KATHMANDU, Nov 20: The government is preparing a plan to identify and utilize unused public property.
A cabinet meeting on Tuesday decided that ministries will develop plans to assess and utilize public and government land, infrastructure, machinery, equipment, and other resources.
The meeting emphasized the need to determine the extent of unused state resources across the country, which are currently lying idle, according to a government secretary who attended the meeting.
Let's make good use of means and resources lying unused at govt...
To address this, all public bodies are required to use the Public Assets Management System (PAMS) and update details of public land under their jurisdiction. Updated records of public and government assets will be submitted to the Office of the Controller General of Accounts and shared with the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Additionally, ministries must provide updated details of vehicles to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
The government plans to ensure that no public entity purchases machinery or equipment without proper human resources, infrastructure, and justification for their use. Equipment currently unused will be put into operation, or transferred to agencies that can utilize them. The Financial Comptroller General Office will oversee this process.
In recent years, a growing number of government assets, purchased or created without proper planning and preparation, have been left idle. These assets now require significant expenditure for preservation rather than serving their intended purpose.
Some essential infrastructure has become problematic due to improper planning and placement. The lack of policies and regulatory frameworks for the effective use of public assets has led to underutilization and abandonment of many resources, often due to poor quality or utility.
The Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2077 BS mandates that all government physical assets be recorded. The law requires proper inventory management whenever office heads or accounting officers are transferred, using the PIMS software developed by the Office of the Auditor General.
According to a source close to the Chief Secretary, the government is now taking a more systematic approach to address the issue of idle public properties and ensure their proper use and preservation.
