Gandaki province Finance Minister Ale defends provincial budget as realistic

Minister for Economic Affairs of Gandaki provincial government, Jeet Prakash Ale has said the provincial budget has been made more realistic and implementable rather than publicity-oriented.

Addressing a news conference related to the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2023/24 in Pokhara on Sunday, Ale claimed that this budget is going to be the main basis for realizing the motto- ‘Self-reliant and Prosperous Province: Dignified Province Dwellers.’

The provincial finance minister said arrangements have been made through the budget for providing the subsidies to the agriculture sector on the basis of production to make them production-centered and to ensure their benefit to the farmers.

Stating that the current expenditure of the provincial government is estimated at Rs 536.2 million and this has also been decreased by 4.01 per cent, he said programmes towards the current expenditure heading other than the essential ones would not be implemented in the ministry, offices and government bodies.

The provincial government finance minister said provision has been made to mobilize the current expenditure to contribute to capital expenditure growth. He added that the unnecessary expenditures have been controlled through this budget.

The total budget of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has been reduced by Rs 60.9 million compared to its budget for the current fiscal year. Similarly, although some previous year’s tax rates have been decreased responding to the demand of citizens and appropriateness, some tax rates have been kept as they are.

Minister Ale announced that no new buildings except the essential ones would be constructed  in the next fiscal year. Similarly, no new vehicles would be purchased.

The budget has been focussed on projects of strategic importance rather than on small projects and programmes, he said, adding that ‘good programmes’ brought by the previous government have been continued in this budget along with some new ones.