The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) stated that the newly announced budget has saved the national economy from the brink of collapse. Meantime, hoteliers demanded that the government recognize hotels as manufacturing industries and provide facilities earlier promised to them.[break]
Amid all the mixed reactions, the youth seem to be content with the budget allocation and the plans thereof.
According to the financial statement, National Sports Council has received 79 percent of the total budget allocated to the Youth and Sports Ministry. Similarly, the National Youth Mobilization Program received 12 percent, while the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the centre and the Sports and Extra Activities were allocated 4 percent and 5 percent of the total budget respectively.
"We want the youth to be interested in sports and not just hang around and, may be, turn this into some kind of business too," says Joint Secretary, Rana Bahadur Shrestha, at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The government has allocated Rs 100 million for the 6th Grand National Sports Competition to be held in February/March 2011.
"The main reason why the budget looks swollen in the sports sector this year is because of the sports competition which has attracted Rs 100 million," informed the Joint Secretary.
The annual budget, among other things, explicitly mentioned that to attract youth towards sports, arrangements will be made for cash prizes for the Nepali players winning gold medals in Olympic, Asian and South Asian Games. Another noteworthy feature of the budget this year is the amount set aside for the construction of regional sports complexes in Sunsari, Chitwan and Kailali and a stadium in Damak of Jhapa.
Apart from all these, an arrangement will be made for the development of infrastructure and organizing periodic sports events in each district. The financial statement also promises to inject Rs 40 million into the construction of cricket stadiums of international standard in Mulpani of Kathmandu and Bhairawaha of Rupandehi.
The sports budget seems very promising and if implemented it would boast the country´s fledgling sports sector. With more youth, nowadays, getting into sports out of passion, the future looks rosy.
The budget has, however, turned the spotlight for youth when it stated on the 96th point of the document: "Youth Self-employment Program will be implemented effectively."
"The youth and self-employment program figured out prominently during the time when the Maoists were in the government still hasn´t been implemented," says Manushi Yami Bhattarai, a district-level member of All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), a student wing of the Maoists, adding, "But I welcome the government´s decision to implement it this year."
She further adds that the youth and self-employment are about giving the youth all over Nepal an opportunity to work and encourage entrepreneurship. "Be it youth from the village or from urban areas, the program was designed to give them training and financial assistance consecutively," says Manushi.
If implemented in substance and spirit, the program could be of huge success in attracting and encouraging youth towards sports and entrepreneurial activities.
Also in the offing is ´youth policy´ which was tabled and published earlier this year, said Joint-Secretary Shrestha, adding, "This is coming into effect soon. We are currently building its framework and reaching out to donors on matters pertaining to youth employment and their development, among others."
Why is the budget focused more on sports this year?
The budget this year presents a rosy picture for the sports sector in so far as the plans to organize the Grand National Sports Competition is cocnerned. We want the youth to be attracted towards sports and, may be, involve them in some kind of business. Youth have always been interested in sports and more games are being held, according to the budget, we can involve the youth at least in games and not afford to loose them on the scene.Rana Bahadur Shrestha
Joint Secretary
Ministry of Youth and Sports
Your take on the budget this year allotted for youth, sports and education.
It´s definitely a good thing that the budget for youth, sports and education has increased and it has been increasing over the years too but bringing out the budget is not the only big thing. It has to be implemented properly and then only it´ll be effective. Until the completion of the peace process and attainment of political stability in the country, it will be difficult to implement all the plans.Manushi Yami Bhattarai
District-Level Member
All Nepal National Independent Student
Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R)
Your take on the allocation of budget towards sports.
It is definitely a good thing that the government is focusing on sports because sports is an apt point to attract youth and mobilize them as well. I don´t think anyone should have a problem with that. But at the same time, the government should focus more on creating employment opportunities. Also, I welcome the government´s decision to allocate 17.1 percent of the total budget to education.Madhav Dhungel
President
All Nepal National Free Student
Union (ANNFSU)
Is it fair that the Ministry decided to spend much on sports?
It is not fair that the government is spending so much on sports. Jiwan ra rojgar nabhae samma kina khelkud ma jane? The government should focus on programs that will help youth, not just the ones living in cities, but all the youth across Nepal and I don´t think that the youth outside cities will get into sports because they do not have basic necessities. I don´t think that the budget and programs will reach the target population. It is the Youth Ministry´s work to come up with ideas to mobilize the youth and work everything out.Lekhnath Neupane
President
All Nepal National Independent Student
Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R)
What should the government do to mobilize the youth?
The government needs to bring in more plans and policies for the youth. Youth seminars and conferences alone are not going to yield any desired result. Data compiled from the Three-Year Interim Plan showed 23 percent of the children are still out of schools. And many of those who have been enrolled have to walk for hours on foot to reach the school. The government needs to bring realistic plans and policies for education, employment and security. Unless these components come together, the youth, who can, will flee the country and the ones who can´t, will stay back helpless.Ram Kumari Jhakri
Ex-President
All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU)
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