The House of Representatives (HoR) approved the Budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2080/81 BS (2023/24) on Wednesday.
Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Finance Minister, initially presented the budget proposal for approval.
The majority of lawmakers supported the budget as Speaker Devraj Ghimire sought their opinions in a Yes or No format.
However, in response to CPN-UML lawmakers’ demands, a split vote was held to ensure a clear majority in favor of the budget.
This is the first time the Parliament has voted to approve a budget.
The divided vote resulted in 147 members voting in favor of the budget and 108 voting against it.
A total of 255 lawmakers took part in the budget debate on Wednesday.
The Appropriation Bill was successfully passed during the divided vote, rejecting the proposed amendments put forth by opposition MPs, including the CPN-UML.
The budget is made up of four bills: the Appropriation Bill, the Finance Bill, the National Debt Collection Bill, and the Loan and Guarantee Bill.
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