Parliament Discusses FY2083 Budget, MPs Propose Spending Cuts

Kathmandu. In the House of Representatives meeting on Monday, discussions began on the budget of 9 ministries under the upcoming fiscal year 2083. During the discussions, MPs have submitted 12 proposals for spending cuts.

The meeting of the House is discussing the budget of the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, and Ministry of Information and Communications. 

Similarly, discussions are ongoing on the budget of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, and Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security. Twelve spending cut proposals have been submitted in the discussions on the budget of these 9 ministries.

In the meeting, CPN UML MP Kripa Ram Rana and Nepal Communist Party MP Parvati BK submitted proposals to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to 'one rupee'. They accused the budget of the Ministry of Industry of failing to touch the industrial sectors of Karnali and Sudurpaschim. They stated that the government has made it even stricter for citizens with industrial sector skills to operate industries. MP Rana objected to the allocation of over 1 kharba rupees under various headings of the Ministry of Industry. MP BK stated that she submitted the spending cut proposal as various allowance headings were included, increasing the current expenditure.

Similarly, Nepal Communist Party MP Jog Kumar Babariya Yadav and Nepali Congress MP Santosh Subba submitted proposals to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment to 'one rupee'. MP Yadav commented that although the budget brought by the government raised some hope, it was presented in the wrong way. He stated that the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture is not implementable and does not address middle-class farmers.

He said, ‘Farmers have been continuously deceived so far. Despite many changes in the country's political history, the condition of the citizens remains the same. That is why the public is seeking justice by giving votes wholeheartedly. I welcome the budget brought by the government as it is in the interest of the public, but the budget should have come in the right way, it came in the wrong way.’

CPN UML MP Nita Ghatani proposed to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Information and Communications to 'one rupee'. She warned that the rights to the constitution, democracy, and press freedom would be weakened if equal access to government advertisements was not ensured. She demanded an explanation from the government, stating that quality telephone and internet services have not yet reached the mountainous, hilly, and rural areas of the country. Mentioning that citizens are still forced to climb hills even for a simple phone call, she urged to prioritize the expansion of telecommunication service access.

She said, ‘Only by ensuring equal access to government advertisements will the rights to the constitution, democracy, and press freedom be secured. Another important reform of the ministry is the expansion of telecommunication and internet services. But even today, telephone and quality internet services have not reached many citizens in the mountainous, hilly, and rural regions of the country. Some citizens have to climb hills even for a simple phone call. The government must answer this. In recent times, digital security has become linked with national security. However, incidents of cybercrime and fraud through social media are increasing rapidly.’

Nepal Communist Party MP Parshuram Tamang proposed to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to 'one hundred rupees'. He stated that all aspects of culture should have been included in the ministry's budget, but this was not the case. He said that he submitted the spending cut proposal because the allocated budget of the ministry was not distributed equally.

MPs Arjun Kumar Karki, Narendra Kumar Kerung, and Ramesh Kumar Mall submitted proposals to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Education and Sports to 'one rupee'. MP Karki emphasized that Nepal's education system should be based on professionalism and entrepreneurship rather than being certificate-centric. He stated that budget is necessary to make universities in Nepal centers of innovation and knowledge production while maintaining good governance and educational transparency.

MP Sajida Khatun Siddiki presented proposals to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene and the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security to 'one rupee'. She stated that she submitted the spending cut proposal because the government has not allocated sufficient budget to provide quality health services to citizens. She clarified that it is the citizen's right to receive quality health services and the state's responsibility to provide quality services.

She stated that her proposal to reduce the amount under the ministry's heading was due to insufficient budget allocation in the field of women and children as well.

Similarly, Nepal Communist Party MP Yuvraj Dulal proposed to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene by 'one hundred rupees'. CPN UML MP Ashuda Kumari Baral proposed to reduce the spending amount under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration to 'one rupee'. She demanded that border disputes be managed, land-related problems be resolved, and landless squatters be provided land immediately.

Opposition party MPs and sometimes disgruntled MPs from the ruling party also register proposals to reduce the spending under various ministries to 'one rupee'. A proposal presented as 'one hundred rupees should be reduced' from the spending amount of a similar heading is considered a symbolic cut proposal presented to express dissatisfaction on a matter within the accountability of the Government of Nepal.