By Our Reporter

The government that holds the general elections in December is all set to introduce a populist budget focusing on the elections.

Homework has already begun to increase the pay of the employees while Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has floated the idea of providing a social allowance to the people aged above 65 years. 

Although the health of the national economy is not good because of the Russia-Ukraine war, the government has prepared to please the people by tabling an election-oriented budget to lure voters. 

It was clearly hinted at in the government policies and programmes unveiled by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday.

In its annual policy document, the government has accorded priority to infrastructure, energy and water supply, job creation and good governance. 

Presenting the Policy and Programmes for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2022/23 at a joint session of the Federal Parliament on Tuesday, President Bhandari said that product and enhancement of productivity, access to energy and water, formation of human capital and employment creation and sustainable development with ecological balance are the priority of the government for next year. 

Bringing down the income inequality and the rate of multidimensional poverty, and strengthening federalism are also given top slots in the policy. The economic policy would be formulated in a way it would bear the risks caused by internal and external reasons. 

"Necessary legal provisions would be created to implement the list of the rights mentioned by the constitutions, and all projects other than the national pride, transformative and strategic importance would be transferred to the provinces and local bodies," said President Bhandari. The government also aims at combining the local economy with the national one to create foundations for economic prosperity in the country. 

Policy and programmes presented at the parliament are the guidelines for the budget of the coming FY 2022/23. 

According to the policies and programmes, the government will give continuity to the pride projects like Kaligandaki, Koshi and Karnali corridors, while works would be expedited at the Postal Highway and Pushpalal Highway, and Galchhi-Rasuwagadhi road would be upgraded to the two-lane blacktopped road. Likewise, priority would be given to the development and up-gradation of the road network that connects India at the southern border points. 

Likewise, in the policy and programmes, the government has included programmes like the operation of cargo rail in Biratnagar Dry Port, feasibility study of East-West Electrified Railway, Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu Railway, and detailed project study of metro-rail in the Kathmandu Valley and development of inland waterways in Nepali rivers. Similarly, the operation of mass transit buses, cable cars and ropeways would also be promoted. 

 

Investment promotion

The government has also pledged reforms in policy, law and system to enhance domestic production, construct quality infrastructure for industrialization, promote investment and create a business environment. "A suitable framework for public-private partnership would be developed and implemented to support the construction of large and strategic infrastructure and industrial development," President Bhandari said.  

In the policy and programmes of the next year, commitment is made to enhance private sector involvement in industrial infrastructure development. The government will provide facilities like electricity, roads and water in the industrial village, industrial zone and special economic zones while policy would be adopted to promote the private sector in the construction, operation and management of infrastructure in these facilities. Special Economic Zone in Bhairahawa will be further expanded. 

An integrated programme 'Farm to Industry' would be run to connect the agriculture, forestry and mining sectors with the industrial process chain, according to the government.