Kathmandu, Sept 1 : Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Paudel has expressed the government readiness for tangible interventions for the advancement of national economy.
At the 26th annual general meeting
(AGM) of Society of Economic Journalists- Nepal (SEJON) held here Sunday,
Finance Minister Paudel said the government was effortful to improve the
economy through policy and operational interventions. He further shared that
government was seeking recommendations from all sectors to boost national
economy.
"Though economic and financial
indicators are gradually advancing to positive trends, the confidence of
general investors and consumers have not increased accordingly.
The economy is under pressure,
Finance Minister Paudel said, calling for the private sector to adopt proactive
approach towards attaining the national goal of development and
prosperity.
The government was always open to
address the genuine demands of private sectors, he added.
On the occasion, Nepal Rastra Bank
(NRB) governor Maha Prasad Adhikari said the nation's economy is improving and
monetary and financial indicators are turning convenient. "The external
sector is at ease. Inflation has decreased.
Liquidity has increased in banks and financial institutions. The areas of automobiles and capital market are becoming vibrant," he said, assuring of economic vibrancy in a new way from this current fiscal year.
As he said, the NRB will find
issues in the economic system and address them at a policy level.
President of the Federation of
Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, expressed
concerns that the Bill designed to amend the Banks and Financial Institutions
Act incorporates provisions that are not private-sector friendly.
"Besides, the provisions
allowing the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the
National Vigilance Center to monitor the private sector may create
issues," he said.
He demanded prompt payment of
government dues to the construction companies, control of cross-border imports
and transactions taking place via illegal channel, and more flexibility in the
provision regarding the amount of cash that Indian tourists can possess in
Nepal.
President of Confederation of Nepalese
Industries (CNI) Rajesh Kumar Agrawal said despite improvements in the economy,
domestic production and demand is still stagnant. (RSS)