Patan (Lalitpur): Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba emphasized that Nepal should refrain from accepting loans that could have a negative impact on the nation. Speaking at a dialogue titled "Economics and Politics of Foreign Aid in Nepal" organized by the party's Economic Policy and Planning Department at the central office in Sanepa today, Deuba stressed the importance of ensuring loans do not burden the country's future.

The former prime minister also remarked that it is not the government's role to engage in business ventures or establish industries, implying that its focus should remain on governance and policy facilitation.

NC Vice President Dhanraj Gurung called for an end to the practice of taking loans from donor agencies without implementing them effectively. Similarly, General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa underlined the need for evidence-based discussions on economic policies, advocating for decisions that align with the country’s priorities and needs rather than political influences. "Economy should be debated on the basis of facts and evidence," he said.

During the dialogue, Professor Dr. Govindaraj Pokharel, head of the Economic Policy and Planning Department, highlighted that Nepal's foreign debt currently stands at approximately Rs 1,253 billion.

Experts and economists, including former National Planning Commission Vice Chair Meen Bahadur Shrestha, Dr. Dilliraj Khanal, former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal, Tribhuvan University economics professor Sanjay Dahal, and Dr. Indra Kumari Adhikari, presented working papers on Nepal's foreign economic policy.

The event aimed to foster a broader political and parliamentary debate on economic policies and the management of foreign aid in Nepal, focusing on sustainable and transparent financial practices.