Nepal Plans One-Window System to Fast-Track Stalled Investment Projects
Nepal's government is drafting new legislation to move long-stalled investment projects into implementation through a one-window system. Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal said projects agreed 12 to 14 years ago will get priority, with a three-month implementation benchmark and consultations with existing investors starting before Dashain.
Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal has said the government is preparing new legislation to fast-track investment projects that have remained stalled despite previous commitments and agreements, with plans to implement them through a one-window system.
Speaking at a three-day workshop on legal reforms for investment and development, organized as part of preparations for the Nepal Infrastructure Conference, Minister Lamsal said the government plans to bring investment proposals received through previous investment summits as well as discussions with domestic and foreign investors under a new legal framework.
He said all investment proposals made at investment summits and through other engagements with domestic and international investors would be reviewed and moved forward through the proposed legislation.
Minister Lamsal said the government intends to involve all relevant government agencies in the process so that investors have a clear understanding of the time required to move their projects from agreement to implementation.
According to him, the proposed law will also specify the timeframe from the signing of an investment agreement to the actual implementation of a project.
He stressed that the investment facilitation process must be both fast and effective, adding that if a project still takes more than three months to move into implementation after the proposed law comes into force, the government should review and make necessary changes to the process.
The minister said projects that have remained in the investment pipeline for years, including those for which agreements have already been signed, will receive priority.
He noted that some projects were agreed upon 12 to 14 years ago, with investors having already incurred initial expenses, but they have remained stalled due to various reasons.
“These projects also need to be studied,” Lamsal said, stressing the need to identify the reasons behind delays and determine how such projects can be moved forward.
The government also plans to review past investment proposals and examine whether existing investors have been able to implement their projects as originally planned.
Lamsal said the government will also hold separate discussions with investors who have been operating in Nepal for a long time to understand the challenges they have faced.
He said it is important to assess whether investors who entered Nepal decades ago are satisfied with their investment experience and what kinds of regulatory, administrative and other challenges they have encountered.
According to the minister, the government intends to consult investors who have invested in Nepal over the years, identify their major problems and challenges, and work toward addressing them.
He said the next phase of the process would begin before Dashain, with a focus on consultations with existing investors and reviewing long-pending investment projects.
The proposed legal reforms are aimed at creating a more predictable investment environment by simplifying procedures, reducing delays and establishing clearer timelines for project implementation.