KATHMANDU: With the upcoming fiscal year’s policy and programme already passed by both houses of Parliament, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has presented the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill in Parliament, with discussions currently ongoing.
As the government prepares to unveil the national budget in just 11 days, the Ministry of Finance is reportedly engaged in forming a budget drafting team and preparing the final document.
However, speculation has grown that this year’s actual budget drafting process is not confined to the Finance Ministry alone, with many suggesting that the Prime Minister’s Office is also playing a significant role.
Observers point to recent activities and the working style of the Prime Minister’s Office as factors strengthening this perception.
PM’s absence from parliamentary discussions draws attention
During the ongoing budget session, Prime Minister Balen Shah has come under scrutiny for his role in Parliament.
He was notably absent even during the presentation of the policy and programme, which was read in Parliament by the President on behalf of the government.
The Prime Minister also did not attend parliamentary discussions on the policy and programme, nor did he engage in responding to questions raised by lawmakers.
His absence has drawn criticism from opposition parties, while ruling party lawmakers have largely remained silent.
Political analysts say the policy and programme, expected to reflect a “new departure” for the economy under a nearly two-thirds majority government, has instead fallen short of expectations.
PM Office opens public portal for budget suggestions
While the Finance Ministry has formed an official budget drafting committee, the Prime Minister’s Office has separately launched a website to collect public suggestions for the upcoming budget.
So far, 4,458 suggestions have been submitted through the portal, according to official data.
However, no formal coordination mechanism has yet been established between the PM Office and the Ministry of Finance for screening and integrating these suggestions into the budget.
This has further fueled questions over the PM Office’s involvement in the budget drafting process.
The Prime Minister has reportedly held consultations with lawmakers from different provinces without the participation of the Finance Minister.
The discussions are expected to feed into the upcoming budget priorities.
Changes in budget drafting team raise concerns
The Finance Ministry had initially formed a budget drafting committee led by senior officials, including Under-Secretaries Uttar Kumar Khatri, Dhaniram Sharma, Suman Dahal, Mahesh Bhattarai and Seventak Pokharel.
However, two members—Bhattarai and Pokharel—were transferred by a Cabinet decision on April 23 after they had already begun work, disrupting the drafting process.
Finance Minister Wagle later restructured the team by including Under-Secretaries Amrit Lamsal and Tank Prasad Pandey.
These changes have further raised concerns about coordination gaps between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry.
Finance Ministry says preparations ongoing
Finance Ministry spokesperson Amrit Lamsal said that while the policy and programme has already been passed and discussions on the Appropriation Bill are ongoing, ministries have completed listing their projects and programmes.
He said consultations have been held with ministers regarding priorities and the government is preparing a results-oriented budget.
Lamsal added that priorities will be set based on past programmes, political commitments and the National Planning Commission’s 16th Five-Year Plan.
He also said discussions on reintroducing constituency development programmes have not yet taken place, but could be decided at the political level if necessary.
Regarding public suggestions collected by the PM Office, he said coordination mechanisms are expected to be established so that relevant inputs can be incorporated into the budget.
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