Govt to Negotiate Addition of Nepali Goods in US Customs Waiver List

June 5: The government is planning to negotiate addition of major Nepali goods for the customs waiver provided by the US Government. The government plan comes as main exporting goods are absent from the waiver list. US recently provided duty free access to 66 Nepali goods.

The US Government under various conditions has provided zero tariff access to 66 Nepali products for 10 years. However, Nepali entrepreneurs have expressed their dissatisfaction over the US decision saying that major goods are not included in the list.

“The government will negotiate to include major export goods for the customs waiver,” informed Minister for Industry Som Prasad Pandey on the occasion of 24th annual general meeting of Garment Association Nepal (GAN). Similarly Vice-chairman of National Planning Commission, Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada said that the budget for FY 2016/17 has addressed issues including reduction of transaction costs for the promotion of exports. “The banks need to ease loan requirements to export-oriented industries,” he said.

Chandi Prasad Aryal, Acting President of GAN demanded re-financing facility at 4.5 percent interest rate to export-oriented industries including the garment sector, minimum 10 percent cash subsidy to garment exporters, waiver of income tax  for five years, implementation of flexible labour policy and continuous supply of electricity.

Aryal Elected GAN President

Meanwhile, Chandi Prasad Aryal has been unanimously elected as the new President of GAN. The Association’s 24th AGM also elected a working committee of 10.

Similarly, the AGM unanimously elected Iman Singh Lama First Vice-President, Bhupendra Kumar Basnet Second Vice-President, Ashok Kumar Agrawal General Seceratery, Pashupatidev Pandey Joint Secretary and Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the Treasurer. Likewise, Rajesh Udas, Thomnath Basyal, Bhim Kumar Giri, Basant Raj Adhikari and Lalit Maharjan were elected as executive members. The newly elected President Aryal appointed Krishna Prasad Pandey and Ashish Kumar Sengupta as the executive member and Special Advisor respectively. The first meeting of the executive committee also unanimously elected former President Kiran Prakash Saakha as the Immediate Past President of the association.