Parties court startups with big poll promises
Summary
Nepal's political parties have made ambitious promises to boost the startup ecosystem ahead of the general election, but young entrepreneurs remain skeptical due to past delays and weak implementation.
Key Points
- Political parties in Nepal have announced ambitious startup support plans ahead of the general election, aiming to boost youth entrepreneurship.
- The Rastriya Swatantra Party pledges to remove barriers for startups to connect globally and eliminate rent-seeking practices.
- CPN-UML promises concessional loans and skill development in IT sectors to support 100,000 youths towards self-employment.
- Nepali Congress and Nepali Communist Party also propose initiatives to empower youth and diaspora for entrepreneurship and technology development.
- Youth entrepreneurs remain skeptical, citing past policy delays, weak implementation, and bureaucratic hurdles.
- Experts emphasize the need for a clear roadmap and focus on supporting and retaining existing startups, not just new schemes.
