<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151156/636d11809c7e80680e0a988cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="900"/>Despite unreliable electricity, dependency on imported raw materials, and lack of skilled labour, a new report paints an optimistic picture as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-remittances-forex-reserves-drop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal’s economy</a> kick starts again after the pandemic.For its first ‘Industry Status Report’, The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI)  interviewed almost 20,000 employees spanning 47 industries in the agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and service sectors from mid-April to mid-July. CNI says it hopes the report will serve as a tool for evidence-driven policymaking.“In a low-middle income country like Nepal, with limited resources and multiple policy priorities, the opportunity costs of mismanaging resources are dire,” says Nirnaya Bhatta at CNI, who is also a policy consultant with the World Bank Group. “Data and analysis, rather than rhetoric, should be the basis of any development discourse.”The current fiscal year has seen an 8% growth in revenue, largely due to the ongoing recovery from the pandemic. The energy sector saw an increase of 82% in sales growth  and remained at an impressive 81.5% capacity utilisation.On average, however, the industry capacity utilisation across the four sectors was only 64.8%. Yet, the industrialists remain undeterred with 83% responding that they were ready to make new investments in the first quarter of the coming fiscal year, indicating their confidence in the economy recovering from the pandemic.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151156/636d11839c7e80680e0a988djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1063" height="820"><figcaption>Source: INDUSTRY STATUS REPORT/CONFEDERATION OF NEPALESE INDUSTRIES</figcaption></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151156/636d11869c7e80680e0a988ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1205" height="755">Almost 95% of respondents in agro industries and manufacturing say that their products are competitive in the market in relation to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-less-and-less-able-to-feed-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">imported goods</a>.  The only exception was in companies manfacturing electrical wire and accessories who indicated that their products were not competitive at all with imported items.However, the report does prove the reliance of Nepali industries on imported raw materials. Both agro and manufacturing sectors say they source over half their required raw materials from abroad. Such dependency leaves these industries vulnerable to unforeseen changes such as blockades, and sudden currency swings.The report also points out a lack of government support and incentives. In the manufacturing industry, there was an average of 10.7% import tariffs on raw materials – compared to only 5.8% average tariffs on imported finished goods. This disincentivises local businesses since importing finished goods is cheaper and requires far less capital investment.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151156/636d11889c7e80680e0a988fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="887" height="871">The ecosystem the industries have to function in has also presented setbacks in multiple stages of the production process. On average, the industries experienced 8.8 power outages a week compelling almost 70% of the respondents to use generators. This has led to a 4.9% increase, on average, of monthly costs to these industries.Similarly, transportation and storage also pose significant problems, especially in the agro-industry where the report found one-fifth of goods produced were damaged during domestic transportation and storage, leading to food waste.The report then transitions into the energy sector and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/decarbonisation-needs-to-begin-today/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal’s prospects for decarbonisation</a> to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution to address the climate crisis. Most of Nepal’s carbon footprint is from household fuel burning, so reducing emissions by transitioning to electricity is critical to making Nepal’s of net zero by 2050.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-doubles-its-carbon-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal doubles carbon footprint</a>, Nepali TimesElectricity sales grew an average of 7% per year from 2013-2015, and after the end of power cuts grew to 20% between 2017 and 2019. Professor Amrit Nakarmi, who is on the Advisory Panel of the Energy Development Council, says in the report: “We have to put in place the right incentives for households, industries, and transport systems to adopt cleaner forms of energy… reducing emissions at the household level is critical to achieving Nepal’s goals of a low-carbon based economy.”Presently, 60% of Nepal’s power generation comes from the private sector, which is leading the way in energy.“Unbundling the NEA (Nepal Electricity Authority) and making a more efficient and stronger power sector through privatisation is the need of the hour,” says Ashish Garg of the Independent Power Production Association of Nepal (IPPAN).Nepal currently imports Rs36 billion worth of LPG, much of which is for household use. Switching to electricity-based cooking would not only result in Nepalis using the cleanest and cheapest form of energy for cooking but would also help tackle the large deficit the country is in.Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, chair of the Energy Development Council at CNI says that double-digit economic growth is only possible through the aggressive development of domestic hydropower.The deficit can be tackled by<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/more-than-half-of-nepals-electricity-imported-from-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> cross-border power trade</a> in which Nepal’s hydropower surplus can be exported to India. Pradhan also suggests providing loans at a base rate for peaking run-of-the-river and storage-based hydropower projects. Since these projects take decades to build, a steady stream of financial capital should be made available to ensure their timely and effective completion.“Hydropower has high environmental dividend, irrigation and flood-control benefits, and 90% value addition in the country. Why not reap the transformational benefits associated with hydropower development? With the right commitment for the future, hydro-based electricity can power the nation,” Pradhan concludes.Read also :<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-first-hydropower-from-a-glacial-lake/"> Nepal’s first hydropower from a glacial lake</a>, Kunda Dixit

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Post-lockdown comeback for Nepal’s industries

Samsung Nepal has opened pre-orders for the Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G. Both phones run Samsung’s One UI 8.5, featuring AI capabilities like voice transcription, Circle to Search, and photo editing. They feature a 50MP triple-camera system, a Super AMOLED display, and six years of OS and security updates.

Galaxy A series

Know your Ministers

Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday broke tradition and met with 17 foreign envoys collectively, a move that was a notable departure from how his predecessors operated.&nbsp;
Shah had already set himself apart by talking less, listening more, and delegating to trusted friends. But by meeting all ambassadors at one go in the presence of the Foreign Ministry, he signalled a paradigm shift in how he wants Nepal to be seen: no longer just balancing India and China, but as a country confident about its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/guest-editorial/tripolar-contestation-over-nepal">strategic importance and place in the world</a>.
In just two weeks, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rsp-dos-and-don-ts">RSP has sprung into action </a>on multiple fronts to implement its ambitious 100-point, 100-days action plan. It has taken short-term measures to mitigate the impact of the Gulf war, as well as medium- and long- term measures to streamline the bureaucracy. A few high-profile figures have been made examples of to drive the message home.
Earlier this week, the government recalled six politically appointed ambassadors, the most notable being long-serving Shankar Sharma from New Delhi. The Kathmandu District Court issued arrest warrants against former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his former foreign minister wife Arzu Rana on charges of money laundering and corruption.
Each ministry has been trying to clean up the accumulated rot from the past three decades: regulatory overhaul of microfinance, education, health and service delivery.&nbsp;
These actions widely disseminated campaign-style on YouTube and TikTok have made most Nepalis hopeful that the party they installed in power means business.
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BACKLASH
But such attempts to overhaul a long-entrenched political culture were bound to face backlash. In their impatience and enthusiasm to get things done, some of Prime Minister Shah’s ministers have over-reached.
It was common knowledge that government-paid advertising in the mainstream press was kickback-driven, but the PMO’s directive that official notices be published or broadcast only on state-run media has been denounced — especially as the media industry struggles to stay afloat.
More serious are some recent appointments by ministers of relatives and figures closely associated with the RSP to key positions. This has rankled because this party built its political plank on ending nepotism and graft.&nbsp;
News that Home Minister Sudan Gurung allegedly had not paid rent on leased land, which illegally encroached on the lake in Pokhara did not help. &nbsp;
Prime Minister Shah himself has come under scrutiny for appointing a kitchen cabinet full of male buddies from his time as Kathmandu mayor. To douse criticism he brought in as adviser investigative journalist Deepa Dahal, who has exposed corruption in high places of the previous coalitions.&nbsp;
Shah’s appointment of another political adviser Asim Shah to the head Constitution Amendment Task Force, is also seen as problematic. He is a filmmaker and former lawmaker, but does not have a background in constitutional law.&nbsp;
Even more controversial is the Cabinet’s decision to appoint RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane’s legal counsel, Narayan Kandel, as Attorney General. Kandel used to be a UK permanent resident, and does not have as much experience practicing law in Nepal.&nbsp;
Kandel’s appointment drew flak and raised eyebrows, and with the pending legal cases against Lamichhane this appointment represents a flagrant conflict of interest.
Health Minister Nisha Mehta was also accused of favouritism after reappointing Junu Shrestha, wife of Labour Minister Dipak Kumar Shah, as member of the Health Insurance Board which had earlier suspended her. The Labour Minister’s rambling rant at the Board’s meeting on Tuesday has not helped the RSP’s image.&nbsp;
(UPDATE: On Thursday, Prime Minister Shah sacked the Labour Minister after the RSP found him in breach of the party's code of conduct and discipline. He served 14 days in the Cabinet, one of the shortest tenures for a minister in Nepal )
It is hard to know what <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/ball-in-balen-s-court">Balendra Shah is thinking</a>, and how Rabi Lamichhane is going to justify some of these moves. After all, making politics, governance, and bureaucracy a meritocracy has been the core tenet of the RSP, and it risks alienating its mainly youth base if these missteps persist.
But at least for now, most RSP supporters seem to be giving the party the benefit of doubt.

Nepal’s new government springs into action

‘One early morning, we heard the ambassador’s wife cry out, “Ram, Ram, Ram!” A disaster has befallen Nepal!” She had heard on the radio that a fire had consumed Singha Durbar." This is not about the arson attack on 9 September 2025, but the one on 8 July, 1973. It started in the South Wing of the then single-largest building in all of Nepal. It took two days to bring the blaze under control, requiring the use of explosives to demolish one wing to protect the imposing western facade. As Bhekh Bahadur Thapa recalls in the English translation of his memoir A Life in Public Service: Nepal from Autocracy to Democracy, he was then on leave from the Nepal government serving with the IDRC in Ottawa.&nbsp; He had already served as Nepal’s Finance Secretary at age 25, went on to be Finance Minister and Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. He was already younger than some of the GenZ ministers in Nepal’s present RSP government. Thapa, now 89, was at the launch of the book in February which was attended by former diplomats and bureaucrats. After speeches by panelists, there was a question from the audience about how Thapa had managed to be the diplomat he was, managing Nepal’s international relations on the world stage.&nbsp; Writer and journalist Akhilesh Upadhyay, who was moderating the panel, responded by going into the section of the book where we see Thapa as an ambassador to the US, playing tennis with White House officials, cultivating a network of contacts to project the identity and welfare of Nepal, and making it possible for a state visit by King Birendra to Ronald Reagan’s America. The book is full of anecdotes that suggest Thapa was a clever and strategic diplomat, always calm and unruffled, easily making friends in high places with his maturity and engaging sense of humour. Thapa’s memoir is heavy on details about Nepal’s administrative history during the years he was active in public service, serving as minister and ambassador under three kings: Mahendra, Birendra and Gyanendra, and alongside five prime ministers.&nbsp; Aside from an insider look on how certain treaties, development deals and research projects in Nepal came into fruition, Thapa goes into great detail about his personal and professional relationships with the kings, ministers, ambassadors, foreign leaders and politicians.&nbsp; As a reader, one is struck by the level of detail around the events that unfolded in Nepal over the years during Thapa’s tenure. Was Thapa recording a journal over the years of the events and the conversations that transpired, or were they committed to his phenomenal memory? Either way, the reader gets a glimpse of Nepal’s recent history from the early days of the Panchayat, through the People’s Movement and the democracy period, the Maoist insurgency, Royal Palace massacre of 2001, and Gyanendra’s coup of 2005.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2026041204048_125dc8ae300a1e33124f394abe724d42727f83e067b0201d2008b58d60c459a4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2026041204048_125dc8ae300a1e33124f394abe724d42727f83e067b0201d2008b58d60c459a4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1584" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="How to win friends and influence nations NT"> </figure>  Not enough is said about the political parties of the time whose presence led to the way Nepal’s multiparty democracy came to be shaped. The book keeps its focus on the administration and the key figures around it, mostly those in the Panchayat era. Towards the second half of the book, we do start to hear about political parties, but not in great depth. Another figure whose presence in the book is conspicuously less prominent is that of his wife, Rita Thapa — the person who seems to have rescued him every time financial quandary or family care became a challenge. Yet, we do not see her as a full person. Perhaps because of the personal tragedies in his life, the children are also barely mentioned.&nbsp; The book is therefore less personal and more technical. Throughout, we learn about Thapa’s thinking as he navigated the world of diplomacy to win him the trust of those who mattered. There are tips here for a new generation of Nepali officials and diplomats about how much commitment and focus is needed to be good at one’s job and serve the national interest. This book adds to tomes that have been written on Nepal’s fragile relationship with India. ‘India has always wished for Nepal to remain dependent on it,’ writes Thapa, who served as Nepal’s ambassador to India and later in the Eminent Persons Group &nbsp;on Indo-Nepal relations that has been allowed to languish. The book has several insights into the Indo-Nepal trysts with diplomacy and agency.&nbsp; China’s role is also recorded, viewed through conversations during a visit to Beijing, but all that was before Nepal’s neighbour to the north emerged as a world economic and military power. The book also has such sudden instances of quirkiness and humour. For instance, we see a young Thapa in America explaining to a government official why he would like to return to Nepal instead of settling down in the US. “Because, Nepal is beautiful,” he said. The text is immaculate and does not read much like a translation, credit for which clearly goes to the team that put the edition together: translator Prawin Adhikari, &nbsp;Anagha Neelakanthan and Bhekh Thapa’s daughter, Manjushree. As Nepal enters a new era of governance and diplomacy, A Life in Public Service: Nepal from Autocracy to Democracy should be essential reading for students of political science, economics and foreign affairs who can gain a fresh perspective on the country’s trajectory.&nbsp; There are dozens of forgotten state secrets recorded in the book, but the reader must also remember this is a story told from one person’s perspective and there may be others.&nbsp; So, what really made Thapa the diplomat he was? I met him in 2004 at the Kantipur TV studio when he was serving as king Gyanendra’s foreign minister. He was there for a studio interview, and I was just done with my English newscast.&nbsp; He surprised me at the door: “Pratibha! I’ve been reading your articles in The Kathmandu Post. You must keep writing.” I thanked him, glad to have been noticed for my work by a stranger. That was perhaps one of the things that set Thapa apart — he excelled at staying close to those in power, while also noticing those who were not.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260412040412_213e706136a038ec9f5e2b8c6d7f7c1e9ceed9479e22fe2884872ad7bd20955f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260412040412_213e706136a038ec9f5e2b8c6d7f7c1e9ceed9479e22fe2884872ad7bd20955f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Book details"> </figure>

confederation-of-nepalese-industries

Post-lockdown comeback for Nepal’s industries

Galaxy A series

Know your Ministers

Nepal’s new government springs into action

How to win friends and influence nations