Harka Raj Rai: Laws blocking budget execution

KATHMANDU: Shram Sanskriti Party Chair Harka Raj Rai has said that existing laws are obstructing the effective implementation of Nepal’s budget and urged the government to introduce legal reforms to ensure timely spending.

Speaking during discussions on the Appropriation Bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Rai argued that bureaucratic procedures, procurement processes, and forest-related regulations continue to delay the execution of development projects funded through the national budget.

He also claimed to have identified discrepancies in the government’s budget allocations and stressed that authorities must address such shortcomings to improve fiscal management.

“We prepare budgets, but implementing them takes too long because of tender procedures, forest laws, and other legal hurdles,” Rai said. “The government must simplify the legal framework required for budget execution. Otherwise, we will continue allocating funds that cannot be spent effectively.”

Rai noted that he had previously advised the law minister on the need for legal reforms aimed at accelerating budget implementation and preventing delays in development spending.

He further emphasized that Nepal must end the long-standing practice of allocating budgets that remain unspent for most of the fiscal year, only to be rushed through at the end of the budget cycle. According to him, ensuring efficient and timely expenditure should be a key priority of the government.