Kathmandu. A study has shown that about 90 percent of small and medium enterprises in Nepal are vulnerable to climate and business risks, but only 10 percent of enterprises have access to insurance.
According to a joint study report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Insurance Authority of Nepal, the existing insurance system for small businesses is inadequate and inaccessible. Small enterprises, which account for 84 percent of the total non-agricultural employment in Nepal and contribute 22 to 27 percent of the GDP, are forced to live in a huge gap of insurance protection.
The report concluded that the insurance sector has failed to address the real risks of small entrepreneurs based on a survey of more than 134 micro entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs across seven provinces. Micro entrepreneurs have had to rely on their limited savings and high-interest loans during shocks such as natural calamities, floods, landslides and economic downturns, the report said.
