Kathmandu, November 25: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI)  president Kush Kumar Joshi urged the government to materialize the Public Private Partnership into an action, which the government introduced for the rapid economic growth.

He pointed out that the severe power shortage was hampering more than Rs. 65 million worth of productivity. “Government should recognize the resource potential of Nepal at a time when we are totally depending on import”, he said.

He said that, at a time when national savings was only Rs. 2 billion Nepal needed to concentrate on attracting foreign investment to implement big projects. “For this it should create business and investment friendly environment”.

Jean Marc Capentier,, an energy expert from Canada, said that building hydropower was building the nation. He said that Nepal government’s ambitious vision of creating prosperous Nepal through hydropower potential was appreciable at the time when the country was at a critical crossroads.

Citing an example of his country, he said that state-owned hydropower had developed a good relationship with the private sector in Canada and other power producing countries. “We are ready to help Nepal in regard to power purchase, sharing expertise and providing assistantship”.

Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, coordinator of hydropower development at FNCCI, said that Nepal had immense hydropower potential, market access and investors, which needed to be tapped effectively.

Prime Minister Pusha Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in a message to the programme said that such symposiums were an important move to expose the resource potential and investment opportunities to the domestic and foreigh investors.

He said the government had given due importance to create policy and administration reforms in order to promote and develop power in the country.