Finance Minister decide to make new budget under the leadership of Shakya, who is suspect of CIAA Investigation

Kathmandu : Barshaman Pun who was appointed as Finance Minister  about one and half month ago, is working hard for new budget and organizing investment conference. But his hard work looks like that it might get into a dispute because of his decision of choosing Ritesh Kumar Shakya as a leading member for making upcoming budget.

Shakya is the person who is most controversial in the Ministry of Finance and who is being investigated by the constitutional body on charges of corruption. But the dispute might occur as Finance Minister Pun given Ritesh Kumar Shakya the responsibility of Budget Division during the transfer of joint secretaries for the first time after taking over the Finance Minister and he also made Co-Secretary Shakya as the Deputy Coordinator of the Budget Committee.

The Audit Committee under the House of Representatives, recommended CIAA (Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority)   to take action against Chairman of Securities Board of Nepal and other related members, on the issue of selling IPO at a premium price which is also taken as a corruption. This recommendation was given on 12th of Paush, 2080 B.S.

During this selling of IPO at premium price by Securities Board of Nepal, Ritesh Kumar Shakya had represented the Ministry of Finance as the board of director. On that basis, Ritesh Shakya was also taken under investigation for Corruption and wealth laundering by CIAA.

Not only this Mr. Shakya is also a part of many corruption scandals created by Former Finance Minister Janardan Sharma. And here, CIAA is also investigating most of the corruption cases of Janardan Sharma in recent time, in this situation giving the upcoming budget responsibility to the suspect of corruption by present Finance Minister seems like a bad step. This decision is seen as a seed of the dispute in coming time.

The question has been raised, why is Finance Minister Pun giving responsibility to the person who is under investigation for corruption? Is our country’s upcoming Budget will be free of Corruption seeing this decision by Finance Minister?

Is Finance Minister unaware of this or is he also wants to be a part of Investigation?