#NepalEconomy #FiscalBalance #
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By Sandeep Chaudhary

Cash Surplus in Treasury Soars as Nepal’s Fiscal Balance Improves in 2025/26

Cash Surplus in Treasury Soars as Nepal’s Fiscal Balance Improves in 2025/26

Nepal’s fiscal position strengthened notably in the first month of fiscal year 2025/26, with the government’s treasury cash balance reaching Rs. 226.63 billion, the highest in recent years. According to Nepal Rastra Bank’s latest budgetary operation report, the government achieved a fiscal surplus of Rs. 31.14 billion by mid-August 2025, reversing years of early-year deficits.

The improvement stems mainly from higher revenue collection and controlled spending. The government mobilized over Rs. 75.14 billion in revenue and grants, while total expenditure stood at Rs. 44.31 billion, allowing a positive cash flow. Domestic borrowing worth Rs. 40 billion, through development bonds and treasury bills, further supported liquidity management without heavy reliance on foreign loans.

Economists view the rising cash surplus as a sign of improved fiscal discipline and better treasury management under tighter budget control. However, they warn that such surpluses, if unutilized in capital projects, may reflect slow development spending rather than actual fiscal strength. With capital expenditure still trailing behind recurrent spending, the challenge remains to convert this liquidity into productive investment.

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Nepal Begins Budget Work, Sets Up Revenue Advisory Committee to Shape Tax and Economic Reforms Kathmandu — Nepal’s Ministry of Finance has formally kicked off the process of preparing the national budget for the upcoming fiscal year by constituting a Revenue Advisory Committee, signaling the start of the government’s annual fiscal planning cycle. Officials say the move is aimed at collecting structured policy input before the budget ceiling, priorities, and tax proposals are finalized. According to the ministry, the committee has been formed under a decision of Finance Minister Rameshwar Prasad Khanal dated Magh 28 (Nepali calendar), with the Ministry’s Revenue Secretary serving as coordinator. The ministry’s spokesperson, Tank Prasad Pandey, said the committee has already started work, indicating that early-stage consultations and technical reviews are now underway. At its core, the committee’s mandate is broader than routine “tax suggestions.” It has been asked to advise on the economic context and on what the budget should prioritize—meaning it can influence both the revenue strategy (how the state raises money) and the policy direction (where the state plans to intervene, reform, or incentivize). In practice, such committees often become the route through which competing interests—business groups, sector associations, experts, and government agencies—try to shape the budget narrative.

Dipesh Ghimire

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1 Mar, 2026