South Asian News Network

Kathmandu, June 10: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has said that there is no truth in the claims of irregularities due to leaks of information before the budget was presented in Parliament. Responding to questions regarding the main provisions of the Estimates on Revenue and Expenditure (Budget) for the Fiscal Year 2026/27 at today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Finance Committee, he clarified that the allegations against him that information about the proposed tax rates was leaked and that a BYD electric vehicles were brought in on May 28 were baseless. Finance Minister Wagle had presented the Budget for Fiscal Year 2026/27 in the joint sitting of both houses of Federal Parliament on May 29 as per the constitutional provision. In the Finance Committee meeting today, he clarified that amendment was made to the Finance Bill as some points included in the budget statement were omitted in it, while mentioning that rumours that information of the budget were leaked before it was presented in Parliament were being deliberately spread against him. He said that unnecessary publicity was made with the ill intention of drawing the Prime Minister and Finance Minister into controversy, without any facts or evidence. “No changes have been made to the Finance Bill after correcting the visible errors and presenting the bill to the sovereign MPs. The House of Representatives was obstructed and organised rumours about the budget and us were spread in an attempt to defame us,” said Finance Minister Dr Wagle, adding that MPs should not fall into the illusion that such attacks can tarnish the image of a government that has ruthlessly moved forward for good governance. In the meeting, committee member Lima Adhikari said the budget presented in the House was historic and transformative, and mentioned that many issues were clarified through Minister Wagle’s response. Committee member Narendra Kumar Kerung stated that the comment that nothing happened during previous governments was incorrect.