Kathmandu: Lawmakers have asked for the government’s response in the aftermath of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s putting Nepal in the grey list. Speaking in the Special Hour of the House of Representatives meeting today, Udaya Shumsher JBR demanded to know what the government was doing to remove Nepal from the FATF’s grey list.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Udaya Shumsher JBR emphasized that Nepal has been placed in the FATF’s grey list primarily due to weak regulation of the cooperative sector. He questioned the government’s plan to enhance the regulation of cooperatives and expedite Nepal’s removal from the grey list, urging that this information be communicated to the Parliament. He also noted that Nepal should capitalize on its ‘double B minus’ credit rating, which is better compared to most South Asian countries. Additionally, he highlighted the government’s delayed efforts in reconstructing the Kanti highway and urged acceleration in the repair of the BP highway, which was damaged by floods and landslides in late September last year.
The session also saw discussions on the broader topic of corruption in Nepal. Nepal Communist Party (UML) lawmaker Thakur Prasad Gaire described the rise in corruption, bribery, and commission mongering as shameful, insisting on presenting concrete data in parliament to facilitate actionable measures. He underscored the necessity of creating a society grounded in good governance and social justice, asserting that the UML aims to advance the country towards socialism by eradicating instability and anarchy.
On another note, Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Rekha Sharma criticized the government for allegedly bypassing parliament by introducing ordinances. She accused ministers of altering bills already passed by parliamentary committees. Meanwhile, lawmaker Basudev Ghimire called for the promotion of religious tourism, which he believes would contribute to Nepal’s economic growth, suggesting infrastructure development around sites such as Lumbini, Muktinath, Pathibhara, Pashupatinath, and Manakamana.
The session also addressed local concerns, with Mangal Prasad Gupta urging flood risk prevention in Krishnanagar Municipality-12 of Kapilbastu district, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Anisha Nepali advocating for the extension of the national electricity transmission line to Salyan.
Furthermore, lawmakers emphasized the importance of completing physical infrastructure projects timely, as delays have been causing public inconvenience. During the Zero Hour of the HoR session, lawmakers such as Bhagawati Chaudhary, Bhanubhakta Joshi, and others urged the government to address these issues. Additionally, Maina Karki and several other lawmakers called for attention to various other public concerns, underscoring the session’s focus on addressing pressing national issues.