Our economy is in crisis. And, even the future is not dark. The light is on. There are many possibilities. Recently, the National Statistics Department released a report. Many indicators have improved. Per capita income has increased. Improvements have been seen due to the operation of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. I had taken the initiative for the construction of this project when I was the Finance Minister.
The project was dared to be built with Nepali investment. It was started with the joint investment of the Provident Fund, Nepal Telecom and others. The government of Nepal had made arrangements to invest insufficient money. Electricity imports have been cut since Tamakoshi came into operation. Nepal’s electricity has been used in industry and production. But there is no such thing as happiness. The economy still needs to improve. Trade deficit has increased. Imports are the same. The government has tried to control the import of some goods. But that alone is not enough. The budget was 16 trillion rupees.
The trade deficit is likely to be 17/18 trillion. 42 percent is foreign debt. It’s not much. But if it continues to grow, the situation of non-payment of debt may be created. This is a serious question for us. It is also a challenge for leadership. If there is no domestic production, imports will not make the country prosperous. The contribution of indigenous industries is less. We have become very expensive even with remittance money. It is time to make a budget. Therefore, attention should be paid to national policy making. Not just with a distribution-oriented budget. How to distribute if not product? The focus should be on earning. Now the youth should stay in the country. It is not enough to go abroad and abuse the country. Others do not make our country. I have to pay attention to what my role is. The responsibility of building the country is on the shoulders of the youth. Responsibility should be handed over to the new ones. Now the responsibility of nation building is to be taken by the youth.
Whether it is the economic sector or education, now the youth should take the lead. We have to start building the country collectively. The future of the country is bright, nature has helped. We have plenty of land, streams and mountains. The country will prosper if nature can be transformed into wealth. The country can be made new and rich by using nature and resources. The country’s investment in higher education is low. The number of people going abroad and returning for higher education has increased. A clear policy on investment in higher education should be brought to stop the exodus of educational manpower. There is a growing tendency to shut down, to strike, and to stop investing in higher education for a moment’s appreciation. This has caused great loss to the country.
- It causes great damage in transformation. There is no investment climate here. Strikes and donations due to administrative hassles have not been able to attract investment. Foreign investors are also not enthusiastic. It has become our culture to make a living.