Nepal Moves to Fund March 5 HoR Elections Despite Budget Gap

Ahead of the March 5 House of Representatives polls, the government has arranged funds to support the elections, even though the FY 2025/26 budget had no specific allocation. The Ministry of Finance has redirected resources from other projects to cover part of the shortfall.

The Election Commission requested Rs 7.5 billion, of which around Rs 5 billion has been released. Funding for security deployment, expected to involve 325,000 personnel, is still being finalized. EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said additional funds will be provided if needed.

Preparations are underway for staff deployment, ballot printing, voter education, transport, and procurement of over 50 types of election materials, including reusable items like scissors, calculators, and mats.