Nepal government had recently celebrated constitution day spending a huge amount of money in the present pandemic situation of COVID-19. Are you satisfied? Present your views(any 4)
Answers
Answer:
his policy tracker summarizes the key economic responses governments are taking to limit the human and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tracker includes 196 economies. Last updated on October 9, 2020.
NOTE: The tracker focuses on discretionary actions and might not fully reflect the policies taken by countries in response to COVID-19, such as automatic insurance mechanisms and existing social safety nets which differ across countries in their breadth and scope. The information included is not meant for comparison across members as responses vary depending on the nature of the shock and country-specific circumstances. Adding up the different measures—tax and spending, loans and guarantees, monetary instruments, and foreign exchange operations—might not provide an accurate estimate of the aggregate policy support. The tracker includes information that is publicly available or provided by the authorities to country teams and does not represent views of the IMF on the measures listed.
A
BACK TO TOP
Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of
Background. Afghanistan reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case on February 24, 2020. As the infection spread in March, the government progressively tightened containment measures, including introducing screening at ports of entry, quarantine for infected people, and closure of public places for gathering. On March 28, it imposed countrywide lockdown, which was subsequently extended twice.
The pandemic and containment measures stifled domestic activity and disrupted trade and transportation. Border closures and panic-buying led to a temporary spike in prices of some foodstuffs in April, which has abated with the re-opening of borders in early June. Income and job losses, in the formal and informal sectors, and higher prices have pushed thousands of Afghan families into poverty and have threatened to reverse social development gains of the past decade. Oxfam estimates that the number of people on brink of famine in Afghanistan has risen to 3.5 million in May from 2.5 million in September last year.
Reopening of the economy:
The government has progressively eased the lockdown in over the summer, with most containment restrictions removed by end-August.
The government announced new working hours for government and non-government organizations, alternating between even and odd weekdays, from 7 am until 1 pm. On July 12, working hours of government organizations were extended from 8 am to 4 pm, with employees alternating between even and odd workdays.
On July 22, wedding halls were allowed to open. Universities and schools reopened on August 5 and 12.
On May 17, Pakistan re-opened its Torkham and Chaman borders points with Afghanistan, followed by a restoration of bilateral trade and transit at all border crossings to pre-Covid-19 status on July 13. On July 15, trade with India through Wagah border post in Pakistan resumed. At end-June, the authorities announced the resumption of domestic and international flights and exports to Europe via the air corridors.
FEWS Net reports that the May easing of containment led to increasing labor availability in urban areas and, in combination with assistance and Zakat, has allowed some improvement in consumption. Still, many Afghans remain in a crisis phase of food insecurity.
Key Policy Responses as of October 8, 2020
FISCAL
The government initially allocated Af 8 billion (0.5 percent of GDP) from contingency funds for emergency pandemic response, of which Af 1.9 billion (0.1 percent of GDP) for urgent health needs, such as establishing testing labs, including at border crossings; setting up special wards to boost hospitalization and care capacity; and procuring critical medical supplies.
On April 29, the government started providing free bread to the poor in Kabul, later extended to other cities. The program was ended in late June. In May, the government waived electricity bills of less than Af 1,000 (US$13) for a family residence in Kabul for two months and paid utility bills of the past two months for 50 percent of households in Kabul. The decision benefited more than 1.5 million Kabul residents. Recognizing the liquidity constraints of many taxpayers, the government extended the tax filing deadline for the first quarter by 45 days. No further extensions have been provided.
The authorities are preparing a mid-year budget revision, which is expected to include the following COVID-19 related spending, including those approved in the July budget amendment:
Health package amounting to Af 6.2 billion, including for building hospitals;
Social package, including the now concluded bread distribution program of Af 2.8 billion and the World Bank-supported social distribution program in the amount of Af 20.8 billion (see below);
Wheat purchase program (Af 1.7 billion);
Transfers to provinces to finance Covid-19 response (Af 2.3 billion);
Package to support agriculture (Af 5.9 billion) and short-term jobs (Af 1.0 billion).
Explanation:
Answer:
This policy tracker summarizes the key economic responses governments are taking to limit the human and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tracker includes 196 economies. Last updated on October 9, 2020.
NOTE: The tracker focuses on discretionary actions and might not fully reflect the policies taken by countries in response to COVID-19, such as automatic insurance mechanisms and existing social safety nets which differ across countries in their breadth and scope. The information included is not meant for comparison across members as responses vary depending on the nature of the shock and country-specific circumstances. Adding up the different measures—tax and spending, loans and guarantees, monetary instruments, and foreign exchange operations—might not provide an accurate estimate of the aggregate policy support. The tracker includes information that is publicly available or provided by the authorities to country teams and does not represent views of the IMF on the measures listed.