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Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has formally addressed the swirling allegations surrounding the recent finance bill, categorizing reports of customs rate manipulation and missing report pages as both misleading and significantly exaggerated. Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, the Minister sought to quell the growing political discourse by asserting that no unauthorized policy shifts occurred. He characterized the controversy as a manufactured crisis, emphasizing that the Ministry has acted with full transparency and adherence to legislative protocols throughout the budgetary process.
Minister Wagle focused heavily on the customs rate adjustments, clarifying that these were not instances of clandestine interference but rather necessary technical refinements. He explained that many of the changes were merely clarifications of adjustments initiated last year under the previous CPN-UML and Nepali Congress administrations. By framing these updates as corrections intended for linguistic clarity and administrative accuracy, the Minister argued that the administration was simply finalizing policy maintenance rather than implementing new, secret fiscal strategies.
A primary pillar of the Minister’s defense involved the specific nature of the customs modifications, which he described as prioritized, humanitarian efforts. He highlighted that the only substantive changes to the rate structures pertained to carriers used for the transportation of critical medical supplies, specifically blood and vaccines. By grounding these decisions in humanitarian necessity, the Minister challenged the validity of the controversy, suggesting that the public and political scrutiny has disproportionately focused on essential logistical improvements rather than any illicit financial gain.
Addressing the technical allegations regarding the “disappearance” of 16 pages from the finance bill, Dr. Wagle attributed the discrepancy to the complexities of digital document formatting. He explained that in a document exceeding 450 pages, minor adjustments to column widths or text layouts within Microsoft Word can automatically trigger significant fluctuations in the total page count. He firmly denied that any content was deleted or surreptitiously altered, reinforcing his position that no unauthorized changes were inserted into the bill after it had been presented to the sovereign parliament.
During his address, the Finance Minister expressed frustration with how these technical nuances have been interpreted by the media and political opponents, referring to the entire ordeal as a “storm in a teacup.” He maintained a defiant stance, declaring his readiness to face these allegations head-on to protect the integrity of the Ministry. He reiterated that his office remains committed to the national interest and urged members of the committee and the public to refrain from misinterpreting administrative processes as acts of governance failure.
In his concluding remarks, Minister Wagle pledged full cooperation with the parliamentary process and invited further inquiry if doubts persist. By promising to provide additional clarifications whenever required, he signaled a commitment to restoring confidence in the legislative documents. Ultimately, the Minister’s testimony served as an effort to close the chapter on the controversy, framing the incident as a misunderstanding of procedural technicalities rather than a breach of public trust or institutional stability.
