Allocation to palace slashed by 45.8 pc

After a hiatus of four years, Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat presented a Rs. 143.91 billion annual budget for the fiscal year 2006/07 in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The focus of the budget is primarily on strengthening the democratic system and establishing peace in the country through an election to a constituent assembly, Mahat informed members of parliament.

Fianance Minister Ramsaran Mahat holds on to his red “Budget Box” as he readies himself to present the annual budget at parliament on Wednesday.

Photo: Narendra Shrestha via Ekantipru

Full Text of the Budget Speech in Nepali [pdf]

Full Text of the Budget Speech in English [pdf]

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Squandering the wealth of the nation:

The royal regime has been on a spending spree as per the white paper released Monday by the Ministry of Finance. Questionable and unproductive expenses are high. There has been a three fold increase in the expenses for the royal household.

On the maintenance of the white elephant called the Royal Household:

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विजय घिमिरे

देशका २ करोड ३० लाखमध्ये म पनि एक सर्वसाधारण करदाता हुँ । म मासिक रूपमा यो सरकारलाई कर तिर्छु । मैले जस्तै हजारौं नेपालीले तिर्ने करबाट यो सरकार चलेको छ । सेना र प्रहरीले पाउने तलब मेरो पारिश्रमिक हो । उनीहरूले लगाउने वर्दी र रासनमा मेरो पसिना परेको छ । परराष्ट्रमन्त्री रमेशनाथ पाण्डे विदेशजाँदा एयरपोर्टमा टेलिभिजनसँग कुरा गरेको पटक-पटक देखिन्छ । उनले जहाज चढ्ने टिकटदेखि महँगो होटलको खर्चमा सम्म मेरो परिश्रम मिसिएको छ । उनी किन विदेश जान्छन् ? उनी यसरी विदेश जाँदा देशलाई कुनै फाइदा पुगेको छैन । कतार, अष्ट्रिया, अपि|mका, अमेरिका गए देशलाई के भयो ? पराराष्ट्र सम्बन्ध यसरी बिग्रेको छ कि नेपालीले अमेरिकाको भिसा पाउनबाट समेत वञ्चित भएका छन् । दुर्भाग्य, उनीजस्तो असफल व्यक्तिलाई परराष्ट्रमन्त्री मान्नुपरेको छ र करबाट पारिश्रमिक खुवाउनुपरेको छ ।  Read the rest of this entry »

Another royal gift for the Nepali people. The royal government has hiked prices of diesel and kerosene effective Friday. The hike in the price of petroleum products means that, it is going to affect the middle and lower class Nepalis who mostly use kerosene as fuel for cooking. It also means that public transportation fares, including long haul, will go up as buses which make up the bulk of the system are diesel-powered. Read the rest of this entry »

Published in Nepal Weekly