WHY INVEST IN NEPAL?
INCENTIVES FOR INVESTORS
Nepal Government provides incentives to investors for private sector-led growth
LOWER THRESHOLD FOR FDI IN NEPAL
100 percent FDI allowed in all sectors except in those listed in the negative list.
GRADUATION TO MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRY
By 2026, Nepal will graduate to middle income country from least developed country
Nepal has much to offer to EU investors seeking opportunities in Asia. Nepal offers investors an entrepreneurial private sector ready to explore, innovate and learn, and enabling policies and laws to facilitate and protect investments. It has a young energetic workforce, comparatively lower labour costs, and the government allows 100% foreign business ownership and repatriation of earnings.
OBJECTIVES
Showcase opportunities for business, trade, and investment, including FDI in Nepal’s key priority sectors.
Provide information on key investment sectors where Nepal has comparative and competitive advantages, and to explore/discuss policy and legal measures that can be undertaken to facilitate investment in selected sectors.
Match Making between potential EU Investors and Nepali businesses by providing a platform for G2G and B2B dialogues and networking opportunities.
Organize trade fair to promote products, arts, crafts, food and culture of EU member states and Nepal.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
- Strengthened trade and investment relations between the EU and Nepal.
- Enhanced knowledge and information sharing between EU and Nepali businesses on EU trading schemes available, market entry requirements, the Nepali market, and the overall business environment.
- Sustainable private sector investment promoted.
- Stakeholders educated about the EU Delegation, its role, mission and vision in/for Nepal.
organized by
in collaboration with
Programme Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:30 Welcoming Remarks
09:30 - 11:00 Plenary Session 1 - What is possible in Nepal?
11:00 - 11:30 Networking Tea/Coffee Break – Visit of booths
11:30 - 13:00 Plenary Session 2
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:50 Parallel Session 1 | Parallel Session 2
15:50 - 16:00 Networking Tea/Coffee Break/ Visit to booths
16:00 - 17:30 Plenary Session 3/Workshop
17:30 - 18:30 Networking/visit to booths
19:00 - 22:00 Gala Dinner
08:00 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 10:30 Plenary Session 3 – Startups and Engaging Youth and Women in Business
10:30 - 11:00 Networking Tea/Coffee Break/ Visit of booths
11:00 - 12:30 Parallel session 3
Parallel session 4
12:30 - 14:00 Networking Lunch / Visit of booths
14:00 – 16:00 Pitching sessions Business meetings and networking
16:00 – 17:00 B2B Matchmaking / Signature ceremonies
17:00 – 18:00 Closing ceremony
18:00 – 19:00 Dinner
The forum will also discuss in detail some specific opportunities for investment in Nepal’s priority investment sectors by EU firms and trade opportunities between Nepal and EU member states. Based on the existing investment sectors, trade and investment trends, and government priorities identified in Nepal Trade Integration Strategy 2023, the proposed topics for this years’ Forum:
- Energy
- Tech Industry
- Agro based sector
- Tourism
- Startups & Business
Nepal is one of the unique tourist destinations. Eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains in Nepal attract mountaineers and adventure seekers from around the world. It is also a compact zone for climatic and biological diversity, which has resulted in various tourist attractions including national parks, such as the Chitwan National Park, and Sagarmatha National Park which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition to the high mountains and biological diversity, Nepal is also famous for religious destination for both Hindus and Buddhists. Notable among the sites of pilgrimage are the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu for Hindus and the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini, and the Boudhanath Stupa for the Buddhists – all in Kathmandu Valley another World Heritage site.
However, Nepal has been unable to fully harness and capitalise on its tourism potential. According to the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019, Nepal ranked 102 out of 140 countries on competitiveness of the industry, which is indication of the vast opportunities that remain to be tapped. The highest number of tourist arrivals in Nepal ever was 1,197,191 in 2019, which is still low compared to travellers arriving in the neighbourhood. For example, Tibet had received over 40 million tourists and the Maldives, 1.7 million the same year. The number of tourists visiting Nepal dropped sharply in 2020 (230,085) owing to Covid-19 related travel restrictions, which has also exposed the vulnerability of the sector to global shocks. Public investment in Nepal’s tourism has been very low. The sector is open for private investment, including, foreign investors.