Dharamshala — The budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile for the fiscal year 2025-2026 commenced on Monday in Dharamshala. Members of Tibetan Parliament and Ministers of Cabinet began to discussing the 2025-2026 budget of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), in a context of reduced funding from the United States.
The ninth session ((budget session)) of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) is scheduled to be held for 13 days from March 17 to 31, 2025, at the Parliament hall of TPiE, Gangkyi, Dharamshala, H.P, India. The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, presided over the meeting, while the Deputy Speaker, Dolma Tsering, members of the 17th Parliament and the Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering and the Kalons (Minister) of the 16th Kashag attended the session.
In his opening speech, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel spoke on the deteriorating situation in Tibet, particularly highlighting the Chinese restrictions on Tibetan students on March 10, 2025, Tibetan National Uprising Day. He also noted the release of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s latest book, Voice for the Voiceless, on March 11, 2025, which received widespread coverage from major global media outlets. The book also featured His Holiness’s statement that his reincarnation will be born outside of China, a declaration to which China responded with criticism.
Reiterating that reincarnation is a deeply religious process and cannot be manipulated as a political tool by China, the Speaker quoted a passage from the book: “To my fellow Tibetans: Never lose hope, however dark the sky may become. As our saying goes, ‘If you fall nine times, you get up nine.’ Always remember that a bright sun awaits behind the clouds.” He urged everyone to “Never Give Up!”
The house continued with official obituary references to former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, former American President Jimmy Carter alias James Earl Carter Jr, former Chief Justice Commissioner and former Deputy Speaker Jadur Sonam Sangpo, former Kalon Trisur (prime minister) Gyalo Thondup, former Kalon (minister) Shewo Lobsang Dhargyal, former parliamentarian Choeje Ayang Tulku Rinpoche, former parliamentarian Khortsa Sonam Damdul, and former parliamentarian Kyunglung Thokmey.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Finance Kalon of the CTA, presented the 2025-2026 Budget of the Central Tibetan Administration, proposing an amount of Rs. 3675.30 million. This followed by Parliamentarian Geshe Lharampa Atuk Tseten, the Chairman of the Budget Estimate Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, presenting the Précis report of the Committee.
The motion for debate on the Central Tibetan Administration’s 2025-2026 Budget was tabled by Parliamentarian Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen and supported by Parliamentarian Tenzin Jigdal. The debate on the budget began.
Thereafter, Parliamentarian Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen, Chair of the 12th Public Accounts Committee (PAC), presented the report of the committee.
At 3pm, the first day of the budget session was adjourned until 9.30am tomorrow. The debate on the Finance Minister's statement and the report on the 2025-2026 budget by the Budget Estimate Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile will continue tomorrow morning, and the Finance Minister and Budget Estimate Committee will answer questions from members of the Tibetan Parliament.
