We have created a vision for prosperity in Province 4, considering not just our potential but also limitations. But federalism is still a work in progress, several laws are yet to be drafted. We are still trying to determine the exact roles and responsibilities of Federal, Provincial and Local governments. There is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the mandates of each, the terms of reference for all three tiers of government and how deep devolution will actually go.
But while we wait for these laws to be formulated, we cannot just sit and twiddle our thumbs. Here in Province 4, we have already unveiled the provincial government’s first budget, programs, and policies. Then we need to pass at least 22 laws at the provincial level to govern our administrative procedures.
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We are starting from zero to draw a five-year roadmap for prosperity. We cannot afford to lose any more time. We are now identifying our resources and priorities, and realistically our focus will be on tourism, hydropower, agriculture, industry, and human resources.
The tourism potential of Province 4 is not limited to its capital in Pokhara. We are designing a policy to make tourists go beyond the town, and into the far-flung villages below the Annapurnas. We will designate at least 300 villages for home-stay tourism in the next five years, which will inject tourism income directly into the village economy.