Number of new manufacturing units registered with the Department of Industry (DOI) has increased this fiscal year compared to the last year. This is the first time in the last three years that the number has increased. During 10 months of the current fiscal year, 86 manufacturing units have been registered, according to the DOI Officials believe that this will increase to around 100 units by the end of the fiscal year. This number was 59 and 68 in FY 2011/12 and 2010/11. 

 

Bipin Raj Bhandari, Director of the DOI said that though the reason behind the rise is not clear yet, it could be the impact of announcement of the Investment Year, formation of investment board and subsidies granted on exports. 

 

However, the private sector leaders termed the rise as a usual phenomenon. What is more important is the number of the registered units that actually start and remain in operation, they said. Also notable about this year’s trend is that the number of manufacturing units is the largest in comparison to the total number of industrial units registered. In the past couple of years, the registration of service oriented industries was higher. 

 

During the review period of the current fiscal year, 79 services-oriented, 76 tourism based, 65 energy-based, 39 agro-based and eight mining industries were registered. The proposed investment amount of total of 344 the registered industries is Rs 95 billion. It is expected that 27,297 people will be employed after all these registered units came in operation. Similarly, during the review period, 175 small scale industries and 77 medium scale industrial units were registered whereas the number of large scale industrial units get is 92.