KATHMANDU: The Economic Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Bill, 2081 has been tabled in the House of Representatives.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel presented the bill during today’s session of the lower house of the Federal Parliament.
In response to the concerns raised by lawmakers who had submitted notices of protest, Minister Paudel argued that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to solely make laws while leaving all development work to the provincial government.
“The idea that the federal government should only make laws and leave all development work to the provincial government might sound appealing at first. However, this approach will not lead the country toward progress. We have a three-tier government system, with executive, legislative, and judicial powers distributed across all levels,” he stated.
DPM and Finance Minister Paudel further emphasized that the government would move forward with discussions on tax-related policies as part of preparations for the upcoming fiscal budget.
Lawmakers Prabhu Saha, Prakash Jwala, Prem Suwal, Chitra Bahadur KC, Devendra Poudel, and Narayani Sharma had filed notices of protest against the proposal to introduce the Economic Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Bill, 2081.
Saha argued that the government has not delivered anything in return for the taxes collected from the public, while Jwala criticized the government’s disregard for Parliament, parliamentary committees, and lawmakers.
Suwal expressed that the new generation should be taught to be cultured and disciplined to ensure economic transparency. He also referenced a recent incident in which students from one of the ruling parties vandalized the office of the Dean at the Institute of Science and Technology.
Chitra Bahadur KC called for proportional economic development in practice, while Devendra Poudel opposed the amendment, arguing that it undermined the role of the Planning Commission.
Narayani Sharma objected to the bill, stating that the government had introduced it through an ordinance without completing the necessary procedural steps, especially as the Economic Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility Bill was already under discussion in the parliamentary committee.
In the end, the House voted to reject the opposition notice regarding the Economic Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Bill, 2081, by a majority.
Comment