The Nepali Congress (NC) unveiled its election manifesto on Thursday announcing that it would make agriculture, tourism, water resources and industries the foundations for an economic revolution in the country.
The 64-page manifesto stressed commercialization and mechanization of agriculture, expansion and the diversification of the tourism sector for greater employment generation.
In a bid to utilize the water resources of the country, the party also stressed on its multi-purpose use and its importance in creating conducive environment for industrial development in the country.
In the manifesto, NC re-enforced its long-running commitment to open market economy stating that the party its policy will be to take benefit from the rightful utilization of the markets.
However, the party announced it would make the interventions necessary to discourage unfair competition, protect the economic welfare of people, safeguard the rights of consumers and protect the rights of laborers.
The manifesto also pledged to make efforts to achieve inclusive economic development that would ensure that the benefits of development were shared by all strata of people.
The party said it recognized women as a major source of socio-economic transformation creating their greater participation in formal sector of the economy.
Regaling over policy taken by the party in the past in reducing poverty, the manifesto recognized the crucial role that the private and cooperatives sectors play in alleviating absolute poverty in a complete and sustainable manner.
Keeping in view the exodus of Nepali youth to foreign labor destinations for employments, the party has made commitments to create employment opportunities for at least a 100 days for unemployed youths taking a long-term policy to end the situation of leaving country for employment.
The party has showed its willingness to join hands with civil society and non-governmental and community organizations for the development of the private, public and cooperatives sectors.
Pledging to develop infrastructure suitable to the 21st century´s developments, the party has also given priority to expanding roads, railway, airports and telephone network in the country.
In a bid to promote investment, the party has showed its commitment to creating an investment climate for domestic and foreign investors. “Production cannot be increased, nor employment created to retain the youth in the country and the economy has to depend highly on remittance and imported goods if both domestic and foreign investment is not promoted,” reads the manifesto.
The manifesto has highly regarded the role of private sector in accelerating economic activities and generating employment. “The private sector will be developed as an engine for growth. The party will promote fair competition, adopt administrative simplification, promote good governance, infrastructure development and adoption of modern technologies as the foundations for private sector development,” the manifesto said.
The party expressed confidence that the country could achieve 8-10 percent economic growth by creating an investment friendly climate.
The party has also announced that it will promote open and liberal economic policies for rapid economic growth.
Gradually reducing the dependence on external financial resources, the party has also pledged to expand the tax net to consolidate revenue sources.
Legal arrangement of compensation for losses incurred due to strikes, action against those involved in forceful donation demands, development of the capital market and promotion of foreign investment in agriculture, hydropower, tourism infrastructure, information technology (IT) and production of exportable goods, are also incorporated in the manifesto.
The party has announced cooperatives as a supplement in democratic practice, economic prosperity and poverty alleviation. In the manifesto, the party has set a plan to increase the role of cooperatives in production, processing and marketing farm produces, promotion of agriculture infrastructure and mobilization of rural deposits.
Establishment of at least one chemical fertilizer factory within five years, arrangement of loan through banks and cooperatives to overseas returnees to run businesses that utilize their skills, construction of all-weather roads to all districts for proper marketing of local produce and promotion of public investment in agriculture are also in the party´s manifesto.
The party has also set a target of increasing the amount of land having round-the-year irrigation to 50 percent from existing 36 percent to boost farm production.
The party has also pledged to bring in 2.5 million tourists every year within ten years by promoting tourism with activities based on sports, medical and film making.
Through the manifesto, the party expressed commitment to establish industrial peace for industrial development through industrial security and infrastructure development with the main motto of promoting export, utilization of local raw materials and generate employment.
Establishing access of each VDC to black-topped roads, development of the Kathmandu-Pokhara road into an expressway, construction of eight north-south highways, construction of a second international airport, regional airports in Biratnagar, Pokhara, Janakpur, Bhairawa, Nepalgunj and Dhandgadhi within five years, construction of an alternative domestic airport in Kathmandu within five years, completion of one-fourth of east-west railway within five years and completion of railway linking the Chinese and Indian borders via Kathmandu within ten years are also among the programs incorporated in the manifesto.
The party has pledged to end load-shedding within three years, relief from load shedding for industrial corridors and capital within two years, formulation of a National Energy Security Policy, generation of 5,000 MW of electricity within five years, arrangement of pollution-free modern stoves for all Nepali households within four years.
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