Himal Press 
POKHARA: The Gandaki Province Government has unveiled a budget of Rs 32.99 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27.
Minister for Economic Affairs Jit Bahadur Sherchan presented the budget during a meeting of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly on Monday.
The new budget is about Rs 1.02 billion higher than the current fiscal year’s allocation of Rs 31.97 billion.
Of the total outlay, Rs 12.72 billion (38.56%) has been allocated for recurrent expenditure, Rs 20.02 billion (60.68%) for capital expenditure, and Rs 250 million (0.76%) for financial management.
In terms of financing sources, the government expects to receive Rs 7.84 billion from fiscal equalization grants from the federal government, Rs 10.16 billion from revenue sharing, Rs 514.8 million from royalty sharing, Rs 3.93 billion in conditional grants, Rs 554.6 million in complementary grants and Rs 395.4 million in special grants.
The provincial government has also set a target of mobilizing Rs 5.84 billion in internal revenue. Likewise, it has projected a cash balance of Rs 2 billion after the implementation of current fiscal year programs.
The government has prioritized sustainable and quality infrastructure development, promotion of the tourism sector, strengthening of the economy, creation of an investment-friendly environment, effective revenue management, and commercialization and mechanization of agriculture.
Other key priorities of the budget include digital governance, transparency, accountability, fiscal discipline, human resource development, job creation, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, disaster management, public health, social justice and inclusive development.
Likewise, the provincial government has set a target of doubling the number of foreign tourists visiting Gandaki Province, including tourism capital Pokhara, within the next five years. Minister Sherchan said the government will emphasize expanding air connectivity, developing religious tourism trails, and promoting cross-border tourism to achieve this goal.
Although there is no exact data on annual tourist arrivals in Gandaki, the Nepal Tourism Board estimates that at least 800,000 foreign tourists visit the province each year.
The provincial government has also allocated Rs 2 billion for the industrial and tourism sectors.
