PM Oli announces completion of National Pride Projects by fiscal year 2082/83

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has announced that the government will review all National Pride Projects and ensure the completion of ongoing projects within the fiscal year 2082/83.

Speaking in response to questions raised by lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Oli emphasized a new strategy that categorizes projects to be completed within the term of the House. He stated that projects would be prioritized based on feasibility and resource availability, while unfeasible projects would be suspended, and faulty ones would be scrapped.

He further highlighted that the new policy aims to end the perpetual “work in progress” culture and ensure timely completion of development projects. According to him, limited resources must be invested where they yield the most effective outcomes.

Oli elaborated that the government would conduct a detailed review and reprioritization of all infrastructure projects announced by previous administrations. Projects will be classified based on their capability to be completed within the fiscal year 2082/83. Those deemed unrealistic will be put on hold. He explained that this shift in policy is designed to eliminate inefficiencies and accelerate project completion.

The Prime Minister also introduced several new policies aimed at transforming the infrastructure landscape. He stressed the importance of developing business plans for new projects, which would include considerations for “cash flow, risk mitigation, and legal security” before seeking stakeholder commitment.

Furthermore, feasibility and risk assessments will be mandatory for all new projects before approval. In the agricultural sector, the Prime Minister Agricultural Modernization Program will be restructured with provisions for land banking, credit facilities, crop insurance, support pricing, advance purchase agreements, and market management. Oli also mentioned that fertilizer, electricity, and capital subsidies would be restructured to prevent resource wastage.

Full text of the Prime Minister’s response
– During my address to this esteemed House on Shrawan 6 of last year, I remarked on the ways in which our development and construction projects are always in a state of “work in progress,” yet never seem to be completed. I referred to this as “Work in Progress 1.

I highlighted the contradictions that exist between our limited resources and the massive leaps in development we need to achieve. I mentioned that without changing the structure, pace, and “work in progress” culture of our development and construction projects, progress would be impossible. I stressed the need for clarity on where to invest our limited resources and what outcomes we expect from those investments. Thus, the proposal in the policy and program to transform the structure, pace, and culture of development is indeed a new one. The commitment to implement this in practice is also new.

– Just like the saying, “Whatever comes, we will take it,” we should not be content with just anything. We need to continue with what is useful and discard what is irrelevant. For this reason, a re-prioritization of all infrastructure projects announced by various governments in the past has been proposed.

– Under the declared policy of completing initiated projects, a review of national pride projects will be conducted. Ongoing projects will be categorized as “to be completed within Fiscal Year 2082/83” and “to be completed within this tenure of the House.” They will be completed according to the defined schedule. The policy is new in its aim to assess the required resources for all under-construction and planned projects, suspend projects unlikely to be completed, and cancel flawed projects.

– When formulating new infrastructure development projects, the policy is new in mandating the development of a “business plan” that includes concerns of “feasibility, risk, and return” as well as “cash flow, risk mitigation, and legal security,” which are crucial for investors and lenders, before commitments are made. Whether it is for startups or entrepreneurship, the policy emphasizes the need to consider the “ecosystem of business,” i.e., the entire cycle from the start of a business to reaching the market.

– For instance, the restructuring of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Program is proposed to integrate land banks, financing, equipment and other inputs, crop insurance management, support pricing, advance purchase agreements, market management, and storage cycles. This policy aims to prevent the misuse of resources through the reorganization of subsidies for fertilizers, electricity, and other capital investments. I want to clarify to the esteemed members that this is indeed a new policy.

– There is no “ambiguity” in the policy program regarding which sectors will be the main drivers of economic growth. “Agriculture and Forestry, Information Technology, Tourism, Energy, Industry, and Physical Infrastructure” have been identified as the main sectors. The focus of startup programs will be determined by the nature of the field, but generationally, it will be centered on today’s youth—the “Gen-Z” generation.

– The government programs operated by government agencies will be focused on the development of entrepreneurship, production, productivity, and job creation. Cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the three tiers of government will be prioritized for the commercialization of agriculture and infrastructure development.
– The use of interns in government services from the local to the central level,
– Engaging students above the graduate level in various research institutions,
– Implementing the “Earn While You Learn” policy, ensuring a minimum wage for up to 20 hours of work per week,
– The use of interns in government services—this policy is new. Although the slogan of “Earn While You Learn” is not new, its practical application with concrete planning is new.

– A new roadmap for the National Educational Reform Program will be prepared, and policies aimed at making education accessible, of high quality, and life-oriented will be introduced. The existing education system will be modernized, made technology-friendly, and focused on research and innovation. A grading system will be introduced in school education to drive improvements.

– The proposed policy to direct low-graders towards employment-friendly technical/vocational education and high-graders towards higher education will make education more entrepreneurship-oriented. This will address the current shortage of skilled labor and the surplus of unskilled labor. For this, the curriculum, learning methods, and teaching practices will undergo extensive reform. The establishment of a Teacher Bank, coordination and operation of think tank institutions, and the creation of internal employment opportunities through entrepreneurship will undoubtedly be new policies.

– To eliminate duplication in development programs among the federal, provincial, and local levels, a proposed policy to implement an “Integrated Project Bank System” is new. This will enable the coordinated implementation of development programs listed under the joint authority of federal, provincial, and local governments as mentioned in the Constitution.

– The proposed health system based on population, geography, and disease burden will make health services accessible and affordable. This will also balance the disparities between service provider hospitals, doctors, health personnel, equipment, and service seekers while expanding health infrastructure.

– A new policy has been proposed to link all public hospitals to an integrated online service. All health-related assistance and welfare programs will be incorporated into a unified health insurance system. This restructuring will make the health insurance program sustainable.
– For the implementation of these policies, the following acts are essential, and I respectfully request this esteemed House to pass the bills under consideration as soon as possible:
• Alternative Development Finance Mobilization Act
• Federal Civil Service Act
• Acts to amend and integrate the laws related to Nepal Police and Armed Police Force Nepal
• School Education Act
• Act to establish and manage the Nepal Air Service Authority
• Act to amend and integrate the laws related to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
– The government will develop strong and balanced international relations centered on national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the supreme interest of Nepal and its people.