Kathmandu. Hemraj Dhakal, the candidate for the post of vice-president and senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has expressed his concern over the process of detaining businessmen without any evidence in the name of investigation. He complained that instead of supporting the private sector in the adverse economic environment, the state has chosen the path of arrest. 

Speaking at a program organized in the context of the upcoming elections of the FNJ, Dhakal said, “There is no need to keep entrepreneurs in jail just for investigation.The punishment should be fixed only after the verdict of the judicial body. The current traditional and autocratic style of arrest has demoralized the private sector. ’

He said that this trend is discouraging both FDI (FDI) and domestic investment. He said although the private sector contributes more than 80 per cent to the country’s GDP, it has not been in the priority of the state. 

He also stressed the need for liberal laws such as ‘anticipatory bail’, saying the government has been imprisoning and intimidating the people who contribute to revenue and employment for hundreds of years.