Government committed to controlling inflation; providing start-up capital to 500 youths: PM Oli

Kathmandu / March 20: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the government is committed to checking inflation.

He expressed this commitment while replying to lawmakers’ questions in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

The PM said that market monitoring has been conducted regularly to manage the smooth and accessible supply of goods and consumables related to the daily life of the common people. He insisted that arrangements have been made for the smooth supply of essential food grains in the remote areas.

According to the PM, market monitoring has been made strict to prevent black marketeering and hoarding of goods in the market.

“The market monitoring committee has been activated to take action against those creating artificial shortage of goods, which has supported in arresting price hike. A consumer court has recently been established and brought into operation for the protection of consumer rights and judicial representation,” the PM added.

He was of the view that inflation was comparatively lower in the current fiscal year as compared to the previous fiscal year.

“The average consumer inflation in the seven months of the current fiscal year was 4.16 per cent as against 5.01 per cent in the same period last year. The action plan of reducing inflation through a cautiously flexible monetary policy has been continued for the current fiscal year,” he said.

Stating that the work of providing subsidies and concessional loans for increasing agricultural production would be continued, the Prime Minister expressed the belief that this would help in stabilizing food supply, increasing agricultural production, managing import of agricultural products as well as maintaining price stability.

In a different context, PM Oli said the government was sensitive to the treatment and rehabilitation of the victims of burns and the Acid and Other Hazardous Chemical Substances (Regulation) Act, 2079 had made adequate provisions in this regard.

He said the government would present its views in the discussions to be held in the House or the concerned committee in connection with the provisions of the private bill registered in the parliament regarding the treatment, rehabilitation, and rights of the victims of burns.

In course of responding to queries of lawmakers in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, he shared that process for the selection has reached final phase from the interested bidders in the programme of providing loan in subsidized interest rate to attract investors in startup based entrepreneurship development by encouraging creativity and innovation.

Stating that the government recently conducted national labour and employment conference with an objective of preparing sustainable basis of internal employment by expanding production and productivity in the country, PM Oli mentioned that going abroad for the citizen of developed and rich countries for business, employment and study is a global trend as the world has now become the global village.

“The statement about the brain drain of youth should not be understood in totally negative way. Earlier, there were limited options for livelihood. Now it has been broad. Our youths have taken advantage of choice of going any country they wish”, argued the Prime Minister.

He, however, said they have been carrying out activities to create opportunities of employment and entrepreneurship to youths in the country.

Prime Minister Oli added that the government has made policy-level and legal reforms as well as business-friendly laws to create investment-friendly environment by improving industrial environment, to attract foreign investment by promoting internal investment, create employment by increasing production and productivity and to reduce trade deficit through promoting export. RSS