FNCCI annual meeting to focus on energy sector

The 47th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FNCCI ), scheduled for April 10, will primarily focus on the energy sector.
The apex body of the Nepali private sector has also planned to seek commitment from leaders of the major political parties for the energy sector’s development.
During the AGM, top political leaders will sign a political commitment letter drafted by the FNCCI .
“Our attempt to focus on the overall economic agendas during previous AGMs did not lead us to specific conclusion,” said FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya at a press meet here on Friday. “Realising the importance of the hydropower sector in the development of the national economy, we are focusing on this theme this time.”
Being organised under the slogan “Change for Development Starts Now”, the AGM will see participation of energy experts from India, China, the World Bank and International Hydro Association. According to Vaidya, the AGM will also attempt to develop a strategy on hydroelectricity development.
When asked why the FNCCI is seeking political commitment for the hydropower sector, Vaidya said it was the first step towards requesting major political parties to include the issue of economic development in their political manifesto.
FNCCI representatives have already held discussion with political leaders in this regard. “All of the leaders have approved our proposal and promised to attend the programme,” said FNCCI Vice-president Bhawani Rana. “CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidhya has told us that he will inform after going through the FNCCI -prepared hydropower strategy.”
The first technical session of the AGM will dwell on “International Best Practices for Hydropower Development”.
The session to be chaired by Chief Secretary Lila Mani Paudel will have a panel of Arvind Mehta, joint secretary of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Lu Guojun, assistant president of China Three Gorges Corporation; Jean Michael, chief hydro expert of the World Bank; Richard Taylor, executive director of International Hydropower Association- UK; and Chanththaboun Souk Aloune, director general of the Department of Energy Business of Laos.
The second technical session titled “Together for Hydropower Development in Nepal”, will be chaired by Energy Minister Umakant Jha.
Yongping Zhai, director of South Asia Energy Division of Asian Development Bank; Harvinder Manocha, vice president of GMR Energy; Raghuveer Y Sharma, chief investment officer of IFC; and Deepak Amitabh, chairman and managing director of Power Trade Corporation (PTC), will address the session.
“Based on the discussions and presentations from national and international experts and developers, the AGM aims at forging a political consensus on the development of the country’s hydropower sector,” said Rana.
Source : The Kathmandu Post
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KATHMANDU: The private sector is planning to formulate a hydropower development strategy soon.
On the occasion of the 47th annual meeting, and Industry and Commerce Day-2013 on April 10, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) will organise a brainstorming session on energy development as the country is passing through an acute power shortage and finalise the hydropower development strategy.
“The umbrella organisation of the private sector is trying its best to make
political parties agree to a common economic agenda, especially for the development of hydropower,” said FNCCI president Suraj Vaidya, here today.
Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry is concerned about the prolonged political transition and instability, he said, adding that an economic agenda has to be given priority for the overall development of the country. “We will try to get written commitments from political leaders on hydropower development,” he added.
Since long, political parties have been treating hydropower development as a political issue, whereas it is a commodity and needs to be exploited for the development of the country.
Vaidya added that political parties should lead the country towards prosperity and that without economic development, politics cannot be sustained.
The annual meeting with a theme ‘Change for Development Starts now’ will see various experts, who have vast experiences of hydropower development, from around the globe.
The first session of the annual meeting will witness an interaction on ‘International Best Practices for Hydropower Development’, where various experts including joint secretary at the ministry of commerce and industry, India Arvind Mehta, assistant president of China Three Gorges Corporation, China Dr Lu Guojun, and chief hydro expert at World Bank Jean Michael will address.
Similarly, in the second technical session there will be a brainstorming on ‘Together for Hydropower Development in Nepal’ by various national and international experts.
Source : The Himalayan Times
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महासंघ जलविद्युत् विकास रणनीति निर्माणको तयारीमा
उद्योग वाणिज्य महासंघले नेपालको जलविद्युत् विकासका लागि रणनीति निर्माणमा लागेको जानकारी दिएको छ । आगामी बुधबार स्थापनाको ४७औँ वाषिर्कोत्सव मनाउन लागेको महासंघले ऊर्जा उत्पादन र विकासमा निजी क्ष्ाेत्रको भूमिका स्पष्ट बनाउन आवश्यक रणनीति तयार गर्ने बताएको हो ।
राष्ट्रिय तथा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय जलविद्युत् विज्ञको अनुभव, नेपालको जलविद्युत्बारे बुझाइ तथा सुझाबका आधारमा महासंघले ऊर्जा विकासका लागि रणनीति तयार पार्न लागेको उपाध्यक्ष भवानी राणाले बताइन् । साधारणसभामा महासंघका मुलुकभरकै प्रतिनिधि सहभागी हुनेछन् भने नेपालको ऊर्जा विकासबारे छलफल गर्न यसपटक महासंघले भारतीय उद्योग वाणिज्य मन्त्रालयका सह-सचिव अरविन्द मेहतालाई आमन्त्रण गरेको छ ।
नेपालको जलविद्युत् क्षेत्रलाई नजिकबाट नियालेको चाइना थ्री गर्जेज कर्पोरेसनका सहायक अध्यक्ष डा. लु कोचुन पनि साधारणसभामा आउने भएका छन् । विश्व बैंकका प्रमुख जलविद्युत् विज्ञ जिन माइकेल, अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय हाइड्रो एसोसिएसनका कार्यकारी निर्देशक रिचार्ड टेलर, लाओसको ऊर्जा तथा खानी मन्त्रालयअन्तर्गतको ऊर्जा व्यवसाय विभागका उप-महानिर्देशक क्यान्थावुनसुक अलोनले साधारणसभामा सहभागिता जनाउनेछन् ।
महासंघ अध्यक्ष सुरज वैद्यले साधारणसभामा डाकिएका सबै जलविद्युत् विज्ञले नेपालको ऊर्जा विकासमा ठोस रणनीति निर्माणका लागि महत्त्वपूर्ण सुझाब दिने बताए । उनले नेपालको जलविद्युत्मा आन्तरिक तथा बाह्य लगानी ल्याउन साधारणसभाले महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेल्ने दाबी गरे । ‘साधारणसभाले जलविद्युत्का एजेन्डा कार्यान्वयन तहसम्म लग्न आवश्यक कदम चाल्ने विश्वास लिएको छु,’ राजधानीमा आयोजित पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा उनले भने ।
साधारणसभाबाट तयार पारिने जलविद्युत् विकाससम्बन्धी रणनीतिअनुसार आगामी एक वर्षसम्म कार्यक्रम गर्दै लैजाने महासंघका उपाध्यक्ष भवानी राणाले जानकारी दिइन् । ‘आगामी बुधबार ४७औँ साधारणसभा हुँदै छ, भेलामा ऊर्जालाई मुख्य एजेन्डा बनाई आवश्यक रणनीति तयार पार्ने प्रयास हुँदै छ,’
राणाले भनिन् ।
‘जलविद्युत् निर्माणमा राजनीतिक घटनाक्रम पनि दोषी देखिएका छन्, त्यसैले राजनीतिक दलको प्रतिबद्धता मागिएको हो,’ उनले भने । राजनीतिक दलले सार्वजनिक रूपमा गरेको प्रतिबद्धता कार्यान्वयन गर्ने उनले विश्वास लिए ।
महासंघका अर्का उपाध्यक्ष पशुपति मुरारकाले जलविद्युत् क्षेत्रका विकासमा जोड दिए आर्थिक समृद्धि हासिल हुने बताए । महासंघको साधारणसभा अन्तरिम चुनावी परिषद्का अध्यक्ष खिलराज रेग्मीबाट उद्घाटन गरिने तय भएको छ । निजी क्षेत्रको सबैभन्दा ठूलो संस्था महासंघले साधरणसभालगत्तै २८ चैतमा मनाउन लागेको उद्योग वाणिज्य दिवसमा ऊर्जा क्षेत्रका विषयमा छलफल हुने बताइएको छ ।
@नयाँ पत्रिका
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Hydropower development top agenda at FNCCI AGM
KATHMANDU, April 5: Hydropower development will be the main agenda in the 47th annual general meeting (AGM) to be held on Wednesday.
“Our priority at this moment is ´hydropower development´. We are taking it forward through our upcoming AGM,” Suraj Vaidya, president of FNCCI, said. “During the AGM, we will seek commitment from the political parties on hydropower development.”
He also informed that FNCCI has developed a hydropower development strategy document which will be unveiled during the AGM. Vaidya, however, didn´t divulge details of the document.
“We have invited most of the political parties to our AGM. This is the first time we are seeking political commitment on a particular issue,” Vaidya added. We can´t be specific and ask political leaders to take forward a particular project. But we want some large scale hydropower projects to be developed in the country at any cost.”
Bhawani Rana, vice president of FNCCI, said Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairman of UCPN (Maoist); Sushil Koirala, president of Nepali Congress; Jhalanath Khanal, president of CPN (UML); Bijaya Gachchhadar, president of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum – Democratic; Surya Bahadur Thapa, president of Rastriya Janashakti Party; and Mahantha Thakur, president of Terai Madhes Democratic Party, among other leaders will sign the document.
Vaidya said experts from power developers having interest in Nepal are also attending the AGM.
Dr Lu Guojun, assistant president of China Three Gorges Corporation; Jean Michael, chief hydro expert from the World Bank; Richard Taylor, executive director of International Hydropower Association; and Chanththaboun Souk-Aloune, deputy director of Department of Energy Business of Laos are attending the event, according to Vaidya.
The AGM will also see participation of Harvinder Manocha, vice president of GMR Enegry; Yongping Zhai, director of South Asia Energy Division of Asian Development Bank; and Raghuveer Y Sharma, chief investment officer of International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Source : Republica