We'll take our share of blame for economic failure: NC

Published On: April 10, 2018 05:30 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

'White paper guided by psychology to establish the agenda for next elections'

KATHMANDU, April 10: The Nepali Congress (NC) has taken strong exception to the white paper unveiled by Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, arguing that the document offers an incomplete and distorted picture of the country's economic situation.

The white paper, unveiled by the government two weeks ago, has painted a grim picture of the country's economic situation blaming the liberal economic policies adopted by post 1990 NC government for the current situation.

NC spokesman Bishwa Prakash Sharma said the white paper was a part of a grand design of the left government to establish the agenda for the next elections through propagation of misinformation. He said that the diagnosis of the country's economic situation presented in the white paper has undermined NC's contribution in the economy by twisting selective facts and figures.

"It's clear that the white paper is guided by a psychology to establish a point and set the agenda for next elections (by) misleading public to believe that the economy was zero when NC left the government and they [leftist alliance] saved it from falling apart," Sharma told reporter during a press conference organized by his party on Monday. But Sharma said that the grand old party was ready to take "its share of blame" for the current economic situation.

It was the first official comments from the main opposition party on the white paper.

Presenting the white paper on the country's economic situation two weeks ago, Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada had said the country's economy had hit its historic low due to fiscal indiscipline and dependence on revenue generated through imports.

Sharma said that the white paper was politically motivated wherein the government had exaggerated the economic situation of the country by cherrypicking facts and figures so as to mislead the public.

Commenting on the white paper last week, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba had said that the left parties -- CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) -- were equally responsible for the current economic situation.

"The governments formed after the 2006 people's movement in the country were mostly headed by leftists. How fair is it to tell that only the NC was responsible for the current economic imbalance," NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba said on Friday.