Finance Minister Wagle dismisses budget leak allegations

Kathmandu: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has dismissed allegations that information related to the budget for the fiscal year 2026/27 was leaked before it was presented in Parliament.

Responding to lawmakers’ queries on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure at a meeting of the House of Representatives’ Finance Committee today, Finance Minister Wagle said claims that proposed tax rates had been disclosed in advance and that BYD electric vehicles had been imported on the basis of such information were baseless.

Dr Wagle had presented the budget for the upcoming fiscal year at a joint sitting of the Federal Parliament on May 29. He clarified that amendments to the Finance Bill were made only to correct omissions in the budget statement and denied reports suggesting that budget information had been leaked beforehand.

The Finance Minister said rumours were being deliberately spread without facts or evidence in an attempt to drag the Prime Minister and himself into controversy. He maintained that no changes had been made to the Finance Bill other than correcting apparent errors before it was tabled in Parliament.

He also accused some groups of spreading organised rumours and obstructing the House of Representatives in an effort to discredit the government, adding that such attacks would not undermine a government committed to good governance.

During the meeting, committee member Lima Adhikari described the budget as historic and transformative, saying Minister Wagle’s response had clarified many issues. Another member, Narendra Kumar Kerung, said it would be incorrect to suggest that previous governments had achieved nothing.