Kathmandu, May 28: The CPN-UML central planning and monitoring department organised a pre-budget discussion programme here today.
Taking part in the discussion as chief guest, party general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said since development of agriculture, industrial and other sectors of the country is not possible without the implementation of a revolutionary land reforms programme, the government should pay attention to the implementation of such a land reforms scheme.
He also stressed the need to give priority to tourism, water resources, construction and export-oriented industry on the basis of comparative advantage.
Criticizing the government for not consulting the main opposition party while formulating the national budget, he made it clear that CPN-UML has never attempted at power sharing.
The CPN-UML general secretary stressed the need for the representation of businessmen and industrialists in parliament and said that all political parties should agree to this idea.
CPN-UML standing committee member Bharatmohan Adhikari said that at present the country’s economy is facing a big crisis and major industries are on the verge of collapse. The way illegal trade is increasing in the country is indicative of bigger economic crisis, he added.
Protection of industries, resolution of unemployment problem, promotion of industrial sector and proper utilization of foreign aid are the major challenges before the country today.
Various industrialists, businessmen and business organisation representatives, who took part in the discussion, said that smuggling has been a big obstacle to the promotion of industry and trade in the country. They stressed the need to control smuggling.
Drawing the attention of all sectors concerned to the fact that illegal exports and imports from political, administrative and business sectors are giving rise to corruption. They suggested that an all-sided task force be formed to check illegal export and imports.
Industrialists and businessmen stressed the need for the government to give priority to the promoting of agriculture, water resources, tourism and communication technology sectors.
They also underlined the need for the government to free the business community from unnecessary hassels, provide other employment opportunity to poor rural farm workers, formulate exports specific legislation, stop strikes and bandhs, hold extensive discussions before obtaining WTO membership, make tax administration transparent, provide tax discount on exports and establish small rural banks in the villages.
Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Mahesh Lal Pradhan, Tularam Dugar, Chiranjilal Agrawal, Narendra Kumar Basnyat, Hulaschand Golchha, Kaji Sherpa, Rohini Thapaliya, Rameshwor Aryal, Chandiraj Dhakal, Surendra Bir Malakar, Shivaram Prasai, Jafar Ahmad, Indra Bahadur Shakya, Dipak Dhamala, Diwakar Golchha, Lokmanya Golchha, Ramesh Shrestha, Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha, Banwari Lal Mittal, Basudev Giri, Mahesh Kumar Agrawal and others represented the industry and trade sector in the discussion programme.
CPN-UML standing committee members, MPs, economists and intellectuals also took part in the discussion.