Dr. Mahat calls for priority-based budget allocation

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress spokesperson and former Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat emphasized the need for budget allocation based on project priorities.

Speaking at an interaction on budget priorities organized in Kathmandu on Thursday by the BP Thought Foundation and the Parliamentary Study and Development Institute, Dr. Mahat stressed the importance of aligning budget allocations with national priorities.

He said budget distribution should focus on tourism hubs, productive sectors, and population centers to advance physical infrastructure development effectively.

Recalling past efforts, Dr. Mahat noted that although his administration had introduced guidelines to exclude central government funding for projects under Rs. 30 million, they left office before implementation could begin.

He stated that true socialism means entrusting production leadership to citizens and the private sector while the state takes responsibility for distribution. He criticized the government’s failure in leading production and reiterated that the private sector and public should lead in that domain.

Dr. Mahat also emphasized state involvement in critical sectors where private investment is lacking, particularly in infrastructure, which often takes years to yield returns.

He added that the state must play a greater role in sensitive sectors like education and health, where free services are unlikely from the private sector.

Highlighting inefficiencies, he noted that allocating the central budget to numerous small-scale projects has failed to deliver meaningful outcomes.