FNCCI discusses common economic program with opposition leaders

KATHMANDU, June 27: A day after the finance minister appealed to the private sector to mediate talks with the opposition parties for forging out understanding for a full-fledged budget, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on Wednesday held talks with the leaders of major opposition parties over formulating a common minimum program (CMP).



FNCCI officials brought leaders from Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Janashakti Party and UCPN (Maoist) on the table and floated a preliminary draft of the CMP for discussion. [break]



“We have lost huge opportunities by failing to come up with full-fledged budget on time over the past few years. Hence, this is an effort of FNCCI to avoid reemergence of similar situation this year,” said Kush Kumar Joshi, former president of FNCCI.



He urged the leaders to develop a broader understanding on fiscal and development priorities so that country could give pace to development works, lay down predictable business environment and fulfill basic aspirations of the people.



Leaders like Dr Ram Sharan Mahat of Nepali Congress, Surendra Pandey of CPN-UML and Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani of Rastriya Janashakti Party said they were principally in favor of the full-fledged budget. But at the same time, they added, the country should first address the differences seen at the political level.



“The constitutional and political crisis needs more urgent attention, and as the responsible business leaders you should understand the type of mess the country is in due to unilateral dissolution of Constituent Assembly,” said Dr Mahat.



Unless the government showed readiness to settle the larger political crisis, they ruled out chances of opposition parties agreeing on full-fledged budget.

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