27th November 2020, Kathmandu
The upcoming 54th convention of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is being held in Kathmandu on December 11, 12, and 13. This time the convention is also electing new leadership in the federation. Entrepreneurs are competing for the post of senior vice president in two groups, Chandra Dhakal, and Kishor Pradhan.
Former president of CAN Federation Biplavaman Singh is also vying for the post of member of the commodity association led by Anjan Shrestha.
Below is the conversation with Singh, about the upcoming elections and information technology.
What is your business background and what are you doing?
I am active in the information technology field. Prior to that, I worked as a journalist for the Daily Diary. I started working at Cass Trading House in 1989. At that time I was working as a sales manager. In 1994, I started working in computer advanced system from sales.
Then, in 1997, I started my own software company called Mandala Systems.
At that time, we were the first to make 2/4 software in Nepal. We were the first to work in Oracle. I joined the present CAN Federation and the then Computer Association CAN Nepal in 2000. After that, I worked for CAN for 2 terms. I have been the senior vice president for two terms and the president for two terms.
My term was till 2004/2008. CAN has a Presidential Council of Former Presidents, of which I am still a member.
Five years ago, I became the chairman of Digital Signature’s Nepal Certifying Company. I am currently working as a chairman of a company called Capital Market Technology.
During CAN’s presidency, much work was done in collaboration with the government. As CAN’s chairman, I worked for four years as a member of the High-Level Commission for Information Technology, a high-level commission for government bodies. I was also a member of the National Information Technology Center.
I have been involved in the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) since 2003. In that period I have won many times. lost much time. During one term, I also worked as a member of the working committee.
Also, I worked as the chairman and co-chairman of the ICT Development Committee. I am currently working as a consultant.
Why is your candidacy in the FNCCI?
I have given my candidature in order to boost the federation. Seeing that past members have a lot of influence in the federation, this time it is my candidacy to change it. The current senior vice president and future president Shekhar Golchha is a good man and a hard-working man. A good man like Shekhar Ji should be in the FNCCI. The government also has the challenge of growing the economy. No one else can work like Shekhar Ji.
I am basically a statistician. If there is a good workforce if there is a team, how can the development of the country be transformed or how can it be reinvented? He had asked for help in reviving the economy and the federation has come to contribute as much as it can.
Why did you choose Anjan Shrestha’s group in the FNCCI?
Earlier, Big Houses did not prioritize IT. But now as people are aware of the investment in IT, now many big families are investing in IT. That was the attempt then and now it is successful. CG, Golchha, and others came.
We worked at the federation to implement the online certificate of origin. Now it is better to do digital signature online during this pandemic period. this is a big aspect.
It’s all about how people use it. The federation does not yet have R&D (research and development). We don’t have any facts and data.
In the context of the international sector, They sell the data to investors by doing surveys, but there is no such thing in Nepal. Now my classmate who is sitting in the statistics department as a boss. The survey we need can be done with them. The economic survey was conducted only last year. It can be used. We can work together on how to partner with it. R&D wing must be made strong.
My strategy is to show by working rather than by abusing and protesting others. Everyone has seen the work I have done for the last 17 years. Newcomers may not know it, but they have also seen the work I have done.
Before this also you were active in the FNCCI. What did you do then?
Even when I lost the election to the chairmanship of Dinesh G, he took me in Association. When he was the vice president, he took me as the co-chairman. That is the golden age of the federation till now. All the programs done in it were taken by me. At that time, I was the one who published the image directory. People still remember that.
So now what will you do in the field of information technology?
One is to develop a management information system, the other is to make organizations like FNJ and AEC information technology. The organization had to use information technology to develop agriculture. Now large land is no longer required for agriculture. Similarly, will bring new things.
As I said earlier I will empower R&D. This requires data. Collaborate with government agencies for R&D and data. This could benefit the FNJ business sector and the country as well.
Earlier, the representatives of CAN did nothing in the federation. The question has arisen that, will the same thing happen when you go?
That question is wrong. I’m already coming from Can. Even when I lost, I was the co-chairman of the ICT Development Committee when Biraj Ji was the chairman. When I was elected and chairman of the ICT Development Committee, I did a lot of work and brought in good people. I had made the chairman of CAN the co-chairman and had the direct cooperation of CAN.
The federation will not do anything about what CAN is doing. From here, it is time to lobby the government for policy.
Earlier, I had taken Ellen Belochan Tuladhar from CAN and I have given victory to Vinod Dhakalji in the current working committee by placing him in our panel. That is why he has honorably appointed me as an advisor to the present committee.
I will not say anything to the person who hires me as a consultant. But effective works were not done. This time also he is fighting for the Associates. I wish him all the best.
Why vote for you? What do you say to voters?
I want to tell my voters to see the work then the talk. We have kept the slogan, the FNCCI needs strengthening and purification. Everyone knows, but there are elements that can’t be said. How to remove them and make them pure? That is also the first priority. How to strengthen another? Strengthening is the current view of the federation in the market, in the public mind, or in the government. There is a bad image, how to remove the idea of it and bring the federation to the top? We need to revive the economic sector. Covid has caused a financial crisis all over the world.
The economy needs to be revived, not just by improving the image. We don’t even have money in our pockets to revise it in a small economy. So for long-term work, we, Shekhar Golchha’s team, are drawing up a white paper and working with the government with a clear roadmap.
