KATHMANDU, May 29: Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has broken a decades-old tradition of carrying the national budget in a leather briefcase ahead of its presentation in Parliament.
Instead of the customary briefcase used by successive finance ministers, Dr. Wagle presented the budget draft wrapped in traditional Nepali handmade paper during a Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar on Friday.
Demand for Nepali handmade paper rising
The symbolic shift was showcased during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balen Shah, where the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 was endorsed.
Previously, former finance minister Barshaman Pun had used a locally made allo-fibre bag to highlight domestic production. Dr. Wagle’s choice of Nepali handmade paper is being seen as a continuation of promoting indigenous materials in official state practices.
With Cabinet approval secured, the Finance Minister is scheduled to present the national budget at 4 pm today in a joint session of the federal parliament.
