KATHMANDU, June 23 – Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat may table the annual budget  estimation for the fiscal year 2001/2002 in the first week of July in the upcoming budget session slated to begin on June 25.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post today Dr Mahat said that he is expecting to table the budget on July 7 or July 8. “However, it is the Speaker Taranath Ranabhat who will finally decide the date for the budget speech,” said Dr Mahat.

Since the current fiscal year ends mid-July, the Speaker cannot delay budget speech later than the second week of July. The Speaker will decide the date for the budget speech after the conclusion of debate on the government’s policies and program. His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev will address the joint meeting of the parliament on June 29 and unveil His Majesty’s Government’s annual policies and programs.

This will be the first such address by His Majesty the King after he assumed the throne on June 4 after the tragic demise of the then Kings late Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and late Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev following the Royal Palace massacre on June 1.

Budget speech for the next fiscal year is already due going by the finance ministry’s initial target. The ministry was initially planning to present the budget in the first week of June, provided that the parliament resumed for the budget session. Last year, the government had tabled an estimated expenditure of Rs 91.62 billion rupees for the current fiscal year.