Nepali Times

Highlights of the economic agendas of the three major parties from their election manifestos.

** Make Nepal a middle-income country in 20 years and high-income in 40 years

** Eradicate unemployment, extreme poverty, and trade deficit in 15 years

** Increase per capita income from current $721 to $1,400 by 5 years, $3,300 by 10 years, $10,700 by 20 years, $40,000 by 40 years

** Increase growth rate at an average of 11.1 per cent for the next 40 years

** End load-shedding in three years and produce 10,000MW in 10 years, 25,000MW in 20 years, 45,000MW in 40 years, rural electrification in 10 years, establish a national energy trading company to trade surplus electricity with petroleum

** Construct mid-hill highway, electronic train service along the Mahendra Highway in Tarai, connect India and China via Nepal through north-south highways, take upcoming train service from Tibet to Lumbini

** Promote agriculture among the youth, establish farmers’ pension, prohibit owners from keeping their lands untilled, provide land to the landless under the ‘tiller keeps property’ land-reform policy

** Provide homes for 100,000 homeless in 10 years  

** Make economic growth inclusive by providing benefits to isolated and marginalised communities and manage growth policy by reducing regional imbalance

** Maintain a growth rate of 8 to10 per cent by creating conducive environment for investment

** Increase average income to Rs 100,000 in 5 years

** Reduce the country’s dependency on agriculture from the current 68 per cent to 49 per cent and increase the industrial sector’s contribution to GNP to 12 per cent in 5 years

** Guarantee 100 days of employment per year for each Nepali, discourage foreign employment by generating jobs at home, and reduce the number of migrant labourers

** Encourage more investment so that foreign remittance sent by Nepali workers does not go back out through the purchase of imported goods

** Construct reliable roads, rail, air, and telecom networks to India and China so Nepal can benefit from its neighbours

** Provide individuals the freedom to use private property as they desire

** End unhealthy competition, protect consumer rights as well as the right to start businesses, provide legal protection to labourers, intervene if market provides benefits to only one class

** Create secure environment for international investors and regulate monetary and stock market policies for long-term economic growth

** Take Nepal from a least developed to developing nation within 5 years

** Provide 300,000 employment opportunities per year through government investment in agriculture, tourism, cottage industries, construction, and electricity

** Guarantee 100 days of employment per year and make foreign employment safe, dignified, and skill-oriented

** End load-shedding, connect all 75 districts to the national grid, and provide year-round access to black-topped roads within 5 years

** Produce 5,000MW hydroelectricity within 5 years and 10,000MW within 10 years

** Provide access to modern energy to all citizens within 5 years, free installation for the very poor, and free electricity for agricultural use

** Construct international airport in Bara and regional airports in Pokhara and Bhairawa

** Irrigate 75 per cent of agricultural land, start fish farming on unused river banks

** Give land to tillers and provide compensation to land-owners

** Provide homes to all citizens within 10 years

** Construct north-south road links along at least four river corridors, east-west rail links, and Kathmandu-Tarai access roads under public-private partnership

** Target arrival of two million tourists by 2018 and promote Nepal as a centre for the study of biological and social diversity, natural beauty, climate change, and forestry

** Define grounds for private and foreign investments and reduce trade deficit by encouraging domestic industries and giving special allowances to those who use local raw materials

Read original: