Up capital sending: Finmin Dr Mahat
KATHMANDU March 8:
Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has directed the secretaries of five ministries, undertaking major projects, to make a target of spending all budgetary allocations under capital expenditure by the end of the current fiscal year.
Mahat´s directive came in the wake of slow performance of ministries on capital spending, especially in major and national pride projects as specified in the budget for fiscal year 2013/14.
Speaking at the review meeting on the progress of major projects in Singhadurbar on Friday, Minister Mahat also took strong exception on the tendency of undertaking construction of projects in the last month of the fiscal year. “The projects, especially road projects, are undertaken at June/July only to be damaged by the monsoon. Such tendency should be completely stopped; such projects should begin during the construction season,” he said, urging officials to blacklist those contractors that don´t start construction in time.
Secretaries of Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM), Ministry of Irrigation (Mo), Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Ministry of Energy (MoE), and Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) were present in the review meeting.
At the meeting, the secretaries shared the status and performance of projects being run under their respective ministries.
Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at MoPPWTM - one of the ministries that is struggling to spend the allocated capital expenditure -- said road construction and upgradation projects were going on at a satisfactorily level. He, however, admitted that the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project is not making progress as anticipated.
Speaking at the meeting, Kishore Thapa, secretary of MoUD, claimed that the much-anticipated Melamchi Water Drinking Project will be completed by April 2016.
Stating that capital spending of most of the ministries was not at satisfactory level, Minister Mahat urged secretaries to ensure financial as well as physical delivery.
According to the finance ministry, only 20.86 percent of the budget allocated budget for capital expenditure has been spent so far. Out of Rs 85.10 billion allocated for capital expenditure, ministries have been able to spend only Rs 17.75 billion over the first eight months of the current fiscal year.
Speaking at the meeting, Mahat opined that the Department of Roads (DoR) should only undertake major road projects and give responsibility of constructing small roads to the respective District Development Committees. He also underlined the need to construct Bailey bridges rather than concrete bridges. “The construction cost of bailey bridge is cheaper compared to concrete bridge,” Mahat said, adding, “Construction of bailey bridge should be our priority whenever possible expect on trunk roads.”
´Nay´ to additional budget
Mahat also urged the secretaries to not seek additional budgets for any project. “The finance ministry has been getting demand from different ministries for additional budgets,” he said, adding, “It is okay if you want to move fund between budget headings. But we won´t release additional budget.” He also urged the ministries to adjust fund from other unspent expenditure headings.
Source: Republica
