Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is currently holding consultations with Finance Minister Barsaman Pun, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota on the contents of the plans.

 

The move is aimed at helping the county achieve double-digit economic growth as envisioned by the Prime Minister.

 

Bishowdeep Pandey, personal secretary to the Prime Minister, said both the action plans will be made public on Thursday after the  Cabinet’s approval.

 

As per the action plan on good governance, the government will take necessary steps to make 15 to 20 government offices requiring engaging in more public relations more effective, according to a source.

 

“Making the performance of government employees effective in delivering government services is another agenda of the action plan,” said the source. The action plan will also look after smooth supply of essentials to the general public.

 

Under action plan on economic development, the government will focus on completing major infrastructure such as Hydropower projects, roads; generating employment; and tackling energy crisis.

 

For employment generation, the government will implement the Youth Self-Employment Programme (YSEP) by extending loans through government-owned banks, including Agriculture Development Bank.

 

Although there has not been significant achievement for creating employment under YSEP so far, the government aims to create 50,000 jobs under this programme this fiscal year.

 

Earlier, the Economic Advisory Council under the Prime Minister’s Office had prepared plans for boosting the economy even in troubled times. As per the plan, the government was advised to focus on incentivising domestic airlines willing to go international.

 

The council had also suggested measures such as ‘National Apple Campaign’ and ‘National Jatropha Development Campaign’ to boost apple production and substitute petroleum products by bio-fuel. Nepal imports apple worth around Rs 4 billion annually. The plan sought to plant a minimum of 4.2 million apple saplings a year.

 

Other suggestions of the council include developing housing and office complexes and tourism infrastructure such as five star hotels in district headquarters. “The government has been suggested to cooperate in land acquisition, leasing and fiscal incentives for such projects,” said an official involved in the homework.

As of now, there are no five-star hotels outside Kathmandu and Pokhara.