Until now, the government had been getting the budget proposals endorsed from parliament without any change. However, such a provision has been removed now and the parliament 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.

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.