August 27: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has intensified preparations to replace the budget of the current fiscal year brought by the previous government through ordinance.

In this regard, Finance Minister Sharma held a meeting with the secretaries of various ministries on Thursday (August 26) and collected suggestions regarding the replacement bill.    
During the meeting, the finance minister shed light on government’s priorities for the replacement bill and directed the secretaries to re-send the government’s programs by amending them in line with production-oriented economy.

He said that the government would emphasize on implementation of federalism, maintaining fiscal discipline and increasing capital expenditure while amending the ordinance budget.

Likewise, Minister Sharma has directed various ministries to send revision proposals giving priority to reducing poverty and increasing employment, making quality health services available, and giving priority to education, agriculture and tourism sectors.    
Minister Sharma also said that the government would give due attention to redefine and reschedule national pride projects, utilize stagnant state assets and integrate mobilization of various funds.

He added that the government will proper arrangements for coordination of its plans and budget while it will reconsider the projects whose resources have not been ascertained and lack prior preparations for the detailed project report (DPR).

He directed the secretaries to send the revised budget and programs of the respective ministry to the Ministry of Finance by Friday (August 27), taking into consideration the priority areas determined by the government.