CNI launches 4th Budget Watch initiative to strengthen budget implementation

KATHMANDU: Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Sunday launched its fourth consecutive “Budget Watch” initiative to strengthen implementation of the annual budget.

Speaking at a Public-Private Dialogue Programme in Kathmandu, CNI President Birendra Raj Pandey told government officials, business leaders and journalists that the private sector’s role in monitoring budget execution was vital. “While the private sector’s suggestions are included in the budget and the budgets are sound, their implementation remains weak,” he said.

Pandey noted that, in the last fiscal year, CNI tracked 63 industry-related budget measures and found that only 16 (25.4%) were fully implemented, 30 (47.6%) were partially executed, and 17 (27%) saw no progress. “This clearly shows that the Government of Nepal and the ministries need to be more rigorous in implementing the budget,” he added.

The new Budget Watch document analyses 74 private sector proposals across seven sectors, specifying the roles of relevant bodies, the legal reforms required and the actions needed. Pandey said sector-specific dialogues will be organised to help meet the targets set in the budget for fiscal year 2025/26.

He also urged the government to adopt pro-business policies and streamline legal and policy reforms. “The government has been advancing the concept of a Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepali,” he said, adding that CNI aims to increase Nepal’s current $44 billion economy to at least $100 billion within the next decade.

The Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON) presented its report on last year’s budget implementation in collaboration with CNI.