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Foreign junkets bleeding state dry
- Only 2 of 110 jaunts reported
KATHMANDU, AUG 28 -
In the last few years, the number of foreign trips by ministers and senior government officials has skyrocketed, yet the outcome of these expensive visits remains unknown. After each visit, the officials are required to submit a report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) detailing the outcome of the visit, but only two reports have been submitted for the period of Aug 1, 2009 to Aug 1, 2010.
Record shows that the Cabinet has given the nod to more than 110 foreign visits of ministers and secretaries in the last year alone, and the data of such visits in the previous years is unavailable. But, out of these trips, only two foreign visit reports have been posted at the PMO’s website so far— China visit report of Secretary Ram Chandra Man Singh and Korea visit report of Secretary Lila Mani Poudel. In his report, Secretary Singh has outlined what Nepal could learn from the Chinese policy in reducing poverty.
Experts say the government officials are required to submit a ‘visit report.’ “Reports of all visits have to be submitted at the PMO,” said former Chief Secretary Bimal Koirala. Alarmed by this growing culture of nonchalance among ministers and senior officials, the PMO had issued a circular asking all the departmental ministers to submit reports of foreign visits from their department a while back. However, there has been no subsequent action.
Former Chief Secretary Koirala wants the requirement to submit reports institutionalised. “It will create transparency while ensuring benefits to the country,” he said. “A large sum of money is spent in such trips from the state coffer to the likings of a few individuals.”
A PMO source claims that most official foreign visits have yielded dismal results for the country. There is no mechanism at the PMO to curb unnecessary visits. The Cabinet had formed a committee under Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, the members of which include Cultural Minister Minendra Rijal, Minister without Portfolio Laxman Lal Karna and secretary at the PMO, to put a lid on unnecessary visits.
The Committee was entrusted to suggest the ways to control curtail trips, but it has failed to even meet, let alone recommend ways and means. Committee member Karna admitted that they are yet to meet. The Ministry of Finance had also asked all the ministries to keep a tab on foreign visits.
The Cabinet decisions show that the Ministry of Local Development, Ministry Women, Children and Social Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labor and Transport Management, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Ministry of Health and Population and Ministry of Education are the lucrative places for foreign visits. Similarly, the decision shows that members of National Planning Commission are frequently making the foreign trips. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala, Minister for Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara, Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohamad Aftab Alam are the ministers who are in the top list of foreign visits.
Offices that chalked up
• Office of the Prime Minister
• Ministry of Local Development
• Ministry of Land and Soil Conservation
• Ministry of Labour and Transport Mgmt
• National Planning Commission
• Ministry of Women and Children
• Ministry of Health and Population
• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Science and Technology
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Posted on: 2010-08-29 08:24
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