Private sector's role in political consensus

When there is only two week left for the budget, private sector is working tirelessly in helping forge political parties a consensus to bring the full-fledged budget on time.

A team of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) led by president Suraj Vaidya has been meeting chieves of the key political parties urging them to forge the consensus as soon as possible.

The team has met caretaker Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Nepali Congress president Shushil Koirala and CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal separately and asked to treat politics and economy separately.

They, during the meeting with Khanal today, asked to agree on common minimum economic agenda prepared by the umbrella organisation of the private sector. "There has been lingering uncertainty after the May 27,” Vaidya said, asking the political parties to agree on minimum economic agenda to save the country from further damaging the economy.

Like NC president Koirala, Khanal also said that his party is serious on sensitive issue like economy and hailed the private sector’s role in trying to bring the political parties closer in economic agenda.

"However, there is no alternative to the political consensus before bringing the budget," he said, adding that there is also no objection to the timely budget but the caretaker government must forge consensus with the key political parties like CPN-UML and Nepali Congress.

The entrepreneurs also showed serious concern over on low capital expenditure — that could create economic activities — in absence of regular budget.

The budget should address political and economic issues separately, Vaidya said, requesting the leaders to be sensitive towards the development of the country and not to throw economic agenda at the back burner.