PM’s prosperity commitment  

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been expressing commitment for prosperity, development, good governance and effective service delivery ever since he assumed office in February this year. He renewed this commitment while briefing international community at the end of March—urging the development partners to align assistance with national priorities. The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment for development and prosperity in his address to the nation on the occasion of Nepali New Year on Saturday as well. The venue he chose—Rara Lake of Karnali Province—for national address has symbolic meaning. Karnali region lags behind in infrastructure development and human development index despite having immense potentials in water resources, herbs and tourism. Thus his vow to put backward Karnali Province on board the country’s development process is welcome. His commitment on commercialization of agriculture, access to education and health for all, promotion of tourism and herbal products and ending discriminatory social traditions in Karnali and across the country are equally well placed.

There is no denying that we need to put education, health, tourism and development of physical infrastructures on priority. We also need strict legal measures to combat corruption and transform the country into an agriculturally independent state. In fact, this should be the guiding principle of our politics in the days to come. Prime Minister has already completed two months in office. But so far, his promises have remained limited to pronouncements. Now his focus should be on action. It is already high time for laying the solid foundations for achieving his dream vision. It is getting late to end the bureaucratic and legal hurdles for the domestic and foreign investors for accelerating infrastructure development.  He needs to come up with vital policy reforms to attract foreign investment, boost public private partnership, cut red tape and reform our bureaucracy. In absence of these vital necessities, PM’s talks will sound cheap. 

It need not be reemphasized that PM enjoys huge support both at the parliament and at people’s level. He has been described as “the strongman” both home and abroad and people take him in good faith and have given him the benefit of doubt because he has been making the right promises and spelling out right priorities. But as is the case, a number of laws are yet to be enacted to facilitate the works of provincial governments and we are yet to create supportive infrastructures for them.  Some of his ministers like Rabindra Adhikari, Gokarna Bista and Lal Babu Pandit have initiated right actions in their respective ministries.  He should direct other ministers to follow suit. We should remember that vision of ‘Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepalis’ cannot be achieved only by pronouncing it in speeches. His predecessors had also promised a lot in the past but fell short on delivery. He should prove himself to be different from them. Now the people want to see the PM executing his plans into action. He should demonstrate with action that he is indeed committed to change the face of the country.  

 
• talk
 
• is
 
• cheap