Economists suggest budget to focus on agriculture, hydropower

Economists today stressed on the need to increase investment in the agricultural and hydropower sector to achieve the desired economic growth rate.
“If the budget could be prepared focusing on agriculture, the country can achieve the desired economic growth rate,” said former vice chair of National Planning Commission (NPC) Deependra Bahadur Kshetry, addressing an interaction here today at the Reporters’ Club.

However, senior economist Prof Dr Bishwambher Pyakurel said that the incumbent government’s budget cannot help fuel economy rather it will fuel inflation. “But scaling up investment in agriculture, hydropower and tourism sector and cracking whip on price hike should be the focus of the budget,” he added.

Likewise, another senior economist Prof Dr Madan Kumar Dahal stressed on a mechanism to contain inflation as it is going to flare the price hike. “The budget should be poor and investment-friendly budget that can address common people’s basic needs,” he added.
Acting president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, however, asked the incumbent government to bring a full-fledged budget without any political colour. “The private sector will be discouraged again, if the government failed to bring a full-fledged budget,” he said, also threatening that the private sector could take to street, if the government fails to bring a full-fledged budget like earlier years. “We want private sector and investment-friendly budget.”