Valley industries that fail to renew registration by August 23 to face music

KATHMANDU, JULY 30

The government has said it will penalise the industries within the Kathmandu valley that are unable to renew their registration within August 23.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, the Department of Industry (DoI) has requested industrialists in the valley to renew the registration of their companies by August 23. The department has further mentioned that additional 30 days were granted to industries from the date of end of lockdown (July 22) considering the adverse impact of the coronavirus.

“Since the lockdown was lifted on July 22, we urge all owners of industries in the valley to complete all works related to DoI by August 23 to avoid paying a hefty fine,” the department has said in the statement.

As per the notification, the deadline for industries located outside the valley is, however, September 23.

The DoI handles works such registration renewal of industries, patents, designs and trademarks.

Similarly, the deadline to apply for an extension to start manufacturing a commercial product or business has been set at August 23. But foreign investors will have an extra month or until September 23 to apply for such extension. Similarly, industries operating outside the Kathmandu valley will also get an additional month for all the aforesaid works or till September 23.

In consideration of the adverse effects of the lockdown put in place to minimise the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the department has said industrialists will not be slapped with additional late fees and penalties than the regular ones.

However, the DoI has said the special facility is not applicable for those companies whose registration had expired before the lockdown was imposed.

The business community, on the other hand, is not happy with the DoI decision and has demanded that industries be given an extension of at least another two months to renew their registration.

“We have been lobbying with the concerned stakeholders of the government’s body to manage necessary extension for us,” said Shekhar Golchha, senior vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

As per him, the government should reconsider its decision as all business activities had come to a standstill during the lockdown.

The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown from March 24.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 31, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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