Kathmandu, June 3: The Government of Nepal has been consistently increasing the defense budget every year over the past five fiscal years. Data shows a upward trend in the allocation towards defense, reflecting the government’s growing emphasis on national security and military capacity building.
The defense budget is mainly used for salaries, allowances, and benefits for army personnel and defense staff, procurement and maintenance of weapons, military aircraft, vehicles, communication systems, and other military equipment, military training and exercises, including capacity-building programs.
Likewise, the budget is for defense infrastructure, such as barracks, training centers, airbases, and other military facilities, research and development of new defense technologies, peacekeeping operations, especially under the United Nations, including deployment and administrative expenses, and emergency and disaster response, covering rescue and relief operations during natural disasters and emergencies.
Defense budget over the last 5 years
Over the past five years, the defense budget has increased by approximately Rs 10 billion. The trend is as follows:
- Fiscal Year 2078/79: Rs 51.04 billion
- Fiscal Year 2079/80: Increased by more than Rs 4 billion
- Fiscal Year 2080/81: Increased by another Rs 3 billion
- Fiscal Year 2082/83: Over Rs 60.50 billion allocated
Of this, the government plans to spend Rs 60.12 billion within the fiscal year solely on security-related expenditures.
Key plans for FY 2082/83
In the budget presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel on Jestha 15, 2082 the government outlined several defense-related plans:
- Enhancing national security and public order through the provision of military equipment, weapons, and security devices
- Strengthening the capacity of security agencies by equipping them with adequate resources and making them more professional and capable
- Increasing the deployment of the Nepal Army in national development, disaster management, and security roles
- Continuation of bunker and barracks construction programs to strengthen military infrastructure
These initiatives are aimed at making Nepal’s security forces more equipped, efficient, and responsive in safeguarding national sovereignty, contributing to peacekeeping missions, and responding to natural disasters and emergencies. #nepal #defense #budget #security
