KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has called upon politicians and bureaucrats to be willing to take risks in their roles to deliver results for the nation and its people.
During a program organized on Wednesday afternoon at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of not shirking responsibility and directed government employees to take calculated risks within their designated responsibilities.
Addressing the gathering after a presentation on the implementation review of policies, programs, and the budget, Prime Minister Dahal underscored the significance of a risk-ready mindset in achieving positive outcomes.
“All of us must act responsibly. Evading responsibilities does not yield results. Responsibility carries inherent risks, and individuals must be prepared to shoulder them,” he said.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister noted, “The process of monthly reviews of policies, programs, and the budget has commenced, marking a positive start. However, considerable effort lies ahead to translate these initiatives into meaningful results.”
Dr. Ganesh Prasad Pandey, Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, presented the report card titled ‘Implementation Review of Policies, Programs, and Budget for the Fiscal Year 2080/081.’ The report highlighted notable improvements in economic indicators for this fiscal year compared to the previous year.
In fiscal year 2078/079, Nepal’s balance of payments recorded a negative figure of 255.26 billion rupees. However, in 2079/080, the situation improved, with the balance of payments registering a positive 290.52 billion rupees. The foreign exchange reserve grew from 1215.8 billion rupees to 1539.36 billion rupees in the current fiscal year. Additionally, remittance receipts increased from 1007.31 billion rupees in the previous year to 1220.56 billion rupees.
The report also indicated that imports for this fiscal year amounted to 131.3 billion rupees, with exports at 129.2 billion rupees. Similarly, last year’s exports reached 14.8 billion rupees, while they stand at 13.5 billion rupees this year. Budget expenditure increased from 1.24 percent in Shrawan of 2079 to 1.9 percent in Shrawan of 2080.
The report card detailed the achievements, progress, and pending tasks of various ministries for the fiscal year 2080/081. The highlights included the Ministry of Finance submitting a new Customs Act to the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply drafting policies to promote small household and small enterprise development programs, and the completion of a 33 KVA substation in Bhairahawa Special Economic Zone and a Block A substation in Simara Special Economic Zone.
Other accomplishments mentioned in the report encompassed progress made in the Sanjen hydropower project, and the construction of a canal under the Babai irrigation project.
The report card offered insights into the status of milestone achievements across ministries. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had completed 3 of its 10 milestones, with 4 in progress and 3 not yet initiated. The Ministry of Water Resources had 3 of its 4 milestones completed, and 1 in progress, while the Ministry of Home Affairs had achieved 8 of its 9 milestones.
Similar reports covered the progress of ministries such as Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation; Women, Children, and Senior Citizens; Youth and Sports; Defense; Forests and Environment; Education, Science, and Technology; Labor, Employment, and Social Security; Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation; General Administration and Federal Affairs; Communication and Information Technology; Urban Development; Health and Population; Prime Minister’s Office; Planning Commission; National Vigilance Center; and the Public Procurement Monitoring Office.
