Govt apathy renders White Paper redundant

Analysis

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KATHMANDU, March 1: Despite tall claims about kick-starting stalled economic activities and restoring fuel supplies back to normal, the government has been a complete failure in implementing its White Paper, apart from accelerating reconstruction work.

Life has not yet returned to normal despite the end of the Indian economic blockade, the shortage of fuel has hit development work hard, and industries that closed have not been able to operate again as they did before September 20.

The government's reluctance to meet its pledges has also left the private sector frustrated.

Asked about implementation of the White Paper, Hari Bhakta Sharma, senior vice-president of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), said that most of the plans announced by the government in the document have remained unaddressed. "This has worried us a lot," he said, adding that there is still no resumption of normal fuel supply and the acute power shortage has left many industries crippled.

He asked the government to begin implementating its plans before businesses and industrial ventures start to flop. "We don't want to doubt the government's intentions, but it has failed to implement its plans," Sharma added.

The government unveiled its White Paper in the last week of November to bring an immediate solution to the crisis, but implementation of the plans laid out in the paper has remained pathetic.

Veteran economist Bishwhambher Pyakuryal expressed confusion over the government's intentions.

"The government's priority was to at least provide food and shelter to the earthquake victims," he said, adding that the White Paper was too broad to be properly implemented.

"The government is acting as though this is a normal situation," the economist said, urging it not to mock the quake-hit populace. "The government should have facilitated access to credit and helped people construct their homes instead of conducting another round of surveys which is a waste of time."

Though the finance minister claimed that the primary aim of the White Paper was to ease the supply of petroleum products and that the situation has normalized, there are still long queues at the petrol pumps, and this despite government claims about a successful visit to India by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, he said.

More than two-third of the 52 immediate measures laid out in the White Paper have not been implemented yet thanks to government apathy toward addressing the economic woes in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, the Tarai-Madhes turmoil and the ensuing economic blockade by India.

Following immense pressure from the public, the government brought in its White Paper on November 24, with 52 measures meant for immediate implementation. But three months on, 36 of these are yet to be implemented, while only five can be said to have seen proper implemention.

Enactment of the Reconstruction Authority Bill and formation of a Reconstruction Authority, easy supply of medical accessories, reopening of educational institutions, distribution of Rs 10,000 in cash to the earthquake-hit families for purchase of warm clothing, relaxation of tax obligations for businesses and industrial ventures and loan payment regimes, and formation of a rehabilitation fund are the only achievements the government has to its credit.

The government's commitments to bring in necessary financial and monetary instruments to contain inflation and maintain financial stability, launch large infrastructure development and production enhancement programs, release NRB investment to facilitate post-earthquake reconstruction and mobilize volunteers in the reconstruction process have all fallen flat.

The government also seems reluctant to make alternative arrangements for the supply of petroleum products and petro-trade with other countries.

Plans to ensure food security such as determining the price of paddy, expansion of agro and cattle insurance through the mobilization of co-operatives, distributing seeds at a concessional price, and issuing capital grants and loan to the landless poor have also fallen short.