Online Khabar

Kathmandu, November 25. The KP Oli government’s just-issued White Paper has seems to have generated some heat, but not enough light to guide the country in times of multiple crises.

A day after Finance Minister Vishnu Poudel issued the white paper, Online Khabar talked to a number of experts regarding the paper. Most of them point that the white paper does not offer a glimmer of hope for a country and people reeling under serious crises.

Commenting on the paper, experts said the paper has dwelt on the crises, but has not offered solutions.

They questioned the competency of the government, saying the paper does not have any programme to provide immediate relief to the people, who have been trying to rebuild their lives after the recent spate of earthquakes and grappling with the Indian blockade.

“The white paper does not have what it should have. It has contents that were unnecessary,” senior economist, Professor Vishwombar Pyakurel, told Online Khabar. The 17-page paper is mum on how the government plans to deal with hardships that people have been facing.”

National priorities have changed after the Madhesh Movement and the Indian blockade, he said, adding: But the government has not been able to reorient its priorities.

Former finance secretary Rameshwor Khanal said the white paper delves into the current situation instead of offering solutions. The paper contains list of problems without explaining the reasons behind them and without outlining plans for their resolution, he said, adding: This is indeed sad. Shankar Sharma, former vice-chair of the National Planning Commission and Nepal’s former ambassador to the US, said:  The government seems lost. The country is in an unprecedented crisis, but the white paper, it appears, has failed to address it.

Instead of hope, the white paper has given rise to despair, he said, adding: The paper, at the least, should have introduced programmes capable of instilling hope among people.

The state treasury has Rs 86 billion lying idle, he said, adding: The government should utilise this money to fulfil people’s needs.  The government has money to bring fuel by chartering planes. But it seems pinning its hopes on India.

He suspected that the white paper came out this weak for want of coordination between government agencies.

However, economist Dilli Raj Khanal said it was positive on the part of the government to inform people about the state of the state through a white paper.

He expressed confidence that the government will be able to address problems if it moves ahead by formulating policies as per the plans mentioned in the white paper.