On the 10th of Ashadh, Deputy Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC); Sunita Dangol presented the budget allocations for the fiscal year 2079/80.
The budget of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for this year has included some new reforms that have not been introduced before.
Dangol divulged that the budget for the biggest metropolis in the country for this fiscal year is Rs. 25.41 billion which is nearly twice the budget allocated for the previous fiscal year 2078/79.
Dangol started the speech by revealing the revenue and expenditure of the fiscal year 2078/79. She unveiled that the total revenue of the fiscal year 2078/79 till the end of Jestha 2079 was 8.8 billion which accounts for 96.90% of the expected revenue and the total expenditure was 5.56 billion which is 36.69% of the expected expenditure.
According to the Deputy Mayor, total revenue of Rs. 22.36 billion is expected for this fiscal year.
This year, the budget is allocated to centralizing the restoration, maintenance, and preservation of historical monuments like the construction of falchas (traditional public rest-house) and dabali (traditional open spaces).
Infrastructural development is essentially prioritized as in the previous years.
Key allocations of the budget of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for the year 2079/80:
- Rs. 11.08 billion, which is 49.57% of the total budget has been allocated for infrastructure development
- Rs. 4.68 billion, 20% of the total budget has been allocated for running the city’s offices
- Rs. 4.46 billion, which is 19.96% of the total budget has been allocated for good governance-related programs.
- Rs. 1.62 billion, which is 7.25% of the total budget has been allocated for the social development sector.
- Rs. 502.12 million, which is 2.24% of the total budget has been allocated for economic development.
- Allocation for women empowerment, self-employment programs for differently-abled people, and health-related provisions for senior citizens has also been made.
- Allocation for the establishment of Folk Musical Instrument Museum at Tripureshwor, retrofitting Bagdurbar palace damaged by 2015-earthquake, construction of public restrooms, parks, amphitheater, etc. have also been made.
- Allocation for sewage management, maintaining greenery, protection of public property, etc. for the sake of environmental conservation has also been made.
What are the allocations for technology development in this budget?
Budget allocation for technology development was not announced separately by the Deputy Mayor. However, through her statements; she notified that the following allocations have been made that clearly contribute to the development of technology.
- Electric vehicles: Running electric vehicles can assist a lot to decrease the problem of air pollution. Perceiving this fact, the metropolis has allocated a budget to install more electric vehicles and replace fuel-based vehicles.
- Installment of ‘waste to energy’ plant: The core reason for allocating the budget to install ‘waste to energy‘ plant is to ease the waste management process of the city.
- Installment of CCTV for digital urban security system: Installing CCTV cameras ensures security and makes the residents feel safer. Mayor Balendra Shah had mentioned earlier to install around 10,000 CCTV cameras in the city so as to provide a safer environment for the residents; especially females.
- e-Governance master plan: e-Governance encompasses applying information technology for delivering government services to the citizens online. Kathmandu metropolis has allocated a budget for developing and improvising electronic governance.
- Research and discussions regarding the possibility of metro train in the metropolis: Metro train can assist in resolving the traffic congestion in the city and catalyzing the capital’s economic growth. This is why the metropolis has allocated a budget to research on possibility of a metro train.
- Municipal e-library: In this digital era, e-library serves as a convenient way for learners to gain knowledge in their own comfort. Thus, the metropolis has allocated a budget in order to improve e-libraries.
Prioritized allocations in the Budget of Kathmandu Metropolitan City
As mentioned earlier, the foremost priority is given to infrastructure development like in previous years with a total budget of Rs. 11.08 billion. Infrastructure development encompasses renovation and retrofitting the historical monuments, repairing damaged roads, construction of public restrooms, construction of amphitheaters etc. Economic development, good governance, and social welfare are also prioritized.
Besides these, for development of sports, education, women empowerment, and health care of seniors are also considered and hence Dangol informed that the budget has been allocated for improvement of those sectors as well. Additionally, she stated that through this budget education system and the environment of public schools will also be improved and programs to empower youth will also be launched.
With the newly elected young Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, KMC residents hope for a sustainable development along with preserving the heritage of this historical city. Indeed, the new team has been successfully implementing some plans that were announced before the election. Let’s hope that the 5 years would be the golden period for Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Also read: Nepal Budget 2079/80; What are the Key Allocations for Tech, Startups, and Innovation
