Former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun Accuses Government of Presenting Distribution-Focused Budget

Former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has accused the government of presenting a distribution-focused budget that contradicts its commitments. He pointed out that the budget size exceeds the Planning Commission’s allocation by 1.5 trillion rupees, and that the unrealistic scale of the budget has caused issues. Pun also commented that the budget appears to be tailored for the upcoming local elections. (15 Jestha, Kathmandu)

He highlighted inconsistencies regarding the budget’s funding source, which relies on loans, despite the ruling Rashtriya Samajwadi Party having criticized previous governments for taking on heavy debts. Pun said, “Even those who accused past established parties of plundering the country through excessive borrowing now find themselves borrowing and spending, which contradicts their past commitments. We must either admit that our previous criticisms were wrong or accept that the current situation does not align with our expectations.”

Elaborating on the budget size, Pun noted that it surpasses the Planning Commission’s recommended limit of 20 trillion rupees by 1.5 trillion rupees. “The budget size is not based on reality, even the Finance Minister is aware of this,” he stated. While Communist finance ministers have faced criticism in the past for introducing distribution-focused budgets, Pun pointed out that this budget follows a similar pattern. He reiterated that the budget seems designed with the upcoming local elections in mind.