'No new programmes in budget as huge amount in education is compulsory liability'

KATHMANDU: Minister for Education, Science and Technology Sumana Shrestha has said that sufficient budget for a large number of new plans and programmes could not be unveiled in the upcoming fiscal year's budget to bring about reforms in education due to the high volume of compulsory liability of the government.     

"This cannot be amended massively and there is a resource crunch for new plans and programmes," according to Minister Shrestha. 

Responding to the lawmakers' queries in Sunday's meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR), Minister Shrestha said most of the budget of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) goes to the local levels through compulsory liability and fiscal transfer.

"More than Rs 200 billion or 10.95% of the total budget has been allocated to MoEST. Of that, 70% amount goes to the local level for fiscal transfer," she said adding that around 93% of the total budget allocated for the MoEST is the compulsory liability. "Only 0.4% amount is allocated for new programmes," Minister Shrestha said.  
Under the MoEST's allocation, 6.6% is allocated for capital expenditure, the Education Minister said. 

The government has allocated Rs 203.74 billion for the MoEST for the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25.

Minister Shrestha argued that efforts were made on how structural reforms could be made in the education sector and added that geography, economic condition and other indicators were analysed in determining the budget's priorities. 
Minister Shrestha argued that a new Education Act was needed to resolve the policy issues in the education sector and urged the parliament to advance the education bill.