Over 6mn Nepalis living under poverty line

Kathmandu, May 28 (IANS) Over 6 million Nepalis are still living under the poverty line, which is 21.6 per cent of the Himalayan nation's total population, a new report has revealed.

Unveiling the Economic Survey 2017-18 at parliament on Sunday, Nepal's Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada said despite reduction in poverty over the years, there has not been achievement in the area as expected, reports Xinhua news agency.

Nepal has taken a number of measures, including targeted programmes to alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities. 

Nepal has been running various income generating activities and small community infrastructure targeting the poor households through Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF), an institution formed to run targeted programmes. 

According to the Economic Survey, as many as 984,421 poor households have been benefited from the programmes launched by PAF in 60 out of 77 districts of the country. 

Likewise, 44,810 youths were self-employed in the first eight months of the current fiscal year that began in mid-July 2017 under the Youth and Small Entrepreneur Self Employment Fund.

However, due to limited employment opportunities at home, around 4.3 million Nepalis have gone for foreign employment through formal or informal channels, stated the Economic Survey. 

According to the Economic Survey, Nepal's economy is expected to grow by 5.9 per cent in the current fiscal year ending in mid-July. Nepal's average economic growth over the last one decade stood at 4.3 per cent.