Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has laid out his vision for a prosperous nation, presenting nationality, democracy, social justice, peace and stability as the five bases of Nepal’s development.

Addressing Nepalis on the occasion of New Year 2075 from Rara Lake in Mugu district on Saturday, Oli expressed his commitment to working with honesty for fulfilling people’s aspirations. 

“From vast natural and cultural heritages to social and ecological diversity and to dynamic and self-reliant people, Nepal is endowed with all the resources necessary for prosperity,” the PM said in his nearly 50-minute long address.

Highlighting poverty and problems plaguing the country, Oli remarked: “A different scenario revolves around my eyes that we don’t have good schools for children, proper roads and bridges to go to school, and we don’t have enough human and physical resources to save women in labour pain.”

PM Oli then elaborated on the country’s potential, current challenges, and the formula for prosperity. He pledged to lift Nepal out of its current state of under-development by 2022 and to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Cautious that his announcement might sound ambitious to some, the prime minister said the country cannot take a giant leap without setting a high goal. “We have named it ‘Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepali’,” he added.

The PM called for investments from domestic and foreign industrialists. He promised an investment-friendly environment, favourable worker relations and investment and profit by taking the private sector as an important component of national economy.

“You [Investors] don’t have to deal with unnecessary legal and administrative hassles,” said the PM, assuring investors of relief from past obligations such as additional fees and commission.

In his address, PM Oli expressed his commitment to comprehensive democracy. He noted that the government’s programmes will target an end to social oppression and economic exploitation for building a socialism-oriented state. 

“Rule of law will be strictly enforced. Anarchic activities under the garb of democracy will see their end,” said the PM, adding that the government would not tolerate corruption.

The prime minister outlined the plans for improving agricultural productivity within the next five years. Two-thirds of the country’s population that relies on agriculture would be reduced to 25 percent in the period. “The government’s policies and programmes [for the next fiscal year] will have plans to modernise agriculture and to develop farming as an honourable occupation,” said Oli.

He also promised to end all kinds of violence and discrimination against women practised in the name of tradition. The state would introduce special programmes to take Karnali out of its present state of underdevelopment.

Stating that the three tiers of elections had been crucial for implementing the constitution promulgated in 2015, Oli said a new phase of stability has begun in the country.

The PM visited Rara to declare 2075 as the Karnali Rara Tourism Year, a campaign to increase tourist flow in the region to create economic and job opportunities.