KATHMANDU, March 11: The government has announced raft of measures to improve public spending and implementation of development projects.
Among others, the government has announced to form a high-level commission to review public spending for bringing about reforms in long-running development projects, reducing recurrent expenditure as well as eliminating duplication of expenditures.
The reform measures are announced through mid-term review report of budget for FY2017/18 made public on Wednesday.
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The commission is expected to be important for reviewing government's spending as the country has entered into federal system from the unitary system of governance, said Arjun Prasad Pokhrel, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance.
The budget for FY2017/18 unveiled in May had announced to form such commission. The new government has reiterated it, underlining the need for restructuring government spending in the new governance system.
The new government is also planning to reduce days taken to issue payments to suppliers and contractors, specifying the maximum days for payments. It has asked one and all to prepare work completion bills within ten days of the verification of works, stating that payments will be made within the next 15 days.
The government also has said that all tender notices should be published within the first month of the fiscal year. It has also reiterated commitments to stop awarding multiple projects to the same contractor. But the government needs to bring a separate law to implement the decision. The midterm review report is silent on this matter.
All project offices are now required to publish work schedule of their respective projects along with contract amounts and periodic performance indicators in the project site and also upload the same on their respective websites. Similarly, concerned have to endorse essential guidelines and directives in project implementation by the end of August.
