Kathmandu – Birendra Raj Pandey, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), has warned that the recent Gen-Z movement has had a negative impact on the investment climate of the country. According to him, the destruction of public and private infrastructures during the protests has weakened the confidence of investors in Nepal’s business environment.
Speaking at a discussion program titled “The Road to Economic Recovery” organized by the Nepal Economic Journalists Association on Tuesday, Pandey revealed that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has suffered a loss of around 5 percent.
“The State Must Ensure Security of Investment”
“The industrial sector has been directly affected. For investors, security of investment is the most crucial issue. The government must take responsibility and work to provide that security,” Pandey emphasized.
He further stated that both immediate and long-term strategies are needed to revive the economy. He suggested that large industries should be provided with specific facilities within a defined timeframe to recover from the crisis.
Call for Legal Reforms and Concern Over Education Sector
Highlighting the need for business-friendly legislation, the CNI president remarked, “CNI has already proposed several amendments to existing laws. What we need now are clear, consistent, and easy-to-understand legal frameworks.”
Expressing concern over the country’s education system, he said that while investment in education has increased, the outcomes remain unsatisfactory. “Returns from educational investments are not proportional to the resources being spent. We need policies that ensure practical and result-oriented reforms in this sector,” he added.
Joint Ventures Stalled, Priority Sectors Identified
Pandey also noted that joint venture investments expected to enter Nepal in the near future have been stalled due to the Gen-Z movement. He stressed the importance of identifying and working on priority sectors such as energy, tourism, agriculture, and education to move the economy forward.
