Research and Dialogue for Nepal’s Enhanced Trade (REDNET)

SAWTEE initiated a project titled “Research and Dialogue for Nepal’s Enhanced Trade (REDNET)” with the support of German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), as a part of the latter’s programme to build trade capacity in Nepal since September 2013. Particular focus of the Project is on three products identified by NTIS—namely medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPS) and essential oils, silver jewellery and honey.

The project aimed at creating knowledge-products based on research with a view to identifying major challenges for the full and faithful implementation of the NTIS; contributing in revisiting and reviewing NTIS and relevant action matrices related to select products; providing a platform for dialogue between the public sector and the private sector; providing necessary advisory support and inputs on issues within the scope of the project to the government, the private sector and the project team created by GIZ, and various existing platforms such as the Nepal Business Forum, SAARC Trade Promotion Network, where necessary and appropriate.

SAWTEE successfully accomplished the study in May 2015 and submitted its findings to the Nepal Business Forum in order to address the identified barriers, and later, as requested, it also contributed in organising the Working Group Meetings together with NBF.