A Downpour of Promises as Government Presents Policies and Programs

In the midst of a pre-monsoon season, promises are raining thick and fast at the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu on Friday (May 2). 

And why wouldn't they? After all, it happens to be the day when the government is presenting policies and programs for the coming fiscal year (2025-26).   

Here are some of the highlights: 

Bad projects to go
Presenting the policies and programs on behalf of the government for the fiscal 2025-26 at the Federal Parliament, President Ramchandra Paudel stated that the government will do away with erroneous plans, highlighting the need to re-prioritize all projects of the infrastructure sector. 
The projects should be segregated and their completion deadline aligned with the tenure of this parliament. 

Relief for small depositors 
At the same time, the government will constitute an authority to return the deposits of “nominal savers of cooperatives”, who have bled depositors dry, thanks to scams and the lack of an authority to rein in them. 

There’s certain ambiguity about nominal savers (what amount of saving qualifies one to be a nominal saver?) and erroneous projects, though. 

Alternative energy plans
Despite a largely tardy process of hydropower generation, the government has high targets on the alternative energy front. The policies and programs have a lofty aim of developing solar, wind and even hydrogen energy as alternative sources of energy, perhaps reflecting the government’s focus on exporting most of the hydropower generated within the country, with or without domestic investment. 

The promises do not end there, with the government pledging to make renewable energy accessible to all citizens. 

The plan is to electrify regions not connected with the national grid through solar, wind, micro and mini-hydropower projects using mini grids. 

For reducing air pollution from increasing use of dirty fuels, the government is to enforce Euro-6 standards on petrol engines.

A decade of jobs
Moreover, the government has declared the next decade as the employment decade with a lofty promise to create jobs for young people within the country through entrepreneurship promotion.  

At the same time, though, the government plans to introduce new laws, policies and working procedures as well as amend the existing instruments to make foreign employment safe, dignified and systematic. 

For producing skilled human resources as per the demand in the international market, the government aims to expand the Vocational Skill Development Training Academy.

For the management of bad loans, the government will establish an assets management company.

Education can't wait

On the education front, the government has promised to enact the School Education Bill through this session of the parliament itself.

It should be noted that teachers of community schools throughout the country staged a month-long Kathmandu-centric protest recently, as part of their struggle to press for the passage of a School Education Bill through the incorporation of their demands mentioned in agreements reached with successive governments, including the one reached on September 22, 2023. 

The government also aims to bring uniformity in the curricula of private and community schools. Upon completion of school education, it plans to enrol students into technical and vocational education on the basis of their grades. 

The technical stream will be taken to the university level, the policy document states, pledging virtual teaching-learning system, student counselling, interactive learning and teacher mentoring.