Kathmandu, May 30 The main opposition Nepali Congress today said the annual budget was full of distributive programmes and it did not address the people’s aspirations for development and prosperity. A meeting of the NC Parliamentary Party held at Singha Durbar today concluded that distributive programmes would only increase recurrent expenditure at a time when the need was for spending on development. Of the total budget for 2019-20, the government aims to utilise Rs 957.1 billion as recurrent expenditure. It has earmarked Rs 408.59 billion and Rs 167.86 billion for capital expenditure and financing provisions, respectively. NC Chief Whip Bal Krishna Khand said after the meeting that the government’s plan to raise loans amounting to almost a third of the total budget would ultimately add to the burden on Nepali citizens. Khand said Khatiwada neither came up with any plans to generate employment for the youths nor did he take any initiative to boost productivity in the country. This will further increase the trade deficit that has already been rising alarmingly. “This is against what Nepali people want. This cannot ensure development,” said Khand. NC concluded the budget size was huge. “Seems the government plans to run the country on credit,” said NC Whip Pushpa Bhusal. READ ALSO:

• FinMin denies budget is distributive