The principle objective of this paper is to comprehensively understand the budget formulation and implementation procedure in Nepal. By looking at the procedural aspects of budget formulation and implementation, the paper attempts to analyse the factors that have hindered the effective execution of national budgets.
The national budget is a good indication of the state’s commitment towards different social and economic areas, and has a direct impact on the economy of the country. Though the preparation of a budget and its implementation is driven by set processes that have been accepted as a norm internationally, there are numerous problems affecting it. The persistent presence of such problems in the budget making and implementing process has forcibly delayed the execution of national level programmes and projects that are devised to attain certain development goals. This implies that problems related to the budget cycle have direct implications on desired economic growth. Some of the major problems that have been identified are ambiguities surrounding project prioritization, lack of inter-agency communication, and management of funds. By resolving these problems, issues such as procedural delays and the lack of accountability could be mitigated.

Nepal is in the phase of age structure transition with a large proportion of young working-age population. This phase is also commonly known as the phase of ‘youth bulge’, ‘demographic dividends/bonuses’ or ‘window of opportunity’. This present phase and the consistent increment in the share of older-age population over the years signifies that the elderly population will continue to increase in the years to come. Amidst a limited formal support system for senior citizens and a weakening informal support system by family, relatives and society, the situation of senior citizens is destined to become a severe problem, if it is not addressed in time through effective policies. Existing policies in Nepal have incorporated the issues of the senior citizens and a general overview suggests that the policies are in tune with age structure transition. Yet, a deeper analysis of the policies reveal that they do not fully recognize the outcome of thetransition. Thus, it is the objective of this policy study to highlight the importance of the transition and analyse the status of the aged population in light of it.The policy questions focuses on understanding the trend of age structure transition of the Nepali population and analysing its implications on the older age group. This policy study proposes enhancement of the informal support system as a policy alternative to address the challenges of the senior citizens in relation to the age structure transition.

The Nepali government has been distributing welfare advertisements to the media since 1959. The main aim behind this practice was to provide economic support or media sustenance in the absence of alternative sources of revenue for media houses at that time. But the economic scenario of Nepali media has changed largely in comparison to the 1950s and the 1960s. Yet, a huge amount of public funds is still being spent in the name of welfare advertisement.

By analyzing policy documents related to welfare advertisements, and by comparing it to the nature of public welfare advertising in other countries, this paper shows that it is the media that is benefiting the most from the distribution of the advertisements as opposed to the public. It argues that instead of media sustenance, public welfare should be the main purpose of the distribution of welfare advertising. To ensure public welfare, it suggests ways to reform the current practice of distributing public welfare advertising and highlights the importance of public awareness messages reaching the right audience.

There has been an unmatched increase in the number CSOs in Nepal post-1990. The working areas of these CSOs vary. While some simply implement project activities, others focus on policy advocacy. Different organizations working in various sectors tend to have their own advocacy strategies developed through collaboration with organizations working in similar sectors. The understanding of advocacy among these organizations tends to be similar. The tools and techniques used by these organizations also appear to be similar. The only observable difference is the frequency and timing of use of these tools and techniques. This study suggests that CSOs in Nepal should coordinate and collaborate with each other. Collaboration among organizations working in same sector as well as among organizations working in different sectors would allow such organizations to learn from one another‟s mistakes and best practices. A consortium of CSOs specializing in policy advocacy therefore is necessary to deal with the challenges that CSOs are facing during a time of political transition of the nation and increasing donor dependence for funding.