Skipping budget-discussion!

Budget discussion in parliament is considered highly important in all democracies. Elected representatives, through this mechanism, can not only make the government particularly specific ministers accountable but also express their own ideas – people’s aspirations – about spending and expenditure for an entire period of one fiscal year. That is why Nepal has maintained the tradition of presenting the budget every year a regular steady phenomenon. But the current real-time-scenario of federal parliament – opposition parties disrupting sessions, ministers skipping budget discussion – does not suggest: parliamentarians are serious about the budget. This has prompted stakeholders to question: if House of Representatives cannot have full-fledged open discussion on one of the key instruments of economy, how can the goals of economic stability and development be met? Despite continued decent alerting by the Speaker the negligence over the budget discussion is continuing. The same would create problems for adopting the budget on time. All these would not be helpful for Nepali economy to go forward. Unless the economy is addressed properly, various sectors such as delivery of service to the people, investment, production, markets and revenue collection cannot function regularly and as expected by the general public. This will push Nepali economy further behind and its chain effects will be on development activities; they will be either delayed or remain incomplete. As a result of all these, the goals set for the fiscal 2082-83 B.S. will remain unaccomplished. People’s representatives in the parliament should take all these seriously and ministers should take the budget discussion as a priority; they cannot have a choice to play truant, in this. Ruling parties and their leaders should also take the point genuinely and command ministers concerned to offer due attention to the budget-discussion. They would not be able to have people’s trust if they ignore it. Allowing budget discussion to go smoothly and fairly would generate a positive climate of economic dialogue which would fuel the spirit of energizing the economy in the best interest of Nepalis. That of course could be one common point that connects the ruling and opposition members of parliament. Each of them will have to face voters in two years. Keeping that in mind honourable members of parliament should avoid disruption of sessions and ministers should end their absence during budget discussion.