Lumbini Province to Present Budget for Fiscal Year 2083/84 on Ashad 1

Rupandehi. The Lumbini Province government is scheduled to present the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 on Ashad 1, Monday. Finance and Planning Minister Dhanendra Karki will present the budget at 5:00 PM during the ninth meeting of the eighth session of the Provincial Assembly.

The provincial government has prepared the budget by giving high priority to payment of liabilities, provincial pride projects, and multi-year and ongoing projects, keeping in mind limited resources, increasing liabilities, and incomplete development construction works.

The government's preparation is to make the upcoming budget centered on production growth, employment generation, infrastructure development, good governance, and social justice. The government has prioritized modernization of the agricultural sector, expansion of irrigation, organic farming, conservation of local and indigenous crops, branding of agricultural products, and value chain development. The policy to increase agricultural production, substitute imports, and promote exports will be included in the budget.

The budget will also give special importance to plans to create employment through skill-based training, startups, self-employment, and innovation programs targeting youth.

In the health sector, preparations are underway to continue upgrading hospitals, expanding specialist services, and providing subsidies for cancer, kidney transplantation, and heart disease treatment.

In infrastructure development, the budget will include policies to complete incomplete and multi-year projects, increase the effectiveness of capital expenditure, and continue provincial pride projects. Digital governance, simplification of service delivery, and financial discipline will also be prioritized.

The budget also aims to make the province's economy dynamic through tourism, industry, energy, and maximum utilization of local resources. In particular, preparations are underway to continue programs to develop Lumbini as an international religious and health tourism center.

For the current fiscal year 2082/083, the provincial government had presented a budget of Rs 38.91 billion. Of that budget, Rs 23.47 billion was allocated for capital expenditure and Rs 15.43 billion for current expenditure. This time, the provincial government is preparing to present a budget of around Rs 38 billion.

The upcoming budget has been formulated based on the Provincial Government's Second Periodic Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, and the long-term vision of 'Prosperous Lumbini: Happy Citizens'.