From national identity cards being mandatory to evicting the squatters living on the river banks, from re-operational of currently closed industries to completion of construction of four cricket stadiums within two years, the government has unveiled its ambitious policies and programs for upcoming fiscal year 2023/24.

KATHMANDU, May 20:  The government on Friday unveiled its policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2023/24. 

President Ram Chandra Paudel presented the policies and programs before a joint session of the federal parliament including the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had presented the annual report (FY 2021/22) of the government before the house meeting in accordance with Article 53 of the Constitution and Section 41 of the Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act, 2064 BS. 

Addressing the session, President Paudel said that various natural as well as man-made disasters such as earthquake, COVID-19, dengue etc created unexpected pressure on Nepal’s economy and also created a challenge in macroeconomic stability and financial management, during the first seven years of the implementation of the constitution.

“Various international events, including the Russia-Ukraine war, created pressure in the external sector of our economy and also affected the supply chain. Against this backdrop, all efforts have to be focused on strengthening the economy by increasing investment and production while improving the external sector and the industrial environment,” he said.

While the fake Bhutanese refugees scam has taken the country by storm along with various high profile arrests, the government has announced that it will investigate the assets of high-ranking officials. In the policies and programs for the next fiscal year, it is mentioned that the wealth acquired illegally by anyone including high-ranking officials will be brought under scrutiny.

Under the policy of effectively conducting economic diplomacy, the government is also going to evaluate the missions and mission chiefs based on the role played by Nepali diplomatic missions in investment, tourism and export promotion and foreign aid mobilization. President Paudel said that the delegations will be reviewed and strengthened based on their workload and the dimensions and scope of bilateral relations.

Tax Review

The government has also announced that it will review the tax system in the next fiscal year. President Paudel said that he will crack down on revenue leakages, under-invoicing, investment in illegal business and flight of national capital. He announced that the scope of revenue would be expanded and all economic activities would be brought under the formal system.

Similarly, the government has decided to either cancel or merge the development committees and funds that have duplication of work, are not working according to the purpose, and are irrelevant. President Paudel said that necessary legal arrangements will be made to manage the manpower and assets of the abolished or merged institutions.

The government has adopted a policy of evicting the squatters living on the river banks. It is mentioned that landless and riverside squatters will be managed. There is a program to clear encroached land by transferring the real poor and landless people along the banks of the river in Kathmandu valley to suitable places.

National ID

The government has also revealed that a national identity card number is required for opening a bank account, getting a vehicle license, issuing house design approval and getting a permanent account number. This work is stated in the policies and programs to be implemented within the next three years. The government has also said that the citizen's biological details will be taken only once.

Employment 

In the current fiscal year 2022/23, the number of people going abroad for foreign employment has exceeded 600,000. While the data shows that an average of 2,244 individuals left the country for foreign employment daily, the government has claimed that it will provide employment to 500,000 youths in the country itself within the next two years.

To achieve this target, the government will run a special campaign aimed at the youth. This campaign, which will be conducted by the government in collaboration with the private sector, is called the National Skill Development and Employment Program. A plan to renew the labor agreement with the countries that currently have labor agreements has also been put forward.

Voting facility

Likewise, the government is going to make arrangements to allow Nepalese citizens abroad to vote in periodic elections. The security agencies will be empowered by using modern technology to control all types of criminal activities including terrorism and organized crime, money laundering, violence, cyber-crime, illegal drug trafficking, said Poudel.

Tourism sector was hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of 2023, the tourism sector is slowly gaining its momentum as the number of tourists visiting Nepal is increasing. In the last four months, there has been a sharp improvement in the arrival of tourists in Nepal with 326,528 foreign visitors. With this, the government has announced that it will celebrate this decade of 2080 BS as Nepal Tourism Decade and celebrate the year 2025 AD as a special tourism year.

The government has said that it will also invite famous personalities of international level to promote tourism. President Paudel said that a program of honoring climbers of Mt Everest will be conducted in various categories for the promotion of tourism.

In addition to this, the government is preparing to merge Nepal Television and Radio Nepal. President Poudel said Radio Nepal and Nepal Television will be merged and integrated broadcasting service will be started after establishing the Public Service Broadcaster within the next two fiscal years.

The Press Council will be transformed into a Media Council with new legal arrangements to regulate the content published and broadcast by all media. An umbrella law related to mass media will be created.

In the policies and programs, the government has announced that the Hetauda Textile Industry, Gorakhkali Rubber Industry and Butwal Thread Industry will be brought back to operation. The government has announced to re-operate these currently closed industries through the next fiscal year's budget. 

Free Electricity 

Similarly, the government is going to provide free electricity to consumers who consume up to 50 units per month in the rainy season and 30 units in the winter season. The government has announced that cooking gas will be gradually replaced by electricity.

Health facility 

In the policy and program, the matters related to health include implementation of one doctor and one health institution, to operate OPD services from 8 AM to 8 PM, and building a state-of-the-art hospital that can treat heart and cancer diseases at the provincial level.

Arrangements for diagnosis and treatment of autism disease, production of 98 types of medicines in the country, review of health insurance programs, arrangements for treatment of infertility and childlessness in all seven provinces are included.

Similarly, it is mentioned in the policy and program to transform the Department of Drug Administration into the Department of Pharmaceuticals and Health Technology, and to restructure the Singh Durbar Medical Center and Herb Processing Center.

The policies and programs for 2023/24 includes many ambitious projects which includes completion of construction of four cricket stadiums within two years, bringing ride sharing services under the law and operation of one air ambulance service in two remote districts.

 
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