NA members express mixed views over budget for FY 2025/26

KATHMANDU: Members of the National Assembly (NA) expressed mixed views regarding the budget for upcoming fiscal year 2025/26. While some welcomed it as balanced and pro-citizen, others criticised it as unwanted.

During the general discussions on the government’s revenue and expenditure estimates for upcoming fiscal year in today’s Upper House session, Geljen Sherpa said the budget focuses on enabling federalism. “The budget has avoided programme duplications across the three levels of government and prioritised the development of backward areas,” he said, adding that it also pursues policies encouraging the private sector to stimulate economic growth.

Highlighting Nepal’s placement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list due to poor economic governance, Kamala Panta commented on the lack of clarity in the budget’s goals and performance indicators. “It is essential to ensure spending effectiveness, establish monitoring mechanisms and implement result-oriented indicators,” she stressed. She further criticised the budget for lacking clear plans to address regional inequalities in proportional access and distribution, urging the government to commit to completing previously unfinished projects.

Dr Beduram Bhusal criticised the budget as incapable of addressing existing challenges. “It is not a pro-people budget; instead, it seems to serve corporate interests and support land mafias,” he said.

On the other hand, Sharada Devi Bhatta described the budget as welcoming, aimed at improving the economy, creating employment opportunities, supporting development and enabling better service delivery. Urmila Aryal argued that the budget is dominated by distributive projects and fails to tap into the potential of the IT sector.

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