SANGAM

Development govt's top priority

By Sangam Prasain

Kathmandu, July 9 - The government on Thursday presented its policies and programmes according top priority to achieving rapid economic development and social transformation through a people-oriented budget guided by socialism. The government will develop necessary physical infrastructure required to attract the private sector for industrialisation of the country under constitutional supremacy and rule of law by eliminating anarchy, insecurity and impunity. An investment board will be established under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister for the smooth and expeditious implementation of decisions relating to private sector investment of national significance. Long-term policy will be adopted for the mobilisation of national, foreign, private, bilateral as well as multilateral investments. Price rise will be controlled by increasing the supply of food items and other daily necessities. Price cartelling in essential commodities and the syndicate system in the transportation sector will be abolished. Development efforts will focus on reducing poverty, unemployment, backwardness, inequality and dependence. Agriculture sector will be transformed from the current ‘agriculture for subsistence’ into ‘agriculture for sustainable development’. Emphasis will be laid on enhancing production pursuant to ‘One Village, One Product’ policy. Big irrigation projects will be implemented as multi-purpose projects. Sunkoshi-Kamala Diversion and Bheri-Babai Diversion will be developed for the qualitative enhancement of agriculture production and productivity. The government will adopt social justice, economic growth and distributive justice as its policy goals while following the slogan of ‘Cooperatives in Villages and Cities, and Employment at Every Household.’ Employment will be gradually established as a fundamental right of the citizens. Employment opportunities will be expanded through the medium of the public, cooperative and private sectors. An ‘Employment Guarantee Programme’ will be carried out by the state to ensure at least 100 days of employment each year to people living below the poverty line. Common people’s access to ownership of shares in the projects to be constructed under public sector investment as well as other public enterprises will be made easier. Nepal Airlines Corporation will be operated under public-private partnership. With a view to ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity in the country in the long-run as well as promoting its export in the future, programmes for the development of energy including hydro-electricity will be initiated as an important basis for national development. High priority will be accorded to the implementation of rural electrification programmes and ‘Bright Nepal Campaign’ will be launched with the expansion of solar energy as well as micro and small hydropower projects. Construction works of East-West railway and Hulaki Road in Terai-Madhesh will be initiated. The task of linking District Headquarters with road will be undertaken with priority. Mid-hills road as well as Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali corridor road projects connecting Nepal-India border to Nepal’s border with Tibet in China will be initiated. A fast track connecting Kathmandu to Terai as well as Dharan-Chatara-Gaighat-Hetauda Road, Seti highway and Rapti highway will be constructed. Construction work of a bridge over Koshi River at Chatara will be initiated. ‘Nepal Tourism Year- 2011’ programme will be successfully implemented. Emphasis will be laid on the identification and development of new tourism destinations and products as well as on the conduct of promotional activities in the tourist generating locations also in partnership with the private sector. New strategy will be formulated for the promotion of domestic, regional as well as international tourism, and Nepal Tourism Board will be activated to implement it. Air Services Agreements will be concluded with additional countries for the promotion of tourism. Special Economic Zones will be established to expand the base and competitive strength of exportable items. Financial sector reform programmes will be undertaken. Strict action will be taken against the willful defaulters of bank loans. Regulatory and supervisory capacity of Nepal Rastra Bank will be further strengthened. In order to protect the deposit of small individual depositors, compulsory insurance of certain amount of savings and fixed deposit by Banks and Financial Institutions will be introduced. The foreign employment will be made systematic and easily accessible to general public. Priority shall be given to co-operative programmes for generating self-employment and self reliance for rural women. In accordance with the policy of the devolution of power, the capacity of local bodies will be strengthened. The programme, "Build Our Village Ourselves", will be pushed forward. An action plan on ‘Youth Empowerment’ will be undertaken in line with the National Youth Policy. The Nepalese Missions abroad will be equipped with resources so as to making economic diplomacy more effective. Nepalese Embassies will be established in South Africa, Brazil, Canada and Kuwait in the next fiscal year. In order to protect and promote the rights and interests of the Nepalese migrant workers and to provide appropriate assistance to those who are in difficulties, Labour Attaches will be appointed. Timely increment will be made on facilities given to civil servants based upon the recommendations of the High Level Pay Commission in order to keep the morale of civil servants high, enhance their work efficiency and re-gain people’s confidence through fair and efficient administration.