Kathmandu – The Nepal Automobile Importers and Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has urged the government to revise agency registration rules to make them more practical and business-friendly.
A NAIMA delegation met Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Deepak Kumar Sah on Thursday to discuss the impact of the existing rules on Nepal’s automobile industry.
According to NAIMA, businesses must deposit 0.5 percent of their company capital when registering an agency or adding a new product. The association said the rules do not clearly define what qualifies as a separate “product.”
NAIMA raised concerns that different models under the same automobile brand are being treated as separate products, requiring businesses to submit an additional deposit for every model. It said the provision freezes significant amounts of business capital and creates an unnecessary financial burden.
The association requested the government to clearly define the term “product” and remove the requirement for separate deposits for different models of the same brand. It has already submitted written recommendations to the ministry.
Minister Sah responded positively and said previous decisions would be reviewed. He added that the ministry would begin the necessary process to make the agency registration rules more supportive of businesses and entrepreneurs.
NAIMA welcomed the ministry’s response and expressed its readiness to provide the necessary data, information and recommendations during the review process.
