As Chandra Prasad Dhakal has assumed the responsibility as the president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the largest private sector organisation in the country, he has to address the number of economic issues faced by the country.

Unlike his predecessors, Dhakal’s coming four year tenure will be more challenging. Given his own skills and ways of handling crisis in the past, business group are hoping that Dhakal will bring changes.

As the country is in dire economic situation, Dhakal has spared any time to start his job as he has taken the oath of office as the president of the business organization on Thursday evening.

According to the FNCC’s constitution, the senior VP will be automatically elevated to the post of the president, as per the provision of the statute of the business body. He was elected as the senior VP about two and a half years ago. The election then was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dhakal is the successful entrepreneur of the first generation and founder president of the IME Group that runs more than two dozen companies in infrastructure, tourism, banking and finance, insurance, hospitality, automobiles, entertainment, information technology and trading. The group runs the largest money transfer company in the country – International Money Express – which has become synonymous to money transfer as ‘IME’.

IME Group employs about 20,000 people in its companies including Global IME Bank, IME Limited, IME General Insurance, IME Digital Solutions, Chandragiri Hills, Dish Media Network, and IME Motors.

Dhakal has succeeded Shekhara Golchha as the leader of the organisation. He has become the third president to assume the post without contesting the election for the top position after Bhawani Rana and Shekhar Golchha.

Dhakal said that he would work to lift the dignity of the private sector, forge collaboration with the public and private sector to create employment, facilitate the process to attract more Foreign Direct Investment, and find solutions to the challenges the private sector is facing.

After withdrawal from the race by Mahes Lal Shrestha, Anjan Shrestha is elected as the Senior Vice-President of the FNCCI. He will serve as the Senior VP of the FNCCI for the next three years under the leadership of Chandra Prasad Dhakal.

The 53-year-old Executive Director of Laxmi Group, a business house that runs manufacturing, agro-based, trading and service industries, Anjan is the incumbent VP of commodity sector at the FNCCI. His leadership at business associations had begun with the President of the NADA Automobiles Association in 2015.

His father Ganesh Bahadur Shrestha had started the business with a sweet shop in Pokhara, and now the group produces steel, food, packaging materials, dairy products and runs trading companies in various sectors including automobiles.

Anjan had contested the election with Ram Chandra Sanghai, a businessman from Triveni Group and incumbent VP of associates group at the FNCCI, and Umesh Lal Shrestha, Managing Director at the Quest Pharmaceuticals and former VP (Commodity) of the FNCCI.

In the elections held on Wednesday following the 57th Annual General Meeting of the FNCCI in Kathmandu, no candidate of the Senior VP could garner minimum 50 per cent of the total votes cast. Anjan got 37.99 per cent of the total votes, Umesh 31.51 per cent and Ram Chandra 30.46 per cent.

However, the two leading candidates – Anjan and Umesh – forged a consensus not to go for the second round of election. According to the FNCCI sources, Umesh agreed to elect Anjan as the senior vice-president and he will be selected as the Distinguished Member of the organization.

Thee three businessmen had contested the election by forming a panel each. The Central Committee of the FNCCI comprises 78 members including the office-bearers and members. Of them, 64 are elected by the AGM while five are nominated by the elected committee, seven provincial committee presidents will be officiating members while immediate past president will also be the part of the committee.

Hemraj, Jyotsna, Sur Krishna elected VPs

Meanwhile, the election has chosen three VPs – Hemraj Dhakal, Jyotsna Shrestha and Sur Krishna Baidya. Hemraj defeated Manish Lal Pradhan and Sukunta Lal Hirachan to become the VP of commodity group, and Jyotsna defeated Bharat Raj Acharya and became the VP of associates group. Hemraj had contested election from Umesh Lal panel while Jyotsna was in Sanghai panel. Bharat Raj was the common candidate for VP (Associate) of Anjan and Umesh panels.

Sur Krishna, who was in Sanghai panel, registered victory over Dinesh Shrestha and Arun Raj Sumargi to become the VP of industry (district and municipal).

Based on the report of The Rising Nepal