Lawmakers demand effective implementation of budget

KATHMANDU: Lawmakers on Sunday underscored the need for effective implementation of the budget 2019/20.

Taking part in today’s parliamentary session, lawmakers of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) appreciated the increase in the senior citizen’s allowance. They also lauded the government for increasing the budget for physical infrastructures and social sector.

However, parliamentarians representing the major opposition Nepali Congress (NC) party said the government will not be able to implement the new budget.

The budget, the opposition lawmakers, argued was aimed to appease the people adding that the budget will not ensure prosperity with socio-economic transformation.

The government had on May 29 unveiled a budget Rs 1.53 trillion for the fiscal year 2019/20.

Meanwhile, addressing the parliamentary session, Finance Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada clarified that the budget had been raised for the development of physical infrastructures.

He claimed that even though the government had aimed a 7 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year, it could not be able to achieve more than that.

According to him, the new budget has prioritized sectors such as agriculture, energy, tourism, industry, among others.