KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader and former Minister Nabindra Raj Joshi has demanded with the government to also ponder over the possible consequences the country will face following the steps taken by the government to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Issuing a press release on Friday, leader Joshi said even though the steps taken by the government are welcoming, its consequences might be far-reaching.
“If the government does not bring programs to immediately minimize the negative impact its steps taken to contain coronavirus might cause, it is likely that the consequences would be costlier than that of the damage to be caused by the coronavirus,” Joshi said in the statement.
The statement further said that the steps including postponement of Secondary Education Examination (SEE) and that of colleges are not wrong but the government does not look serious about the negative consequences they will have in the near future.
It is good news that not a single Nepali has died so far due to coronavirus, however, it is likely that the steps will push the country’s economy to the verge of collapse, reads the statement. Since, airlines, tourism, restaurant and hotels sectors are the first ones to be affected, the government has to bring economic packages for them, the statement said.
Similarly, the health workers should be encouraged by increasing their facilities at this time and ensure the availability of essential daily commodities such as rice, lentils, oil, salt and their price will not hike, Joshi suggested in the statement.
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