While the budget implementation for the current fiscal year remains worrisome, the Sudurpaschim provincial government has begun preparations for next year’s budget. It has started collecting suggestions from various stakeholders to determine priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
So far, even the development ministries have spent less than 35 percent of their allocated budgets. Some ministries have utilized only two percent of their capital budgets, while the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure—which accounts for the largest share of capital expenditure—has spent only 24 percent.
Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah said that future plans would be selected based on needs and programs.
The Provincial Policy and Planning Commission organized an interaction program to collect feedback on the priorities for next year’s policies, programs, and budget. Separate discussions have been held with economic and development experts, private sector representatives, industrialists, and businesspeople. The provincial government has prioritized the modernization and commercialization of agriculture.
At the interaction program, the government announced it would focus on nine key sectors: modernization and commercialization of agriculture; tourism development; quality physical infrastructure development (including energy, transportation, communication, housing, drinking water, and irrigation); social development (including education, health, social security, conservation, and employment); industrialization; poverty alleviation; forest and environment-friendly green development including herbal production; institutional strengthening and good governance; and the development of a digital province. The government has adopted the slogan “Self-reliance-oriented, prosperous Far West.”
Experts participating in the discussions suggested that the government prioritize health, education, employment, and religious and cultural tourism sectors in its policies and programs. They also emphasized the need to utilize water resources for income generation, view community forests as an economic asset alongside conservation, and focus on quality, employment-oriented, and technical education for educational reform.
Additional suggestions included promoting research and development, introducing programs targeting young entrepreneurs, providing concessional loans ranging from Rs 1.1m to Rs 2m for youth businesses, and enhancing tourism promotion, especially linking adventure tourism (such as hiking and trekking) with agriculture.
Participants also recommended better tax management, encouragement of small and cottage industries, subsidies for production, price stabilization of agricultural products, the establishment of industrial corridors, and simplifying the firm registration process through a one-stop system.
Speaking at the program, Chief Minister Shah said the suggestions would be incorporated into the upcoming policies and programs. “Investments will be made in concrete and tangible areas according to the province’s capabilities, directly benefiting the people,” he said. He also urged participants to submit their suggestions in writing within ten days.
Discussions also covered the status and implementation of long-term programs, the initiation of the project bank, standardization of project designs and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), reducing recurrent expenditure, increasing capital expenditure, boosting internal revenue, promoting good governance, encouraging citizen participation, and enhancing the effectiveness of consumer committees. Attention was also given to the need for effective, citizen-focused policies and programs for the coming fiscal year.
