MP Tamang Criticizes National Pride Projects for Lack of Production and Employment Contribution

Kathmandu. Communist Party of Nepal lawmaker Parshuram Tamang has stated that national pride projects have not been able to contribute as expected in the areas of production and employment. Speaking at a meeting of the Finance Committee under the House of Representatives on Monday, lawmaker Tamang mentioned that there is a lack of in-depth analysis on how large projects have impacted the country's economy and the living standards of citizens.

During discussions with officials from the National Planning Commission, he emphasized that projects should prioritize increasing production and creating employment.

Lawmaker Tamang expressed concern that although there has been an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recently, the contribution of the agricultural and industrial sectors has been declining. He stated that relying solely on the service sector for the economy is risky. Raising the issue of migration from hilly regions and fallow land, Tamang said that even though the Mid-Himalayan Highway has been constructed, production activities in that region have come to a standstill. He argued that with only two projects related to agriculture and mining included among the 27 large projects, there is an imbalance in the projects' focus on the economic sector.

In the meeting, he said, 'National pride projects should have supported the production sector, which would have increased employment and contributed concretely to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).' He added, 'There is no clear outline showing how the presented projects will impact per capita income and employment. Currently, the service sector seems to be prioritized. However, without boosting the production sector, employment and real economic reform are not possible.'

Mentioning that 40 to 90 percent of arable land in the hilly regions has shrunk and become fallow, he said that when production areas close down, people are forced to leave the hills and move to the Terai or cities, and ultimately go for foreign employment.

Stating that most industries are concentrated only in the Terai and border areas, he claimed that without making the Mid-Himalayan region a center of development, the economies of the Himalayas and the Terai will not be positively impacted. He drew the attention of the Planning Commission to bring special programs to revive the economy of the hilly regions and stop migration.