Posted by: Vivant January 23, 2013
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@JavaBeans,
Great point there about Korea and Nepal. To your question "What are the challenges then to be able to produce sustainable products and services to serve the international market?" here are some observations from my own experience.
(1) Power: A reliable supply of electricity is a must for any industry - manufacturing or services. The supply of power to homes and businesses in Nepal, as we all know, is not dependable - to put it mildly. Even the diesel fuel that back-up generators depend on, besides being expensive, is unreliable as the diesel supply seems to dry up every couple of months when NOC is late in paying it's dues to IOC.
(2) Internet connectivity: Fast, reliable and affordable broadband is a prerequisite for developing the services industry. Access and speed have gradually gotten better but it still costs far more to get a good internet connection in Nepal than in the US or neighboring India. Sometimes, even when you pay the higher costs, there are unexplained outages that bring businesses to a halt.
(3) Urban Infrastructure: Better managed cities are needed to attract foreign investors. A potential investor who sees heaps of trash on every street corner will get the impression of public mismanagement and not feel secure about putting his money in a country lacking basic governance. Better roads and reliable public transportation are a must because they allow businesses to spread out and avail of lower costs. I would also add better sanitary conditions, water supply and pollution control to the list. Enforcing zoning laws already on the books would go a long way in combating urban sprawl and improving Kathmandu's squalid conditions.
(4) Education and standards: Except for those graduating from a handful of institutions, the majority of our graduates seem woefully unprepared for the job market. Unless we improve the standards of our colleges and universities, we will continue to produce a sub-standard workforce, which means our products will be sub-standard and we will be out-sold in the international market.
There are probably more but these come to mind right-off .
@Eutab4
"Or was change even necessary?"
Change was inevitable. However, the manner in which we went about changing our country has proved wrong and harmful. The Maoist insurgency is a case of the medicine being worse than the disease. It solved small problems only to create far bigger and more dangerous ones.
Great point there about Korea and Nepal. To your question "What are the challenges then to be able to produce sustainable products and services to serve the international market?" here are some observations from my own experience.
(1) Power: A reliable supply of electricity is a must for any industry - manufacturing or services. The supply of power to homes and businesses in Nepal, as we all know, is not dependable - to put it mildly. Even the diesel fuel that back-up generators depend on, besides being expensive, is unreliable as the diesel supply seems to dry up every couple of months when NOC is late in paying it's dues to IOC.
(2) Internet connectivity: Fast, reliable and affordable broadband is a prerequisite for developing the services industry. Access and speed have gradually gotten better but it still costs far more to get a good internet connection in Nepal than in the US or neighboring India. Sometimes, even when you pay the higher costs, there are unexplained outages that bring businesses to a halt.
(3) Urban Infrastructure: Better managed cities are needed to attract foreign investors. A potential investor who sees heaps of trash on every street corner will get the impression of public mismanagement and not feel secure about putting his money in a country lacking basic governance. Better roads and reliable public transportation are a must because they allow businesses to spread out and avail of lower costs. I would also add better sanitary conditions, water supply and pollution control to the list. Enforcing zoning laws already on the books would go a long way in combating urban sprawl and improving Kathmandu's squalid conditions.
(4) Education and standards: Except for those graduating from a handful of institutions, the majority of our graduates seem woefully unprepared for the job market. Unless we improve the standards of our colleges and universities, we will continue to produce a sub-standard workforce, which means our products will be sub-standard and we will be out-sold in the international market.
There are probably more but these come to mind right-off .
@Eutab4
"Or was change even necessary?"
Change was inevitable. However, the manner in which we went about changing our country has proved wrong and harmful. The Maoist insurgency is a case of the medicine being worse than the disease. It solved small problems only to create far bigger and more dangerous ones.
Last edited: 24-Jan-13 01:00 AM