Banking News – The government has intensified efforts to recover long-overdue rent from industries operating in Nepal’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs), warning that electricity and water services will be disconnected if outstanding dues are not cleared within one week.

The move follows a directive from Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Gauri Yadav, who instructed authorities to take strict action against industries that have used government-owned SEZ facilities for years without paying rent.

Acting on the minister’s instruction, the SEZ Authority has issued a final notice to defaulting industries, directing them to immediately settle outstanding rent, service charges, and other payable fees.

According to the Authority, repeated written and verbal requests to recover the dues had failed to produce satisfactory results, prompting the government to initiate stricter enforcement measures.

The published records show that industries listed in the first category owe approximately Rs. 17.77 million, while those in the second category have outstanding dues of around Rs. 1.69 million, bringing the total unpaid amount to more than Rs. 19.46 million.

At the same time, the Authority said it has already recovered a significant amount from other industries. According to its records, Rs. 61.46 million has been collected from the first category of industries and Rs. 99.59 million from the second category, taking the total recovered amount to more than Rs. 160 million.

The SEZ Authority stated that industries failing to pay within the seven-day deadline will face disconnection of electricity and drinking water services, enforcement of contractual provisions, and, if necessary, additional legal action.

Minister Yadav stressed that industries using government infrastructure must fulfill their financial obligations, adding that the government would no longer tolerate businesses withholding payments owed to the state.

While reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for industrial operations, the minister emphasized that paying rent and other mandatory charges on time is a legal responsibility of every enterprise operating within the SEZ framework.

The SEZ Authority also announced that it will strengthen regular monitoring, prevent the accumulation of new arrears, and continue a nationwide campaign to recover all outstanding dues. Industries have been urged to settle their liabilities within the stipulated deadline to avoid further enforcement measures.