By Bhupendra Khanal
Efforts to form the first ever Maoist-led government in Nepal are going on. The new government will have many challenges going forward and they will have to work actively and aggressively. It is challenging but not impossible.
Here are my suggestions for the new Nepal Government.
1. Integration to Global Economy Free Trade Agreement with China, Japan and US to make the economy multi-lateral. This can be in-line with FTA with India. This should be accompanied with aggressive infrastructure building to get maximum benefit from these bilateral treaties and SAFTA.
2. Suitable Investment Climate Industrial Protection Act and Liberal Labor Regime to increase investor confidence. Indian Business houses in particular needs to be protected which are the most affected ones, as in todays world Indian Corporates are among the best governed and most aggressive ones. Entry of Companies like IBM, Accenture, GM, GE, Toyota, Infosys, Reliance, Bharti, ICICI etc can completely change the way companies function in Nepal. They will bring quality technology and huge volume of business, thus creating huge employment and great technological know-how.
3. Independent Planning and Execution of National Projects National Planning Commission with more representation from Nepali Private sector and less dependent from donor agency like ADB, WB or IMF. ADB, WB and IMF are the masters of putting useless conditions for their help and thus take economy towards more bad, so that their relevance in the world remains. Their conditions should not be taken unless utmost necessary and their overall involvement in the economy should be reduced as far as possible.
4. Government Investment Channelization to increase Professionalism Establishment of a Professional Investment Company to hold all Government Investments in all companies in the lines of Tamasek, Singapore. This needs to be run by Professional Managers on Competitive Excellence Basis.
5. Aggressive Infrastructure Development by adopting all mediums Open Infrastructure Development Policy to bring in Huge Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This should be mainly targeted towards building Hydro-Power, Telecoms, and Transport Facilities.
6. A Nuclear, Power Sufficient Nepal Nuclear Energy Development Board to work with India and China for development of Nuclear Energy in civil use. RONAST needs to be made more professional and pulled to support Nuclear Case. Nepal is reach in Hydro-resources but it should not just stick to its use because production and maintenance of Hydro-power is not efficient and effective. Argentina and Hungary has already seen very bad economic and environmental effect with over focus on Hydropower and Nepal needs to learn form them. Nuclear Energy is safe and has cost effective maintenance. This makes it favorable for long term interest of the economy.
7. where there is Resources there needs to be Military Effective Military Development more on the lines of Singapore, less Army but most sophisticated and modern equipment.
It can also be making of SAMA (South Asian Military Alliance) or joining Shanghai Co-operation or NATO. This will make sovereign voice strong.
8. Complement India and Not Consume India Cancellation of 1950 Ind0-Nepal Treaty and replacing it with a new one. This should take care of changed political and economic scenario between the two culturally similar nations. It can be in lines of US-Canada Relation. Nepal should work on building more natural relations with India on the lines of Australia or UK having with US. This will mean having more meaningful and business friendly relations, and not based on favoritism and puppetism.
Nepal is India’s natural ally and vice-versa. They are so much culturally linked that in there is unlikely that the bond will weaken or break. This needs to be actively voiced. The good and progressive relation will mean great for private sector from both the countries. Indian business houses can invest heavily in Hydro-Power and other areas, while Nepali Business will have one of the World’s largest market for their products. This will increase people to people contact and in good note, which I feel is better than India Government financing projects in Nepal and providing aid (which actually flows to few corrupt takers).
9. Upgradation of Rural and Agricultural Economy Agricultural Revolution is the next thing in line, and this is the right time to start. With Petroleum prices rising and subsequently food prices rising with the production of bio-fuel, the market for food products is huge. Nepal has good and fertile land, and can produce much more than it is doing today. It just needs effective people awareness. Government can play a facilitator by creating Tax Breaks for companies involved in food production, distribution and processing industries. This should however be accompanied with good policy for bringing in international players to maintain quality of service.
10. Strict and Good GovernanceHard stance on Anti-Government forces accompanied with effective Government facilities. Single window can be created to pay all bills like electricity bill, water bill, taxes etc. This can be outsourced to a professional company and operated 24 hrs in major areas with complete IT Automated Facilities.
It is very important to have strong anti-terrorism and anti-corruption act to include capital punishment. There should be no second thought in clear anti-socials from the country and the economy.
UWB received this article in email.
United We Blog 
Comments
63 responses to “New Nepal, New Thoughts”
uwb, how long i have to wait for my comments? its been 24 hrs….?
Dear Cha,
I appreciate your comments, thank you.
Lets see what India wants from Nepal: Security from Nepa-India border (from China, Pakistan, and other elements), Utilization of Water resources primarily for drinking water and irrigation of its parched lands for agriculture, then hydroelectricity (hydroelectricity only cannot be its reason in Nepal as it can produce nuclear energy, after signing of nuclear treaty with US). The other reason is India sees Nepal as its domain of influence (Nehru doctrine continued), and wants to continue colonial transfer of British India in relationship with Nepal (Sugauli Treaty, and its continuation of tone and substance in 1950 treaty). Nepalese people recruiting in Indian Army as mercenaries is the evident of its colonial treatment to Nepal. This recruitment should be banned from Nepal if it wants to show it is a sovereign nation.
Most indians I met, even Indian youths, surprisingly have the attitude that Nepal should not try hard to develop itself. India will provide Nepal everything and help/ protect it. This mindset of Indian needs to change, and India should treat Nepal as a sovereign nation. Otherwise the future results will be counterproductive to India, because anytime in Nepal Anti-Indian sentiment will flare.
Its high time that Indian perspective towards Nepal should change for the mutual benefit of the both nations and harmonious relationship between its people. India should make its heart big, not be greedy and miser in making Nepal a sovereign, peaceful and India-friendly nation.
Major Sharp
I know what you mean, it’s absolutely disgusting that actually we have been living on the hand of India with so much suffer. They sanction whenever they wanted to, to nepal. But now, People of nepal learning to understand it and we got a knowledgeable politicians like you, who understands the reality.
I think, pakistan (I mean the muslim in Kashmir and border of India) will put in miseries and hope India won’t have time to dominate nepal because India will require Gurkha to fight for them.
TP
It’s good to have people with ideas, isn’t it? you must be jealous because you are a Tibetian supporter (who knows, you could be a lama or pro-tibetian!) and you don’t like nepalese getting intelligent and widening knowledge day by day.
Cha
Thank you again for your comments.
I am not a politician but one of the citizens who thinks the politicians should be led by us, with ideas, criticism and activism. I am of the view that the followers (mass pf people) are the real leaders in democracy.
I am a citizen who wants to take creative and calculative risk for the nation building. Its high time first to build Nepal as a nation, and at the same time development of the nation and lifting livelihood of Nepalese.
‘Nepalese Nationalism’ should be redefined in the new scenario. Long Live Sovereign Nepal!
Major sharp,
you know, i have been reading this blog for a log time but very few people managed to win my mind, on that list ,…you and Joti.
I found you and Joti only persons who knows about politics of USA, UN, NATO, Britain. And clearly understood, China’s role in this world now. Which i think, is great. I am so happy about our youth girls an boys of nepal.
I used to hear that, such and such prime minister is educated in UK and USA but they never been able to grasp truth on how western politics works.
Any way, i am glad.
Cha
Yes, no doubt its just to great to have people with ideas.. Yes, I am a Tibetan supporter may the world’s greatest…. I support all in great pain…
Jealous ??? I don’t have such word in my dictionary? If you know the proper meanings do explain it….
For your kind information, before I am a lama, Bahun, Newar, Chettri Gurung or Tharu ….I call myself Nepali….. When it come of TP not liking Nepali getting intelligent, first let me ask you…what do you know about intelligence, nationalism and Patriotism …
Person with a mindset like you is in verge of breaking Nepal into pieces…. Today, country’s most wanted criminals and the separatist are these mindset which is giving blood tears to this nation….
TP
Right now I am more interested on how we can destroyed our Karnali/Koshi embankment with India, the flood which is killing thousands of people in Nepal. Why should we give damn about India? why should we care whether Indians are in despair by flood?
I suggest our government take a proment action against the odd which is undoing/destroying the wall of Koshi and Karnali,
correction- should be ‘prompt action’
why don’t maoist break the wall of KOshi and Karnali?
TP, as you are a Tibetian, why don’t you go to india where your HH Lama is and pray. Why bother and talk about nepal and its policy or patriotism?
Of course, you won’t coz you have nowhere to go and live except from Nepal. how many? 15000 to be marched infront of Chinese embassy?
hi
how r u r u fine
hi ,
plz give me your ful address
this is to all the nepalese……..please we the tibetan request you all to support our country and our protest……………….i feel symphythetic on those police who use to violence on those innocense and monks because of pressure under chinese,,,,,,,,,,,,its a very big shamefull to all nepalese that in there country police have no guytz. so really its big shamefull….when i saw the movie which nepalese police use to violence on our tibetan and monks really i wish to kill some nepalese…………so think well all nepalese police before taking any step
hi, the guys of nepal i am really very sad to read dat u the modern guys have such of this stupid thinking of ones country,its true dat tibet situation is very critical wholeover the world special in tibetan in nepal,its rediculous dat ,u nepali didn’t support even non-voilence,i am citizen of usa,the way u thinking to ones country is not right,don’t worry maybe the next target of china were nepal,they glap ur country as they glap tibet. shiva ratri….i am one of the supporter of tibet..