KATHMANDU: Chairman of the Federal Council of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said the same problems have existed in the Nepali economy for the past four to five decades.
Bhattarai said the problems have not been resolved though economic indicators continued to indicate the problems.
Addressing an economists’ conference that kicked off in Kathmandu on Friday, he said, “We have been looking at the data for a long time. The data shows the problem but not the solution.”
Bhattarai said, “Statistics only show what, and do not reveal how and why.” He added that we should not stay put by just acknowledging the problems.
“Nepal’s economy has been the stagnant for a long time, but the countries that were far weaker than Nepal have reached much ahead,” he said.
Referring to Bhutan and Bangladesh, he said, “Let alone countries like Korea, the small countries in our neighborhood have moved far ahead leaving Nepal behind.”
Stating that the youths were forced to go for foreign employment, he warned that Nepal could be inhabited by elderly only in the future.
Noting that several economists emphasized socialist economy of late, he said that just sticking to concepts was useless.
Recalling that when he advocated for socialism while he was one of the top leaders of the Maoists, other parties demanded liberalism, he said the word ‘socialism-oriented economy was developed to incorporate the aspirations of both sides.
“Socialism is a thing of the future where we are to head. If we demand socialism now, it will be difficult to get it,” Bhattarai said.
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