Despite being abundantly rich in natural resources it is disheartening to see Nepal continue to rank, year after year, among the poorest countries on the planet. Nepal is reportedly the second richest country in the world in water resources, after only Brazil. This is something hammered into our heads since our schooldays. But unfortunately even its capital, Katmandu, faces an acute shortage of drinking water as well as long hours of power cuts.If Nepal had properly utilized its water resources, instead of suffering long hours of load shedding, we would have earned billions of rupees in revenues from electricity generated from our abundant rivers. This in turn could have been invested to upgrade Nepal's physical and human infrastructure. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore could prosper without much in the way of natural resources. Then why can't Nepal, with its abundance in natural resources, follow on their footsteps?
I am confronted with this question whenever I visit other countries. Recently I was in New Delhi. There, I had gone to Noida, which is fast emerging as a smart, model city of India. After the construction of Yamuna Express Highway one can reach Agra, which is at a distance of around 200 km, in three hours from Greater Noida. India is going through a complete face-lift after its government started investing in infrastructure. Similar is the story of China, the second largest economy in the world. Both India and China are soon going to be superpowers, not just in Asia but in the entire world. But Nepal, which is strategically located between these vibrant engines of global economic growth, continues to be in the doldrums. But why is that the case? Isn't it high time we learned to benefit from the breakneck development of our two giant neighbors?
After the sovereign Constituent Assembly promulgated the much-awaited constitution on September 20th, 2015, thereby firmly establishing the agendas of republican, federalism and secularism, the much-talked about political revolution in Nepal is now almost over. Now political parties and their leaders should focus on bringing about an economic revolution in Nepal which is aimed at the country's long-term development. Sadly, until now our mainstream leaders have been mostly obsessed about their own power and pelf. It seems they have little time to think about the country. But Nepal cannot develop so long as it doesn't have visionary leaders and a stable political system.
It is thus imperative that our political parties and their leaders change themselves in line with the country's changed needs. From now on, people should reject those parties and leaders who don't make the country's prosperity their number one agenda. Corruption is another binding constraint for Nepal's prosperity. The latest report by Transparency International ranks Nepal as the 10th most corrupt country in the world, among the 168 countries surveyed. Nepal only scored 27 out of possible 100 in its new corruption perception index, which is extremely worrisome.
In this situation, it goes without saying that Nepal should have zero tolerance to corruption. Nepali citizens, for their part, should reject tainted leaders in periodic elections. But we seem to be going in the opposite direction. In the recently concluded 13th general convention of Nepali Congress, which is now the largest party in national parliament, a notorious leader who has been convicted on corruption charges and served time in jail was elected a central committee member with a large number of votes. This shows that our political parties are not serious about tackling this scourge of corruption that is eating away at the country's foundations. Corruption, as such, is number one hindrance to Nepal's development. Until and unless we uproot this evil, people's dream of a prosperous Nepal won't materialize.
Until now the big chunk of our annual budget has been allocated for educational sector, but the results so far are far from impressive. Today educated youths are compelled to leave for the Gulf countries in search of backbreaking work. Our education system has failed to equip them with the right knowledge and make them fit for today's knowledge economy. We need to change our education system, make it compatible with the needs of the Nepali job market, so that the educated can find gainful work after completing their studies.
But this won't happen when, in order to establish a new business in the country, you have to run from pillar to post due to our complicated rules and regulations. We must make it easier for businesses to set shop and proper in Nepal and for foreign investors to come and invest here. Remittance cannot sustain our economy for long. For the country's long-term prosperity, there is no alternative to investing more in our industries and, with extension, in job creation.
If we make poverty our number one enemy, we can see our country prosper even within a generation. South Korea, which was one of the poorest countries in the world without natural resources, today is one of the most vibrant economies of the world. Korean War claimed the lives of more than five million Koreans. But that didn't stop South Korea from pursuing prosperity. Under the able leadership of President Park June-hee South Korea saw investment in factories and industries soar, as the country learned to funnel remittance sent by miners and nurses working abroad in productive sectors. There were many Koreans who could have enjoyed comfortable lives in America and Europe. But they returned with the determination to make their country prosperous and powerful. As a result, South Korea today is a strong, developed country.
One thing which Nepali people can learn from Koreans is their love for work. It is said that Koreans worship their work. There is respect for every kind of work in South Korea, whereas Nepalis, even as they are ready to do every imaginable work abroad, feel humiliated to do the same work back in Nepal. Unless we change this defeatist mindset, there can be no economic prosperity in Nepal.
The author is a social activist and freelance writer
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