KATHMANDU- Deliberation on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year, 2023/24 presented by the government has begun in the federal parliament.
Lawmakers are today putting their view on the proposal to allow deliberation on the principles and priorities of the bill (except taxes) put forward by Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat in the first meeting of the monsoon session of the federal parliament on Sunday.
The deliberation will run for three days. On the occasion, former Finance Ministers Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Bishnu Prasad Paudel put their views on the existing situation of the country’s economy, possible challenges, and next strategies.
They stressed the need for prioritizing the programs that would create job opportunities and contribute to sustainable economic development by taking the economy on the road to improvement.
Karki, also a Nepali Congress lawmaker, suggested that the next budget should mainly focus on production and employment.
“We do not have the luxury of making the budget excitedly due to the shrinkage of income sources. In this present situation, a realistic budget is in need, but not a popular one,” he said.
He welcomed and supported Minister Dr Mahat for his commitment to getting economic growth, increments in job opportunities, and development of a sustainable economy through the principles and priorities of the Bill.
Similarly, Paudel, also the CPN (UML) lawmaker, suggested that the budget prioritizes the goals of taking the country on the path to economic prosperity while cutting through possible challenges of the economy.
He also warned of possible economic recession in case of failure to take effective initiatives to improve negative indicators of the country’s economy.
The budget should also accommodate the things keeping in view of the current economic challenges, he said.
