Chief Minister Karki Announces Loan and Support for Women Entrepreneurs

Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki of Koshi Province announced that loans would be available to women entrepreneurs at an interest rate of 6 percent for durations ranging from two to six years. The provincial government has also implemented a policy requiring 4,000 employees to wear domestic clothing one day a week to promote local garment entrepreneurs. The announcement was made during the Women Leadership Summit organized by the Nepal Industry Federation in Biratnagar, where 300 women participated with the aim of achieving sustainable prosperity through agriculture, skills development, and digital innovation. The event took place on 21 Baishakh in Morang.

Chief Minister Karki emphasized the government’s commitment to the economic development of women entrepreneurs in the province. He stated that the provincial government plans to provide loans to women entrepreneurs through 12 banks at a subsidized interest rate of 6 percent for two to six years. He also encouraged women entrepreneurs to present their proposals and enter into agreements.

To further support the registered local garment entrepreneurs, Chief Minister Karki mentioned the policy requiring 4,000 employees to wear domestic clothing once a week. Additionally, he announced that if traders provide land for exhibition centers, the provincial government would allocate budget for building construction.

Regarding ongoing projects, Chief Minister Karki shared that a dozen projects signed during last year’s investment conference are currently underway, with an additional four projects expected to be implemented by the month of Jestha. He expressed the government’s commitment to facilitating market access for farmers’ agricultural products. Central chairman of the Federation, Birendra Raj Pandey; woman entrepreneur and member of parliament Vidushi Rana; and Paul Goliya, among others, pledged to create employment for 1,000 women in the near future. The summit saw participation from 300 women across the province. The Federation also organized an exhibition featuring products made by women entrepreneurs displayed across 14 stalls under the “Make in Nepal” initiative. The main objective of the conference was to encourage women entrepreneurs to drive sustainable prosperity through agriculture, skills, creativity, and digital innovation.