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Budget size slashed; spending target limited to Rs 1,344 billion



Bishnu Poudel
Minister of Finance Bishnu Poudel making public a mid-term review of the budget of current fiscal year 2020/21 at Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. (Photo: ET)

KATHMANDU: The government has made amendment to the annual estimates of income and expenditure or budget of the current fiscal year.

Making public a mid-term review report of the fiscal year 2077/78 BS at Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel shared that amendment was made on the budget. The amended estimation of spending in the fiscal year is set to be Rs 1,344 billion 680 million. The amount is around 91.19 percent of the total appropriated budget.

The budget amounting to Rs 1446 billion was presented by the government at the then federal parliament on last 28 May 2020. While making this forecast, liabilities related to mid-term election to the House of Representatives, COVID-19 vaccination, routine liabilities and potentials costs of prior approved mega projects were not in the frame, the minister informed.

The estimated expenditure includes Rs 914 billion and 780 billion towards recurrent expenses i.e 96.40 percent of the appropriated budget; Rs 283 billion and 40 million towards capital spending i.e. 80.20 of the appropriated budget and Rs 146 billion 860 million towards financial management i.e. 85 percent of the appropriated budget.

At the end of the current fiscal year, the expenditure to be incurred from public revenue and domestic borrowing will be Rs 174 billion 740 million while it will be Rs 35 billion towards foreign aid and Rs 235 billion towards foreign debt.

Minister Poudel shared that the current revenue collection status and previous trend have been taken into consideration while estimating revenue target of the current fiscal year. The amended action plan of the remaining period of the fiscal year will be developed and implemented, he shared. Arrangement has been made to settle remaining payment of the works completed.

Priority would be given to the liability payment of the projects that have remained incomplete due to Covid-19 last year. Separate monitoring and evaluation would be conducted on the project run with international financial assistance and the complicacies surfaced in implementation managed accordingly.

Moreover, the revenue administration would be mobilized fully to achieve the goal of revenue collection by making alternative work plan on revenue collection for the remaining period. The concerned project chiefs and ministries would be made responsible for timely reimbursement of the foreign loan and grant. All amount under the budget assistance would be received within the existing fiscal year by completing preconditions.

The government has also planned to mobilize internal loan as estimate in the budget by analyzing cash flow. Coordination would be made with the province and local levels by the Finance Ministry to solve the problems emerged in budget implementation.

Meanwhile, multiyear contract standard, 2077 for the project has been brought to implementation after the approval of the Cabinet.