Lawmakers today demanded the government to bring supplementary budget – to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus – before the regular budget for the next fiscal year.
Commenting on the ‘Principals and Priorities of the Budget for the next fiscal year’ – presented by the finance minister Dr Yub Raj Khatiwada at the house yesterday – they asked the government to first bring immediate relief measures, through supplementary budget, as the economy has suffered a lot due to one-and-a-half month lockdown clamped to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The parliamentarians, on the occasion, also demanded the government to prioritise four sectors—employment generation, agriculture, health and the education—in the federal budget for the next fiscal year 2020-21.
They also said that as the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is taking away jobs from thousands of Nepalis within the country and out in different labour destinations, the primary focus of the new budget should be creating jobs. “The government to hold adequate discussions within the House and outside before presenting the budget,” they said, adding that
The finance minister has to present the budget every year on Jesth 15, which falls on May 28 this year.
Dr Khatiwada will present the budget for next fiscal year 2020-21 in the Parliament on May 28, though the budget session has started late due to coronavirus pandemic. The government has escaped the pre-budget discussions, and holding the discussion from today before programmes and Policies to be presented by the president on May 15.
The lawmakers – of almost all the political parties in the House – has a unanimous view that the government should not set ambitious targets and be realistic in its budget focusing on resolving the problems created by the pandemic. The government has as always like in the normal times has targeted to get double digit growth, which it has failed to achieve in the last fiscal year and fiscal year too, and of course seems not possible in the next fiscal year also.
The incumbent government and finance minister – who is going to present the budget for the third year in the row – has repeatedly failed to not only achieve the growth target but also crack whip on inflation, and also create investment friendly environment. “The private sector that has already been under threat from the government and its machinery that have been directly involved in the extortion, has not been able to operate business but the government has ordered to pay the complete salary of last month and thus month too,” said an entrepreneur, who did not wanted to be named due to fear from the finance minister and the incumbent government that does not like to hear criticism.
The government has failed to pay the salary to government staff, how can private sector – without operating industries – pay salary of the workers for two months without work, he said, adding that they have not been reaping huge profits as assumed by the public. “The government is taking loan from the development partners to pay salary to its staff, and how can the private sector pay salary to its workers without any support.”
On the occasion, Nepali Congress lawmaker Minendra Rijal, also the shadow finance minister, said that thousands of migrant Nepali workers, and also those inside the country, have lost their jobs. “The government must thus focus on creating jobs,” he said, adding that the government also does not have exact data of how many Nepalis are currently employed abroad, though estimates suggest the number could be in millions.
There are over 1.5 million Nepali youths in Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait alone, according to the Migration in Nepal report. Likewise, some 3 million to 4 million people are employed in India. “The economic slowdown in these source countries has already hit the job market hard,” he said, adding that some 3,500 Nepali workers have registered to return home from Kuwait. “More unemployed Nepali migrant workers means more drop in remittance inflow, which will lead to decline in the import and affect revenue mobilisation.”
Urging the government to bring a realistic budget, he also said that despite agriculture accounting for one third of the country’s economy, the sector still continues to be neglected.
The lawmakers also demanded to allocate at least 10 per cent of the budget for the agriculture sector from currently 5 per cent that comes to around Rs 1.53 trillion.
The lawmakers also called the government to empower the local governments to help them implement projects more effectively, spend more to upgrade healthcare system, and invest more to develop infrastructure for online studies.
Commenting on the ‘Principals and Priorities of the Budget for the next fiscal year’ – presented by the finance minister Dr Yub Raj Khatiwada at the house yesterday – they asked the government to first bring immediate relief measures, through supplementary budget, as the economy has suffered a lot due to one-and-a-half month lockdown clamped to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The parliamentarians, on the occasion, also demanded the government to prioritise four sectors—employment generation, agriculture, health and the education—in the federal budget for the next fiscal year 2020-21.
They also said that as the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is taking away jobs from thousands of Nepalis within the country and out in different labour destinations, the primary focus of the new budget should be creating jobs. “The government to hold adequate discussions within the House and outside before presenting the budget,” they said, adding that
The finance minister has to present the budget every year on Jesth 15, which falls on May 28 this year.
Dr Khatiwada will present the budget for next fiscal year 2020-21 in the Parliament on May 28, though the budget session has started late due to coronavirus pandemic. The government has escaped the pre-budget discussions, and holding the discussion from today before programmes and Policies to be presented by the president on May 15.
The lawmakers – of almost all the political parties in the House – has a unanimous view that the government should not set ambitious targets and be realistic in its budget focusing on resolving the problems created by the pandemic. The government has as always like in the normal times has targeted to get double digit growth, which it has failed to achieve in the last fiscal year and fiscal year too, and of course seems not possible in the next fiscal year also.
The incumbent government and finance minister – who is going to present the budget for the third year in the row – has repeatedly failed to not only achieve the growth target but also crack whip on inflation, and also create investment friendly environment. “The private sector that has already been under threat from the government and its machinery that have been directly involved in the extortion, has not been able to operate business but the government has ordered to pay the complete salary of last month and thus month too,” said an entrepreneur, who did not wanted to be named due to fear from the finance minister and the incumbent government that does not like to hear criticism.
The government has failed to pay the salary to government staff, how can private sector – without operating industries – pay salary of the workers for two months without work, he said, adding that they have not been reaping huge profits as assumed by the public. “The government is taking loan from the development partners to pay salary to its staff, and how can the private sector pay salary to its workers without any support.”
On the occasion, Nepali Congress lawmaker Minendra Rijal, also the shadow finance minister, said that thousands of migrant Nepali workers, and also those inside the country, have lost their jobs. “The government must thus focus on creating jobs,” he said, adding that the government also does not have exact data of how many Nepalis are currently employed abroad, though estimates suggest the number could be in millions.
There are over 1.5 million Nepali youths in Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait alone, according to the Migration in Nepal report. Likewise, some 3 million to 4 million people are employed in India. “The economic slowdown in these source countries has already hit the job market hard,” he said, adding that some 3,500 Nepali workers have registered to return home from Kuwait. “More unemployed Nepali migrant workers means more drop in remittance inflow, which will lead to decline in the import and affect revenue mobilisation.”
Urging the government to bring a realistic budget, he also said that despite agriculture accounting for one third of the country’s economy, the sector still continues to be neglected.
The lawmakers also demanded to allocate at least 10 per cent of the budget for the agriculture sector from currently 5 per cent that comes to around Rs 1.53 trillion.
The lawmakers also called the government to empower the local governments to help them implement projects more effectively, spend more to upgrade healthcare system, and invest more to develop infrastructure for online studies.
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