected to ease operations for both NBSM and the footwear and garment industries by restoring in-country testing capacity. The event was attended by president of the Footwear Manufacturer’s Association of Nepal (FMAN), Suraj Banjade, along with officials from CNI and NBSM.