Office bearers of CNI unveiling the first Industrial Status Report on Friday. Photo Courtesy: CNI

October 3: The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has unveiled the first ‘Industrial Status Report’ (ISR)’ after studying the activities of the major industrial areas of the country.

National Planning Commission’s Vice Chairman Dr Bishwa Poudel launched the first edition of the report which will be published on a quarterly basis.

The report incorporates all the details and the situation of the productive sector, service sector, agriculture and energy sectors during the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, reads a statement issued by CNI on October 1.

According to the report, these industries operated at 64.8 per cent of their total capacity during the review period. The industries had recorded 8 per cent rise in their income in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (FY 2021/22) compared to the corresponding period the previous fiscal year (FY 2020/21). Prior to that, the income had decreased by 4.7 per cent in the last quarter of FY 2019/20, according to the report.    

The report states that the COVID-19 had adversely affected the operating capacity of the industries but the situation has been improving.    
Of the industries surveyed, 83 per cent industrialists said that they were ready for new investments. In the last quarter of FY 2020/21, altogether 69.7 per cent industries were using generators for energy to run their industries.    

Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Poudel said that the report had reflect the real situation of the industries in the country and urged for continuity of the report.    

“At present, even the government is preparing to work on the basis of data,” said Vice Chairman Poudel, adding, “Rule of law on the basis of data is in fact good governance.  We are planning to make policies based on factual data.”

Likewise, CNI’s President Bishnu Kumar Agrawal said that the report shows how the private sector has been working as a think tank.

The research cell of the CNI prepared the report at a time when the country lacks updated data regarding industries, says the statement.

The report is expected not only to help the government make policy-level intervention but also presents factual data that reflects the situation of the industrial sector of the country.