December 22: Until now, the government had been endorsing the budget without any change. However, such a provision has been removed now and the government can amend the budget from the coming year.

Vice chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha said that they have made an attempt to make the budget more result oriented by revising the budget calendar from the next fiscal year.

Organising a press conference on Thursday to inform about the upcoming budget and the schedule of the 16th plan, Shrestha said that the budget calendar has been revised based on a report incorporating suggestions from stakeholders.

Until now, the budget presented by the finance minister in the parliament is discussed for one month, but it is passed without any amendment. Even if there are errors and issues in the budget, it is customary not to amend it. After extensive debate and discussion, the issue of revision was raised in the budget of the current fiscal year.

NPC Vice Chairman Shrestha said that after questions were raised about why the budget needs to be discussed for a month if it cannot be amended, arrangements were made for necessary amendments from next year.

According to the Commission, the work schedule has been revised before bringing next year's budget. Accordingly, the pre-budget discussion, policy and program and budget preparations are being moved a little earlier than the current schedule. Opinions should be taken for the budget by the month of Falgun (mid-February to mid-March). Similarly, policies and programs will have to be announced one week earlier than the current one. Apart from this, the work of drafting the budget should also be done one month before the presentation of the budget.

The National Planning Commission has already started the budget preparation for the upcoming fiscal year. Accordingly, the NPC has already written to all the ministries to start the preparation of the budget for the FY 2023/24. The upcoming budget is being prepared keeping three subjects in top priority. Budget will be allocated only for projects and programs that have been included in the national plan and have met the necessary criteria. Vice Chairman Dr Shrestha said that there should be enough homework in budget preparation and every programme should be proposed with logic. Projects that do not meet the criteria will not be included in the budget.

Meanwhile, the National Planning Commission said it has expedited preparations to release the 16th five-year plan at the proposed date. The commission had earlier prepared a schedule to unveil the plan by mid-February.

As the work so far has been according to the schedule, the periodic plan will be published at the scheduled date, informed Vice President of the National Planning Commission Shrestha.

The NPC said that it will complete the preparation of the revised draft of the plan based on the suggestions received from the state and local levels in the coming week.