The decision was taken during a meeting between Speaker Subas Nembang and Finance Minister Barshaman Pun, who was accompanied by the finance secretary and other top officials Monday evening. The speaker also consulted chief whips of the major parties earlier in the afternoon to seeking their consent for passing the budget.[break]
"The leaders from the major parties have agreed in principle to resume deliberations over the budget and endorse it by mid-September," the speaker said. "I have called a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) for Wednesday to take a formal decision to this effect."
The parliament secretariat is preparing to resume deliberations over the budget starting September 12.
The fate of the budget had become uncertain as leaders from the ruling UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties said in public that they want some changes to the budget for incorporating some of the programs of the new government.
The finance minister was convinced after the speaker clearly told him that there is no provision of making any changes to the budget as the parliament had already passed the policies and programs and also the vote on account bill.
In the four-point deal reached last week with the Madhesi parties before Baburam Bhattarai was elected prime minister, the UCPN (Maoist) had agreed to incorporate Madhesi parties´ concerns in the budget.
Sources said the speaker had suggested to the finance minister to endorse the budget to help conclude the peace process and constitution writing. "There is no point in causing delay for endorsing the budget because there is no possibility for making any changes," the source quoted the speaker as telling the minister. "The government could come up with a supplementary budget if needed."
Though the parliament endorsed the government´s policy and program and the vote on account bill, the parliament has yet to pass the budget. Deliberations on the budget were halted as then Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal stepped down.
The finance minister and ministry officials had enquired with the speaker if there was any provision or parliamentary practice with regard to a new government settling for a budget prepared by outgoing government. "The parliamentary rules had never envisioned such a situation nor have we faced a situation like this in the past," said the speaker.
CPN-UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya and Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic Chief Whip Ramjanam Chaudhary confirmed that they have agreed to endorse the budget.
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