KATHMANDU, May 31: Parliamentarians of ruling parties have said that the budget for fiscal year 2018/19 brought by the government was excellent while lawmakers from the opposition party, Nepali Congress, indicated the budget was not implementation-oriented. 

In today's meeting of the National Assembly, Finance Minister Dr Yubraj Khatiwada, presented a proposal for discussion on the budget. 

In partisan discussion after the proposal, Surendra Pandey of the Nepali Congress said that the budget would not help to achieve sustainable development goals, objecting over allocation of Rs 156 billion to the Office of the Prime Minister. 

He blamed that the budget has been failed to create environment conducive for more investment as the private sector was not happy as well as the commitments mentioned by the Communist party in manifesto during the elections are also fulfilled in the budget. 

Similarly, Balram Baskota of the Communist party of Nepal, said that the budget , focused on socialism economy, would achieved sustainable development goals, the budget would help to fulfill the national goal to upgrading to status of developing country from least developed country and create environment for employment inside the country. 

Urging not to cast doubt over allocating more budget for the Office of the Prime Minister was natural as Prime Minister becomes supreme in parliamentary practice, he said that the budget has laid emphasis on development, prosperity and incorporated open economy. 

Rastriya Janata Party Ramesh Prasad Yadav rued only three percent allocation of the total budget in agriculture, while drawing the attention of Finance Minister to small portion allocation of the budget in environment and forest conservation and Tarai-Madhes prosper irrigation project. 

Ram Narayan Bidari of Communist Party of Nepal hailed the budget as a positive step in introducing new projects like waterway, railway while completing old projects. The budget has prioritised hydropower, physical infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, education and health, he said. 
Nepali Congress's Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi expressed concern about failure to increase old-age allowance, while indicating a downward economy due to an increment in tax rate instead of increasing its scope. 

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