By Shanker Man Singh
The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) is a future policy adopted by the coalition governments of Nepal. It is usually framed as a minimum objective to accomplish the task of a coalition government. Nepali Congress leader and CMP coordinator Purna Bahadur Khadka unveiled a 14-page document at a program. Many senior leaders including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav were present on the occasion.
PM Deuba has not been able to give his government a full face even after around four weeks. Deuba could take advantage of doubts for the leadership of the coalition government, where the prime minister has faced many challenges from partners.
CMP states that border outposts (BOPs) should be increased for border security and control of smuggling, bilateral and multilateral use of water resources in the national interest, and effective implementation of water resources policy.
Foreign aid will be mobilized through the budgetary system under the ownership and leadership of the government in the areas of national priority including the construction of physical infrastructure, review of treaties and agreements which are against the national interest, CMP describes.
CMP also cites controlling the rising cost of living, black market, adulteration, and artificial scarcity and to provide the easy and accessible supply of food, petroleum, and other essential daily necessities and services to the people.
It explains about rehabilitation to the people of flood and landslide affected areas.
CMP includes the burning issue of the border dispute and claims for the peaceful resolution of border disputes including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulek with India through diplomatic channels.
CMP has also been cited for maintaining a balanced foreign policy.
Priority has been given to vaccinating all citizens against COVID-19, ending the political peace process, providing relief to epidemic-affected industries as well as marginalized people, and preventing corruption.
In the economic sector, the CMP said an economic package would be brought to boost the economy of the country affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the affected industries will be encouraged with a special focus on tourism.
CMP has emphasized the pandemic control, industrialization, and production-oriented economy of COVID-19. The private sector hopes that the emphasis on a productive economy will lead Nepal on the path of industrialization and help increase the consumption of Nepali goods.
Also, to provide vaccination to one-thirds of the citizens within September next month, to vaccinate all the eligible citizens till April, to provide relief package for industries, tourism business, communication, transportation, party palace, gymnasium, recreation and unemployed who are in crisis due to COVID-19. The private sector has taken it positively.
The government and the private sector need to work together to increase the capacity in the health sector by taking the initiative to set up a vaccine lab in Nepal for vaccine production. Homework should be enough for this initiative. Similarly, the announcement of administrative reforms to reduce public service delivery by one-thirds is expected to improve Nepal’s doing business index.
According to some officials in the previous government, the joint programme has brought chaos, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is a document of limitation in itself.
It is said that this programme has come to create change in the country. It is also said that the programme has a bias against the federal government in finding a solution to the problem by clearly identifying the shortcomings in the running of the three-tier governments.
It is also said that the provincial governments have not been able to function due to the federal government without recognizing the problems of running the provincial government. The Fifteenth Plan was not mentioned anywhere even though the joint minimum program of the joint government was made by including some aspects of the Fifteenth Plan in this document.
It has been decided to move Nepal from a least developed country to a developing country by 2026.
This raises the question of whether such a document was really necessary and whether it would be convenient for the regime. Such programmes are formalized and do not matter, as they repeat what is already known or laid down by the constitution or laws or policies. Even in the past, when there was a coalition government, there is a truth but a bitter reality that will happen but it will not be implemented. Some former administrators do not see any relevance to the common minimum program.
At a glance, the common minimum program is the demand of the Maoist Center, which has been calling for an all-party mechanism to make governance easier.
Experts in bureaucracy, administration, and law say that the preparation of a common minimum program seems to have become a fashion in Nepal instead of a necessity.
The Deuba government should either continue the budget brought through the ordinance or bring a new budget or amend the same budget. Deuba needs numbers in parliament to amend the budget. Only a year and a half of government should focus on basic good governance. According to experts, the priority should be to vaccinate as soon as possible, to revive the economy, to get the constitution on track, and to hold elections on time. Since the government has to work under the constitution, laws, rules, and policies, the common minimum program is the only means, political and constitutional experts say.
The private sector has said it is waiting for the full implementation of the government’s “Common Minimum Programme” introduced by the government. The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Nepalese Industries, and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce have said that some expectations of the private sector will be met if the joint program is implemented.
The private sector, which has always felt different in its speech and behaviour with the political parties and leadership, has said that the government can be trusted if the programme is followed literally.
As the government has given priority to small, medium, and cottage industries and the most affected areas, it is necessary and imperative to pay attention to its implementation.
On the whole, programmes such as Digital Nepal, River Diversion and Underground and Lift Irrigation, Relief Distribution, Lending on Certificate of Educational Certificate are the continuations of the previous government. The government will implement the remaining tasks of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and agreements with various parties to complete the peace process, guarantee the supremacy of the constitution, the rule of law, and good governance, implement the agreements reached with various parties, implement federalism. The main priority is to formulate necessary laws for the empowerment of the state and local governments and to finalize the bills under consideration in the parliament.
Similarly, emphasis will be laid on high and equitable economic development, laying the foundation for socio-economic transformation, emphasis on the productive economy, improvement in supply management, cost control, and taking initiative for investigation and action against corruption, are commendable.
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