The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country during this fiscal year is expected to increase by 0.84 per cent at fixed prices of the year 1994/95 and by 4.35 per cent at current price value, as compared to the previous year.

Similarly, the annual price increase will be 3.5 per cent and the paddy production in the current FY will go down by 1.22 per cent as compared to last year, but the production of maize and wheat will increase by 1.8 and 8.65 per cent respectively.

Likewise, the sugarcane production is expected to increase by 1.64 per cent, potato by 5.06 per cent and altogether the cash crop by 3.52 per cent, according to the National Account Statistics report compiled by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

As for animal husbandry and fisheries the increment is expected to be 21.98 and 5.2 per cent respectively.

The increase has been seen in the first six months in vegetable ghee and cooking oil production (by 36. 6 per cent), processed milk (14. 98) and cigarettes (7).

The production of biscuits, sugar, noodles, wheat floor, alcohol, beer and soft drinks is expected to decrease.

On the export front, the decline in carpet production will be 23.11 per cent, garments production 28.84 per cent and pashmina 78.5 per cent if one looks at the export statistics of the first eight months of the FY 2001/02.

There will be an increase in electricity and water supply as compared to the last year. The increase is due mainly to the Kali Gandaki hydel project (144 megawatt) and the Bhote Koshi hydel project (36 megawatt).

The NRB statistics of the first seven months of the current fiscal year shows that the import of construction materials from India will decrease by 8.4 per cent and 91.7 per cent from other countries.

According to NRB data for the first eight months of the current FY, the gross import is expected to decrease by 8.5 per cent.

The consumption of petroleum product in the first eight months this year has increased by 4.5 per cent in petrol, and a decrease by 12.1 in diesel, and by 26.46 per cent decrease in aviation fuel.

The increase rate this year will be less this sector because of the increase of government expenditure in this year as compared to the last year.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), total resources will be equivalent to Rs 55,117.6 Crore in FY 2001/02 of which the GDP will comprise 42,803.3 Crore rupees (78 per cent) and external sources 12,314.3 Crore rupees (22 per cent).

Of the available resources 37149.5 Crore rupees (68 per cent) will go into consumption and Rs 10,113 Crore (18 per cent) into investment.