‘Realistic budget is present need’

The experts on budget have said the budget for the fiscal year, 2081/82 should not be big, but realistic and based on availability of resources. The speakers at a discussion programme organized by Nepal Intellectual Council at CPN UML office on Friday laid emphasis on preparation of the realistic budget. UML Vice Chairman and former finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel viewed the forthcoming budget could focus on availability of means and resources. "We can not make a huge budget given the revenue size, foreign aid, and internal loan. Although demand is made for a huge budget, we can not afford it." Paudel added budget should have credibility, so it can reference the 16th periodic plan, government policies and programmes and common minimum programmes of the ruling parties. According to him, industries are running in one-thirds capacity. People are in despair. So, the government must dispel the disappointment and make economy dynamic through the budget, Paudel suggested. Moreover, socialism-oriented bud get is the need of hour. Erasure of duplication in budget allocation, and enforcement of Financial Procedure and Fiscal Accountability Act is equally important, the former minister reminded. UML central member and the Council In-Charge, Bidya Bhattarai, viewed constitution has a clear direction on how the budget should be. Budget should not be taken only from economic viewpoint but also from social perspective, where behavioral problems and people's plights matter, she argued. On the occasion, member of the National Planning Commission, Prof Dr Shivraj Adhikari, said money should be put in the projects that are implementable. The speakers expressed worry over rising policy level corruption and recurrent expenditures, while decreasing development spending. Source: National News Agency RSS