CIAA decree to finance ministry to stop budget transfer except for the national priority programmes

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today directed the government not to transfer budget to the projects which are not listed under national priority.
Writting a letter to Office of Prime Minister, National Planning Commission, Ministry of Local Development, Finance Ministry, Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction, Ministry of Irrigation, Energy Ministry, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, it has directed not to release funds to the programmes unless it is of national importance including natural disaster.
Nepali Congress party has filed a case at the CIAA asking to intervene in the government’s rampant distribution of budget — to its cadre and sister organisations — at the end of the fiscal year.
The anti-graft watchdog also directed not to execute any projects that were approved from National Planning Commission and not listed in the government’s budget statement. Similarly, it has asked the government not to start any project without conducting technical study on cost estimation.
“The government should go through bidding process while executing any projects, according to the decision. “Do not start any project that may hurt the government in a long run,” the decision said.
Nepali Congress and economic experts have been criticising the government’s budget transfer decision. “The anti-corruption watchdog’s decision would give positive message to maintain budgetary transparency,” former finance minister and CA member Dr Ram Sharan Mahat told The Himalayan Times.
The directive will help curb the system of rampant budget distribution by the ruling parties, he said, adding that it has directed the government to adopt bidding system while executing projects at the local level which will curb the on-going trend of granting projects to the ruling party near and dear one’s users’ groups.
Blaming the ruling alliance of distributing resources to its cadres, Mahat demanded an immediate implementation of the CIAA decision. “The government cannot release fund to any projects without having national importance,” he added. “However, the government can continue old projects.”
Public Accounts Committee under Legislature Parliament had on June 7 asked the finance ministry not to transfer budgets from one heading to another except for priority (P1) projects.
However, Economic and Labour Relation Committee the very next day directed the ministry, it can transfer the budget.
Ambiguous decisions from two house panels have created enough room for panel members to interpret them in their own way.
“The CIAA decision has now ended ambiguity of the decision, Mahat said, adding that the motive of the direction is to stop budget transfer unless it is of national importance.