Policy Call Urged for Cooperatives Sector

A national cooperatives policy and effective cooperatives act and regulations are the need of the hour for the development of cooperatives.

Maheshwor Sharma Poudel, registrar of the Cooperatives Department urged for a national cooperative policy and effective cooperative act and regulations. "There must be proper allocation for employees and arrangements to transfer extra manpower from different sectors," he said during the annual progress meeting of the Cooperatives Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives here today.

"The government must organise special training programme for cooperative units and people working in the cooperatives sector. Trained manpower should be appointed particularly for the cooperatives," Poudel said.

Poudel also urged for immediate amendment to the Cooperative Act 2048. He also insisted on increasing the limit of human resources and cooperative offices. He said there was no cooperative office in 37 districts and agriculture development offices. "There is minimum implementation of rules and policies," he said and also focused on the lack of training centres, machinery, equipment, transportation facilities and library.

The cooperative sector contributes one per cent to the total GDP while agriculture has a total contribution of 33 per cent. In the fiscal year 2008-09, the cooperative sector contributed 4.7 per cent to total GDP, according to the cooperatives department's data.

Meanwhile, the total transaction of corporations and associations was Rs 60 billion, with 12,975 corporations and associations and 19 lakh members.

According to data, cooperatives have about seven per cent share in the total financial sector.

The main objective of the cooperatives department is to assist the government in the formation of cooperatives policies and programmes. It registers the company, and works for regulations, investigation and observation of cooperatives and support for its promotion and development.