Kathmandu, May 31 -- The private sector has given a mixed response to the federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26, presented by Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel at the Federal Parliament on Thursday. The government unveiled a Rs1.96 trillion budget, which is 5.6 percent larger than the current fiscal year's financial plan.

In Koshi province, business leaders expressed disappointment over the federal government's continued disregard for Biratnagar's and the province's long-term development needs.

While the budget includes provisions to promote agriculture, boost rice production, support startups and information technology, expand tourism and exports, and improve urban infrastructure, industrialists argue that Koshi's broader development pri...