Shifting financial resources from another heading for foreign junkets could undermine financial discipline but the Finance Ministry has transferred Rs 84.51 million from 'miscellaneous' heading to 'delegation, foreign visit and reception' heading to finance foreign junkets of top-ranking officials in the past two months alone.
According to the ministry data, it transferred Rs 84.51 million in Baisakh – from mid-April to mid-May – and Jestha – from mid-May to mid-June – from the 'miscellaneous' heading to 'delegation, foreign visit and reception' heading to finance high profile visits to various countries, breaching the financial discipline.
Though, law permits budget transfer of only 10 per cent for each ministry and agencies within the ministry, the transfer of millions of budget to finance junkets of officials has raised serious questions on the government's commitment for financial austerity and fiscal discipline.
Out of the total transfer for financing foreign junkets, the finance ministry has provided Rs 21.29 million to pay for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's state visit to Vietnam and Cambodia. Likewise, the ministry has released Rs 30.96 million to the Foreign Ministry for expenses incurred during the official visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari to China in the last week of April. The ministry also provided Rs 16.21 million to finance President Bhandari-led delegation to the US to attend the 63rd Session of the Commission of the Status of Women by the United Nations in March. The Finance Ministry has transferred Rs 5.38 million to provide daily allowance and pay travel agency for air tickets issued to delegates to participate in various international programmes.
The ministry has also released Rs 1.52 million to Nepal Law Commission to finance its three-member delegation – led by chairperson Madhav Paudel – to Zambia to participate in a conference of Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies, Rs 1.36 million to pay for visits of chief secretary-led delegation to Egypt and Israel, Rs 704,273 for forest Minister-led team to Doha, Rs 955,245 for deputy prime minister and defence minister to New York for 2019 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Meeting and Rs 838,908 for industry minister Matrika Yadav to Dubai and Bahrain.
Likewise, the ministry has transferred Rs 1.39 million to finance trips of law secretary to UN Headquarters in New York, Rs 1.87 million to finance foreign minister visit to Argentina, Rs 648,191 to finance sports minister’s visit to the US, and Rs 851,350 to finance National Information Commission's commissioners' visit to South Africa.
According to the ministry data, it transferred Rs 84.51 million in Baisakh – from mid-April to mid-May – and Jestha – from mid-May to mid-June – from the 'miscellaneous' heading to 'delegation, foreign visit and reception' heading to finance high profile visits to various countries, breaching the financial discipline.
Though, law permits budget transfer of only 10 per cent for each ministry and agencies within the ministry, the transfer of millions of budget to finance junkets of officials has raised serious questions on the government's commitment for financial austerity and fiscal discipline.
Out of the total transfer for financing foreign junkets, the finance ministry has provided Rs 21.29 million to pay for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's state visit to Vietnam and Cambodia. Likewise, the ministry has released Rs 30.96 million to the Foreign Ministry for expenses incurred during the official visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari to China in the last week of April. The ministry also provided Rs 16.21 million to finance President Bhandari-led delegation to the US to attend the 63rd Session of the Commission of the Status of Women by the United Nations in March. The Finance Ministry has transferred Rs 5.38 million to provide daily allowance and pay travel agency for air tickets issued to delegates to participate in various international programmes.
The ministry has also released Rs 1.52 million to Nepal Law Commission to finance its three-member delegation – led by chairperson Madhav Paudel – to Zambia to participate in a conference of Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies, Rs 1.36 million to pay for visits of chief secretary-led delegation to Egypt and Israel, Rs 704,273 for forest Minister-led team to Doha, Rs 955,245 for deputy prime minister and defence minister to New York for 2019 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Meeting and Rs 838,908 for industry minister Matrika Yadav to Dubai and Bahrain.
Likewise, the ministry has transferred Rs 1.39 million to finance trips of law secretary to UN Headquarters in New York, Rs 1.87 million to finance foreign minister visit to Argentina, Rs 648,191 to finance sports minister’s visit to the US, and Rs 851,350 to finance National Information Commission's commissioners' visit to South Africa.
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