Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress held a major interaction with industrialists and business leaders in Kathmandu on Tuesday to gather input for the upcoming federal budget. The event was organized by the party’s Industry and Trade Department and chaired by central member Chinkaji Shrestha.

Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the program, stating that the Nepali Congress “belongs to industrialists” and has consistently supported economic growth and private sector rights.

Top leaders including Vice Presidents Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung, General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, and Spokesperson Dr. Prakash Chandra Mahat attended the session. Thapa emphasized that budget development must involve the private sector for sustainable and accelerated growth.

FNCCI President Chandra Prasad Dhakal highlighted challenges from policy instability, urging the government to focus on implementation, good governance, and private sector confidence. He also called for:

-Lowering budget size while cutting unnecessary expenses

-Prioritizing domestic investment and employment

-Promoting eco-friendly mineral exports

-Enabling foreign tourists to spend up to $5,000 in Nepal to boost economic tourism

Dhakal expressed hope that policy clarity and economic reforms would follow from these collaborative efforts.

Other key figures in attendance included Deepak Malhotra, Acting President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, and Birendra Raj Pandey, Acting President of the Nepal Confederation of Chambers of Commerce.