Kathmandu, Apr. 15: Recently, the Ministry of Finance has accelerated government spending. After Barsaman Pun took the chair of Finance Minister, the ministry has increased the expenditure by transferring funds from non-expending projects, revising programmes and various other headings, according to a press statement issued by the secretariat of the Finance Minister Pun.

In the last one month, around Rs. 1.63 billion has been spent by government bodies by transferring the budget, said the Ministry. Similarly, the programme has been revised with the budget of Rs. 2.63 billion and around Rs. 36. 50 billion has been spent from the budget that had been kept under various headings but had not been spent so far.

As per the Act on Financial Procedures and Financial Responsibility, if the current fiscal year’s budget cannot be spent, it can be spent through transfers, programme revisions and additional disbursements.

The ministry has tried to increase the expenditure within the provisions of the act, said the Ministry. Out of the total transfer of Rs. 1.63 billion, the largest amount was from the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. 

The government agencies under the Ministry of Health and Population have transferred budget of Rs. 644 million. Similarly, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has transferred an amount of Rs. 488.6 million.

For 28 local levels, the amount of the work progress and mobilisation payment of the basic hospital under construction in the municipality has been transferred. Around Rs. 492 million have been spent under this heading.

According to the ministry, an amount of Rs. 3.2 million has been transferred for the health sector reform programe to pay the salaries and allowances of doctors and health workers working on scholarship contracts.

Similarly, around Rs. 148.5 million has been released to pay the amount provided at the rate of Rs. 5,000 per month for the medical expenses of those who have undergone kidney transplant, dialysis, cancer patients and individuals with spinal injuries.

Under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, around Rs. 7 million has been spent for the Directorate of Development and Construction under the Mahakali Corridor by transferring the budget. 

On the basis of labiality priority of road construction, for the payment, around Rs. 90.4 million has been released for Road Division, Ghorahi.

Similarly, contract service fee for North-South Highway (Karnali, Kaligandaki and Koshi) has been sent to the contract employees of the approved posts amounting to Rs. 296,000. An amount of Rs. 250.9 million has been transferred to the offices under strategic road bridge construction and protection. 

According to the ministry, about of Rs. 140 million has been released for Tamor Corridor Chatra-Mulghat-Subhadkhola road scheme Mulghat (Sunsari).

The Ministry has provided Rs. 22.4 million to the Industrial Area Management Limited for loan investment under the Industrial Infrastructure Development Programme.

The programmes of military bases, General Directorate of Air Force, Birendra Hospital (including Post Accident Centre) under the Ministry of Defence have been adjusted and budget transferred.

The funds have been released with revision of programmes under the Integrated Health Infrastructure Development Programme at the Ministry of Health to be spent from the local levels. 

A programme budgeting of Rs. 480 million has been revised at the request of the Department of Livestock Services under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

According to the Ministry of Finance, programmes amounting to Rs. 454.5 million under the Ministry of Urban Development and Rs. 18.1 million under the provinces have been revised. In the meantime, the ministry has disbursed around Rs. 1.63 billion to the Nepal Electricity Authority as the government’s loan investment.