Govt to disburse dues of construction entrepreneurs; PM instructs NDL to start manufacturing drugs immediately

Kathmandu / Jan 14: The government has initiated the process to make payment of the dues to the construction entrepreneurs at the earliest.

A decision to this effect has been taken at a discussion held at Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’s office in Singha Durbar.

Present in the discussion were Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Physical Planning and Transport Prakash Jwala, Chief Secretary Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Finance Secretary Dr. Krishna Hari Pushkar, Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Transport Keshav Kumar Sharma, Director General of Department of Roads Sushil Babu Dhakal, among others, according to the secretariat of the Prime Minister.

PM Prachanda instructed the Finance Ministry to immediately disburse the dues of the construction entrepreneurs of the last fiscal year amounting to Rs. 1 billion 710 million and the dues till date of the current fiscal year amounting to Rs. 6 billion 300 million and thus give impetus to development works.

The discussion that followed the PM’s instruction decided that that the Finance Ministry will initiate the process to pay the dues the government has to make to the construction entrepreneurs immediately.

PM Prachanda instructs NDL to start manufacturing drugs immediately

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has directed Nepal Drugs Limited (NDL) to immediately start producing 20 generic medicines. He lauded the initiatives undertaken by NDL to produce medicines.

The PM called a team of NDL, including its Chairperson Yagya Neupane, to his office and instructed the government pharmaceutical company to forthwith start production.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister directed the NDL to go ahead with its works in a new way, saying although it had carried out good job in medicine production in the past, obstructions were seen in this of late.

“The Nepal Drugs Limited had done a good job in production of medicines in the past. I understand that there were some obstructions in the meantime. I called this meeting with the thinking that task of drugs manufacturing should be expedited in a new manner. You start the works, I am ready to provide whatever support that is required of the government for the same,” he added.

PM Prachanda stressed on initiating works by producing 20 generic medicines for now and enhancing both its quality and volume in the future. He further added, “This is also one of the potential sectors for making the country prosperous. All things cannot be done at once. You, please, start works. I too will hold more discussions with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry. Let us carry out works in this sector in a way the people will get a feel of this.”

NDL Chairman Neupane said that 10 generic medicines were being produced at present and home work is on for manufacturing 20 medicines immediately, the PM’s Private Secretariat said. He said the NDL could not carry out its works in an effective manner due to the outstanding liabilities that remained to be paid from the past. He also expressed his commitment that the production would be made systematic and regular by managing some technical workforce, improving the quality of machines and purchasing some new machines. RSS