June 15, Kathmandu – Nepali Congress MP Kshitij Thebe expressed that the budget presented in Parliament for the upcoming fiscal year failed to ignite enthusiasm among the youth. He made these remarks during the budget discussion focused on ministerial allocations in the House of Representatives on Monday. “Overall, the size of the budget is large. The choice of words is attractive. The presentation is impressive,” he stated. “There were very high hopes for this government. As a young MP, I was extremely enthusiastic. However, after reading and hearing the budget speech, that enthusiasm did not remain.”
Recalling his long tenure leading youth movements, Thebe shared his views related to the youth ministry. Reflecting on questions posed by young voters during elections, he said, “I was asked, ‘How many youth will your party employ?’” He added that the Rashtriya Swatantra Party faced similar questions and that all promised employment generation. However, he said, in the budget, youths did not find the anticipated job opportunities. Thebe also raised the issue of cardamom production in Taplejung. He noted that 44 percent of Nepal’s total cardamom output comes from Taplejung, and the government should have coordinated with international markets to promote it. He requested the government to set a minimum support price, as this could potentially create employment opportunities for many youth.
Thebe emphasized that the budget reflects a survival-based policy and reminded that the Constitution guarantees education and health as fundamental rights. “There is an economic burden imposed on constitutionally protected fundamental rights,” he remarked. “Extra equality fees in education have planted thorns in the intellect, generating a lack of knowledge. It’s not that we don’t want scholars like our learned Finance Minister,” he added. He pointed out that the budget imposes additional financial burdens on parents. He also raised serious concerns about imposing equality fees in the health sector. “Now even an infant being born has to pay extra health taxes, and there is a loss because taxes have to be paid at every stage — even at the time of death before the funeral, and even on the deathbed,” he explained.
While acknowledging that some sports programs exist, Thebe noted a lack of concrete plans to ensure a quality life, social security, and post-career future for athletes who have created success through their own hard work. Pointing out that the government has also failed to inspire hope among youth in the tourism sector, he proposed developing a High Altitude Sports Corridor encompassing Taplejung’s Kanchenjunga, Topke Gola, Olangchungola, and Gunsa areas. He drew the government’s attention to the extraordinary potential of districts such as Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, and Solukhumbu.
