The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) supported its partner, the Samriddhi Foundation, to develop Nepal’s first Legislation Repository, exclusively dedicated to providing information on key economic themes. The repository serves as a knowledge hub, offering information on laws, acts, and regulations pertinent to economic topics, primarily catering to the business community. This online repository aims to improve governance and enable markets, by providing a centralized and comprehensive collection of economic legislation and related documents.
Introduced in November 2021, this platform was developed following a series of consultations that engaged business incubators, chambers of commerce, and youth-led entrepreneurship networks in Nepal. Originally designed to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with insights into the processes of “starting a business” in Nepal, the website has since expanded its scope to encompass additional economic themes, including “paying taxes” and “bringing in investments.” This expansion has transformed the repository into a versatile resource with relevance to a diverse array of stakeholders including entrepreneurs, researchers, academics, scholars, and the general public. In an effort to enhance user-friendliness, the website has recently introduced a search feature, improving data searchability within the repository and making it easier for the audience to easily access the desired information.
Expanding Access for the Business Community
The repository provides easy navigation of the consolidated laws, regulations and acts related to specific economic themes which are otherwise scattered across multiple primary and secondary legislations. A user of the repository aptly remarked, “for somebody like me who is mulling over the idea of starting a local business, this website is a blessing since I otherwise had to spend significant amount of my time looking for the relevant information that are scattered over dozens of laws, acts and legal documents.
“This website is a blessing since I otherwise had to spend significant amount of my time looking for the relevant information.”
The legislation repository represents a significant effort to address the challenges stemming from the absence of organized and categorized information related to the new laws, rules, and compliance requirements for those seeking to engage in business ventures within Nepal’s recently established three-tiered federal government structure. Although still in its early stages, the repository has already demonstrated its value to businesses and startups by instilling a sense of empowerment in the business community. Users of the repository have predominantly leveraged the platform as a valuable resource to primarily access information on tax rates, government forms, and the procedures for conducting business in Nepal.
By providing guidance and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs on doing business, this repository plays a vital role in supporting CIPE’s goal of fostering entrepreneurship, a key driver of economic growth and inclusive prosperity. Additionally, information on tax regulations and applicable laws featured on the website empowers businesses to navigate the tax system effectively. The provision of valuable resources and information related to attracting foreign investments contributes to economic growth, job creation, and the expansion of the private sector. All of these positive outcomes align with CIPE’s focus on market-led solutions and inclusive growth. Moreover, the repository serves as a critical tool for enhancing transparency by making laws, regulations, and other legal documents readily accessible to the public, thereby encouraging public participation in democratic processes.
Looking Ahead: Plans for Expansion
CIPE and its partner are planning to undertake further initiatives to broaden the repository’s accessibility to a wider demographic. Among these endeavors, a noteworthy effort involves mitigating language barriers through the translation of repository content into Nepali, to foster inclusivity and enhance user-friendliness. Moreover, comprehensive strategies are being devised to construct advocacy tools, encompassing the development of process maps and the creation of communication materials, such as articles and infographics. CIPE and its partner also plan to expand the online platform to encompass additional economic themes specifically tailored to serve the interests of the business community. These strategic steps are expected to drive increased engagement, participation, and utilization of the platform’s informational resources.
Published Date: November 27, 2023