ACTIVITIES

April 12, 1996: NGCCI organized a meeting at the conference hall of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and a delegation from Indo-German Chamber of Commerce attended the meeting and interacted with the local business community. The delegation was led by President of Indo-German Chamber and Chairman of Sachlafthorst Engineering, India, Mr. H.F. Kroll. The delegation called on Nepal's Assistant Minister of Finance, C.K. Shrestha, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry B.N. Chalise, and Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, M.D. Pant. The delegation met with NGCCI President Dibya M. Rajbhandari and other office bearers of NGCCI. IGCC agreed to help NGCCI develop organizational capability and professional expertise.

April 10, 1996: The "Domestication of Indigenous Medicinal Plants and Organic Production in Agriculture" seminar was held at the NGCCI secretariat. Dr. Brigette Boor, an agronomist from GTZ Protrade provided expert counseling and suggestions at the seminar. She answered questions raised by participants and presented the results of activities, programs, and researches conducted in Nepal. Ten entrepreneurs attended the seminar.

April 9, 1996: NGCCI organized a musical concert of the German band, Captain Ahab and Band at the Royal Nepal Academy. Music lovers of Kathmandu enjoyed the band's performance. The proceeds of the show was donated to renovate the Shiva Parbati Temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square.

March 7 to 9, 1996: DEG/NGCCI business advisory program presented and promoted Nepalese herbal and aromatic essential oils at BIOFACH fair in Frankfurt. Samples were sent from Herbs Production and Processing Company, ANSAB (Humal oil), Himalayan Ginger Company, and Dovan Trading.

January 13 to 21, 1996: NGCCI coordinated Nepalese participation in CMT (Caravan Motor Tourism) International Fair held in the German city of Stuttgart. A NGCCI delegation led by President Dibya M. Rajbhandari attended the fair. Department of Tourism, Royal Nepal Airlines, and three Nepalese travel agencies, Saiyu Travels, Him Kiran Travels, and Vision Travels attended the fair. Natraj International, a handicraft exporting company, also participated. Prime Minister of the Baden Wurttemberg State, Erwin Teufel, along with high level officials, visited the Nepal stand.

November 21 and 22, 1995: NGCCI, in association with German Investment and Development Company, organized a national seminar on "AZO dyes/ISO 9000/Eco Friendly Certificate" in Kathmandu. The seminar presented up-to- date information and formulated working procedures and strategies.

November 7 to 9, 1995: DEG/NGCCI business advisory service promoted essential oils/extract produced from herbal/aromatic plants in Nepal at the Food Ingredients Europe Fair. Selected Nepalese products were promoted at GTZ Protrade Stand by the advisory service.

November 6, 1995: NGCCI organized a reception in Kathmandu in honor of Mr. Walter Lewalter, Director of Asian Affairs at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Lewalter said that Germany is interested in the economic development of Asia and he feels that economic cooperation with Nepal will grow in the future. He also expressed happiness to see an active bilateral business chamber and hopes that the chamber will help develop Nepal-German economic ties. NGCCI President Dibya M. Rajbhandari highlighted major activities of the chamber and pledged to continue to serve business communities in Nepal and Germany. NGCCI also submitted a status report on Nepal-German trade and investment and recommendations for the further development of the chamber to Mr. Lewalter.

October 13 and 16, 1995: NGCCI/DEG business advisory program organized three business symposiums on herbs, agro-products, and home textiles in Kathmandu. Production, quality, and marketing opportunities were discussed at the meeting.

August 26 to 30, 1995: DEG/NGCCI business advisory service offered assistance to Nepalese business visitors at the Frankfurter Herbstmesse Fair, one of the biggest German trade fairs of consumer goods. Product presentation and meetings were held on August 28.

August 7, 1995: NGCCI President Dibya M. Rajbhandari and Mr. Ronald Wittur, Director of GTZ-PAS met Mr. Padma Jyoti, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry at the latter's office. Child labor free certification, export promotion, and integrated business advice were some of the subjects discussed at the meeting.

July 22, 1995: NGCCI organized a half-day round-table discussion on the country's 1995/1996 budget. The program focused on economic impact of the budget proposal on industrialization, industrial production, and foreign trade. The economic liberalization process and revenue and budget allocation were some of the major issues discussed at the meeting. More than 50 prominent personalities attended the program.

July 5, 1995: NGCCI President Dibya M. Rajbhandari chaired a session of the "AZO dyes and Eco-labelling: A Challenge to Nepal's Export Trade" seminar organized by Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology and Carpet and Wool Development Board.

June 7 to 11, 1995: NGCCI coordinated Nepal Hydro Electric Co. Pvt. Ltd.'s participation at the ITM Industrial Fair held in Kuala Lumpur. GTZ Protrade provided assistance. Hydro-electric power generating equipment and technology were displayed and promoted at the fair. Nepal has been exporting hydro- power generating equipment and technology to various countries.

March 23 to 31, 1995: NGCCI coordinated and organized the visit of a 13-member German journalist delegation to Nepal. They were invited by CMT organizing committee of Nepal as a follow-up program after Nepal's successful participation in CMT International Fair. The journalist team was led by Managing Director of Messe Stuttgart International, Dr. Walter Gehering.

March 3, 1995: DEG/NGCCI organized a display of Nepalese herb extracts and essential oils at the BIOFACH fair in Frankfurt. Nepalese tea, textiles, and oils were displayed at the fair. 900 German and international business organizations/institutes from 35 countries attended the fair.

January 25, 1995: NGCCI representative Mr. Ram Pratap Thapa and German Nepal Friendship Association German Asia Pacific Society organized a "Nepal Evening" meeting in Koln. NGCCI Vice-President Kishore Khanal presented a speech on "Trade, Investment and Economic Situation in Nepal." NGCCI Chief Executive Binayak Shah presented NGCCI and its activities at the meeting. DEG Nepal Project Manager Klaus Dieter Schatte spoke on German-Nepal trade and investment situation and prospects.

January 21 to 29, 1995: NGCCI and DEG organized "Nepal Investment Promotion" meeting in Stuttgart during the CMT (Caravan, Market, Tourism) International Fair. 50 representatives of German businesses, investment companies, industries, banks, financial institutions, consultants, agents, and the press attended the meeting. Minister of State for Commerce, Tourism, and Civil Aviation outlined the policies and priorities of His Majesty's Government of Nepal in relation to foreign joint ventures. Honorary Royal Nepalese Consul Madame Ann-Katrin Bauknecht, NGCCI President Dibya M. Rajbhandari, Vice-President of Stuttgart Chamber of Industry and Commerce Helmut Nanz H. E. also addressed the meeting.

November 29 to December 3, 1994: NGCCI represented Nepal at Manufacturing Indonesia '94, a major ASEAN industrial fair. Binayak Shah, Chief Executive of NGCCI, presented a speech on the business and investment situations of Nepal at a seminar jointly organized by NGCCI and DEG. Water turbines and equipment manufactured by Nepal Hydro and Electric and Balaju Yantrashala were exhibited and promoted at the fair. More than twenty-five business enquiries and proposals in regard to procurement and joint production of hydro-power generating equipment were received and the chamber, in association with concerned companies, helped develop business relations.

October 1994: NGCCI received the services of Mr. Richard Popp, Senior Expert of Senior Experten Service, Bonn. He made a study of the NGCCI operations and its activities for four weeks. During his assignment, he met representatives of NGCCI member organizations and received their opinion on NGCCI's performance, members' expectations, future programs, and activities. Mr. Popp also met business leaders, senior officials of Ministries of Industry and Commerce and officials of concerned German aid-projects in Nepal. On the basis of his study, Mr. Poop submitted a report which contained recommendations and suggestions on expanding and strengthening NGCCI and its activities.

June 26 to 30, 1994: NGCCI, in association with CDG (Carl Duisberg Gesellschatt) and RONAST, organized a five-day workshop on Food Quality Control and Surveillance System in Kathmandu. CDG Project Manager Sevastian Kelbling, food technologist Martin Dietz, and local experts conducted the workshop. NGCCI member Rabindra Shrestha presented a paper on "Experience of Nepalese Food Industry in Maintaining Food Quality." The workshop focused on public food quality and surveillance system in Germany and European countries and studied Nepal's food quality and safety, problems, packaging systems, methods of measuring food quality, research techniques, etc.

March 25, 1994: NGCCI organized a workshop on Garment Designing/Marketing at its conference hall. 20 designers and marketing executives from textile and garment producing industries attended the workshop. Member organizations of NGCCI, concerned companies, and members of Nepal Association of Small and Cottage Industries Association were also invited to participate at the workshop. A German expert explained market tastes, quality requirements, designs, patterns, colors, and preferences in German as well as European markets.

March 1, 1994: NGCCI in association with DEG, organized a one-day seminar on "Export marketing to Germany/Europe" in Kathmandu. Current business practices, acts, rules and regulations, quality, technical requirements, packaging, as well as current market trends and demand were presented and discussed at length during the seminar. Fifty marketing executives from various exporting companies and other business houses attended the seminar.

October 15, 1993: President Dibya M. Rajbhandari presented a talk on the "Role of NGCCI in developing Nepal-German Trade" at a program organized by CDS (Carl Duisberg Society).

October 1, 1993: NGCCI/DEG joint business advisory program presented the findings of the "Availability of Nepali Fabrics for Garments" study at a meeting organized in Kathmandu. As per the findings of the study, 2% of the total fabrics required for the manufacturing of exportable garments are being supplied by local textile manufacturing establishments. The rest of the fabrics come mainly from India and abroad. On the basis of the finding, NGCCI/DEG joint business advisory program is formulating further promotional programs of textiles. The meeting was attended by representatives from Garment Association Nepal, Nepal Textile Industry Association, NGCCI, and garment and textile exporters.

August 13 and 14, 1993: NGCCI/DEG joint business advisory program was presented at a workshop organized by King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation German Chapter. 30 participants from Nepal, Germany, and Switzerland participated in the event. On behalf of NGCCI/DEG joint business program, Klaus Dieter Schatte, DEG project manager, presented a paper on NGCCI/DEG joint business advisory program and possibilities of cooperation between German and Nepalese companies.

August 9, 1993: NGCCI, DEG, and GTZ Protrade together organized a business symposium in the German city of Stuttgart. The symposium was attended by 42 representatives from German pharmaceutical, chemical, and aromatic industries. During the program, Nepalese and German experts gave talks on the status of Nepalese herbs. Possibilities of exporting herbs, extracts, and oils from Nepal to Germany and other parts of Europe were discussed at length. Aspects like cultivation of herbs and aromatic plants, research, processing, quality control, and distillation were also discussed fully.

June 22, 1993: Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, in association with DEG/NGCCI and Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, organized a program in Frankfurt. Issues regarding economic policy reforms, investment climate, and investment opportunities were presented during the program.

April 22, 1993: NGCCI and DEG organized a business symposium to assess the production and marketing situations of herb extracts and oils in Nepal. The symposium was attended by German experts and about sixty Nepalese entrepreneurs, technologists, researchers, and administrators. Production, domestication of wild herbs, collection, processing, distillation, as well as marketing, international demand, and market price were discussed at length.