Kathmandu. The Ministry of Finance has started ministerial discussions for the budget preparation for the fiscal year 2082.83. In this context, the Ministry of Finance has consulted with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and its subordinate departments and agencies today.
On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel has said that a disciplined and realistic budget will be brought in the fiscal year 2082.83. He said that when a realistic budget is brought, there will be no need for periodic transfers and amendments and there will be no problems in implementation.
Finance Minister Poudel expressed the view that the budget will be prepared by internalizing the principles and values of the budget and learning from past experiences. He emphasized on preparing the budget with special attention to federalism and the role of the federal government as there are federal, provincial and local governments. He believes that everyone will take ownership of the budget as it will be prepared in coordination between ministries and various bodies.
Mentioning that post-disaster reconstruction should be given priority, Finance Minister Poudel said that the budget for the coming fiscal year should be prepared by making a vibrant and effective budget, and by aligning policies and programs with the budget. He urged the concerned ministries to postpone unimplementable and low-priority projects and include only implementable plans.
Similarly, Finance Minister Poudel suggested stopping small projects and reducing the number of successive plans. He said that only projects for which preparatory work has been completed and where the need is felt to be urgent should be included. He also suggested proposing programs keeping in mind the budget ceiling.
The discussion was attended by Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Prof. Dr. Shivraj Adhikari, Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay, Revenue Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma, among others.
