Govt manages funds for compulsory liabilities until mid-November
KATHMANDU, NOV 05 -
The Finance Ministry has said it has managed necessary resources for compulsory liabilities such as salary, allowance and pension for incumbent and retired government employees until mid-November. Earlier, the ministry had shown a shortfall of Rs 7.42 billion.
Lok Darshan Regmi, budget division chief at the ministry, said the ministry arranged the funds from other administrative budget.
“We had requested the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), which keep records of government transactions, to such a transfer of funds and the latter approved,” said Regmi.
The government cannot transfer budget from capital expenditure to recurrent expenditure head as per the existing rule.
Earlier, the ministry had said there had been demand for an additional Rs 17.15 billion for salary, pension and other compulsory liabilities. On top of that, the government has an additional liability of Rs 3.15 billion which should be sanctioned for implementation of various decisions made by the Cabinet such as implementation of the good governance action plan.
The Education Ministry has sought an additional Rs 3 billion for salary for teachers. The Nepal Police has demanded more than Rs 250 million. The Ministry of Agriculture Development has sought an additional Rs 1.25 billion for supply of chemical fertilizers and additional amount for salary to its staff, according to the ministry.
Rastriya Banijya Bank has also demanded reimbursement of Rs 6 billion against the pension payment they made in last fiscal year.
The government has been saying that the absence of a full budget will make it unable to provide ration to jailbirds, meet daily expenditure for maintaining law and order and managing ration for army and police.
Social security allowance distribution to the elderly, handicapped, single women and disadvantaged communities will be affected.It has said development projects have been hit hard as the government agencies are failing to award contract due to the uncertainty over the budget. It is also failing to manage counterpart funds for donor-funded projects.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
