Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Minister for Finance Dr Swarnim Wagle has said that the government will not follow the past practice of reducing the size of the budget during the mid-term review, claiming that adequate preparations have been made to speed up spending.
Addressing a post-budget press conference at the Ministry of Finance on Sunday, Wagle said the government has made extraordinary preparations” for the implementation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27. He claimed that ministries have been empowered to enhance their spending capacity.
“There will be no need to reduce the Rs 2,124,34 billion budget to Rs 1,800 or 1,900 billion during the mid-term review. We are working to meet the set target,” he said.
Wagle also said the government will prioritize capital spending. Infrastructure spending progress in previous years often remained as low as 24–25% by the end of the third quarter,” Wagle said. “This year, special provisions have been introduced through the Appropriation Bill to allow budget reallocations from underperforming headings to priority areas.”
Minister Wagle urged people not to doubt the implementation of the Rs 2,124.34 billion budget. “Give us the benefit of doubt until actual results become visible,” he said. “Expenditure performance should be assessed only in May-April next year.”
He also defended allegations that the budget was overly large. “The budget size is only about 28% of the projected GDP of Rs 7,458 for the next fiscal year.
Walge also said the government’s borrowing will remain within the prescribed limit of 5% of GDP, and that public debt raised will largely be used for repayment obligations. According to him, around Rs 318 billion will go toward debt servicing in the coming fiscal year.
Minister Wagle also reiterated that revenue collection targets would be achieved under the new budget framework.
