Lawmaker Swarnim Wagle describes Govt's new policies and programmes as 'routine'

Kathmandu, May 6: Rastriya Swatantra Party leader and lawmaker Dr Swarnim Wagle has described the government's new policies and programmes as routine.     

He was airing his views on party basis during a discussion on the Government's annual policy and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 BS in today's meeting of the House of Representatives.     

"This is merely a list of the old programmes brought reluctantly by a tired government. The order of the budget is also not aligned. Tourism has been lumped under the physical infrastructure and agriculture under trade. There is also no coordination between ministries of foreign affairs and finance," he said.     

According to him, although the agreement reached between the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) during the formation of the government was aimed at banishing corruption and maintaining good governance, this is completely missing in practice.     

He said though the NC and UML had agreed to amend the constitution, they could not bring out the details of amendment even after 10 months of the formation of the government.     

Leader Wagle pledged his party's support if the high-level economic reform suggestion report included in the policies and programmes was implemented practically.     

Referring to his party's support to the government in the Economic and Business Environment Reform and Investment Promotion Bill, he said the issue of re-prioritizing physical infrastructure projects in the policies and programmes was positive.     

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader and lawmaker Gyanendra Shahi said, " The government's policies and programmes document speaks of making a revolution in agriculture, but the situation is such that farmers are not able to sell fish due to the import of foreign fish, the apples of Jumla produced in the country have not been sold; at least if a policy is made not to import agricultural products from outside, then the people themselves will be engaged in production.”     

'Government's policies and programmes are traditional'     

Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and member of the House of Representatives Devendra Paudel has said that the government's policies and programmes are traditional.     

During a discussion on the government's annual policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2082/83 BS in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, Paudel said, "Public policy synchrony, social justice, employment of students 20 hours a week, and provisions on citizen apps, online tax system, digital foundation, cyber security, digital Nepal and bank system were included in last year's policies and programmes. These have been copied and included in the new policies and programmes.”     

Stating that the policies and programmes should incorporate strong resolve for nation-building, Paudel slammed the policies and programmes of failing to cover the overall development of the country.     

According to him, the projects of national pride in the current fiscal year are facing problems due to lack of budget.     

Paudel said only 31.9 per cent of the development budget has been spent in the 10 months of the current fiscal year.     

'Efforts to raise investment through policies and programmes'     

CPN (UML) lawmaker Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai has said the policies and programmes presented in the House are youth-oriented and investment-friendly.     

In today's meeting of the House of Representatives, he said the policies and programmes have ensured suitable policies for providing employment to the youth and for investment.     

"There are provisions related to the integrated plan bank and to industrial, environment and youth-centric policies and programmes, while priority has been given to policies and programmes for agriculture, industry, production and infrastructure development," Bhattarai said.     

He argued that if the capital of Nepalis scattered in different parts of the world could be integrated, there would be no need to look to others for the economic development of the country.     

Lawmaker Bhattarai was of the view that the country would progress through the development of energy, agriculture and tourism.     

Stressing on the need to increase investment in the manufacturing sector, he said, "We sell electricity to neighboring countries at cheaper price but buy it at higher price. This should not be the way."(RSS)