Prioritise agriculture, creation of jobs, reconstruction: Lawmakers

KATHMANDU, JUL 02 - Former finance ministers and lawmakers have said the budget for the next fiscal year should accord top priority to the agriculture sector, creation of jobs for the youths and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the April 25 Earthquake.

At a pre-budget discussion in the Parliament that kicked off on Wednesday, the lawmakers said the new budget is going to be a crucial one in terms of two perspectives—first it is coming after the April 25 Great Earthquake, and second the country is going to wrap up the constitution drafting process oaving the way for political stability.

The lawmakers asked the government to prepare the budget keeping in mind that it would have a long-term impact.

Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai asked the finance ministry to give priority to the agriculture sector, stating it would boost the country’s economy. He asked the government to allocate at least 10 percent budget for the agriculture sector He was also of the view the budget should focus on reconstruction of damaged physical infrastructure.

“The government should fix principles and priority of the budget and prepare programmes accordingly,” he said. “This year is going to be a very crucial year.”

Bhattarai said the budget should aim at increasing per capita income, creating more jobs and ending social injustice and inequality.

Besides agriculture, he said energy and infrastructure development should be other key priority areas.  The former finance minister also said identity cards should be distributed to the poor and those injured in various political movements.

Former finance minister and senior CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari asked government to invest in agriculture along with providing subsidies to the farmers. He said the farmers should be provided soft loans. “If we invest more in agriculture, it will help boost the country’s overall economy,” said Adhikari.

He said the government should also focus on ending power outage. “Social

security and special programmes for poor and marginalised communities should be other priority areas.”

Nepali Congress Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel asked Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat to prepare a welfare budget. He sought a budget targeting farmers.

Source: eKantipur