NEPAL

Women entrepreneurs have the following trade opportunities in Nepal:

Internet Business, e-Commerce and Online Trading
Since Nepal has little access or has a need for technological products, internet is not so common in Nepal. Still, the importance of internet in Nepal is beyond comprehension. Internet and information technology can change the way Nepal is developing.

Internet is a home to the entrepreneurs who use B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer) websites extensively. These websites help sellers to sell their goods to potential buyers who access the online world for best products. Nepal is main producer of hundreds of primary goods. These goods can use the online platform for increased returns. Online selling will also help Nepali women to sell their goods, which is bigger, better and more rewarding than their previous markets.

Crop Exports
Another concept for Small business opportunities for women is to help them to export the goods. Nepal’s geographic location, which sandwiches the country between two colossal economic giants, India and China, opens up doorways for trade in most unimaginable ways. It can export spices and vegetables to India. Nepali women have the right opportunity to expand without bound by exporting their produces to India.

Metal and Other Exports
Nepal is rich in ochre, mica, cobalt, iron, lignite and copper. Women in ore area is not as dominant as it is in crops section, but women can still trade other chief products including patina, jute, rattan, bamboo, leather, cements, textiles, carpets and handicrafts.

Essential Oils
Nepal produces good quality of essential oils, which can be exported and can boost their income. More importantly, chamomile, lemongrass, menthol and citronella can repel elephants who injures farmers and ruin their crops. So it’s a small business opportunity for women.

Accessories for Efficient Farming
Women can export farming tools like sprinklers and nutrient sprays which are being used in many nations now, and if women can get their hands around that, their output can multiply radically.

Social Franchising
Social franchising is about transferring their skills to other women, and creating a chain reaction of women empowerment. This is where women of Nepal can make better profits and lend a hand in strengthening their gender and thus their country.

Uniform Making and Dress Repairing
Nepalese women who are not able to gather enough capital for fabric can repair old dresses or offer tailoring services exclusively.

Bags
Bags are used for groceries, produces, shopping and dozens of other things and women can start making bags which will sell off at good price.

Basket Weaving
Women can weave baskets and make a living. The raw materials required for making baskets are very cheap and beautiful-looking baskets can be bought by tourists, who pay good price for these.

Customized Jewellery
Women can make customized jewellery and sell at a good price. Tourists buy these items and pay a good price for them. Innovation and training is required.

Tourist Guides
Women with good communication skills can make money in tourism business. Primary or higher education might become a mandate in some cases, but all in all, this is a very profitable industry in Nepal because its a country which earn a major percent of its money through tourism.

Government help the women entrepreneurs by providing the following:

Access to latest equipment.
Agricultural training and supplies.
Business training.
Easy access to necessities of starting a business
Husbandry training
Literacy training
Micro-loan

http://wit.tradekey.com/news/nepal/small-business-ideas-amp-opportunities-for-women-in-nepal_4085.htmll

SCHEMES:

ICIMOD- Integrated Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Integrated Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge centre. The centre serves eight regional member countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan and is based in Nepal. It aims to help mountain people to understand these changes and adapt to them and make the most of new opportunities. The association does this by imparting meaningful training to the mountain people.
http://www.icimod.org/?q=abt

USAID
This was given by US President Barrack Obama under the drive of “Feed the Future” initiative. It was to evolve the Nepal’s socioeconomics as a whole. The brave and talented women who have come forth to improve their life were supported. The trained women train other women by transferring their knowledge and skills.
http://wit.tradekey.com/news/nepal/women-empowerment-programmes-in-nepal_4081.html

Industries enterprise Act, 1992 has given the following provisions for entrepreneurs.
No prior permission or license is required for setting up industries except for those which may have an adverse effect on the environment, security, or public health.
No income tax shall be imposed on dividends earned from investments made in any industry.
No income tax shall be levied on profits earned through export.
Cottage industries are exempt from sales tax, excise duty, and income tax.
Some specified industries of national importance are granted additional facilities, including those located in disadvantaged and remote areas.
Export-oriented, labour-intensive, and national priority industries are granted an additional rebate on income tax.
For industries set up with the objective of controlling pollution or which may have a minimum effect on the environment, a reduction of up to 50% of taxable income will be granted.
Industrial units providing direct employment to 600 or more Nepali citizens year-round are granted an additional income tax rebate of 10% for that year.
No tax, duty, or fee shall be levied on the machinery, tools, equipment, or raw materials used by an export promotion industry. Industrial units utilizing locally available raw materials, chemicals, and packing materials, etc., on which excise duty or sales tax or both are already imposed will be reimbursed.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Industrial Promotion Board
To formulate and implement industrial policies, to maintain coordination between the policy and implementation levels, and to guide appropriate authorities in providing incentives and facilities and giving permissions to health-, environment-, and security-related industries, the Industrial Promotion Board has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Minister or State Minister for Industries.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

One-window service
The government of Nepal introduced one-window service in 1992 with a goal of effectively providing the services required during the registration process and the operation of industries. This window committee headed by the Director General of the Department of Industry and was established with the representation of the Directors General of the Department of Custom, Excise Duty, Tax, and Commerce, DCSI, the Chief Controller of Nepal Rastra Bank, and a representative of FNCCI. Its main function is to provide the facilities listed in the Industrial Enterprise Act and to give infrastructure support services, e.g., electricity, water, telecommunications, land, roads, etc.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Value added Tax
With an objective of encouraging exports, the government has provided a duty drawback and Value Added Tax (VAT) refund system. Under this scheme, an exporter who exports more than 80% of production is eligible for a refund of the duty paid on imported raw materials. The exporter is eligible to claim this if the goods produced from imported raw materials are exported within six months after import and if application is made within three months after the goods have been exported. The duty is refunded within 60 days of application.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Special economic zone (SEZ)
The SEZ, which was known as an export processing zone (EPZ), is considered to be one of the most effective mechanisms in stimulating foreign export. The SEZ acts as a catalyser between domestic infrastructural support and foreign investment, technology, and market. Industries located in the SEZ has to export more than 80% of their products. Since investment in the SEZ is inclined towards the export market, investors receive tax exemptions, VAT, excise duty, import–export, banking facilities, workers, etc., depending upon the nature of their business. Nepal plans to establish SEZs in Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Panchkhal (Kavre), and Debighat (Nuwakot), and construction has begun in Bhairahawa (Rupendehi). It is expected that this SEZ will be active within a year.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Industrial estates
With the aim of providing infrastructural support to industrial enterprises in Nepal, the government has established 11 industrial estates, primarily in urban areas such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Birgunj, and Nepalgunj.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Foreign direct investment (FDI)
To attract foreign investment in the industrial sector, the government passed the Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer Act in 1992, which permits foreign investment in all industrial sectors except those related to cottage industries, arms and ammunitions, real estate, tobacco, retail business, the trekking business, and some others.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA)
The member countries of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC)—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—have agreed to implement SAFTA effective 1 January 2006. SAFTA (previously known as SAPTA) has the goal of raising the standard of living in SAARC by expanding and promoting industrial trade between the SAARC countries through duty-free tariff concessions, removal of tariff barriers, safeguard measures for antidumping/countervailing, and quota restrictions. SAFTA also deals with the needs and unique situation of the least developed countries and provides for differential treatment: Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives will maintain a custom duty of from 0% to 5% for the next several years, while in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India it will be maintained for seven years.Nepal became a member of BIMSTEC, another region of economic cooperation, in February 2004. Its other members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bhutan.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO), which was known as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), was established in January 1995 under the Uruguay Convention. According to its principles, member countries must liberalize their international trade and commit to opening their trade and services to competition. Nepal applied for GATT Entrepreneurship Development for Competitive Small and Medium Enterprises in 1989, and after completing all the formalities became a member of WTO on 23 April 2004. The major challenges faced by Nepali entrepreneurs after Nepal got its membership was of competing with foreign products and complying with various rules and regulations related to the environment. Another challenge faced was meeting quality standards and reducing preferential incentives. But WTO membership has increased access to international markets, access to dispute settlement procedures, access to financial and technical assistance for capacity building. Nepali entrepreneurs have become extensively competitive, and they assist in identifying and promoting business in the comparative advantage sectors.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf

Trade Policy Trade
it plays an important role in economic development. Before 1960, Nepal’s foreign trade was largely confined to India. Between 1956 and 1964, Nepal’s trade with other countries was less than 3%. Beginning in 1960, Nepal trades was diversified and now it’s trading with more than 72 countries. The objectives of trade policy were export promotion, import control, and trade diversification.
http://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ind-26-ed_csme.pdf