Saving lives is govt’s top-most priority: Minister Poudel

Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel has said that the government’s top-most priority at the moment is to save people’s lives and has urged everyone to cooperate with the government in its fight against the coronavirus. He said so after receiving the suggestions for the upcoming budget of fiscal year 2078/79 provided by the Society of Economic Journalists – Nepal (SEJON).

Stating that the government had taken all measures to stop the spread of the second wave of COVID-19 and minimise losses, he requested the people to cooperate and help the government in any manner possible. The finance minister mentioned that providing treatment to patients infected with the virus was the government’s top priority.

Minister Poudel said that the government has been moving ahead to deal with the difficulties brought about by the coronavirus by utilising the experiences gathered during the first wave of the virus. “There is no alternative other than to cooperate and win the fight against COVID-19,” he mentioned.

He also informed that the central government had been coordinating with the provincial and local governments to enhance the health infrastructure. The minister added that the government was also focused on mobilising the required human resources to deal with the situation.

Finance Minister Poudel mentioned that efforts were on to import more vaccines against the coronavirus from neighbouring India and China.

He added that the economy which had just been recovering from the effects of the first wave and the subsequent lockdown has been hit again by the second wave. However, the first priority now is to save lives and then look into other issues. It is due to the need to save lives that the prohibitory order has been imposed in various places, Minister Poudel shared.

Meanwhile, SEJON has recommended the government to revisit the issues related to income tax, value-added tax, and customs duty, among other issues, and do the needful. It has also urged Minister Poudel to introduce a provision whereby working journalists are able to obtain loans at a facilitated interest rate.