How can Nepal prosper?

governance, thought provoking

The openness of a society, its willingness to permit creative destruction, and the rule of law appear to be decisive for economic development.
– Kenneth J. Arrow, Nobel laureate in economics.

In the 1st part we talked about how Nepal keeps failing and why is it poor. Please read it, if you haven’t.
So If we want to understand how Nepal can prosper, first we have to answer this question first.

What is the link between politics and prosperity?

Economic institutions shape economic incentives: the incentives to become educated, to save and invest, to innovate and adopt new technologies, and so on. But it is the political process that determines what economic institutions people live under, thus it is the political institutions that decide how this process works.

Central is the link between inclusive economic-political institutions and prosperity. Inclusive economic institutions that enforce property rights, create a level playing field, and encourage investments in new technologies and skills are more conducive to economic growth than extractive economic institutions that are structured to extract resources from the many by the few and that fail to protect property rights or offer incentives

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Why Nepal fails ? (repeatedly)

economy, governance, leadership

 

This is a 2 part series: 1) Why Nepal keeps failing? 2) How Nepal can prosper again?
(This writing is heavily adapted from book “Why Nations Fail.” I recommend reading it.)

To answer why Nepal keeps on failing,  let us first address this question:

Why is Nepal poor ?

Nepal is poor precisely because it has been ruled by a narrow elite that have organized society for their own benefit at the cost of the vast mass of people. And every leader of a new revolution assimilates either with the old elite or copies their systems to create the same vicious cycle as before.

The things that have held Nepalis back include an ineffective and corrupt state and a society where they cannot use their talent, ambition, ingenuity, and what kind of education they can get. But Nepalis also recognize that the roots of all these problems are political. All the economic impediments they face stem from the way political power in Nepal is exercised and monopolized by a narrow elite. This, they understand, is the first thing that has to change.

But even after so many political

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लूटेराको राज

change, leadership, nepali

Also read in English

एउटा चलचित्र चलिरहेछ नजिकैको सिनेमा हलमा। यसको मुल कथा यस प्रकार छ :

“बिभिन्न गुण्डाका समुहहरुले पालै पालो एउटा गाँउ लूटिरहेका छन् । गाउँ यसरी बारम्बार निचोरिदाँ निचोरिदैँ मरणाय स्थितिमा पुगिसकेको छ। अहिले पनि यिनै गुण्डाहरु बीच कस्‌ले अहिले लूट्ने र कति बढि लूट्नेमा भन्नेमै भयंकर बिबाद चर्किराछ।

उता गाँऊलेहरु घुँडा टेकी टेकी हात जोडी जोडी गुण्डाहरुलाई नै गुहार गरिराछन् “हे प्रभु, अब त हाम्रो गाँउलाई छाडी देउ, हामी नाङ्गा भैसक्यौँ।” तर गुण्डाहरु उल्टै जाइ लाग्छन् “तँ को होस् र साले गधा, हामी सँग यस्तो माग राख्‍ने – चुप्प लागेर बस् तिमीहरु त भेडा हौँ हामीले जता डोहोरायो त्यतै जान्छस् बुझिस् !” अनि फनक्क फर्केर फेरि एक-आपसमा गाँउको भागबण्डाको मामलामा झगडा गर्न थाल्छन्। बिचरा लाचार गाँउलेहरु मनमा आगै बले पनि मुख भरि डर बोकी  टुलुटुलु हेरि बस्छन् , केहि बर्बराउँदै छन् – “हे ३३ कोटी देव-देवीहरु तल आऊ र हामीलाई बचाऊ न – अब त हामीले सकेनौँ !”

फेरि चलचित्रको दृष्य बदलिन्छ । नया दृष्य देखिन्छ – यिनै गुण्डाहरुको समुह अझै भागबण्डाको झगडामा ब्यष्त छन्। अन्तिम घडिमा पनि आरोप‍- प्रत्यारोप चलिरहेकै छ। हुँदा हुँदा त तिनै बिचारा गाँउलेहरुले पनि अब अनुरोध गर्न थाल्छन् – “मिल्नुहोस् न तपाँईहरु

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