Business 1

Editorial

Where is the Nation Heading?

Nepal is reeling through a series of crisis. If not addressed with utmost seriousness, the country is bound to suffer a serious recession. Before we deal in what to do about it, it is necessary to understand what went wrong in the past. Likewise, before we deal with the current issues of fiscal governance it is necessary to review our past over all economic policies and programs in a perspective of poverty and equity, as poverty eradication has become our overriding long-term goal along with security.

The face of poverty is still grim and intense. Being absolutely poor in this country means continuously facing the risk of food scarcity, sickness, and deprived of productive assets or adequately paying employment opportunities, unable to send children to school or pay for medical treatment. It often means living under conditions of social discrimination.

The common man’s voice is rarely heard in the process of governance, at the community, local or national levels. Further, they are loosing whatever access they had to public resources such as land and forests in the name of protection and process of its commercialization. The newspapers are replete of stories how the powerful and people with party connection are gobbling all the nation’s resources.

Thus although Nepal’s overall achievements in extension of social infrastructure such as schools and health facilities have been satisfactory which has resulted in some reduction in human poverty in terms of the national average indicators, disparity at sub-national levels are glaring.

Nepal is passing through a very difficult situation. Economic and development indicators are falling. Problems of peace and security are now top most priority for both the citizens and the government. At the same time we must realize that we can not reestablish peace in the country, unless the people are convinced that our system is fair and equitable to all communities, regions and classes, that our system of governance is fair to all, that our leaders are seriously engaged in solving the every day livelihood problems of the people and that there are visible collective goals that all of us are striving towards in our own way. This may sound as a tall order but it we can not establish the credibility of the system with the people then the state is bound to collapse. That could be the end of Nepal as an independent and sovereign country. The symptoms are already alarming as our leaders and the politicians seem to depend on the goodwill of the international community rather than the people to remain in power.

Most of the problems, the country is facing is due to mis-governance. Good fiscal governance is a must for facing the current problems. But the concept of goods governance should not be understood or explained in terms of liberalization, privatization, and a corruption free minimalist state as is usually done. It should include endogenization of the policy making process, internalization of the policies adopted and a participatory and caring state sensitive and responsive to the people’s needs in practice, not only in slogans.

Editor/Publisher
Hari Rai Sampang

Managing Director
L.N. Suwal

Legal Advisor
Garima Rana
For R-R Law Associates

Editorial Advisors
Ram B. Shah
Gopal Tiwari

Sub Editor
Shailee Adhikari

Director Marketing
Indu Acharya Prasai

Marketing
Uma Rai

Reporter
Nirjal Dhungana
Administration
Bishwas Poudel