The Dark Reality Behind Budget Formulation in Nepal's Provinces
Summary
The budget formulation process in Nepal's provinces suffers from political pressure, bureaucratic manipulation, and illicit project allocations, hindering effective development and fair resource distribution.
Key Points
- Budget formulation in Nepal's provinces is heavily influenced by political interference and bureaucratic corruption, resulting in biased project allocation.
- Ministry of Finance employees exercise significant control over budget entries, often demanding quotas in a practice termed as project bribery.
- Lawmaker quotas and political bargaining distort development priorities, favoring small projects over strategic investments in sectors like agriculture and tourism.
- Reforming the budget process requires transparency, reduced interference, and prioritizing social and economic development to truly realize federalism's benefits.
