Kathmandu, October 2
Kamalesh Kumar Agrawal, president of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, has said necessary legal and policy reforms are needed by prioritising infrastructure development to enhance Nepal’s competitiveness and promote economic development.
Agrawal made the remarks at a workshop on legal reforms for investment and development organised by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development on Friday.
He stressed the need to make legal procedures for infrastructure development simple, clear and transparent. He said modern and reliable infrastructure is essential to advance investment, technology, production, trade, tourism, employment and economic activities amid rapid changes in the global economy.
Agrawal said infrastructure development should encompass not only roads, bridges and physical structures but also digital infrastructure, information technology, cybersecurity, energy, communications, smart infrastructure and new technologies.
He said the government’s ongoing legal amendment process should consider technical and financial capacity, project requirements, and environmental and social impacts rather than selecting projects solely based on the lowest cost.
He also said clear, time-bound and transparent arrangements are needed for environmental approvals, land acquisition and forest-related procedures for infrastructure projects.
“Infrastructure development is not solely a matter of budget; legal provisions also affect it,” he said. “Simplifying procedures attracts investment, ensuring respect for agreements and transparency mobilises private capital, and maintaining accountability increases public trust.”
