NA meeting: Budget implementing agencies be made more proactive

Kathmandu - The parliamentarians taking part in today’s meeting of National Assembly have urged the government to make those agencies responsible for implementing budget more proactive. In the meeting convened to deliberate on the newly released budget for new fiscal year 2020/21, they have acknowledged that the new budget was in tune with the time when the whole world including Nepal was witnessing COVID-19 crisis.

Nepali Congress’s Rameshjung Rayamajhi said that the budget for last year was frozen. Thus, he opined that the agencies responsible for implementing the budget should be made more proactive. “The budget released does not reflect the aspirations and expectation of the Nepali citizens. It is said that the government provided relief packages worth Rs 800 million during COVID-19 crisis. Who availed of the relief packages?” he questioned. Likewise, Nepal Communist Party’s (NCP) parliamentarian Devendra Dahal said that the newly released budget had alerted one and all about the shrink in production, trade and investment leading to world economic crisis in future due to COVID-19 crisis.

Finance Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada on May 28 had presented Rs 1474 billion federal budget for the new fiscal year. NCP’s Sumanraj Pyakurel viewed that budget was the best one for its appropriate allocation for COVID-19 prevention and control, continuation to senior citizen allowances, operation of industries, cooperatives and farming. “The new budget is bound to support job creations for the youths at home.

Likewise, the budget has fairly addressed the Terai-Madhesh. We are thankful to the government for launching budget including these features,” he commended. NCP Sumitra BC drew the attention of the government towards operating private boarding schools and providing subsidy while purchasing electronic vehicle. The political party-wise deliberation on the budget has continued since Sunday. Minister Khatiwada has been responding to the queries of the parliamentarians on the newly released budget.