NAIMA urges government to review agency registration rules

KATHMANDU: A delegation from the Nepal Automobile Importers and Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) met the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Dipak Kumar Shah, on Thursday to raise concerns about agency registration rules. According to the association, the registration rules are harming the automotive sector.

During the meeting, NAIMA highlighted a requirement that companies must deposit 0.5% of their capital when registering an agency or adding a new product, and said the rules lack clarity on what constitutes a product.

The association warned that treating different models of the same brand as separate products, and demanding individual deposits for each model, ties up substantial funds and places a heavy financial burden on businesses. NAIMA asked the ministry to clarify the definition of a product and to remove the requirement for separate deposits for different models under the same brand. The association said it had already submitted written suggestions to the ministry.

Minister Shah welcomed the concerns and said the necessary processes will be advanced to review previous decisions so that agency registration rules become more business-friendly for entrepreneurs.

Expressing gratitude for the ministry’s initiative, NAIMA said it was ready to work with officials and provide all necessary facts, details and suggestions during the review.

The meeting included NAIMA board members Nirakar Shrestha and Udayan Kabra, Strategy and Membership Affairs Committee Coordinator Akash Golchha, and Executive Director Raj Kumar Dulal, along with representatives from Shasheela Motors, Omni Motors, Spark Automotives and Continental Trading Enterprises.