Nepali Congress spokesperson refutes negative economic narrative with government data

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress spokesperson Dev Prakash Chalise has stated that the current economic status of the country, as presented by Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has completely refuted the negative narrative that nothing has been achieved in the country.

Spokesperson Chalise said on Tuesday that the data released by the Finance Minister confirms that Nepal has made significant strides in economic and social sectors over the past 10 years. He also stated that these achievements, even during a time when the system is said to be in disarray, reflect the outcomes of the work done by previous governments.

Spokesperson Chalise said that the data presented by the Finance Minister indicates that the country is on a development trajectory and positive changes are occurring in every sector.

He said, 'This data, released by the Finance Minister himself, has refuted with facts the narrative that spread confusion among the public yesterday, saying 'nothing has been achieved in the country, everything is ruined.' This proves that the Nepali state machinery and past policies were in the right direction.'

11 main achievements in the last 10 years highlighted by Spokesperson Chalise:

1. Gross Domestic Product: Nepal's economy has grown from 26 kharba 8 arba in fiscal year 2072/73 to 61 kharba 7 arba in fiscal year 2081/82.
2. Economic Growth Rate: Improved from a low growth rate of 0.43 percent after the earthquake to a projected 4.61 percent currently.
3. Per Capita Income: The average per capita income of Nepalis has increased from 899 US dollars to 1,517 dollars.
4. Electricity Production: Increased from 697 megawatts to a production capacity of 4,105 megawatts, a growth of approximately 6 times.
5. Electricity Access: Currently, 99 percent of the country's population has access to electricity.
6. Road Infrastructure: The network of blacktopped roads has expanded from 11,798 kilometers to 20,202 kilometers.
7. Revenue Collection: Increased from 4 kharba 5 arba to 11 kharba 79 arba currently.
8. Foreign Exchange Reserves: Increased from 10 kharba 39 arba to 34 kharba 13 arba, which can sustain 18.5 months of imports. This is a historic achievement.
9. Literacy Rate: The literacy rate has significantly increased from 58 percent to 76.3 percent.
10. Poverty Alleviation: The population below the poverty line has decreased from 25.16 percent to 20.27 percent.
11. Health and Life Expectancy: Maternal mortality rate has decreased from 190 to 151, and infant mortality rate has decreased from 32 to 28. The average life expectancy of Nepalis has increased to 71.4 years.