Lawmakers air mixed opinions over budget in National Assembly

Lawmakers aired mixed opinions  over the budget for the fiscal year 2023/24. Speaking at the meeting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, members representing the ruling parties welcomed the government estimates for income and expenditures for the next year while the opposition criticized it. Jag Prasad Sharma said the budget was realistic and the priorities to increase capital expenditures were a positive aspect of it.

Objective assessment of the problems, priorities to control revenue leakage, promote export timber production, promote trade and further strengthen the relations with two close neighbors were the positive aspects of the budget that adopted a policy to control general expenditures and this approach was noteworthy.

He commended the deadline to spend the budget, announcements to improve the financial system and laws and regulations and to scrap 20 government entities and the assurance for its implementation. "The budget has attempted to create five bases for economic revolution and prosperity and it is realistic," he said, adding that however the announcement to revive the 'Parliament development fund' was wrong. "It has devalued the MP's post, treating the lawmaker as a ward chair." He drew the attention of the finance minister towards lack of sufficient budget allocations to health and education sectors. Uday Bahadur Bohara said the budget presented a clear picture about the issues in the nation and its implementation should be for resolving them. Shekhar Kumar Singh applauded the government for incorporating timely relevant issues in the budget. "Though some human errors are noticed and they could be corrected," he said, focusing on the effective implementation of the budget. Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi expressed his concern over the comment that the budget was like a good essay and argued that it accorded priority to the economic development of the nation. "To protest for the sake of protest is absolutely wrong." Indu Kadariya said the budget was not centered on finding solutions to the existing problems, adding that "budget without source will not serve the goals and meet the people's aspirations." Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal said the economic situation in the current fiscal year suggested that the country was likely to face an economic crisis, but the new budget failed to assess it and catch up the pace for minimizing such risk. "The budget has failed to set a destination, present substantive plans for addressing potential risks for economic crisis. Its size is big and is beyond the reality," said Ramchandra Rai. Prakash Panth echoed the need of discouraging public expenditures, encouraging capital expenditures, preventing corruption and paying special attention to the promotion of good governance. "The budget implementation should be effective."  As he said, the government has failed to focus on the implementation of federalism through the budget. Mohammed Khalid was of the view that the budget failed to address the issues of inclusion and proportional system justifiably. He was against the announcement to scrap the Dairy Development Board.