KATHMANDU: Nepali Communist Party lawmaker and former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has raised serious concerns over the budget-making process and the Finance Bill for the fiscal year 2026/27, demanding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate alleged irregularities.
Speaking in the House of Representatives, Pun questioned the integrity, transparency and procedural discipline followed in the preparation and handling of the budget, including allegations of information leakage and post-presentation changes.
He said that minor technical inconsistencies in the budget or Finance Bill could be corrected as has been done in the past, but stressed that changes after the budget has already been tabled in Parliament are unacceptable.
“Even if there are small technical inconsistencies in the Finance Bill and budget, they have been corrected in the past and can be corrected now as well,” Pun said in Parliament.
However, he strongly objected to alleged alterations such as reducing pages or changing tax rates after the budget document has been formally presented in the House.
He cited historical precedent, referring to a time during former Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari when a probe committee was formed after budget-related information was leaked before its presentation.
“Once the Finance Ministry prepares the budget, it goes through the Law Ministry and then the Cabinet. Only after Cabinet approval does it reach Parliament,” he said. “Any changes after it is tabled in the House, especially changes to tax rates, are unacceptable.”
Pun also accused Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and his team of responding in a threatening manner when questions were raised about the process.
“I am even saying, let my file be opened first, let there be an investigation,” he said, calling for transparency and accountability.
He added that ethical standards and parliamentary procedures must be upheld and said a probe committee could also be formed to investigate last year’s budget if necessary.
Targeting lawmakers from newer political forces, Pun warned against normalising misconduct. “New colleagues may have new energy, but it is not acceptable to say that if others did wrongdoing, I can also do the same,” he said.
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