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Pandey admits funds misused
- ‘Hard to stop these shenanigans’
- finance minister at Pac
KATHMANDU, JUN 29 -
Finance Minister Surendra Pandey on Tuesday admitted that the funds meant for projects selected towards the end of a fiscal year are misused.
The Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature-Parliament on Tuesday summoned Pandey and Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel to discuss an interim report prepared by the Commission on Management and Reviews of Government expenses-2067. It also sought full details on the present status of government and private expenses.
Pandey pointed out that as the internal budget, which is granted by the government, is used up fast due to fear of it being frozen, it is often misused, while the budget from donor agencies are not spent in that manner.
“The ministries usually spend the internal budget immediately because they do not have to show the results. However, the budget provided by the donor agencies mostly goes unspent because the agencies do not release funds without the government first showing proof of work,” Pandey added.
Pointing out the need to build a separate mechanism for the regulation and monitoring of the budget allocated to local consumers’ committees, the finance minister said that a major problem dogging the development projects are “duplication of plans.”
He explained that a single project tends to get funds from different sources and this has aided the funds misuse. He said political parties at the local level are misusing the budget that goes through the consumer’s committee.
He said various ministers demand the budget at the end of the fiscal year and that it has been “very difficult” to stop such a trend.
He, however, assured the PAC that the government is ready to implement the report of the commission.
NPC Vice-chairman Pokhrel said that they would approve development projects only after a plan of every project is had from the next fiscal year.
The interim report has warned that the government could invite a grave crisis if it failed to address problems and “misconduct” rampant in government and public expenses.
The Commission urged the government to immediately implement its report and make public expenses “productive, result oriented, transparent and effective.”
Posted on: 2010-06-30 08:02
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