OPPOSITION OBSTRUCTS SESSION FOR 5TH DAY

PARLIAMENT SESSION DISRUPTED FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SESSION UPDATE
Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: Parliament session was obstructed for the fifth consecutive session Saturday.
NC. UML and small parties protested a government decision to legalize seized asset during the insurgency.
The parties said obstruction will continue.
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TENURE OF SRC EXTENDED SEVEN DAYS
Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: The tenure of the state restructuring commission (SRC) was extended by one more week Thursday after there was no agreement in the body between parties on a federal structure.
The peace and constitution drafting process will be delayed because of differences between major parties.
Parties have until Sunday to resolve differences o themes to be ncluded in a constitution.
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EMBATTLED BHATTARAI GOVT. RESHUFFLES
ANNOUNCED PROJECTS IN NAME OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC PACKAGE
Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: : Undeterred even after its ‘first relief measures’ brought about five months ago fell flat, the government today [Thursday] introduced ‘Immediate Action Plan’ for what it called ‘a great leap forward, The Himalayan Times reports..

“The country has prepared the foundation for the economic growth in the first six months of the current fiscal year,” said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai while launching the ‘Immediate Action Plan for Economic Development and Prosperity’ in the Capital today.

The ambitious plan has prescribed about one and a half dozen sectors, including agriculture, forestry, tourism, energy, physical infrastructure, rural infrastructure and urban development, investment promotion, international trade, promotion of domestic products and private sector, New Nepal Initiatives for the economic development.

“The government will launch four campaigns — investment promotion, economic growth with wider base, employment creation, and social security for its four priorities — peace, constitution, good governance and prosperity,” said Bhattarai.

“Though the country has challenges, with the optimum utilisation of available resources, we can move ahead in time-bound manner to boost the current sluggish economic growth by creating some half-a-million employments.”

“The government will mobilise one million volunteers — mostly the students — as national volunteers under the district development committees under New Nepal Initiatives,” said the prime minister, adding that the volunteers can select the districts.

“The government will request every citizen to donate one day’s salary and Non Resident Nepalis to donate $10 for the New Nepal Initiative Fund that will help create jobs and boost economic growth by investing on infrastructure.”

The government has vowed to invite foreign investment worth $1 billion in the next six months, read the government’s ambitious plan that has promised to increase contribution of the industrial sector to 10 per cent from current 1.4 per cent to the gross domestic production.

Similarly, the traditional agriculture will be modernised with stress on establishing chemical fertiliser industry and herbs processing centres and land reform programme that will boost the contribution of agriculture’s contribution to five per cent from current four per cent to the GDP, added the plan. “The government will also declare 2013 as Agriculture Year to promote the sector.”

The prime minister also promised that Nepal will sign Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with China, South Asian countries and at least five developed countries to build confidence of foreign investors, apart from requesting them to invest in second international airport, east-west railway and Kathmandu-Tarai fast track.

These infrastructures, including Sikta, Rani Jamara and Babai irrigation projects, have also been named ‘projects of national pride’.

The government has also highlighted 10 challenges, including corruption, lawlessness and bureaucratic delay, energy crisis, slow industrialisation, rising unemployment, lack of infrastructure, low economic growth, traditional agriculture system and low foreign investment, and has promised to fight them.

Similarly, the government has prescribed financial sector reforms, capital market, housing, millennium development goals, poverty alleviation, social security, respectable foreign employment and resource management for the economic development.

“Promoting these sectors will give a tremendous fillip to our endeavours to translate people’s aspirations into reality,” added Prime Minister Bhattarai.
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