PM Shah pledges support for women entrepreneurs
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has asserted that the government is committed to providing possible support for the entrepreneurship development of women entrepreneurs.
Speaking at a meeting with office-bearers of the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar today, Shah said the government is active in resolving problems faced by women entrepreneurs and in creating an environment to promote goods produced by them at tourism sites.
FWEAN representatives urged the prime minister to ensure a business-friendly environment, to run special programmes to take goods and services to national and international markets and to participate in trade fairs, business-to-business matching and export promotion programmes.
Responding positively to a request to establish 'Ma Udhyami' trademark developed by FWEAN, PM Shah suggested introducing the trademark to the market soon.
FWEAN also sought institutional cooperation from the government for its annual international women entrepreneur trade fair.
The women entrepreneurs asked the government to give priority to women in the public procurement process by making necessary arrangements in the Public Procurement Act and regulations and to implement the provision that government offices and educational institutions should purchase goods and services from women entrepreneurs.
They also demanded participation of FWEAN, the umbrella organisation of women entrepreneurs, in government policy-making and decision-making processes, and expressed commitment that FWEAN would provide skilled resource persons to run skill-oriented training at local level.
FWEAN President Darshana Shrestha said, "Prime Minister Shah not only listened to us but also showed readiness to take immediate steps towards resolving the problems and to extend all necessary cooperation. We believe that the meeting with an action-oriented prime minister will help promote women entrepreneurship."
Discussion covered women entrepreneurship promotion, investment and financial access expansion, enterprise-friendly policy-level reforms, skill and capacity development, innovation, digital entrepreneurship and sustainable development of women-led enterprises.
FWEAN First Vice President Sunita Vaidya, General Secretary Sabita Subedi and Secretary Dikila Lama, among others, were present.
(With inputs from RSS)
