Nepali economy guided by wrong policies
The economy of the country is guided by wrong policies. The government should have given priority to consumption of the domestic products by substituting foreign products. Instead, the governments that formed since 1989 people’s movement, in the name of the free-market economy, is discouraging consumption of local products by encouraging imports. As result, today, Nepal, an agricultural country, is importing even rice and vegetables from abroad. Nepal has become a dumped market of India and China.
Earlier to 1989 political change, there were many industries, even the government-run industries were giving a good profit. Later, with the westerners’ idea and the political leaders’ ill-intention of making money, the government developed a policy for not doing business by the government, almost all government undertakings were disposed of, whereas, the remaining industries became the victim of politics.
This scribe felt sorrow when the Nepal Police opened a tender for the supply of the boots for the Police personnel. The boots are to be supplied by an Indian company by manipulating the quality and standard. Earlier to the 1989 political change, the Bansbari Leather and Shoe factory was meeting the demands of the entire security personnel and the quality of the leather boots was very strong. Still, retired security personnel recall it. Thousands of youths were getting employment in the industries owned by the government. In fact, during that time, there was no trend of youths going abroad for dirty and risky jobs. Today, the government is itself encouraging the youths to go for an abroad job. The government itself is inking agreements with different countries for employment to the Nepali youths.
The private sector industrialists say that there is no environment to invest in industries as the government policy is to squeeze the industrialists. The investors thus prefer trading business having a high ratio of profit with nominal risk. As the government has encouraged imports of foreign goods, investors are seen reluctant in running industries in the country. They have thus invested in the trading business making Nepal an import oriented country.