KATHMANDU, JANUARY 30

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has admitted the lack of development-friendly policy and structures to make the national economy dynamic.

During a meeting with economic experts here today, Minister Sharma said, "Inadequacy of appropriate policy and necessary structures has hindered development."

"There is no clear economic policy in line with the constitution.

It has direct bearing on the national economy."

Minister Sharma further said politics was the root cause behind several problems, adding that consensus among political parties was imperative. He underscored that it was necessary to frame an appropriate economic policy.

Experts said although the national economy was not pushed to tailspin, certain measures should be adopted to avert the worsening situation. "The restriction on import should be continued till the balance of payment is normalised for foreign currency reserve. Capital expenditure must be increased, agricultural products upped and debt in unproductive sectors discouraged to make the economy dynamic," they suggested.

The discussion was attended by former vice-chairperson of the National Planning Commission Shankar Sharma and Min Bahadur Shrestha, Prof Bishwambhar Pyakurel, former ambassador to India Durgeshman Singh, political and economic analyst Hari Roka and Ram Kumar Phunyal.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 31, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.