Kathmandu, May 28
The KP Sharma Oli government is bringing the annual budget for the fiscal 2073-74 surpassing the National Planning Commission-set budget limit. Minister for Finance, Bishnu Poudel, will deliver the budget speech at 4 pm. The budget size surpasses the Rs 10 trillion mark, according to a source at the Ministry of Finance.
This year, the budget size has increased by around two trillion rupees compared to the last fiscal. This year’s budget, according to the source, has increased salary of government employees and pledged relief packages for former Maoist combatants as well as families of martyrs and those injured in political movements.
The government is preparing to increase funding for social security, apart from hiking funds for the lawmakers’ development fund.
Government is preparing to hike this year’s budget by 27 per cent compared to the last year’s, at a time when it has come under fire for failing to spend allocated funds.
Leaders from the main opposition Nepali Congress have been criticising this budget. They say the government is trying to influence upcoming local elections by preparing a budget that surpasses the NPC-set ceiling.
What do you think of the budget for FY 2073-74? Does it have too many populist programmes that will bleed the national economy dry? Feel free to comment.
