Kathmandu. President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Chandra Prasad Dhakal, has urged the government to immediately address the problem of power cut in industries.

Speaking at a public-private dialogue program organized at the Ministry of Finance on Friday, Chairman Dhakal said that thousands of jobs have been at risk due to the disconnection of power lines of industries across the country and thousands of jobs have been at risk.

He said that the country has suffered a huge economic loss due to the power cut and has negatively affected industrial production, exports and overall economic activities of the country. He also urged the government to create an environment of dialogue and collaboration to resolve disputes.

Dhakal also said that the morale of industrialists and entrepreneurs was the need of the hour to revive the economy. He said that the attack on private industries due to intrusion during the Genji movement has shown lack of industrial security, instilled fear among investors and weakened investor confidence.

Chairman Dhakal expressed his concern that if the morale of industrialists was not kept high, there might be a situation of capital outflow in the country. “There is a need for an environment where industrialists and entrepreneurs feel secure for domestic and foreign investment. It is sad that the private sector, which creates jobs in the country and pays taxes to the state, has been attacked during every movement. There is a need to change the attitude towards the private sector. And the government should take appropriate initiatives for this,” Dhakal said.

Although the government’s decisions regarding industrial safety and reconstruction of damaged industries were commendable, the tendency of delay in policy implementation should be addressed, said Dhakal.

He also said that the FNCCI welcomed the government’s decision to hold a meeting with the participation of district-based chambers of commerce and industry in the presence of office-bearers of the District Security Committee to create conducive business environment.