How COVID-19 provides an opportunity to chart a self-reliant economy
KATHMANDU, Oct 17: The unofficial Indian trade embargo imposed in 2015 after the promulgation of the new constitution laid bare the risk of Nepal’s ‘heavy dependence’ on its southern neighbor.
The trade embargo resulted in acute shortages of essential supplies like medicines and cooking gas. The blockade was especially severe in the immediate aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 2015. The blockade was interpreted as a clarion call for the government to orient the economy toward self-reliance.