Kathmandu: The government has begun reviewing proposed plans and programs from key ministries as part of the initial phase of preparing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84.
According to Hari Sharan Pudashaini, spokesperson for the National Planning Commission Nepal, discussions were held under the coordination of the Ministry of Finance Nepal with four ministries: the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.
A day earlier, the commission had also held similar discussions with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Ministries have been entering their proposed plans and programs into the Line Ministry Budget Information System (LMBIS), based on the medium-term expenditure framework prepared by the planning commission, the budget ceiling set by the National Resource Estimate Committee, and guidelines issued by the Finance Ministry.
As per the Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2019, each ministry is required to prepare and submit its policy, program, and budget proposals within the assigned ceiling and guidelines to both the National Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry within the stipulated deadline. The Finance Ministry had set Chaitra 15 as the deadline for submissions.
Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has been emphasizing that the upcoming budget will be “transformational” in nature.
In line with this, the Finance Ministry has instructed ministries to propose only those projects that align with existing government policies and periodic plans, are included in the medium-term expenditure framework, have completed necessary preparation, include cost estimates, and provide projections of expenditure and resources for the next three years.
The commission also said that ministries are being guided to prioritize programs in line with the ruling party’s election manifesto, the government’s recently approved 100-point governance reform agenda, and the Good Governance Roadmap 2082 while finalizing budget proposals.
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