Private sector underscores restraint form all sides

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 11: Nepal's private sector umbrella organisations have expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property during the nationwide protests led by the Gen-Z. The protests, which began on Monday, were driven by demands for systemic reforms, including strong anti-corruption measures and the reopening of social media platforms.

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN), Chamber of Industry, Morang (CIM) and National Business Initiative (NBI) have issued separate statements expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives of youth during the protests of Gen-Z started since Monday across the country and expressing their deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

"We pay our heartfelt tributes to those who lost their lives during the protests and express our condolences to the families. We also wish the injured a speedy recovery," read the press statement.

The FNCCI has urged the government, political parties and all concerned to be sensitive to the concerns shown by the young generation on issues such as decent employment, self-employment, and proper utilisation of the revenue paid by the general public and entrepreneurs.

The Federation has also drawn the attention of all concerned bodies to ensure that no further atmosphere of despair and unrest is created in the country from anywhere and that there is no use of unnecessary force in the peaceful movement and in that process.

"Decent employment with high wages is possible only by creating an environment of high economic growth with social justice. To keep economic activities moving and to spread a positive message from Nepal to the world during the main tourist season, we must all be restrained and begin a journey towards prosperity through dialogue and cooperation," the Federation said.

Appealing to the government, all political parties and the Gen-Z to prevent such incidents from recurring in the coming days, the Federation has urged all stakeholders to contribute to building a prosperous society by ensuring easy and decent access to government services for citizens, ensuring the right to freely engage in professions and business, and creating a suitable environment for investment and employment promotion, as per the wishes of the youth.

Similarly, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives of the youth during the protest and expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

"CNI strongly condemns any form of violence that results in the loss of innocent lives. We also express our deepest condolences for incident and the human loss caused and wish the injured a speedy recovery," the statement said.

"Our future depends on the energy, creativity and aspirations of Nepal's youth, and suppressing those voices through violence is a great loss for the nation," said CNI.

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries, the representative body of manufacturing and service-based industries, also appealed to all stakeholders to exercise restraint and urged them to prioritise peace, security, and constructive engagement.

"The Confederation is clear that the path to Nepal's prosperity should be dialogue rather than conflict, understanding rather than division and above all, the safety of citizens. The CNI has been supporting initiatives to protect democratic expression and ensure the sanctity of law, order and human life," the statement said.

Similarly, FHAN has also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives of the youth during the protest and expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

Likewise, the Chamber of Industries, Morang has expressed its heartfelt condolences for the irreparable loss of life due to the nationwide movement of the Nepali youth generation, and has prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Considering the current difficult situation arising after the said movement, the CIM has demanded that the state take the situation seriously and immediately work towards making the environment comfortable.

"The state is the guardian of all citizens. Therefore, it is the responsibility and duty of the government to seriously listen to the legitimate demands raised by the youth, facilitate them, and adopt the path of solution-oriented dialogue while remaining in the role of guardians," said a statement issued by the CIM on Tuesday.

Similarly, issuing a press statement, National Business Initiative (NBI) has also expressed deep sorrow over the unexpected and unimaginable incident of protest by the youth generation across the country recently.