Metropolitan cities announce budget of Rs. 53.6 billion for new fiscal year

Kathmandu, June 25: Almost all local levels, including six metropolitan cities, have unveiled their budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25.

Constitutionally, it is mandatory for all the local levels to present their budget estimates by Asar 10 every year. A few of the local levels, including the Birgunj Metropolitan City of Madhes Province, presented the budget few days ago while five metropolis and other local levels unveiled their budget on Monday. 

Of the budget presented by the six metropolises, the size of the budget of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is the largest while Birgunj has the smallest one of Rs. 2.89 billion.

The total budget of all six metropolises is around Rs. 53.6 billion.

All metropolitan cities have emphasised public services and urban infrastructure in their budget with equal priority to job creation, urban sanitation and waste management. 

Kathmandu: Rs.  25.70 billion

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has unveiled a budget of Rs. 25.70 billion for the next fiscal year 2024/25.

Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Sunita Dangol presented the income and expenditure estimates for the next fiscal year 2024/25 at the 15th municipal assembly Monday.

The metropolis has unveiled the budget focusing on infrastructure development, job creation, provision of quality and healthy goods and heritage conservation.

The next year’s budget of the KMC is about Rs. 1.62 billion more than the current fiscal year’s budget. The metropolis had presented a budget of Rs. 24.08 billion for the current fiscal year.

In the budget, around Rs. 24.2 billion will be accumulated in the reserve fund of the metropolis and Rs. 1.55 billion will be earned from land consolidation project.

The KMC has allocated about Rs. 3.49 billion for office operation and administrative expenses, Rs. 14.81 billion for infrastructure development, Rs. 3.81 billion for social development, Rs. 1.89 billion for good governance and inter-related sectors.

Similarly, the metropolis has allocated Rs. 190.9 million to be spent on economic development in the local reserve fund for the next fiscal year.

The metropolis has targeted to collect Rs. 19.15 billion from internal sources. Similarly, the metropolis has estimated to receive conditional grant of Rs. 1.45 billion from federal government and Rs. 44.7 million from provincial government.

The KMC has targeted to mobilise revenue of Rs. 1.99 billion from the federal revenue distribution, and Rs. 550 million from revenue distribution of the province. 

It has been maintained in the budget that around Rs. 100 million will be received from local revenue sharing and Rs. 80 million from federal and Rs. 100 million from province towards equalisation grants.

The metropolis has put advanced 11 pride projects in the coming fiscal where the budget of Rs. 3.80 billion has been allocated, said Deputy Mayor Dangol.

Similarly, the KMC has proposed 30 golden schemes like cloth bank, thematic school, ponds renovation and conservation and fertiliser from garbage. It has allocated Rs. 2 billion for these schemes.

Pokhara: Rs. 7.51 billion

The Pokhara Metropolitan City has unveiled a budget of Rs. 7.51 billion for the fiscal year 2024/25.

Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City Manju Devi Gurung presented the budget at the 15th municipal assembly on Monday.

The metropolis has allocated a budget of around Rs. 15 million for the promotion of tourism of the City. By declaring 2025 as the Pokhara Visit Year, the metropolis aims to bring about 1.5 million tourists.

After preparing the details of the major destinations of Pokhara, a campaign called ‘Pokhara for all seasons’ will be conducted, said Gurung.

The metropolitan city has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 4.20 billion from the different grants of federal government, Rs. 96.3 million from the grant of province government, Rs. 1.55 billion from internal income, Rs. 383 million from revenue sharing of federal, and Rs. 97.2 million from the revenue sharing of province.

It is estimated that around Rs. 1.12 billion will be received from the distribution of local revenue and Rs. 5.4 million from the distribution of royalty.

Lalitpur: Rs. 7.46 billion

Likewise, Lalitpur Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs. 7.46 billion for the fiscal year 2024/25.

Deputy Mayor of the Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) Manjali Shakya Bajracharya presented the budget for the next fiscal year 2024/25 in the municipal assembly Monday giving priority to institutional development and good governance, sustainable infrastructure, preservation of arts, culture and heritage and tourism promotion, ensuring fundamental health services for citizens, and quality education with employment opportunities, among others.

The budget of the metropolis for the next fiscal year is 15 per cent more than the current fiscal year’s budget. The metropolis had unveiled a budget of Rs. 6.50 billion for the current fiscal year 2023/24. 

Of the total budget estimation, Rs. 2.78 billion has been allocated for recurrent expenditure while Rs. 4.67 

billion has been allocated for capital expenditure.

The metropolitan city has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 1.32 billion from federal government, Rs. 229 million from the Bagmati Province government, and Rs. 3.55 billion from internal income, including internal revenue.

Similarly, it is estimated that around Rs. 806 million will be managed from inter-governmental authorities, and Rs. 85 million from people’s participation in development activities.

It said that the budget deficit of Rs. 1.54 billion would be managed from the bank balance.

Giving priority to infrastructure development, the metropolis has allocated budget of Rs. 456 million for the next fiscal year.

By making the historical cultural city prosperous and well-governed, the budget has given priority to the heritage, culture, sustainable infrastructure, green promotion, environment, self-sufficient economy, quality education, accessible health care and social development. 

“Our main goal is to create youth employment as well as child and disable-friendly cities and maintain gender equality,” said Bajracharya.

There is a mention in the budget that revenue would be increased by continuing the tax awareness programme that has been launched since the past to increase the scope of taxes.

The metropolis has said that alternative measures/strategies would also be adopted to increase the scope of taxes.

The budget proposed that property tax would be exempted for the houses built in accordance with the building heritage rules within the world heritage area.

“If there is a suitable proposal regarding the management of parking for public facilities from the private sector, the metropolis will give facilitation and discount on the fee for the map pass,” said the budget.

Bharatpur: Rs. 6.55 billion

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan, has presented a budget of Rs. 6.55 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25. 

Deputy Mayor of the Bharatpur Metropolitan City Chitrasen Adhikari presented the budget at the 15th municipal assembly on Monday giving priority to making self-reliant city, increasing access of citizens to quality education and health, creation of productive jobs, sustainable and environment-friendly infrastructure through production growth.

The budget presented for the next fiscal year is Rs. 70 million higher than the budget of the current fiscal year. 

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City had presented a budget of Rs. 6.48 billion for the current fiscal year 2023/24.

The sources of the budget include internal income of Rs. 1.80 billion and inter-government financial transfer of Rs. 2.04 billion. 

The metropolis has estimated a revenue mobilisation of Rs. 324 million from revenue sharing of federal and Rs. 257 million from revenue sharing of Bagmati Province governments.

Similarly, the metropolis has estimated a revenue collection of Rs. 1.60 billion from bank balance, Rs. 500 million from people’s participation and Rs. 30 million from Road Board Nepal.

The metropolitan city has allocated a budget of Rs. 1.60 billion for the next fiscal year to complete the under-construction projects that would not be completed in the current fiscal year and the payment dates are yet to be completed and the projects of successive and multi-year contracts project.

For the first time, the metropolis has allocated the budget to the wards by determining the ward-level budget ceiling in two ways. 

The metropolis has allocated a minimum amount of Rs. 27.4 million to a maximum of Rs. 29 million to at least one ward. An amount of Rs. 820 million has been allocated for 29 wards of the metropolis for the next fiscal year.

A budget of Rs. 10 million has been allocated for the construction of the infrastructure of the tourist centre ‘Diyalo Bangala’ and Rs. 57.5 million for the regular maintenance of potholes in the city.

The metropolis has allocated a budget of Rs. 70 million for the implementation of the animal husbandry development programme for the next fiscal year.

A budget of Rs. 50 million has been allocated for land management required to build a landfill site for long-term solution of waste management. 

Biratnagar: Rs. 3.49 billion

Meanwhile, Biratnagar Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs. 3.49 billion for the next fiscal year 2024/25.

Deputy Mayor of the Biratnagar Metropolitan City Shilpa Nirala Karki presented the estimated budget along with the policies and programmes for the next fiscal year at the 14th Municipal Assembly held on Monday.

The size of the budget of the metropolitan city for the next fiscal year is higher than the budget size of the current fiscal year 2023/24. 

The metropolitan city had presented a budget of Rs. 3.28 billion for the current fiscal year.

Biratnagar Metropolitan City has presented budget expenditure estimates of Rs. 3.44 billion for the recurrent and capital expenditure. Similarly, it has allocated budget of Rs. 50 million for financial management for the next fiscal year.

The metropolis has estimated to receive Rs. 836.9 million through fiscal equalization grant from federal and provincial governments, Rs. 1.10 billion from the internal revenue, Rs. 250 million from balance of the current fiscal year and Rs. 893.7 million form special, conditional, supplementary grants to be received from the federal and provincial governments.

The metropolis has estimated that around Rs. 590 million would be spent on office operations and administrative work, and Rs. 33.34 million to pay current liabilities. 

The metropolis has allocated Rs. 500 million for multi-year contracts and deferred liability payments for national price projects and Rs. 56 million for settlement development and Tarai Madhes prosperity programmes. 

Similarly, Rs. 100 million has been allocated for the maintenance of structures and Rs. 20 million for the purchase of heavy vehicles.

The metropolis has allocated budget of Rs. 787.8 million for social development, Rs. 205.7 million for health, Rs. 9.9 million for women-targeted programmes, and Rs. 10 million for sports development programme for the next fiscal year.

Birgunj: Rs. 2.89 billion

Similarly, Birgunj Metropolitan City presented a budget of Rs. 2.89 billion on Saturday. 

The size of the budget is smaller by Rs. 320 million than that of the current fiscal year. 

The metropolis had brought a budget of Rs. 3.21 billion for the current fiscal year 2023/24.

The metropolis has allocated a budget of Rs. 2.04 billion (70.7 per cent) for the recurrent expenditure and Rs. 811 million (28.1 per cent) for capital expenditure.

Presenting the budget, Deputy Mayor of Birgunj Metropolitan City Imtiyaj Alam said that they had estimated to receive Rs. 1.27 billion from fiscal equalisation from federal government, Rs.  797.5 million from internal revenue and Rs. 268 million from revenue distribution from federal government.

Similarly, around Rs. 53.5 million is estimated to be received from provincial government inter-governmental financial transfers, Rs. 22.8 million from provincial revenue sharing and Rs. 100 million from cash balance of the current fiscal year.

Likewise, Siddharthanagar Municipality of introduced a budget of Rs. 1.04 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25. 

Mayor of the municipality Istiyaq Ahmed Khan presented the policies and programmes and Deputy Mayor Uma Adhikari presented the new budget at the 16th municipal meeting on Monday.

The municipality has presented budget giving priority to the infrastructure development. The municipality has allocated the budget of Rs. 45 million for ongoing projects and multi-year projects. 

(With inputs from Gokul Parajuli, Biratnagar, Deepak Gautam, Birgunj, Phadindra Adhikari, Pokhara and Laxman Paudel, Bhairahawa.)