Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal formally inaugurated the symposium at Soaltee Hotel today morning.
“The model of PPP is the best alternative for the development of Nepal. We not only need peace but also an economic development to sustain that peace,” PM Dahal said, addressing the opening ceremony of the symposium.
He said the PPP was required to build big projects so that local people can themselves emulate the model in building small and medium size development projects.
PM Dahal called for change in the mindset and culture in line with the political change in the country.
President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kush Kumar Joshi urged the government to have conceptual clarity about the PPP.
“The private sector is ready to go hand in hand with the government,” he said.
Robert Piper, the resident representative of UNDP in Nepal, said the big plans laid down by the government in the budget will not materialise without the PPP model.
The main aim of the symposium which has been jointly organised by Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Ministry of Local Development and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is to promote private sector's investment in economic development.
There will be group discussion on the issue of public-private partnership for rapid economic development in Nepal at the conference, according Megh Nath Neupane, director of FNCCI.
Organisers said the symposium will mainly focus on the possibilities of public and private partnerships in six areas of interest that includes tourism, local development, education, health sectors, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Apart from politicians, businessmen and intellectuals from Nepal, representatives from India and Thailand also shared PPP experiences at the symposium. nepalnews.com sd/ag Oct 22 08
