Kathmandu. Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has said that the government has not received more than Rs 10 to 15 billion in the budget despite the target of collecting Rs 48 to 52 billion in the budget for the past five to seven years.

He made the complaint in a meeting of the PAC today. “We have been collecting Rs 48, 50 and 52 billion in grants since the last 5-7 years, but in reality we have not received more than Rs 10, 12 and 15 billion,” he said.

According to him, the foreign aid, grants and concessional loans coming to Nepal from the same perspective have created confusion.

He said that in the past, it was estimated that a large amount of grants would come in the budget. “This year, we have said that we will take loans of Rs 248 billion out of the budget of Rs 2,124 billion, and this time we have also accounted for foreign loans and grants, which is around Rs 62 billion,” he said.

Finance Minister Wagle said that serious discussions should be held on how strategic the foreign aid is and how much it is connected to the donor agencies’ own interests.

According to him, bilateral grants from India, China, the UK, Japan and the US, among other countries, are still continuing.

He said that the grants given by the Indian government, the Chinese government, the UK, Japan and the US government are coming in the bilateral grant. “Between $50 million and $100 million is mainly contributed by donors and donor countries,” he said.