Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Ruling party lawmaker Dr Amresh Kumar Singh has said that the budget for the upcoming fiscal year fails to address the concerns of ordinary people, farmers, and the education and health sectors.
Taking part in a discussion on the budget in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Singh said a climate of fear had emerged in the country and that such an environment hampers both economic activity and development. “Fear may sustain governance, but it cannot bring development,” he said. “Today, there is no environment for doing business. Banks are overflowing with deposits, yet no one is willing to take out loans.”
He also questioned the effectiveness of the budget. “What percentage of our workforce is happy with this budget? It is said that bankers are pleased, but why is so much money piling up in banks? Shouldn’t that be a matter of concern?”
Singh argued that the provision of imposing taxes on the education and health sectors goes against the spirit of the constitution. “Education is a fundamental right under the constitution. Therefore, a fundamental right should not be subject to taxation,” he said.
He contended that taxes imposed on private schools and private hospitals would ultimately be passed on to ordinary people.
According to him, the budget also lacks any concrete plan to strengthen the public education system.
“Our friend, the finance minister, has a vast network. I had hoped that at least one Budhanilkantha-like school would be established in each of the seven provinces. That would have produced future generations of students capable of becoming leaders like them. But I could not find such a provision anywhere in the budget,” he added.
He also expressed concern over the plight of farmers and poor people in his constituency. “There is no market in my constituency. Farmers there are forced to sell vegetables from their fields for as low as Rs 5 per kg, while consumers in Kathmandu pay Rs 50 per kilogram for the same produce,” he said. “This budget has no mechanism to ensure that farmers receive at least Rs 20 or Rs 30 per kg for their products.”
Singh added that the budget had also failed to address the problems faced by farmers in the Tarai-Madhesh region. He accused the government of remaining silent while farmers are forced to sell their produce at low prices and consumers continue to pay high prices.
However, he acknowledged the increase in the personal income tax threshold, programs to promote startups and provisions related to the information technology sector as positive aspects of the budget.
