Plea To Partners
THE Nepal Development Forum 2002, being held
in the country for the first time, has been awaited with much anticipation by the
country’s financial managers as it is a forum that could help both the government and
Nepal’s development partners arrive at a consensus on how to address the economic
uncertainties that Nepal is reeling under. Nepal’s economy has taken a hard beating
from unfavourable external and domestic events. It is plain that Nepal cannot cope with
the economic challenges on its own. Support from Nepal’s development partners is
crucial if Nepal is to tide over the present difficult circumstances brought in by a
situation created by internal disturbances and external environment, both resulting mainly
from acts of terrorism, as emphasised by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in his
inaugural address to the NDF Monday. In this critical hour, we need a strong partnership,
Mr. Deuba told his audience. Budgetary difficulties are plain. While the security spending
is growing, the development demands are also increasing. The resource crunch has come not
only to maintain the ongoing priority programmes, but, as Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan
Mahat said, also to make resources available for rebuilding infrastructural establishments
and essential facilities destroyed by the terrorists, and for providing relief and
rehabilitating those who have been displaced, dispossessed, handicapped and maimed and for
supporting the thousands of families that have lost their bread earners.
Mr. Deuba struck the right chord at the meeting by
reaffirming in no uncertain terms the government’s commitment to speed up reform
process in various sectors. Topping his list was anti-corruption measures, something that
Nepal’s partners have been pointing out as one of the prime problems that is
affecting all levels of governance. Mr. Deuba pledged to introduce strong anti-corruption
legislations at the upcoming session of parliament and initiate governance reform measures
to strengthen the civil service, the financial sector and decentralisation. The
government’s plan includes utilising its resources by prioritising its expenditure
and adhering to a strict fiscal discipline as recommended by the Public Expenditure Review
Commission. In stressing the reform measures and strongly reiterating the
government’s commitments to see the fruition of those measures, the Prime Minister
has sought to assure the donors’ community—which it is hoping would be
sympathetic to Nepal’s request for budgetary support—that the government means
business. If the donors wish to see help Nepal pursue these reform measures with any
amount of success, it is essential that the government’s appeal for aid is met from
their side by understanding and generosity. This plea to the development partners deserves
a kind hearing.
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