KATHMANDU: Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma underscored increasing access to insurance for the people of Sudurpaschim Province.

Inaugurating the office of Beema Samiti (Insurance Board) in Dhangadhi on Friday, the Minister shared that the current insurance coverage in the country stood at 41.5 percent with 19.17 percent in Sudurpaschim Province alone.

Stating that many complaints and grievances prevailed for the insurance claim and payment, the Minister shared that there were 3,366 branches of the Beema Samiti at present with 327 branches of the Samiti in the Sudurpaschim Province alone.

Furthermore, he informed that the Samiti had created jobs for 12,031 including 687 in Sudurpaschim Province.

“This shows that Sudurpaschim Province stands afar from the access of insurance,” Minister Sharma asserted.

Similarly, Minister for Economic Affairs of Sudurpaschim Province Prakash Bahadur Rawal viewed that insurance had helped hugely in various risks management. “Insurance is imperative in every sector.”

Likewise, Prakash Bahadur Rawal, Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Binita Chaudhary pledged the provincial government’s support to further promote insurance scheme to end risks.

Samiti Chairperson Surya Prasad Silwal said that insurance should be taken as a mechanism to reduce the risks and said that the provincial government should take the lead for the same.