NEEK Electro-Tech 2016 kicked off at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall on Friday with 114 stalls displaying a wide range of the latest electrical and electronic goods. 

Organised by the Federation of Electrical Entrepreneurs of Nepal (Feen), the expo will run for five days. The technology fair, which is in its eighth edition, mostly displays power-saving and cost effective products, the organiser said.

Security systems, panel lights, solar panels, transformers, electrical wiring devices and power backup systems, among others, are the main exhibits at the expo. 

Inaugurating the exhibition, Energy Ministry Janardan Sharma said that both entrepreneurs and consumers needed to go for energy efficient devices to solve the ongoing problem of load shedding that has affected both households and industry. 

“Besides focusing on increasing the use of such devices, priority should be given to increasing hydropower production,” he said. 

Sharma urged the private sector to work in collaboration with the government to ease the energy shortage. “The government has given priority to local investors in the issuance of licences for major hydroelectricity projects,” he added.  The theme of this year’s expo is ‘Safety in Rebuilding’. Feen said it wanted to stress the use of safe and durable electrical and power products in new building constructions. The organiser said the expo would help expand the market for domestically produced electrical goods in the country and abroad. 

Feen President Tej Narayan Kharel said buyers could conveniently find a variety of electrical and electronic products all in one place at the expo. “We have given priority to displaying quality products that save power,” he said. The electrical and electronic goods business is worth Rs80 billion annually, entrepreneurs said. However, domestic products account for barely 10 percent of sales. High customs duty and inadequate skilled manpower have been blamed for the slow growth of the sector.

Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, chairman of the Energy Committee at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), urged the government to reduce the import duty on energy-efficient electrical devices and raw materials needed by domestic industry. 

According to Pradhan, the government levies an import duty of 20 percent even on raw materials. “The country has become self-reliant in products like transformers and electrical boards, and lowering the customs duty will promote the manufacturing of similar other products.”

Around 100 local and foreign brands such as Schneider, Legra-nd, Transweld, Swastik, HPL, C&S, Philips, Rajdhani, Havells, Siemens, L&T, Crompton, Usha, Electra-Electric, Orient, NEEK, CG, Himstar and Rathi have showcased their products at the fair. 

Shweta Khadka, an attendant at the Swastik stall, said they had launched the latest security systems. The starting price of a security system including CCTV surveillance system, electronic door locks, alarm sensors and fire extinguishers, among other devices, is Rs50,000. 

Amul Shrestha, chairman and managing director of Transweld Nepal, a manufacturer of transformers, said they were displaying an upgraded transformer with a capacity of 2,000 kVA which is suitable for large production plants.