Enhancing Private Sector Competitiveness
in the WTO Era (ECOMP)

Background

ECOMP aims to increase the competitiveness of the Nepalese private sector, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to survive and prosper under the multilateral trading framework through enhanced capacity to understand and respond to the requirements of the new regime. The project is being implemented for enabling the private sector particularly the SMEs to benefit from Nepal's membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Advocacy, Research, Sensitisation, Capacity building, Information dissemination,Networking and Alliance building are the major focus areas of the ECOMP project.

This project was launched in February 2005 and will be completed in January 2006.

Partners

The project is being supported by The Asia Foundation, Kathmandu.

Mission

Increase competitiveness of the Nepalese private sector, particularly the SMEs to survive and prosper under the multilateral trading framework through enhanced capacity to understand and respond to the requirements of the new regime.

Objectives

• Contributing in the process of legislative and policy reform/amendment in the context of Nepal's accession to the WTO by conducting policy studies to identify "WTO compatible" measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Nepalese Private sector.
• Building the capacity of entrepreneurs and other stakeholders especially the policymakers whose policy designs will have significant ramifications for the Nepalese private sector.
• Disseminating information on key issues and concerns for Nepalese stakeholders in the post accession era.