Appoint governor soon: NC Spokesperson Mahat

Kathmandu: Spokesperson of the Nepali Congress, Prakash Sharan Mahat, has said the appointment of the governor at Nepal Rastra Bank must not be delayed.

During a dialogue organised by the BP Chintan Pratisthan and the Parliamentary Study and Development Foundation on ‘Priorities of Upcoming Budget’ on Thursday, Spokesperson Mahat viewed professional person, irrespective of political faith, must be appointed as the NRB governor.

‘It is worrying to delay the governor appointment,’ he said, adding that the person who keeps in centre the national economy must be chosen for the position. Also, the former finance minister, Mahat, viewed, ‘Budget must be based on need and prioritised, along with a guarantee of resources. A balanced and disciplined budget is the need of the hour.’

He suggested the provisions to curtail administrative spending and increase capital spending. The former finance minister claimed that it was a wrong trend to bring a big budget. The areas to focus on in the budget are social security, education, tourism, information technology and production, according to him. NC leader Dip Kumar Upadhyay said the budget must concentrate on how the national economy could be improved.

Former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Prof Dr Govind Raj Pokhrel, said the government’s attention is imperative in the sectors, ensuring investment return and infrastructure development.

‘Capacity development and investment in mega hydro projects are other areas to dwell on,’ he added, suggesting curtailment of extravagant spending. Policy and structural reforms are suggested by the former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr Pushpa Raj Kandel. Another former Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri, viewed that a balanced and investable budget is necessary.

RSS