Metropolitan cities cut budget outlays for new FY

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, June 26: Almost all local levels, including five metropolitan cities, across the country unveiled the budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Sunday.

Constitutionally, the local levels should present their budget estimation by Asar 10 (June 25), and most of them, sparing a few local levels of Sarlahi district in Madhes and other districts, met this constitutional deadline.

Of the six metropolises, Birgunj unveiled its budget last week.

Among the local levels which presented their budget on Sunday, Kathmandu Metropolitan City introduced the biggest budget of Rs. 25.54 billion, almost equal to the budget of Sudurpaschim Province. 

Presenting the budget in the municipal assembly, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Sunita Dangol said that the budget of the metropolis had focused on sustainable infrastructure, education, health, and heritage conservation.

The KMC has allocated Rs. 8.61 billion under the heading of recurrent expenditure while Rs. 16.93 billion has been set aside for the capital expenditure. 

The share of recurrent expenditure and capital expenditure to the total budget is 33.72 per cent and 66.28 per cent respectively.

The KMC has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 1.45 billion from the conditional grant and Rs. 793 million from unconditional grants from the Federal and Province governments and Rs. 6.39 billion from internal revenue.

Similarly, it is estimated that the total income of Rs. 25.54 billion will be managed, including Rs. 11.75 billion from bank balance, Rs. 2.16 billion from revenue sharing and Rs. 2.99 billion from social security allowance and land integration project.

The Metropolitan City has carried out a plan to install street lights in all the streets and alleys within the metropolitan area in the next year.

Deputy Mayor Dangol said that street lights would be installed through the 'Bright City, My Metropolis’ programme. For this, Rs. 300 million has been allocated, she added.

Under the metropolitan pride project, a total of 10 projects of the distinct sectors have been selected and a budget of Rs. 3.8 billion has been allocated for them.

Similarly, Metropolitan Golden Project has been outlined where Rs. 2 billion has been allocated. 

For the infrastructure development of schools inside the KMC and to improve education quality, the KMC has forwarded a project ‘livelihood education, metropolitan wish’ with a budget of Rs. 500 million. 

Similarly, the KMC has set aside a budget of Rs. 926 million for health programmes, Rs. 1.32 billion for education, Rs. 7.34 billion for public infrastructure development and Rs. 2.13 billion for culture, heritage and tourism promotion.

The KMC has allocated a budget of Rs. 70 million to provide 35 ambulances to different rural municipalities.

Pokhara: Rs. 7.15 billion

The Pokhara Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs. 7.15 billion  for the fiscal year 2023/24.

Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City Manju Devi Gurung presented the budget in the municipal assembly today.

The metropolitan city has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 2.76 billion from the grant of federal government, Rs. 102.3 million from the grant of province government, Rs. 2.27 billion from internal income, Rs. 366 million from revenue sharing of federal, and Rs. 82.5 million from the revenue sharing of province.

The budget deficit will be recovered from the amount saved at the end of the current fiscal year.

Out of the total budget, the city has allocated Rs. 2 billion for the infrastructure development, Rs. 65 million for social development, Rs. 100 million for economic development, Rs. 100 million for health, Rs. 180 million for education and Rs. 700 million for tourism, urban development and environment.

Similarly, around Rs. 726 million has set aside for wards.

The size of the budget of the city has been reduced for the next fiscal year compared to the current fiscal year’s budget. The size of budget is smaller by Rs. 1.62 billion than that of the current fiscal year.

Lalitpur: Rs. 6.55 billion

Likewise, Lalitpur Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs. 6.55 billion for the fiscal year 2023/24.

Deputy Mayor of the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Manjali Shakya Bajracharya presented the budget for the next fiscal year 2023/24 in the municipal assembly Sunday giving priority to sustainable infrastructure, preservation of arts, culture and heritage and tourism promotion, among others.

Of the total budget estimation, Rs. 2.49 billion has been allocated for recurrent expenditure while Rs. 4.21 billion has been allocated for capital expenditure.

The size of the budget of the city has been reduced for the next fiscal year compared to the current fiscal year’s budget. The size of budget is smaller by Rs. 1 billion than that of the current fiscal year.

LMC had brought a budget of Rs. 7.50 billion, including the complementary budget of Rs. 1.5 billion approved by the municipal assembly, for the current fiscal year.

The metropolitan city has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 1.34 billion from federal government, Rs. 227 million from the Bagmati Province government, and Rs. 2.32 billion from internal income, including internal revenue.

Similarly, it is estimated that around Rs. 661 million will be managed from inter-governmental authorities, and Rs. 80 million from people’s participation in development activities.

It said that the deficit of Rs. 1.86 billion will be managed from the bank balance.

Lalitpur has prioritised issues such as road infrastructure, heritage conservation, smart street lights, public toilets in each ward and disabled-friendly footpaths.

The city has adopted a policy to expand the scope of tax giving stability to the existing tax rates if possible. 

The city has adopted a policy of giving a 5 per cent discount on the tax charged to the taxpayers who submit the bill for the purchase of electric vehicles in the budget.

Bharatpur: Rs. 6.31 billion

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan, has presented a budget of Rs. 6.31 billion for the next fiscal year 2023/24

Deputy Mayor of the Bharatpur Metropolitan City Chitrasen Adhikari presented the budget giving priority to urban infrastructure, agriculture and livestock development, health, education, tourism and revenue boost up in the municipal assembly Sunday.

The sources of the budget include internal income of Rs. 1.75 billion and inter-government financial transfer of Rs. 1.83 billion. The metropolis has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 540 million from revenue sharing of federal and Bagmati Province governments, Rs. 1.65 billion from bank balance, Rs. 500 million from people’s participation and Rs. 30 million from Road Board Nepal.

Presenting the budget, Adhikari said that the metropolis has focused on the budget to make the metropolis self-reliant through the increase in productivity, creating production-based employment, climate-friendly sustainable infrastructure development and ensuring access of quality health and education to all citizens of the metropolis.

The metropolis has allocated a budget of Rs. 1.65 billion for timely completion of the projects that could not be completed in the current fiscal year and the payment of dues are yet to be made and those that have ongoing and multi-year contracts.

For the 29 wards of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, an amount of Rs. 797 million has been proposed for allocation at the rate of Rs. 27.5 million to each ward.

In the budget, a lump sum of Rs. 50 million has been allocated for the regular maintenance of road potholes within the metropolitan city.

It is mentioned that the metropolis will start the systematic construction of landfill site infrastructure for sustainable waste management, for which a budget of Rs. 30 million has been allocated.

The metropolitan city has allocated a budget of Rs. 30 million for the implementation of the digital Bharatpur Metropolitan programme.

Biratnagar: Rs. 3.28 billion

Meanwhile, Biratnagar Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs. 3.28 billion for the next fiscal year 2023/24.

Deputy Mayor of the Birantnagar Metropolitan City Shilpa Nirala Karki presented the estimated budget for the next fiscal year in the municipal assembly held on Sunday.

The budget presented for the next fiscal year is Rs. 894 million less than the budget of the current fiscal year.

Biratnagar Metropolitan City has presented budget expenditure estimation of Rs. 680 million for office operation and administration, Rs. 1.65 billion for infrastructure development, Rs. 39.6 million for economic development, Rs. 852 million for social development, Rs. 30.5 million for good governance and Rs. 27.2 million for disaster management

It is estimated that Rs. 679 million will be spent for education and Rs. 136 million for health under the social development.

The metropolis has estimated to receive Rs. 1.19 billion through federal government inter-governmental financial transfers, Rs. 45 million from the provincial government, Rs. 802 million from revenue sharing, Rs. 995 million from internal income and Rs. 100 million from public participation. 

The metropolitan city has estimated to collet Rs. 100 million from internal loan and Rs. 20 million from bank balance.

The Biratnagar Metropolitan City has reduced next year's budget by 885 million than the current fiscal year budget due to the shrinking resources.

In the current fiscal year, the revised budget of the metropolis was Rs. 4.17 billion.

The metropolis has widened the scope of revenue and made arrangements to levy taxes and fees on new services.  The Biratnagar Metropolitan City has not included new programmes in the budget. 

The metropolis has included various programmes in the budget by prioritising development infrastructure, education, health, social reform, environment and waste management, entrepreneurship and employment.

Birgunj: Rs. 3.21 billion

Birgunj Metropolitan City presented a budget of Rs. 3.213 billion on last Wednesday. The size of the budget is smaller by Rs. 12 million than that of the current fiscal year.

The metropolis had brought a budget of Rs. 3.33 billion for the current fiscal year.

Likewise, Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City introduced a budget of Rs. 2.35 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Deputy Mayor Sangita Kumari Chaudhary presented the new budget at the 13th municipal meeting on Sunday.

Similarly, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City has brought a budget of Rs 2.36 billion.  Deputy Mayor Sabitra Devi Aryal presented the budget at the 13th municipal assembly of the Sub-Metropolis on Sunday Earlier on June 17, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City tabled a budget of Rs. 2.606 billion. 

(With inputs from Sashidhar Parajuli and Nabaraj Kattel from Biratnagar, Basanta Parajuli from Bharatpur and Ramesh Paudel from Pokhara.)