Finance minister open to a new budget or supplementary one

Adversity might turn into a good opportunity at least for this time as it is leading to a change of fiscal calendar for better, if the finance ministry will show a little courage.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari said that he is open to the any idea of bringing a new budget or the supplementary one.
The finance ministry has some time ago floated a concept of changing the date for the budget announcement and bring it by April end instead of the tradition of bringing in mid-July to make more effective implementation from the day one of the new fiscal year.
"I am open to the suggestion of a new budget or supplementary budget to address the new government's vision," Adhikari said, "But there must be consensus among the political parties.
"Budget should reflect the government's vision and the newly formed government with changed political equation definitely could have some aspirations, he said, after being welcomed by the finance ministry officials in the morning here today.
Adhikari will tomorrow table Replacement Bill -- the last procedure to replace the ordinance budget that has been passed yesterday -- before the Legislature Parliament.
He is also hopeful of Replacement Bill being passed by February 15 to give the validity to the ordinance budget.
After a long political deadlock, the outgoing finance minister Surendra Pandey had brought Rs 337.90 billion budget for the current fiscal year on November 20 -- four months late than the regular schedule -- through an ordinance.
The four time finance minister Adhikari will however find it a Herculean task to live up to the budget promises and balance the coalition partner UCPN (Maoists) and former partner Nepali Congress.
Though, the newly-elected government has formed a panel to amend the budget for the fiscal year 2010-11, it does not enjoy the luxury of time.
Budget is a means of expressing economic commitment of political parties in power, thus some changes are inevitable, he indicated.
Adhikari was finance minister in the first elected communist government of Manmohan Adhikari in 2051 BS and again in 2054 BS and in the 2061 BS too.
It could also be a better opportunity to change the fiscal calender and start the fiscal year from April end instead of present mid-July to bring uniformity with the Nepali calender that starts from mid-April.