February 17: The private sector has expressed concern about commercial insecurity and demanded to guarantee the security of businessmen and commercial establishments. Various organizations of the private sector have been alarmed by the lack of intervention by the security agencies during the vandalism and looting of shops at Lotse Mall in New Bus Park, Kathmandu and have sought guarantee for the safety of businesses and businessmen.

Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the umbrella organization of the private sector, issued a statement on Thursday and demanded immediate legal action against those involved in the incident.

The statement read, “In democracy, as much as people have the right to protest, they have the right to protect their lives, wealth and property. Openly vandalizing and looting people's property is not acceptable. It should be punishable in a legal state.”

The federation says that if the state does not focus on timely control of such incidents of taking the law into their hands in the name of protest, such incidents will recur anytime anywhere. The federation demanded immediate legal action against those involved in the incident and to return the looted goods of the businessmen.

Nepal Chamber of Commerce, another influential organization in the private sector, has drawn the attention of the government to guarantee professional safety. The chamber demanded a guarantee of security in the commercial sector drawing attention to the vandalism and looting in Lotse Mall.

The chamber emphasized that legal action should be taken immediately against the culprits of the incident and compensation should be paid to the victim businessmen involved in the robbery.

According to the statement issued by the president of NCC Rajendra Malla, although there is a right to peaceful protest and demonstration, no one is allowed to engage in disorderly activities, looting and vandalism in the name of protest. Malla said that the security agencies should be kept active and deployed for the security of the industrial and commercial sector.

The chamber says that if peace and security cannot be maintained in the business sector, the business will have to close down. The chamber also said that incidents like looting and vandalism in business have created another terror.

Saying that it is unfortunate that peace and security cannot be maintained even when businesses pay taxes to the state, the chamber has requested the government to provide immediate compensation to the victims of the Balaju incident and prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.

Federation of Contractor’s Association of Nepal, an organization of construction professionals, also published a statement and demanded a full guarantee of safety for the professionals.

The statement issued by the federation stated, “'This kind of robbery incident, which happened despite the presence of a police cordon a few meters away, has revealed how weak the security situation of the country has become. Even the international community has received information about the fragile security situation in the country.” It is mentioned that the incident, which was a big challenge, has terrorized the private sector.

According to the federation, the morale of entrepreneurs who want to do something in the country has fallen due to the looting, which took place at a time when the economic condition of the country is also very poor amid political instabile. The federation has demanded that those involved in the incidents of vandalism, arson and looting be brought under the scope of immediate action and that the victim businessmen be provided immediate compensation.

After the incident took place in the heart of the capital, the federation demanded that reliable arrangements be made for the security of all levels of businessmen, their belongings and equipment, so as to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.