The Public Expenditure Review Commission (PERC) has
prepared recommendations for reprioritising development projects, it said on
Thursday.
It has found that the selection of the development
projects without any set-standards, and finalisation of multi-year projects
without the guarantee of resources, implementation without preparedness and
action plan and misusing the project designs and tenders with in the setting
between the government agencies and contractors were the major hurdles in infrastructure
development.
“There has been misappropriation of development funds
since long which demands an immediate action to reform the budget and
expenditure system in the country,” said chairman of the PERC Dr. Dilli Raj
Khanal at a press meet organised on Thursday to update the progress of the
commission.
He said that the province and local governments should immediately
pay special attention to make the budget and expenditure system effective and
result-oriented.
In the last four months of its tenure, the PERC has
created recommendations on the share of expenditure rights among the three
levels of the governments and steps made to improve the management of public
corporations and reduce their liability.
“We have also identified the areas where the pubic
services can be operated by the entities other than the government. The
government would take the responsibilities of the regulator,” said Dr. Khanal.
According to him, the commission has also prepared
suggestions on liquidation or continuation of the committees, board and
commissions formed through Development Committee or Special Acts.
It will draft advices on the budget formulation and
execution system.
Dr. Khanal said that the recommendations were being
prepared after consulting with the high-government officials, former prime
ministers, finance ministers, vice chairman and members of the National
Planning Commission and auditor generals, officiating ministers and chief
ministers, media monitoring, field visits to national pride projects, and
interactions with the private sectors and other stakeholders.
It has also reviewed and analysed plans and budgets, and
documents related to public expenditure system and expenditure management, as
well as policies related to budgeting and expenditure.
The government had formed the PERC in August this year
thorough a Cabinet decision as per the provision mentioned in the Budget of
Fiscal Year 2018/19.
The budget has said that a commission would be formed to
assess the obstacles in the public expenditure and development and its
recommendations would be used to initiate a reform process at the various
levels of the government.
The commission has a month’s time to complete its job.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 December 2018.
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