Kathmandu, Nov 30: Reverting back to the pre-democracy arrangement, King Gyanendra has promulgated a new ordinance empowering him to increase royal household expenditure and facilities, even without any clearance from the finance ministry.

With the promulgation of the "royal household expenditure management ordinance 2002" Thursday on recommendation of the council of ministers, the palace and not the ministry would decide on the royal expenditures.
The new ordinance has given the king the authority which was hitherto exercised by the government since democracy was restored in 1990, a report in the daily "The Kathmandu Post" said.

Earlier, the palace used to fill up a requisition form every year, as done by other ministers, and the finance ministry allocated the budget as required by the palace, it said.
But the new ordinance reactivates the 1974 act framed by the partyless panchayat regime, which empowers the palace to make any change in its expenditures.


Bureau Report