World Bank launches Nepal fiscal dashboard

KATHMANDU: The World Bank (WB) launched the Nepal Fiscal Dashboard on Thursday. The WB said the platform will provide integrated information on Nepal’s public financial management.

The dashboard includes financial data for the federation, provinces and local levels, the WB said. Major datasets — including income, expenditure and financial management figures — can be analysed from different angles and cover budgets for different fiscal years, revenue, current and capital expenditure.

The WB added that the platform was prepared after consultations with government, civil society and development partners. Users can access the dashboard via the World Bank’s website.

On the occasion, Hikmat Bahadur Bhandari, under-secretary at the Ministry o Finance, said the information panel is very useful and that the government plans to improve public financial management with a similar scheme within a year.

Shiva Raj Adhikari, former vice-chairman of National Planning Commission, said the dashboard will be useful for concerned bodies, policy-makers, researchers, journalists and students.

Yoshihiro Saito, the WB’s public sector specialist, said the platform would benefit many people and could be further developed based on suggestions in the coming days.