KATHMANDU, JUN 25 - Finance Minister Barshaman Pun on Sunday said a full-fledged budget will be introduced after political consensus as the government is compelled to bring out the budget through an ordinance.
“The new budget will be full-fledged and timely, irrespective of which party leads the government,” Pun told an interaction organised by the Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON).
Amid opposition parties’ claims that the incumbent government has no legal right to introduce a full budget, the Finance Minister said, “Budget is not an issue of the finance minister and the government only, but it is a regular process and it should be allowed to move on.”
Stating that President Ram Baran Yadav has suggested introducing the new budget after consensus and without affecting the upcoming CA elections, Pun said the government will bring out the budget after discussions with an experts’ panel consisting of economists from major political parties.
“I have proposed an experts’ panel,” Pun said. “If the budget is made by the team comprising economists of major parties, there won’t be any problem.”
As part of his efforts to forge consensus on the issue, Pun has already met Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal.
Pun claimed that the NC President has said he will discuss the issue within his party and that the UML Chairman has asked him to go ahead with the budget preparations.
“Khanal told me that I should continue with the budget making process as a consensus government will be in place by mid-July,” Pun said.
According to Pun, he has requested his party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to hold a meeting of top leaders on this.
Pun said the government was prioritising hydropower, tourism, commercialisation of agriculture, and infrastructure development in the upcoming budget. He also said there will be no populist programmes in the budget.
Opposition parties have been saying that the government can introduce the full budget only after political consensus.
“In this fluid political and social scenario, a caretaker government must not bring out a full-fledged budget,” said NC leader Mahesh Acharya.
However, UML leader and Former Finance Minsiter Surendra Pandey said the government could introduce an advance budget as done in the past. “This will pave way for the formation of a national consensus government, which will present the full budget later,” he said.
According to Pandey, the UML has been stressing on consensus among the parties before bringing in the programmes and policies. “UML is firm on its position that the budget should not be introduced without political consensus,” he added.
Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/06/25/top-story/full-budget-after-consensus-pun/356109/
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