2 June, Kathmandu: The Ministry of Industry (MoI) has decided to provide Rs 100 million grant to the Nepal Eye Centre for its capacity enhancement.

Organizing a press conference at the MoI, Minister for Industry Nabindra Raj Joshi said that the amount will be spent to develop infrastructure and set up intraocular lens manufacturing facility and expand its market abroad.
Minister Joshi said, “The eye lenses manufactured in Nepal are world class. Nepal is currently exporting such lenses to 17 countries and the target is to expand the market across 50 countries.”

Rs 10.5 million to Pun’s Innovation Centre
Similarly, the government has also decided to provide Rs 10.5 million in grant assistance to the National Invention Centre set up by the Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient Dr Mahabir Pun.

The Minister expressed his confidence that the Centre would help establish the research and development culture in the country and the grant assistance would help in inventions.

Furthermore, Minister Joshi said that government was going to set up an industrial development fund to attract both national and international investors alike.

The objectives of the fund also include enabling investment-friendly environment for industrial promotion, sustainable economic development and facilitation in mobilization of the capital for running industries among others, according to Minister Joshi.

On the occasion, the Minister shared that the once-defunct and now functional Nepal Drug Limited has already started producing Jeevan Jal, the most well, known brand of oral rehydration salts (ORS) in the country after a hiatus of eight years.

The produce has already been dispatched to various districts in Mid-Western and Far-Western region. RSS