KATHMANDU, Aug 8: International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) operating in Nepal plan to spend nearly Rs 23 billion in technical and other assistance in the current fiscal year, 2017-18.
A total of 135 INGOs reached an agreement with the government to spend the amount on their programs and projects across the 75 districts this fiscal year. These programs and projects are not part of the program announced in the government’s annual budget.
A report on Technical and Other Assistance prepared by the Ministry of Finance shows that INGOs will be spending a total of Rs. 22.93 billion in the current fiscal year. The report shows that the INGOs have programs and projects spread across all 75 districts.
INGOs spent Rs 23b in 22 tarai districts in a year
Most of the money the INGOs plan to spend has been allocated for the hill districts. The INGOs have allocated around Rs 13 billion for the 39 hill districts.
On average, around Rs 334.41 million will be spent in each district. The amount to be spent in hill districts is more than what is allocated for the mountains and tarai.
The tarai is going to be second highest in terms of the allocation after hills. The INGOs plan to spend Rs. 5.80 billion in various 20 tarai districts this fiscal year. On average, each tarai district will receive Rs 290.41 million.
INGOs plan to spend Rs. 4.10 billion in 16 mountain districts, which are among the recipients of the least amount among the three regions. On average, INGOs will spend Rs 256.48 million in each mountain district this fiscal year.
Most INGOs have developed programs and projects covering only two geographical regions. They have prepared 39 programs and projects covering both mountain and hill regions this fiscal year. Similarly, 39 programs and projects have been developed covering districts in both the hill and tarai regions. A total of 22 programs and projects have been planned covering all three geographical regions.
The report show only 2 programs and projects have been planned for all 75 districts this fiscal year. The Nick Simon Foundation’s ‘Nepal Rural Health Service and District Hospital Aid Project’ budgeted at Rs 272 million and Save the Children International’s ‘Nepal National Strategic Project: National HIV Project, Malaria Prevention and Control and Tuberculosis Program’ with a budget of Rs 2.43 billion will be implemented across all 75 districts.
These INGOs have received funds from 23 countries including the UK, Australia, France, USA, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, Germany, Belgium, China, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Czech Republic, Norway, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.
