Low poverty level in Kathmandu: Report

A recent report has said that Nepali Capital Kathmandu has very low level, mere 3.3 percent poverty during 2003- 2004.

The 2005 SAARC regional poverty profile, made public on Friday has come up with a disaggregated analysis of poverty, inequality and human development in seven SAARC countries of the region.

The report said that one of the reasons for Kathmandu has low level of poverty is that “Kathmandu is a seat of the government, a rich area supported by tax payers’ money, fertile land, industry, trade, tourism and hub of services sector.”

While the region has less than 5 percent of the total population, it receives a large chunk of the national budget, the report adds.

The report says that poverty is lower in the district headquarters in comparison to villages as district headquarters receive money from trade, services and industrial activism which adds to its affluence.

It has also found out how poverty is apparently not affected by gender disparities. “Rather the opposite seems to be true when poverty level of male and female-headed household is compared.”

The report says that between the two living standard surveys conducted through 1995-1996 and 2003-2004 the population below poverty line decreased by 11 percent (from 42 percent in 1995-1996 to 31 percent in 2003-2004). However, the decline of poverty was not uniform in various areas, segments and communities.

The report shows how population below poverty line in urban areas fell from 21.6 percent in 1995-1996 to 9.6 percent through 2003-2004.

The same period also saw a decline in poverty in rural areas from 43.3 percent to 34.6 percent.

The report says that regions like the middle and western parts of the country need some extra effort to bring them into the national mainstream. nepalnews.com pb Nov 25 06