FinMin introduces detailed action plan

KATHMANDU, FEB 8: 

Finance Ministry today introduced a detailed action plan based on the government’s ambitious Immediate Action Plan that has focused on agriculture, tourism, energy and infrastructure to create half a million jobs in the next six months.

The Finance Ministry has planned to direct Rastirya Banijya Bank, Nepal Bank and Agriculture Development Bank to lend a minimum of five per cent of their total loan portfolio to the agriculture sector.

Within six months, Agriculture Development Bank will focus on creating 5,000 jobs by lending Rs 1 billion to youths under the self employment programme, said finance secretary Krishnahari Baskota launching the action plan. The three banks along with Small Farmers Development Bank will focus on lending in the fruits, commercial and high-value crops, and livestock areas to generate employment and contribute to economic growth, he said, adding that it will not only help substitute imports but also empower the remote Karnali region which will have a special ‘Apple Mission’ project.

Though government has promised ‘a great leap forward’, its first relief measure brought some five months back failed to cheer people giving them enough room to suspect that the current plan too won’t bear any fruit and they will continue to suffer in absence of basic necessities.

Source: THT