Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
Swarnim wagle finance minister
KATHMANDU — Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has said that good governance and the expansion of the middle class remain the government’s top priorities, stressing that sustainable economic growth is not possible without strong governance reforms.
Responding to queries raised by lawmakers in the National Assembly on the principles and priorities of the upcoming Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year, Minister Wagle underscored that while the national goal of state-building remains shared, the National Independent Party (Rastriya Swatantra Party) brings a distinct approach in terms of strategy and execution.
He noted that over the past three decades, Nepal has paid a heavy price for poor governance practices, adding that delays in decision-making and policy uncertainty have resulted in what he termed “missing GDP” losses for the country.
“Our top priority is good governance,” Wagle said, adding that initiatives such as e-governance, digital delivery systems, and performance-based contracts are not merely technological reforms but represent a fundamental shift in the culture of state administration.
He further emphasized the government’s commitment to curbing corruption, intermediary networks, and institutional misuse, stating that the state must evolve from being merely a spending entity to a service-delivery institution.
Clarifying the government’s approach to expanding the middle class, the Finance Minister said it is not a program aimed at a narrow segment of society but a broader economic transformation agenda.
He explained that the objective is to uplift poor, laboring, farming, and landless communities economically, thereby widening the base of the middle class through upward social mobility.
“We do not believe in the equal distribution of poverty; instead, we aim to link social justice with economic advancement to ensure upward social mobility for citizens,” Wagle said. “We have also accepted the inherited liabilities from previous governments because we believe in the continuity of the state.”
Reassuring lawmakers, he stressed that there should be no doubt regarding the government’s commitment to the Constitution, noting that necessary reforms can be carried out through existing constitutional provisions and legal frameworks.
He also reiterated that the state is a continuous and sovereign institution, and therefore all obligations created by previous governments must be respected and honored by the current administration.
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