Post Report in The Kathmandu Post, Dec 27, 2023
It was a valiant effort at damage control.
After failing on several fronts in the past one year, from combating corruption to service delivery to good governance, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced a slew of promises in his televised address to the nation on Tuesday.
Dahal, who marked his year in office on the day, addressed the nation, while admitting he is not satisfied with the government’s performance.
From ruling parties to the opposition, few seem happy with Dahal’s government which has been marred by several scandals.
The prime minister, who may stay for just one more year in office as per an agreement with the Nepali Congress, declared that the decade of 2080-90 BS [2023-2033 AD] would usher in a new era of rapid development. “The people will soon notice this,” he said.
“I will change my working style,” he said, adding, “Except for essential functions, I will not take part in any public event.”
An 88-page long report card released by the prime minister’s office has listed the government’s 50 different achievements.
“The government has not failed, but in our desperate attempt to do more, we could not get the desired results. I will change my working style,” said the prime minister, adding, “A wave of negativity and frustration is spreading across the country like a wildfire.”
Dahal went on to say that a particular section of society is deliberately creating negativity in the country.
“There are attempts to make it appear like everything that is happening in the country is bad. Is nothing happening in his country? Is our country becoming hopeless?” said the prime minister.
He also presented a long list of achievements that he claimed were made during the past one year and outlined measures his government plans to take to boost public confidence.
Dahal offered the example of the increasing quantum of energy production inside the country of late and claimed that almost every corner of the country now has access to electricity.
He also shared data on electricity export, stating that the country earned Rs15.27 billion from it last year, which, he said, was something unimaginable even five years ago.
He said the country’s total electricity production has reached 2,892 megawatts with 541 megawatts added in the past year. He called it an ‘small achievement’ considering the ambitious goal of exporting 10,000 megawatts to India by the next 10 years.
Further, he announced the planned export of another 40 megawatts of energy to Bangladesh following a trilateral agreement between Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
The prime minister, who has been assessing his government and evaluating the performance of each ministry since last week, had already expressed his dissatisfaction at the country’s sluggish progress. He also warned that he would reshuffle the Cabinet and replace underperforming ministers and ambassadors.
In his address, the prime minister emphasised that the government’s focus will be on implementing big and game-changing hydropower projects, stating that India, China, and Bangladesh have all expressed their readiness to be partners in energy trade. He made special mention of Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project and said study on the 10,800 MW Karnali Chisapani project has started.
He also highlighted several other hydropower projects including Mugu Karnali (1,902 MW), Arun III (900 MW), and Upper Arun (1,063), which are in various stages of development.
According to the prime minister, within three months, an additional 564 MW of energy will be added to the national grid. On power purchase agreements, he said deals signed with various projects this year alone totalled 2,200 MW, while mentioning that the government has so far signed power purchase agreements for 9,164 MW with the private sector.
“When, every year, we can export electricity worth Rs500 after meeting our domestic needs, and replace an equivalent amount of imports, how many years will it take for us to be a developed country? I would like to ask those pessimists: Was the country ever this close to achieving such a huge economic feat?” said the prime minister.
Amid criticism of his working style, the prime minister disclosed his intent to make structural changes in the prime minister’s office.
He also announced that a high-level administrative reform committee would be formed under his leadership to bring change in governance.
“The government will take necessary steps in order to change some of the laws related to bureaucracy, and public procurement, among others.”
He also promised to address the legal, policy, and procedural bottlenecks faced by infrastructure projects.
“If it becomes necessary to declare an emergency to accelerate the pace of infrastructure development, the government is also ready to do so,” said Dahal.
He also touched on some of the country’s macroeconomic indicators and added that he would take the lead in boosting exports, while expressing commitment to change government policy and enhance its administrative capacity. He expressed hope that a decrease in interest rates would have a positive impact on production capacity.
Dahal stated that improvement in the balance of payment has boosted the capital market and insurance sector, but not positively impacted the overall economy or lifted exports. He, however, noted a positive trend with a decreasing trade deficit.
He also warned that Nepali ambassadors who fail to promote investment and tourism would be recalled.
He took note of the record numbers of tourists who visited the country last year and said that an 8 square km Greater Lumbini Project and a master plan for developing Ramgram and Kapilvastu under it are in the pipeline.
The government is going to operate the Pokhara and Bhairahawa International airports and also construct the international airport in Nijgadh, Bara.
On sports, the prime minister said the cricket stadium in Kirtipur will be operated under the private-public partnership, and other stadiums like Mulpani (Kathmandu), Biratnagar, Gautam Buddha (Chitwan), and Fapla in Kailali will be developed as national pride projects.
In education, Dahal announced that he would end the trend of distributing vital positions in universities along political lines.
“I appeal to all major political parties, civil society and other state bodies to break with the tradition. From now on, summit meetings will decide not division of spoils, but improvement in the condition of universities, devising a common position on foreign policy issues, job creation, and for sprucing up the image of the country to bring in more investment.”
He announced plans to expand insurance coverage so that every Nepali citizen has access to health care. Also, the government will improve infrastructure and service delivery at hospitals across the country, the prime minister said.
“We have eradicated the VIP culture, increasing people’s faith in government,” the prime minister claimed, while also promising new initiatives to improve agriculture.
https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/12/27/after-a-year-in-office-pm-dahal-vows-change-in-working-style
