KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari is presenting the policies and programmes of the Government of Nepal for the fiscal year 2077/78.

One of the major targets included in this year's policies and programmes is to make Nepal COVID-19 free. President Bhandari stated that the government has been active from the beginning for the prevention and control of COVID-19, for which it has been working together with public and private entities.

In the process of fighting the coronavirus infection, the value of work with various entities have been made clear with the efforts undertaken to battle the contagion at provincial and local levels, said the President.

The President also claimed that no Nepali will starve from poverty and no-one will lose their life to hunger.

Major points included in the policies and programmes:

• Developing a healthy Nepal is the government's main policy. Programmes will be implemented to develop immunity and disease-fighting capacity of the Nepali population.
• Moving forward to develop the sectors of health, education and employment.
• The health sector will be restructured.
• Strengthening the role of government in education and health services while encouraging the private sector for investment programmes.
• Management of human resources and administrative structure development at provincial and local levels.
• Management of necessary concessions for daily wagers and financially marginalised population affected by the pandemic and lockdown.
• Taking forward social and economic plans with the aim of graduating into a developing country this year.
• Equal access will be established for quality health, education, and drinking water.
• If the pandemic goes on unprecedentedly, then additional resources will be mobilised for further effective measures.
• Additional work-plan will prepared for post-COVID-19 period and will be implemented region-wise.
• Domestic travel will be facilitated when situation gets better, and agricultural and industrial development will be taken forward.
• The government will move ahead with added commitment to make Nepal prosperous and Nepalis happy.