By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, June 15: Provinces are set to announce the budget for the Fiscal Year 2021/22 on Tuesday with a focus on COVID-19 control, tourism and connectivity infrastructure development and modernisation of agriculture. All the provinces have already presented their policy and programmes for the coming fiscal year. They should present their estimates of the income and expenditure for the next fiscal year by mid-June (by the end of Nepali month of Jestha).
According to the policy and programmes the provinces presented this time, control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 including the health infrastructure development would be accorded top priority in the budget.
They have also pledged to announce business relief programmes like refinance, management of medicines and vaccines for coronavirus treatment and hospital for tropical diseases.
Gandaki Province has announced to unveil programmes for the tourism infrastructure development, connectivity infrastructure and herbs and herbal sector promotion.
Province 2 would create model hospital in Janakpurdham of Dhanusha district and a trauma centre in Rupadi of Saptari.
Likewise, Lumbini has prioritised agriculture, industry and tourism sector development while cable car, tunnel and expansion of financial services are in the priority list of Karnali Province.
Sudurpaschim Province said that the budget of the upcoming year will try to address the problem of widespread unemployment created by the pandemic and create a fund to promote self-employment.
The provinces do not have reliable source of revenue and income. Their budget is built on the grants allocated by the federal government and share of revenue collected by the local governments.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, in his budget for the next FY 2021/22, has allocated Rs. 57.9 billion to the provinces.
This year, the total size of budget of all provinces is Rs. 264.20 billion.