Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav has said that least developed and landlocked countries need additional mobilization of resources for enhancing development activities and to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During his address to a luncheon meeting on the theme of ‘Promoting Foreign Direct Investment to Least Developed Landlocked Developing Countries’ (LLDCs) organized by United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) in Geneva Thursday, the Minister said countries like Nepal which are both in groups of LDCs and LLDCs need extra resources to upgrade themselves from the status of least developed country.
Ministers from LLDCs participating in the World Investment Forum (WIF) attended the meeting and expressed their views on the occasion.
Minister Yadav spoke of the important role of FDI to meet the resources gap and bring in innovative, efficient, technologically sound ways and means for economic transformation process.
Stating that the Government of Nepal is guided by the long-term perspective of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali", he highlighted important features of investment and business friendly policies and institutional and procedural reforms undertaken in Nepal. He mentioned the positive economic growth trend observed in the country since the last fiscal year and said that the Government is focusing on development and upgrading of development infrastructure and power connectivity to accelerate this growth trend.
Similarly, Ms. Yam Kumari Khatiwada, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, participated as a panelist in the Women Empowerment Session this afternoon. In her remarks, she particularly elaborated the measures taken by Government of Nepal to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 – which deals with gender equality and empower all women and girls, and progress made for the empowerment of women in Nepal. Stating that equality begins with economic empowerment, she stressed the importance accorded by Nepal for the development of women entrepreneurship through various affirmative measures.