A dialogue seminar on the “Review of Economic Policies and Plans Included in the 2082/83 Budget” organized by the Economic Policy and Planning Department of the Nepali Congress was held at the party’s central office, Sanepa, yesterday. The program organized by the Economic Policy and Planning Department of the Nepali Congress saw significant participation from senior experts in planning, policy, and economics, former vice-chairmen of the National Planning Commission , planning analysts, and entrepreneurial youth leadership.
The symposium, chaired by Prof. Dr. Gobinda Raj Pokhrel, Chairman of the Economic Policy and Planning Department Committee of the Nepali Congress and central member of the Nepali Congress, and hosted by Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, is expected to provide strong guidance to the party in future policy formulation and playing the role of opposition.
The keynote speakers at the event included Dr. Prithviraj Legal, Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, Prof. Dr. Vishwambhar Pyakurel, Prof. Dr. Om Sharma, Prof. Dr. Kusum Shakya, Dr. Poshanraj Pandey, Prof. Dr. Vinay Kumar Kunsyat, and others who presented their respective analyses.
Speaking at the event, Entrepreneurial Congress President Ashmin Sitaula said that the current budget is youth-friendly and expressed confidence that this budget will help advance the journey of entrepreneurship. However, he expressed concern over the budget cuts compared to the previous year.
He said, “Looking at the statistics of Nepal’s youth labor market, our country has a unemployment rate of 20.8% (2024) for the 15-24 age group, a labor force participation rate of 22.5%, 900,000 youth go abroad for employment annually, and 75.5% of them leave unskilled. This shows a serious challenge.”
Citing the experience of youth-related schemes introduced in India and Bangladesh but lacking long-term impact, Sitaula said, “If such schemes do not have long-term commitment, sense of ownership, policy clarity and honesty, our country may also face the same problem. Therefore, it is necessary to institutionalize such schemes in a policy and legal framework.”
Speakers at the event criticized the overall budget system, priority setting, the reality of plan implementation, and the inequality seen in the federal structure, and suggested measures to ensure inclusive, transparent, and long-term economic development.
Nepali Congress Economic Policy and Planning Department Secretary Nabin Khanal played the role of announcer and program director and conducted the program in a systematic manner with great energy. At the conclusion of the program, Nepali Congress pledged to continue such academic and fact-based discussions and ensure the party’s deep participation in the formulation of future economic policies.
