Kathmandu: Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has chosen to abandon the long-standing tradition of carrying Nepal’s budget documents in a briefcase or official bag ahead of the national budget presentation for fiscal year 2026/27.
Wagle arrived at the Cabinet meeting, where the budget must receive final approval before being presented in Parliament, carrying the budget papers in a traditional Nepali paper folder tied with ribbon.
The finance minister reached the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers directly from the Finance Ministry with the uniquely packaged budget documents, drawing attention to the symbolic departure from convention.
For decades, Nepal’s finance ministers typically carried budget documents in a black briefcase, a practice inspired by Westminster-style parliamentary traditions. Last year, former finance minister Barshaman Pun had slightly altered the custom by using a bag made from Nepal-produced allo fibre.
Wagle’s choice of a simple paper folder appears aimed at projecting a more minimalist and locally rooted image for the new government’s first full budget.
Comment Here