The government has been advised to bring budget for the upcoming fiscal by addressing people's aspirations for development and economic prosperity.
In a meeting of the House of Representatives Sunday, most of lawmakers taking part in the deliberations on the principles and priorities of the appropriation bill (except tax proposal) for the fiscal year 2075-76 BS, stressed on the need of presenting a practical action plan for achieving economic prosperity, ensuring the effective enforcement of the budget by making authorities concerned responsible.
Reality-based budget was the need of the hour, they asserted, seeking special investment in the areas of tourism, agriculture, energy, and forest on the backdrop of the concept of 'prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali' introduced by the government.
Lawmakers from the ruling parties supported the principles and priorities of the appropriation bill presented by Finance Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada while the voices of oppositions were that the document was aimless and failed to present something new to the people.
CPN (Maoist Center)'s Janardan Sharma stressed on the need of prompt and full enforcement of budget, urging the government to give a special focus on big programs in the budget speech.
Kamala Roka from the same party voiced that new budget should come in favor of women who make up above 50 percent of the total population.
Former Finance Minister and lawmaker from the major ruling party CPN-UML, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, stressed that the budget should be capable of boosting the confidence of people and creating a foundation for economic progress and prosperity. The budget capable of addressing the practical implementation of the slogan for economic prosperity was the need of the hour, he added. He went on to say that the principles and priorities of the bill were effective and they had incorporated practical issues.
CPN-UML's Bhanubhakta Dhakal was for the budget able to create a base for socialist economic system.
Nepali Congress lawmaker and former Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki accused the government of planning to bring the new budget without preparations. Dilendra Prasad from the same party drew the attention of the government towards appropriating 30 percent of the total budget to the education sector while suggestion of Pradip Giri was that employment and social security should be given priority in the budget. The lower house shall meet again at 11 am Monday.
