Nepal is getting ready to face one of the most powerful pandemic in its history. The nation has been on a lockdown since March 22, 2020 as a preventive measure against the spread of Coronavirus. While every individual, company and city is preparing for the worst, our chance for safety lies in staying at home and stocking essential supplies.
Continue readingIn our poll last week, we asked our followers on Facebook who they trust to be the first responders in actively delivering essential goods and services during the Covid-19 outbreak in Nepal. Amongst the total of 123 votes, 57 per cent trusted the private entrepreneurs, while 43 per cent voted for the government. In a week since the poll went live, Nepal has officially announced lockdown in a bid to contain a potential outbreak of the disease.
From the fiscal year 2019/20, the Government of Nepal has imposed a 10% custom duty on import of books. While many Nepalese readers and experts have already termed it as an unacceptable tax on knowledge, there is no doubt that this protectionist policy also comes with many long term consequences that directly affect the local consumers, industry, as well as government.
Continue readingMembers of the House of Representatives, from both the ruling and opposition parties, have started lobbying for an increase in Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Program (LIDPP). Continue reading
The historical Khula Manch has shrunk over the years and it faced serious encroachment issue with the recent case of 52 illegal structures constructed on the northern part of Khula Manch. Continue reading
With the promulgation of the new Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in September 2015, Nepal switched from a unitary system of governance to a federal system with three parallel forms of government – the federal, the provincial and the local. The Constitution confers both legislative and executive powers to all three forms of government. Schedule 8 of the Constitution of Nepal particularly confers exclusive power to the Local Governments on 22 matters, including matters relating to public finance (raising taxes, fees, and fines), management of local services, local infrastructures, local statistics and records, and local market. Furthermore, the Constitution also enshrines ‘prosperity’ as a national agenda. Along this end, creating employment through necessary economic policy reforms for an investment-friendly business environment has been widely accepted as Nepal’s mantra of prosperity. Having legislative and executive powers that can be exercised to achieve the goal of prosperity creates space for local governments to forge a shared vision of growth and prosperity together with local stakeholders. Continue reading
Anushruti is a Research Intern at Samriddhi Foundation. She is a Graduate Student of Bachelors in Business Administration- Specialization in Banking and Insurance. She is interested in Economics, Policy Research and Analysis
Bidhyalaxmi is working as Research & Communications Assistant at Samriddhi Foundation. She is a Master of Arts student at Madan Bhandari Memorial College.
Janak Pokhrel is a research intern at the Samriddhi Foundation. He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree of Bachelors in Development Studies from the Kathmandu University. Janak has keen interest in the public policy and law, particularly of that relating to education, health and socio-economic sector of Nepal.
Roopali is working as an assistant researcher at Samriddhi Foundation.