Ministries to get budget implementation right on first FY day
KATHMANDU, JUL 05 -
Amid concerns over procedural delays in the budget implementation, the Finance Ministry is preparing to give ministries the authority to implement the budget on the first day of the next fiscal year.
“We will give them the authority on July 17 and prepare a work schedule for the budget implementation,” said Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota at the parliament’s Finance and Labour Committee meeting on Monday. The government aims to present the budget for the next fiscal year on July 13.
Amid lawmakers’ concerns over dismal capital expenditure situation, Baskota said the budget will have annexes mentioning the expected outcome of resources allocated for projects.
Discussing on the government’s policies and programmes and the upcoming budget, lawmakers sought better capital expenditure. “Proper monitoring of projects is a must to ensure better capital expenditure,” said Nepali Congress Lawmaker Narayan Khadka.
Lawmakers also stressed on better utilisation of funds that go to local government agencies, as there are no elected bodies for the last nine years. A majority of lawmakers were in favour of holding local body elections instead of nominating political leadership amid concerns that they share the budget meant for local development among them. Lawmakers also demanded salary hike for government employees. While some lawmakers called for doubling the salary, some of them expressed concern over the possible rise in inflation triggered by the salary hike.
The parliamentarians also raised various national and local level development issues that need to be addressed by the budget. CPN (UML) lawmaker Bijaya Poudel said the budget should be allocated for repair and maintenance of bridges that are at risk of collapsing. Amid reports of several Tuin (traditional bridge) accidents, he demanded that Tuins be at least replaced by suspension bridges.
Source: Kantipur
Amid concerns over procedural delays in the budget implementation, the Finance Ministry is preparing to give ministries the authority to implement the budget on the first day of the next fiscal year.
“We will give them the authority on July 17 and prepare a work schedule for the budget implementation,” said Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota at the parliament’s Finance and Labour Committee meeting on Monday. The government aims to present the budget for the next fiscal year on July 13.
Amid lawmakers’ concerns over dismal capital expenditure situation, Baskota said the budget will have annexes mentioning the expected outcome of resources allocated for projects.
Discussing on the government’s policies and programmes and the upcoming budget, lawmakers sought better capital expenditure. “Proper monitoring of projects is a must to ensure better capital expenditure,” said Nepali Congress Lawmaker Narayan Khadka.
Lawmakers also stressed on better utilisation of funds that go to local government agencies, as there are no elected bodies for the last nine years. A majority of lawmakers were in favour of holding local body elections instead of nominating political leadership amid concerns that they share the budget meant for local development among them. Lawmakers also demanded salary hike for government employees. While some lawmakers called for doubling the salary, some of them expressed concern over the possible rise in inflation triggered by the salary hike.
The parliamentarians also raised various national and local level development issues that need to be addressed by the budget. CPN (UML) lawmaker Bijaya Poudel said the budget should be allocated for repair and maintenance of bridges that are at risk of collapsing. Amid reports of several Tuin (traditional bridge) accidents, he demanded that Tuins be at least replaced by suspension bridges.
Source: Kantipur
