KATHMANDU, JUNE 4
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel has assured that the fiscal year 2025/26 budget aims to ensure effective use of resources and promote infrastructure development through a realistic and reform-oriented approach.
Speaking at an interaction on 'Infrastructure Sector in the Budget and Its Implementation' organized by the Society of Infrastructure Journalists Nepal (SIJ-Nepal), Paudel said the budget was designed to curb misuse of resources and address longstanding challenges in the infrastructure sector.
"The budget is not just a document of numbers. It reflects realistic planning, which is essential for maintaining its credibility," he said, adding that no major criticism has been raised against the newly announced Rs 1.964 trillion budget.
He highlighted that capital expenditure has been prioritized to enhance fiscal discipline, with measures to control recurrent spending and cap general expenditure.
Paudel also noted that the 14th amendment to the Public Procurement Act had addressed key issues in the construction sector and expressed readiness to consider further amendments if required.
On delays in construction projects due to shortages of raw materials, he said excavation of aggregates and mining materials would be permitted only from environmentally-assessed locations.
He further expressed confidence that Parliament would endorse laws to support alternative development financing for large-scale infrastructure projects.
