May 25: The government is mulling to introduce the budget for the upcoming fiscal year through ordinance since Prime Minister KP Oli has dissolved the parliament. 

When the parliament is dissolved, there is a practice of issuing ordinance in emergency situation but the Constitution of Nepal is itself unclear about the nature of budget that can be introduced through ordinance.

Article 114 of the constitution has a provision that allows the president to issue ordinance upon the recommendation of the cabinet if there is urgent need when the sessions of both lower and upper houses of parliament are not functioning.

However, the constitution has not stated anywhere whether the budget introduced through ordinance will be partial or full. It has not envisaged budget in case when the  parliament is dissolved. That's why there is are high chances that the government might arbitrarily bring any kind of programmes in its favour.

Legal expert Bhimarjun Acharya says it is absolutely wrong to bring the budget through ordinance after dissolving the existing parliament. "Ordinance is brought for emergency purposes but lately the government has been arbitrarily issuing ordinance by undermining the Constitution.

The government is planning to unveil the budget targeting the upcoming elections. According to experts, announcing election-oriented budget is inappropriate. 

The Finance Minister should present the annual budget on Jestha 15, which falls on May 29 this year, as per the constitutional provision. Prior to this, the government should present policies and programs, conduct pre-budget sessions but it has not done any of these as mentioned in the constitution. 

According to former Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal, the government should not hurry in announcing the budget on May 29 under these circumstances. Ordinance can be brought only in case of emergency.

The government is making necessary preparations to introduce the budget through ordinance for the upcoming fiscal year on May 29. 

On Sunday, PM Oli stated confidently that the budget would not be introduced for cheap popularity. In an interaction with the press, he said that the budget would prioritize development and COVID-19 related programmes. 

The mid-term election has been announced for November 12 and 19. Though the PM has claimed it will not bring election-oriented budget, he has been pressurizing Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel and other officials at the Ministry to increase old-age allowance and include the minimum salary of employee in the budget to be implemented from July 16.

At a time when the economy is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing old-age allowance would increase government responsibility. Similarly, industrialists have been stating that it is not reasonable to increase workers' salaries when the industries are reeling under the effects of COVID-19. 

Officials say that these two programmes are being introduced targeting the upcoming elections. The budget is also giving continuity to the PM’s employment programme which has been deemed ineffective. At a time when this programme is being questioned by the experts, the government is planning to introduce another programme titled ' PM Herbs and Agricultural Forest Programme'.

According to a senior officials at the Finance Ministry, this new programme has come up upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Forest. The top level including the Forest Minister has pressurized to include this programme in the budget, said the senior official requesting anonymity.