Delegate more services to local level, seek short and long term solutions for economy: President Bhandari

Kathmandu / Feb 10 : President Bidya Devi Bhandari has expressed the view that the local level government should be entrusted with the task of delivery of public services as much as possible. “In accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, it is desirable for more and more services to be provided at the local level,” she said.

In her address to the joint sitting of both Houses of the Federal Parliament earlier today, the President also suggested that the provincial and federal governments should instead concentrate on development and policy making. Led by the federal government, the provincial and local levels should make arrangements to ensure easy access to such services.

She also said that making immediate arrangements for ensuring easy stakeholder access to the systems of government agencies as well as for the safe use of such systems is vital. In addition to this, due attention should be paid to developing the required infrastructure and human resource for building and operating IT-based systems.

Furthermore, information technology should be used to establish linkages with government systems, so as to ensure the environment for citizens to get services at the local level.

The services should be provided in such a way that citizens can feel that the government is at their doorstep. Public service delivery should be streamlined to ensure good governance and create a sense of state among the common citizens, added the President.

Short, long term solutions needed for economy: President Bhandari

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has underlined the need for short as well as long term strategy to solve the problems seen in the national economy.

“We are aware of the status of our economy. We have to seek both short and long term solutions to the problems. Although some positive indicators have emerged in economy, they do not seem to be reliable,” said President Bhandari today while addressing the joint meeting of the federal parliament.The President observed that attention of all should be solely directed to development, prosperity and ways to make citizens happy.

She said that all the state organs should operate independently as envisioned in the constitution.

President Bhandari thanked all for entrusting her with the responsibility as the head of the nation or the President for two terms.

Expressing her concern over widening trade deficit, President Bhandari pointed out the need for being serious on production sector and work as per the demand of the present time of globalization.