The Government of Nepal is scaling up its efforts to support women entrepreneurs through consolidated funding, new incentives, and long-delayed progress on intellectual property (IP) legislation, according to a high-ranking government official.  These measures aim to create a more inclusive and innovation-friendly business environment, especially for women and youth, said Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Speaking at the 5th Newbiz Summit and Awards, Commerce Secretary Raut announced that the government has merged various women-focused funds into five streamlined schemes under the Women Entrepreneurship Fund. These will be implemented in coordination with small industries and local governments through the upcoming annual budget.

To promote greater female participation in the formal economy, the government has introduced several incentives, added Raut. These include rebates on IP registration, business registration concessions for female-led enterprises, and subsidised loans with lower interest rates for women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through Nepal Rastra Bank. According to Secretary Raut, the government is also planning to offer free business registration for women at the micro level.

“We are currently developing these programmes and encourage feedback from stakeholders to make them more effective,” Raut said. He noted that 39% of women-owned businesses have already received start-up loans under existing schemes. The budget for women entrepreneurship has quadrupled from Rs 250 million to Rs 1 billion, underscoring the government’s commitment to inclusive economic growth.

On the legislative front, the Ministry has submitted the long-pending draft bill on trademarks, copyrights, and intellectual property rights to the Cabinet. The bill, initially drafted in 2019, has been delayed due to political instability and legal reviews. Once approved, it will move to the federal parliament for discussion, said Raut.

Additionally, the government is working on a new policy under the Micro, Cottage, and Small Enterprises (MEMEs) Policy 2081, targeting Gen Z entrepreneurs, said Raut. Plans are also underway to introduce a Global Entrepreneurs Development Policy to align Nepal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with international standards.