By Our Reporter
The government has increased the overall security sector budget for the new fiscal year by over Rs. 11 billion compared to the current fiscal year.
In his budget speech, Minister for Finance Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat on Monday increased the security sector’s budget by Rs. 11.25 billion compared to the current fiscal.
The government has allocated Rs. 252.5 billion budget for the security sectors under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence for the new fiscal. This is 14 per cent of the total budget (Rs. 1.75 trillion).
The government had allocated Rs. 241.25 billion budget for the security sectors in the current fiscal (2022/23).
The security sectors operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs include – Nepal Police, Armed Police Force Nepal, National Investigation Department, border management and immigration. The Nepali Army operates under the Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Home Affairs received Rs. 193.66 billion under which Rs. 184 billion is allocated for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 9.53 billion as capital budget.
Similarly, the Ministry of Defence has received Rs. 58.84 billion budget for the new fiscal, including Rs. 22.5 billion for the Fast Track Road Project alone. Last year, Fast Track received Rs. 30 billion budget. Out of the total Defence budget, Rs. 53 billion is recurrent expenditure while Rs. 5.66 billion is for capital expenditure.
For the current fiscal year, the Ministry of Home Affairs received Rs. 185 billion and the Defence Ministry Rs. 55.3 billion.
In the budget statement, it is also stated that police adjustment work would be carried out at the federal and provincial level in accordance with the federal system.
Since the Federal Police Act has not been enacted, the police have not been adjusted in the province so far.
Meanwhile, Nepali Army has clarified that it has no plan to purchase weapons. The NA made the comments on Wednesday, a day after the government unveiled the budget increasing the security budget by 14 per cent.
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