Stop White Collar Crime, Corruption

Our economy is suffering from impunity, red tape, white collar corruption, bad governance and industrial unrest. Sloganeering and CA elections have hyped people's aspirations. The industrial sector was hopeful but nothing was delivered for peace, development or an industry-friendly environment. Even the budgeted development expenditure was not spent

Other countries are moving ahead with demand and supply based on comparative and competitive advantage. Where are we heading? Can we sus tain whatever employment we have or whatever industrial input we have? After elections, Nepal got a new political regime and the economy should have taken off and become self-driven.

However, this is not possible without understanding the Common Economic Agenda (CEA).Still, it's never too late and the new budget could be a step in that direction

Some broad areas are outlined below for consideration in the new budget

• Time-bound one- window mechanism for the industrial sector to attract investments

• One-window commit tee to allow fast-track decisions for new hydro projects

• Opening up new sectors in tourism and developing Nepal as the hub of South Asia

• Implementation of laws and policies for better investment environment

• Built confidence of the private sector and fight white collar corruption especially in the revenue

administration

• Link India and China with Nepal as transit facilitator.

Explore the potential to complement and supplement Sino-Indian opportunities for generating employment

• Develop Nepal as a service sector economy

• Develop Nepal as an offshore centre (we already have a law on this)

• Implementation of SEZs

If we cannot deliver development, equitable opportunity and economic rights, political conflict in Nepal will never cease and peace can never return While drafting the new constitution it is up to us to take socio-economic rights as basic and fundamenta rights of the people and the budget can be the first step to empower the people Khetan is president of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Council