What to expect in the budget

President Ram Baran Yadav on Wednesday unveiled ‘Policies and Programmes’ for the next fiscal year at the Parliament. Addressing parliamentarians and other dignitaries, the President said: “The budget of the next fiscal year will focus on reconstruction, energy sector, development of physical infrastructure, commercialisation of agriculture, industrial development, tourism promotion, employment generation and social development.” The policies and programmes announced by the President work as a guiding tool for the government to frame the annual budget. In other words, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat will prepare the budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 by referring to announcement made today by the President.

Agriculture

Collective, cooperative and contract farming to be promoted, with emphasis on specialisation and commercialisation of agriculture
    
12 tarai districts to be declared special pocket zones for paddy production
    
Soil acidity problem to be addressed by providing grants to companies willing to establish agricultural lime factories
    
Emphasis to be laid on increasing production and installation of cold storage facilities to substitute imports of fruits and vegetables
    
Subsidies and grants to be extended to attract youths to commercial farming
    
Use of organic fertiliser to be promoted
    
Special programmes to promote production of traditional food items to be introduced

Aviation

    
Nepal’s aviation safety standards to be made compatible with international standards considering aviation safety interest of International Civil Aviation Organisation

Capacity, services and facilities of Tribhuvan International Airport to be upgraded
        
Domestic air service companies to be encouraged to shift their bases outside of Kathmandu to minimise air traffic at TIA
    
One airfield to be established in each remote hilly district upon conducting feasibility study
    
Process of bringing in strategic partners at Nepal Airlines Corporation to be initiated
   
Construction of Second International Airport at Nijgadh, Bara to be initiated
    
Pending construction works at various airports to be completed
    
Domestic airports to be categorised based on physical infrastructure, air traffic density and future business possibilities

Economic Policies

    
Concepts of public-private partnership and cooperatives and community-based people’s participation to be pursued to revive the economy
    
Vision 2030 to be formulated and implemented to turn Nepal into middle-income state by 2030
    
Policy of ‘One Family, One Cooperative Member’ to be introduced
    
Policy to be introduced to utilise capital and skills of non-resident Nepalis for economic and social development of the country
    
Laws to be formulated and implemented to resolve problems related to land acquisition and compensation to facilitate infrastructure development
    
Youth Vision-2025 to be implemented
    
Timely amendments to be made to the Company Act, Quality and Metrology Act and Mine Act

Investment

    
One-stop service centre to be established to facilitate domestic and foreign investors
    
Public and private investments to be mobilised to complete reconstruction works, with use of indigenous technology and raw materials

Irrigation

    
Emphasis to be laid on construction of inter-watershed, water transfer and reservoir-based multi-purpose projects to provide round-the-year irrigation service
    
Detailed study and project proposals of Sunkoshi-Kamala, Sunkoshi-Marin, Kali Gandaki-Tinau, Thuligad-Kailali and Kankai high-dam projects to be prepared
    
Continuity to be given to Karnali and Seti Irrigation Development Programme and third phase of the Mahakali Irrigation Project
    
Sikta, Rani Jamara Kulariya and Babai irrigation projects to be completed soon
    
Continuity to be given to construction of Bheri Corridor Multipurpose Development Programme and Bheri-Babai Diversion Project

Public Finance Management

    
Contribution-based pension system to be introduced for newly appointed civil servants, teachers, and army, police and armed police personnel
    
Budget to be allocated to projects that have completed detailed feasibility study
    
Project implementation capacity to be enhanced through application of performance-based incentive system

Roads and Transport

    
District headquarters of Humla and Dolpa to be connected with national roads network
    
Construction works of mid-hill highway, Seti-Mahakali highway and Kaligandaki, Koshi and Karnali corridors to be expedited
    
Feasibility studies of Bheri and Rapti corridors to be conducted
    
Narayanghat-Mugling road segment to be upgraded
    
Construction of Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhes Expressway to be initiated
    
Construction work of Postal Highway and bridges on it to be completed soon
    
Continuity to be given to expanding business routes such as Rani-Itahari-Dharan, Birgunj-Pathlaiya, Belhiya-Butwal, Kohalpur-Nepalgunj and Jatahi-Janakpur-Dhalkebar into six lanes
    
Detailed project reports of Thankot-Nagdhunga tunnel-way and Butwal-Dobhan tunnel-way to be prepared
    
Lamosangu-Jiri road to be upgraded
    
Construction of Bardibas-Jaleshwar road to be initiated upon preparation of detailed project report
    
Construction works of greater Janakpur ring road to be initiated
    
Feasibility studies for metro-rail, mono-rail, ropeway, cable car and waterway to be carried out

Trade

    
New industrial zones and corridors to be developed
    
Infrastructure for proposed special economic zones at Simara and Panchkhaal to be developed
    
Construction of dry port at Larcha of Sindhupalchowk to be completed
    
Construction works at dry port in Timure of Rasuwa to be initiated
    
Construction of container freight station and international-standard trade exhibition centre to begin at Chobhar of Kathmandu
    
List of goods and services in Nepal Trade Integration Strategy 2010 to be revised
    
Goods that reflect Nepali art and culture to be promoted abroad
    
Timely review to be made to export cash incentive programme

Urban Development

    
Master plan on Pokhara Valley Development to be framed and implemented
    
Continuity to be given to model city development programme in 12 places, including 10 in Pyuthan, Surkhet and along the mid-hill highway
    
Integrated urban infrastructure development programme to be launched in Dhangadi, Attariya, Bhimdatta and Jhalari municipalities of the far-western region
    
Master-plan on Smart City to be formulated for Kathmandu Valley, Lumbini, Nijgadh and other districts hard-hit by earthquakes
    
Earthquake-resilient green cities to be developed
    
Damak and Kohalpur to be developed as green municipalities

OTHERS

    
‘Cooperative Saving Safety Fund’ and ‘Cooperative Loan Investment Safety Fund’ to be established
    
Unified social security law to be framed and unified social security programme to be launched
    
National Health Insurance Programme to be expanded to raise access of people to health services
    
Public enterprises of similar nature to be merged
    
Land of public enterprises not in operation to be utilised for public interest
    
Detailed study on headworks and tunnel construction at the site of Melamchi Drinking Water Project to be conducted

to supply additional 340 million litres of water per day to Kathmandu Valley from Yangri and Larke rivers

 Optical fibre network to be extended nationwide
    
Broadband internet facility to be introduced in earthquake-affected districts
    
Feasibility study of installing Nepal’s own satellite to be concluded
    
Private sector to be encouraged to produce bio-diesel

Source:THT