Nepal AOTS Welcomed ICOSA, Japan Delegates

Nepal AOTS extended a warm welcome to the International Cooperation Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises in Asia (ICOSA), Japan's delegates in Nepal. During their visit, Nepal AOTS and ICOSA jointly organized a seminar, signed an MOU regarding cooperation between the two parties, and explored various institutions and places.

The ICOSA delegates, led by Prof. Dr. Krose Naohiro - President, Mr. Sato Masafumi - Secretary-General, Ms. Kawanami Toshiko - Director, and team members Mr. Yamamoto Kuniyoshi, Mr. Saito Teruo, Prof. Wada Masatake, and Mr. Nomizu Toshio, visited Deurali Janta Pharmaceuticals Limited and Til Ganga Institute of Ophthalmology as part of the visit to Nepal AOTS member’s companies. The team also visited Love Green Nepal (LGN) in Panchkhal to learn about their activities as an NGO since their establishment in 1991.

Additionally, the ICOSA team visited Panchkhal Municipality, an agricultural city, and interacted with Mr. Mahesh Kharel - Mayor, regarding the Municipality’s plans and policies concerning SMEs. The ICOSA study team also visited the country's first-ever women entrepreneurs' special industrial village (under construction) and Special Economic Zone (under construction) in Pankhachal.

The ICOSA team further visited Nepal Chamber of Commerce and interacted with Mr. Rajendra Malla – President, Mr. Kamalesh Kumar Agrawal - Sr. Vice President, and Ms. Urmila Shrestha - Vice President to learn about SMEs in Nepal and their strong expectations for Japanese companies operating in Nepal. During the visit, Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) urged Japanese industrialists and businesspersons to invest in Nepal. NCC President Malla encouraged Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in hydropower development, tourism, industry, and electric sectors in Nepal.

The ICOSA team also visited the Department of Industry and interacted with Mr. Baburam Gautam – Director-General and other key members to learn about the government’s policies and legal environment for SMEs. Mr. Shankar Singh Dhami – Director, gave a detailed presentation on “Business and Industry Environment in Nepal: SMEs Perspective” during the interaction.

Additionally, ICOSA team members visited the Nepal AOTS secretariat called Yamamoto Talim Ghar (YTG) and discussed the activities carried out between the two organizations and future collaborations.

Before concluding their visit, the ICOSA team paid a visit to the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Nepal (JCCN) authorities, discussing the ecosystem for SMEs in Nepal. The ICOSA Study Tour Team visited Nepal from November 25 to December 1, and Nepal AOTS advisors and executive team members actively participated in the aforementioned interactions and discussions as counterparts of ICOSA in Nepal.