POKHARA: Gandaki Province Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Bikas Lamsal said that community forestry would be connected to productivity to develop it a solid base for prosperity.
Inaugurating the first council of the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN) in Pokhara today, he said that the provincial government was making preparation to develop criteria for promoting timber-based industry and enterprises.
Minister Lamsal further said efforts are being made to legally facilitate the operation of forest and timber-based industries so as to connect community forestry to productivity. He also pledged to provide financial assistance from the provincial government to establish and sustain such enterprises.
“The province government has laid emphasis on the promotion of tourism and agriculture production in a way that it would not ruin community forestry”, he said, urging the FECOFUN to proactively take ahead the campaign of ‘one forest, one production’.
He expressed his belief that the participation of people’s representatives and FECOFUN would be necessary in framing the Local Forest Act.
FECOFUN central chairperson Bharati Pathak stressed the need to frame the Local Forest Act in a way to ensure rights fo the people in promoting entrepreneurship and tourism.
Minster’s Secretary Dr Maheswor Dhakal highlighted the need to run forest and timber-based enterprises in partnership with community forest users and the private sector. —
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