Private sector's collaboration crucial for advancing towards prosperity: PM Dahal

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the country's prosperity is not achievable without the involvement and collaboration of the private sector. He said the government is ready to facilitate the private sector to resolve the problems it has been facing, commending the role of the private sector to the economy. Inaugurating the Lumbini cable car promoted by the Butwal Hills here today, the head of the government said he wished to take the private sector together in a journey towards nation's development and prosperity.

"The government is in favor of collaborating with the private sector in efforts to unlock investment opportunities," underlining the urgency of an economic revolution to revive post-Covid- 19 economy.

He said the government earlier brought various economic packages for the cause of private sector. Commenting over the launching of a cable car in Lumbini, he said the operation of service in Lumbini, the birth of Gautam Buddha, would have its contribution not only to the local economy but also to the national level. The Prime Minister vowed to adopt necessary policy to regularize flights at Bhairahawa and Pokhara-based international airports, promote hotel and tourism infrastructures there, improve security arrangements and lengthen the duration of visitors' stay for what he said was a multidimensional development of the tourism sector. Underlining the need of reconsidering the country's development model, he said despite noticeable achievements in physical infrastructure, education, health, gender parity, and inclusion, expected achievements in production and employment creation  were still awaited. Prime Minister Dahal clarified that there would be quality improvement in development and prosperity only if there is common determination. Saying an environment of investment is being created in Nepal, the Prime Minister said he in the course of his recent India visit called on Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs to invest in Nepal. Similarly, Province Chief of Lumbini province Amik Sherchan expressed his belief that the Lumbini cable car constructed connecting Butwal and Palpa would make a significant contribution in tourism promotion of the province. Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary mentioned that although there are immense potentials for tourism development in Lumbini Province, attention has not been paid in its promotion. He expressed his belief that construction of such types of infrastructures would make a significant contribution to the development of the tourism sector. Likewise, former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel mentioned that Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, is an important heritage for the tourism development of the area and drew the attention of the government to fulfill its master plan. Regular operation of Gautam Buddha International Airport, expansion of Butwal-Gaindakot road, construction of Siddhababa tunnel route, construction of International-standard City Hall as well as other physical infrastructures constructed from private sector would become supportive for development and prosperity of Lumbini. Similarly, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, Jagdambika Pal, said Lumbini has become a better tourism destination to the citizens of Uttar Pradesh as Lumbini is located near Nepal-India border area. Chairperson of Tinau Rural Municipality, Prem Shrestha, shared that the operation of cable car service would make a great contribution in the development of rural municipalities. Lumbini President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Krishna Prasad Sharma, expected that the operation of cable car at Basantapur, the hill station of Palpa from Butwal would make improvement in business and trade of Rupandehi. The cable car is around three kilometers long and it is operated from Golpark Bamghat of Butwal sub-metropolitan city-3 to Basantapur of Tinau rural municipality-3 in Palpa district. It is the first cable car in Lumbini Province.