The government has allocated Rs 80.95 billion, 15.65 percent of the total budget, for the education sector, a 34.62 percent increment, and Rs 33.69 billion, 6.5 percent of the total budget, for the health sector this year
THE government has announced a whopping 40 percent increase in its investment in the social sector, mainly in education, health and social security. More than Rs 130 billion, around 25 percent of the total budget, has been allocated for the three sectors in the current fiscal year against Rs 92.76 billion in the last fiscal year. The government has announced an allocation of Rs 11.10 billion as social security allowance to senior citizens, widows, people with disabilities and those from the endangered castes. Similarly, people from the marginalised communities will be provided with hospitality and tourism training, while their children will receive scholarships for the school level education. The new budget has a special programme of tutorial classes for the preparation of Civil Service examinations targeting the Dalit, indigenous and people with disabilities. In addition to this, Rs 3.07 billion has been set aside for poverty reduction programmes. EDUCATION The government has allocated Rs 80.95 billion, 15.65 percent of the total budget, for the education sector this year, a significant increment by 34.62 percent compared to last year’s Rs 60.13 billion. As always, the education sector has received the largest share of the national budget. However, there has been a decline of around one percent in the total national budget compared to 16.60 percent in the fiscal year 2012/13. Of the total budget, Rs 26.41 billion is meant for pre-primary and primary education, while Rs 13.50 billion will go to secondary level. Similarly, Rs 26.16 billion will be spent in higher and non formal education sector. Along with giving continuity to many programmes of the last fiscal year, the government has announced a new programme and policies, mainly targeted at improving the quality of education. The budget has announced a new package for the children from the marginalised and poor community. The government aims at bringing around 60,000 street and HIV/AIDS affected children to the school system and providing them with free basic education. The new budget plans to provide technical training to 31,500 young people, for which over Rs 630 million will be invested under the Ministry of Education. In an attempt to improve the quality of education, the government has announced skill development training to 153,314 teachers across the country in this fiscal year. Similarly, two community schools from each district, with the highest pass percentage in the School Leaving Certificates, will be awarded with Rs 500,000 annually. Around Rs 1.87 billion has been allocated in scholarships to around 60,000 girls, talented, disable students, including those who represent the marginalised and Dalit community. The government has also announced to complete the construction of one polytechnic school each in Rolpa and Bhojpur and conduct a feasibility study for one in Ramechhap. If the plan gœs well, there will be a total literacy in two years. HEALTH The government has earmarked Rs 33.69 billion for the health sector, 6.5 percent of the total budget. Last year the total budget of the Ministry of Health was Rs 22.84 billion. The new budget has proposed a health insurance scheme, which will be initially piloted in 15 districts as part of the government’s commitment to ensure social security. In the existing health programmes, the government has planned to establish 238 district hospitals, district public health offices and primary health care centres, among others. Similarly, the government is planning to expand dialysis services to regional levels. In a major achievement, it has announced tax exemption for cancer drugs imported from abroad. The government is also planning to formulate an Immunisation Act in the upcoming fiscal year. In a bid to improve nutritional status of pregnant mother and the new born, the government will start a ‘One Thousand Golden Days’ programme, which will increase awareness about nutritional foods in 15 districts. Moreover, the government is planning to stock medicines to fight epidemics and conduct a campaign, wherein every student, for one time from Grade 1 to 5, undergo a health check-up. The government is giving continuity to programmes launched in the past, including safe motherhood, combating communicable and noncommunicable disease programmes, among others. NATIONAL BUDGET 2013-14
No comments:
Post a Comment