BUTWAL: The Lumbini Province government is presenting its budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27 on Monday.
Minister for Finance Dhanendra Karki will present the province government’s annual estimates of revenue and expenditure in the ninth meeting of the eighth session of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly at 5 pm.
The provincial government has said that the budget prioritizes clearance of liabilities, provincial pride projects, multi-year projects and ongoing projects, taking into account limited resources, rising liabilities, and incomplete development works. It added that the upcoming budget will focus on increasing production, creating employment opportunities, infrastructure development, good governance and social justice.
The budget is expected to prioritize the modernization of agriculture, expansion of irrigation facilities, organic farming, conservation of local and indigenous crops, branding of agricultural products and development of value chains. The provincial government has said that the budget will include policies aimed at increasing agricultural production, substituting imports and promoting exports.
The budget will also place special emphasis on creating employment opportunities for youths through skill-based training, startups, self-employment and innovation programs.
In the health sector, the government is preparing to continue programs related to hospital upgrades, expansion of specialist services, and subsidies for treatment of cancer, kidney transplants and heart diseases. The education sector is expected to include programs on technical education, information technology-friendly teaching systems, and sports infrastructure development.
For infrastructure development, the government has said the budget will focus on completing incomplete and multi-year projects, improving the effectiveness of capital expenditure, and continuing provincial pride projects. Digital governance, simplified service delivery and financial discipline will also be prioritized.
The budget also aims to boost the provincial economy through tourism, industries, energy, and the maximum utilization of local resources. In particular, the government plans to continue programs to develop Lumbini as an international religious and health tourism hub.
For the current fiscal year, the provincial government has introduced a budget of Rs 38.91 billion. Of the total allocation Rs 23.47 billion was allocated for capital expenditure and the remaining Rs 15.43 billion for recurrent expenditure.
The government is preparing to bring a budget of around Rs 38 billion as well for the upcoming fiscal year. Sources say Rs 400 million will be set aside for projects picked by lawmakers.
Provincial governments are constitutionally bound to present their budget for the next fiscal year on the first day of the final month of the fiscal year Ashad 1 (June 15 this year).
