Govt to announce new budget to replace ordinance

Kathmandu: The government is going to bring full budget for the current fiscal year 2021/22. Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has mentioned in his letter that he will present a bill in the parliament to replace the budget brought by the KP Sharma Oli-led government through an ordinance.

It is mentioned in the white paper that the budget was announced through an ordinance contrary to the constitutional system and the established norms of democracy even after the government was turned into a caretaker state by dissolving the House of Representatives for the second time unconstitutionally.

“The people here are aware of the fact that the budget was presented through an ordinance depriving the annual income and expenditure statement of the government from being discussed in the sovereign parliament,” the white paper stated.

Sharma said it was not necessary to legalize revenue and expenditure estimates through an ordinance and to announce policies and annual programs of long-term significance and impact as the caretaker government should only manage expenditure for compulsory government expenditure.

Even though the budget was presented through an ordinance after the abrupt dissolution of the people’s representative body, the ordinance of income and expenditure estimates for the fiscal year 2022/23 has been submitted to the House of Representatives in line with the established belief that the government is an integral body and democratic culture, Sharma said.

“I will soon introduce a replacement bill to address the ordinance to address the common minimum program between the ruling parties, the policies and priorities of the current government, the will of the people and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 epidemic,” the white paper stated.