By Ranju Kafle

Kathmandu May 12: Minister for Finance Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada on Monday clarified in the National Assembly that saving life of people from COVID-19 pandemic was the un-debatable priority of the government during this global crisis.
Responding to the queries of lawmakers in the National Assembly today, Minister Khatiwada, who is also the spokesperson of the government, said that eradicating the problems of economy was the government’s responsibility but saving lives was the topmost priority.
Dr Khatiwada tabled ‘Appropriation Bill Theory and Priority (except tax)’ for next fiscal year in both of the Houses of Federal Parliament on Sunday for detailed discussion. The government will prepare the budget on the basis of this theory and priority.
Minister Dr Khatiwada said that the government was trying to maintain a balance in the economic activities and health security in the document. He signaled at prioritizing agriculture for increasing productivity and health for ensuring sound health services in the budget in his speech.
“Domestic agro production needs to be linked with consumption pattern and market mechanism; the new budget will encourage people to engage in rural agro business,” he added. He said that promoting agro business would play a vital role in both minimising unemployment and leading economy towards self-reliance.
According to the minister, linkage between consumption and demand was lacking now. “Equilibrium point of demand and supply is to be found for balanced trade in the country; the farmers will be able to get proper price of their products after enhancing the purchasing power of the people and budget will track this out,” he said.
Minister Khatiwada favoured for strengthening local levels and States by providing required resources through budget allocation and highlighted the structural development and capacity building.
Local bodies and State governments can fulfill all the expectations of people properly against COVID pandemic and protect them, he said.
Minister Dr Khatiwada also expressed his concerns about the Non-residential Nepalis in India and overseas and said that the government was serious enough towards them. “Continuous diplomatic efforts are underway to manage their stay at the places where they are now,” he added.
The lawmakers had asked the government to bring back all willing Nepalis to the country and manage proper quarantine and health services for them. Most of the lawmakers who spoke in the zero hour in the House of Representatives today demanded for rescue of Nepali citizens from India and other countries. Responding to the question, the minister assured of assisting people at their places from its own source.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers of opposition Nepali Congress suggested drafting partial budget to the government on Monday in the House of Representatives.
Minendra Rijal, former minister and lawmaker of the main opposition Nepali Congress, suggested drafting a partial budget. Rijal said that economic and other losses caused by the virus pandemic were still unpredictable which was why fixing priority of a full budget was not appropriate.
“Demand and supply system requires a sort of stability for the calculation which is not possible now,” he added. He said that bringing a full-size budget in the present crisis was meaningless.
“Publish relief packages and prepare a partial draft to mobilise economic activities for now and draft supplementary budget after the first quarter of the coming fiscal year,” he said. Binod Chaudhary, industrialist and lawmaker from the NC, said that the government should provide enough liquidity to the industrialists to overcome the pandemic.
“Motionless economy needs acceleration,” he said.
Chaudhary said that more chaotic situation might occur if the government did not assist private sector to revive them from the great depression of the global crisis.
Similarly, Janata Samajwadi Party lawmaker Sarita Giri said that global economy had ruined due to the widely spread virus pandemic. She expressed her dissatisfaction to the budget theory and priority and said invention of new theory was needed to tackle the recent crisis. “Same 21 page priority was published last year, she added.
Mobilising some additional instruments of economy is essential but the government could not do that, she said. Giri said that providing basic wages to the daily wage earners was the challenge of this time to save lives.
Not only the lawmakers of opposition party but also the lawmakers of the ruling NCP were seemed to be dissatisfied with the theory and priority of the budget tabled by the government in the House. Janardan Sharma, former minister and leader of ruling party, said that labourers were badly affected due to virus pandemic. No package or priority was set for them in the draft, he said.
Stating that economy was badly affected due to COVID-19 pandemic and the situation was still unpredictable, Sharma also suggested drafting only a partial budget for now to the government.
Similarly, Gokarna Bista commented that the government’s priority was traditional which could not bring the economy in the right track. Bista suggested the government to be more concise specifically on the issues of unemployment, food security, health safety and labour management.