Government to rebuild infrastructure damaged during Gen Z movement through crowdfunding

Kathmandu: The government has decided to raise resources for the reconstruction of government structures destroyed during the Gen Z movement through crowdfunding.

Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal said that the funds collected from the public will be used for rebuilding damaged public property and providing additional support to the families of those who lost their lives during the movement.

According to him, the fund will be open for contributions from anyone, and the money spontaneously raised by Gen Z members will also be deposited into this fund for spending. The government is prepared to implement the crowdfunding decision immediately after its formal announcement.

One of Minister Khanal’s first decisions is to scrap fragmented projects and redirect their budgets towards reconstruction and election expenses.

So far, around 1,300 projects are expected to generate approximately Rs 1.10 trillion in resources. The cut in current expenditure from these projects alone will amount to about Rs 130 billion, he added.

The Finance Ministry has estimated that since 5–7 percent of current expenditure remains unused annually, it can allocate an additional Rs 120–130 billion based on this pattern.

Budgets of projects that have not yet started, those included for political interests, projects directly placed into the budget bypassing the project bank, and those that are currently non-essential will be cut, Khanal said. Essential projects that must be carried out will receive budget allocations later, but for now, the government has decided to implement cuts.

Since the government’s focus will remain on the elections, there will be no training programmes, workshops, or seminars this year. The Finance Ministry has already prepared a proposal to cut budgets allocated for such programmes, Khanal confirmed.

Based on the earlier experience where provincial and federal elections cost Rs 250 billion, the government expects similar expenditure this time and is arranging resources accordingly. The Cabinet will also take steps to resolve any obstacles faced by the Election Commission.

Khanal further stated that the Finance Ministry has already prepared an economic recovery plan. In coordination with the central bank, the plan has been finalized and will be presented at today’s Cabinet meeting for approval and implementation.