The Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) and Unilever Nepal held discussions on Tuesday, addressing a wide range of pressing industrial matters.

According to NICCI, topics of concern included the repatriation of dividends, the need to reconsider customs and excise duties on raw materials—especially when compared to the lower duties on imported finished goods—and the classification of royalty payments for trademark usage as operational expenses.

Additional matters raised included challenges faced by distributors and businesses due to the rigid collateral requirements imposed by banks when issuing bank guarantees. The discussion also touched on the need to revise the trading definition to allow greater flexibility in importing finished goods into Nepal and to extend excise duty credit benefits to packaging materials.

The meeting was attended by NICCI President Sunil KC, Unilever Nepal Managing Director Amlan Mukherjee, and other stakeholders. The dialogue concluded on a positive note, with NICCI’s shared commitment to take the lead in resolving these issues through collaboration with multinational companies operating in Nepal and the broader Nepali industrial sector.