By Ranju Kafle

Kathmandu, May 13: Lawmakers in the House of Representatives Wednesday suggested the government to be concise and clarify the principles and priorities of the budget focusing on agriculture, health, education and security.
The pre-budget discussion continued in the House of Representatives on Wednesday and the lawmakers expressed their concern about the principles and priorities of the budget document tabled in the Parliament by the government on Sunday.
“The situation is not normal due to COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, more specific priorities should be set up,” they said.
They expressed their dissatisfaction over the conventional document presented in the House. They said that the traditional document could not bring the economy on the right track and provide solution to the ongoing crisis.
Bhim Rawal, former defense minister and leader of ruling Nepal Communist Party, asked the government to defend national sovereignty from external attacks and protect its territory first.
Recalling the Nepali Army’s proposal to construct its own track on Lipulek to Mansarovar, Rawal said that the government should be able to fulfill all needs of security personnel at the border points. “Let’s prioritise national security in this budget,” he added.
Lawmaker Dharmashila Chapagain also backed Rawal’s proposal and said border points were not safe. “Eastern points are also at risk of being encoarced like in the west,” she said. Chapagain focused on border safety and said it was the appropriate time to seal the border.
Lalbabu Pandit suggested the government to minimise the size of the budget. “Fear of virus pandemic is increasing day by day and it is hard to estimate actual losses,” he said. Pandit said stability was required for economic calculation.
Pandit suggested the government to focus on agriculture, health and education while preparing the budget for the next year. “Migrant workers’ problems need to be addressed properly because they could transfer technology in the country and link the market,” he said. He said that budget should set a target of creating 1.2 million jobs. “Labourers and farmers are hard hit; focus on them and give space to private sector,” he added.
Another lawmaker and former minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki blamed that the government could not lead the economy successfully. “Even if COVID-19 pandemic had not broken out, the economy would not have been in a good shape,” he said.
Weak delivery capacity, micro-level interference of government in the national pride projects, gap of coordination between governmental authorities and distrust of the private sector were the reasons behind poor economic status, he said.
Similarly, lawmaker Abhishekh Pratap Shah commented that the ‘Appropriation Bill’ was conventional. Shah said that virus pandemic not only hit hard several sectors but also gave an opportunity of engaging trained young human resource inside the country. He suggested incorporating fertilizer factory project in the budget and said food security should be prioritised.
Next meeting of both Upper and Lower House is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon where Finance Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada is expected to respond to the queries of the lawmakers before the pre-budget discussion concludes.