Pokhara, March 2

Province 4 Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung has said economic prosperity will be a far cry without proper implementation of federalism.

Inaugurating Nepal Red Cross Society Kaski’s 34th general convention in Pokhara today, the CM Gurung described proper implementation of federalism as the precondition for economic prosperity. “As it will take around two years to formulate necessary laws and policies related to federalism, we need to at least wait until that time for economic prosperity,” he added.

Further, Gurung hinted at expanding the tax net in the province in order to collect more revenue for development activities. “As there is very little the province can collect in tax as per the present system, we have to increase internal tax, for which expanding the tax net is a must,” he said, urging all to honestly pay tax to the provincial government.

“We’re rich in natural resources. We do have enough potential for being self-reliant in agricultural produce but we need to do our groundwork to tap these resources and open the door to prosperity in the province,” he observed, identifying projects such as Korala-Pokhara-Susta road, the under-construction regional airport in Pokhara and International Convention Centre as projects capable of changing the face of the province.

Reiterating the immense prospects of tourism, CM Gurung urged people to refrain themselves from polluting the tourist hub. “As for making the already popular tourist city Pokhara more attractive and managed, I’ve urged the metropolis to control the stray cattle in streets, remove the hoarding boards that have become quite an eyesore for the otherwise beautiful city,” he said.