Satish Chandra Agrawal

Nepalgunj:

The aim of budget is to bring out plans, policies and programmes of the government for the overall development of the country. Previous programmes were limited to being a mere announcement as their implementation was neither monitored nor evaluated. The budget should bring in programmes like helping the conflict-hit and poverty-stricken people, promoting small farmers as well as establishing industry, transport and promoting agriculture in conflict hit Western Region. It is essential to bring programmes, which are desired and needed by the locals. And it is also necessary that these programmes be implemented, monitored and evaluated regularly. For poverty alleviation, agriculture development, irrigation,

building infrastructures and road construction to link remote villages to the headquarters, drinking water, health and education should be highly prioritised. budget should include priorities and problems of each and every strata of the society.

Some suggestions form the conflict-hit people of western region:

• About 90 per cent people of the country are dependent on agriculture and forest products. Thus budget should bring special plan to develop agriculture. There should be a total concession in VAT for Agro products.

• To remove the regional unbalance in development, a special package for constructing road connecting hilly and mountainous districts in western region is needed.

• People of western region are most affected by conflict and poverty, so a special concession has to be given in the taxes of daily used products for them.

• Export-based industries should be promoted and a special export policy should be brought.

• Industrialists should be encouraged to open industries in the western region.

• A package and policy should be brought for irrigation development in the western region.

• Special discounts should be given to use air service to transport agricultural and forest products.

• The unemployed should be given loan with less interest rate to promote self-employment.

• To balance trade between Indian border markets, VAT rate should remain 10 per cent only and tax for necessary goods must be lesser.

• Budget should bring policies to improve the health and education.

• The salary of government workers must be increased.

(The writer is chairman, Nepalgunj Traders Association)