EEC-Nepal launches EU funded Private Sector Project

With a view to enhance the capacity of Nepalese intermediary business organizations (IBOs) in a changed globalized competitive business environment, European Economic Chamber (EEC)-Nepal under the Asia-Invest Program has initiated the project entitled Enhancing the Intermediary Business Organizations in Nepal targeting at the Nepali private sector which is funded by the European Union.

The major objectives of the program was to better equipped the local Nepali SMEs and European Intermediary counterparts to facilitate trade between Europe and Asia (Nepal), as per the mandated objective of European Union's Asia Invest program.

The target group of the project is 15 Nepalese business IBOs whose capacity needs to be strengthened through training, information dissemination and developing network as per the set objectives of the ECIBON project. There are also 80 indirect beneficiaries who will be benefited from the project as well, according to project implementers.

Informing about the project launching function and at a two day beneficiaries' meeting held here in Kathmandu, Mr. Dibya Mani Rajbhandari, President of EEC-Nepal (the lead project implementer) said the project is here to facilitate and boost Nepalese IBOs. The project aims to establish IBO-Network, determine the way of cooperation within Nepalese intermediary network, and sign cooperation agreement with local chambers for effectively operating the project, among other activities. He further added that we do carry out various programs such as training and seminars to enhance the capacity of IBOs to make them competitive in their business. We need to do effective use of European Commission's aid for enhancing our capacity for advancing our business operations, said Mr. Rajbhandari.

Launching the ECIBON project funded by European Union, Mr Chandi Raj Dhakal, President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) appreciated the initiatives taken by EEC-Nepal for enhancing the capacity of IBOs who are really in need of quality enhancement of their products, boosting export competitiveness, marketing tools and other requirements to face the competition at local and international market.

Mr Giap Dang, Cooperation Coordinator of European Union, Delegation of the European Commission to Nepal at the project launching ceremony welcomed the ECIBON project for the promotion of Nepalese business sector. Most important is that if peace prevails, economic activities will automatically increase that will encourage us further and, cooperation between EU and Nepal will also increase, Mr Dang added.

At the first IBOs meeting in Kathmandu, Mr Binayak Shah, Secretary General of EEC-Nepal presented on ECIBON project and its proposed activities during the project period. He said that EEC-Nepal, FNCSIN, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden (CCISS-Sweden), London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Danish Federation of Small and Medium sized Enterprises, Denmark are the implementing partners.

He said that the duration of the project is 30 months. The project conducts seminar cum workshop activities such as doing business with EU and particularly with Great Britain, chamber management and administration, arrange and carry out match-making activities and events, and prepare and participate in trade fairs and exhibitions, international documents and payments, and regional policy in economy and infrastructure, WTO/EU quality standards and social issues including marketing issues.

At the same function, Mr Jung Bahadur Shrestha, president of FNCSIN also expressed the hope that the project would play a crucial role in boosting capacity of SMEs in the days to come as the role of SMEs in national economy is significant.

During the two-day meeting, presidents and other representative of various district chambers raised their issues and concerns to boost their businesses. Small and medium entrepreneurs representing across the country raised about enhancing the quality of products, marketing network, capacity enhancement, product development, technology transfer and building capacity to sustain the businesses.

The two-day meeting also formed a 9-member advisory committee of the project representing from various district chambers.

The project is being handled by Mr Pravakar Bickram Rana as Project Manager.