Nepali Congress Whip Nishkal Rai Accuses Government of 'First Arrest, Then Listen' Policy

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress Chief Whip Nishkal Rai has accused the government of moving forward with a 'first arrest, then listen' policy. Participating in the discussion on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill 2083 in the House of Representatives, Chief Whip Rai said, 'Honorable Finance Minister had promised to steer the ship of the economy in a new direction and not arrest industrialists and businessmen without reason. But since the formation of the government, the private sector has been hit the hardest. The government seems to be moving forward with a policy of first arresting, then listening.'

Rai accused the government of deviating from the path of economic transformation and heading in the wrong direction. Stating that there is a vast difference between the government's words and actions, Chief Whip Rai commented that although the government has given the slogan of encouraging the private sector, in practice, it has instilled fear.

Rai said that prominent industrialists were imprisoned on the basis of revenge, and later they were released by court order. Stating that the government's activities have demoralized the entire private sector, Rai said, 'It is heard that the Finance Minister also learns about the arrest of industrialists and businessmen through the media. It is a pathetic situation that the Finance Minister's opinion is one thing and the Prime Minister's Office's behavior is another.'

Rai stated that although the government has set a target of 7 percent economic growth, there is no basis for achieving it. Presenting the fact that tea exports, which have a comparative advantage, have decreased by 20 percent compared to the previous February, he said that the government has not made any efforts through 'G to G' to solve the problems arising from the policy changes of neighboring countries.