Budget spending at the last hours: A question of efficiency for Nepali Government

As reported by the himalayan times this year the nepal government spent Rs 218.85 billion in the last month of fiscal year 2016-17, that is from mid-June to mid-July. The government spending was Rs 604.64 billion in the first 11 months of the fiscal, which rose to Rs 823.49 billion by the year-end. In between the 10th and 11th month, government spending rose by a whopping Rs 94 billion.The government’s development expenditure increased by two-fold in the last two months. Spending under development budget heading was Rs 90.24 billion by the end of the 10th month of the fiscal. Expenditure went up to Rs 120.1 billion by the end of the 11th month and surged to Rs 204.31 billion by the end of the fiscal year.

Every year the fiscal year of Nepal starts from Sharwan to Ashadh ( July to June) which is in the midst of the rainy season. Every year at the last hour millions of the budgeted amount is poured in various development projects blindly just for the sake of the budget being freeze or lapsed.
The money which should have been used for efficient  management of development work  always lack proper utilization and management in view of last hour. Whether you call it the lack of efficiency or lack of bureaucracy leadership and vision  the development works are forced in view of few months where every things is done.

It is really sad that how the public hard earned tax money is spent in view of the work. Public governance is zero at ground level where political leaders work for the political mandate,  bureaucracy work for their job performance only.  

Sad reality the money which should be spent efficiently and effectively is spent just for the sake of spending which highlights corruption and many other externalities.  

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Nepal Election 2017: A political Game for stakeholders

The Nepal Election 2017 has successfully completed first phase of its ordeal, highlighting the uncertainty and chaos.  Once again creating a situation of  political deadlock the  Supreme court has intervened in the political truce of interrupting the Madhesi union aspiration, Nepal is again back in the path of Political unrest. The truce has been broken where the Madeshi Union (MU) has announced protest program and has given ultimatum to Nepal government to adopt the new constitution amendments bill or else to face the consequences.

The MU has openly challenged the government of foiling the second phase of election that is schedule to happen from June 14 on Madeshi territory.

The election was merely a chapter of democracy and practice of democratic values where all the stakeholders are bargaining  their powers and commitment.

People voted but they have been framed in the political aspiration of creating better system where more or less the Nepal election proves to be a successful political gimmick. People want to practice their democratic rights and they are farmed in the name of political deprivation.

From the elite political parties, it was just an intervention of identifying their role and perspective of creating better alliance for the formation of new government where they can manipulate the position. Various aspect of tokenization of Women was also seen in terms of lobby young and inexperience candidates in various positions by political parties as a trending option of political bubble.

The European union and developing organization (INGOs ) were more focused in securing the rights of indigenous/ minority group with substantially pushing the role of representative in the local level election as a compulsion.

The MU is more focused in creating issues and agendas of being deprived and unwanted collecting sympathies from the international communities.

The Nepal Election is hugely subjected to a dilemma of collaboration between the MU and the elite political parties. The trust has been broken with the new interim order of the supreme court on Friday which clearly states a new polarity of 3 angles

1. Madeshi union
2. The Government of Nepal
3. The Supreme Court of Nepal

It seems the political culture and political leadership of Nepal  has no sense of  commitment towards the public or democratic values. It is all about the power and  manipulation where alliance and agreements are formed just for making or running the government. Public governance and cooperation is a limitation of  system that is more neutral about practicing values of Nepotism, corruption and favoritism.

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Aditya Dahal, Google boy receives 10 million from the state

With controversy, the KP Oli led Government on Friday has decided to provide Rs 10 Million assistance to the Aditya Samrakshan Pratisthan (Aditya Protection Foundation), an organization formed to take care of Aditya Dahal, the Google boy.

The Cabinet meeting approved the  decision to support the five-year-old  boy who suffers from physical disabilities since his birth. He recently returned to Nepal from San Francisco after a medical tour which was supported by the Nepal Government.

The Nepal Government favoring Aditya has certainly questioned the transparency and public governance in terms of social welfare.

After the decision, people have taken their frustration to social media where they are raising voices aginst the decision.
Why should Aditya's foundation be supported by the government ? He is not a star nor a social personality who has contributed to the society. The government's decision of helping the foundation certainly highlights a lack of transparency and vision.  

People have been questioning the government about the decision. The reality is if the government starts to donate 10 million to every foundation like this, There are more than 1000 foundations registered which are genuinely working for the cause.

What would be an impact for those organization who are working for the cause, shouldn't they all be getting the same amount ?


     

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No Governance at public Departments of Nepal

If you talk about the current situation in most of public departments of Nepal then its very sad in terms of providing services and facilities. Though these department  are established with the motive to provide  public with  services and facilities  but then  there is a huge gap of  corruption and nepotism that goes around. These public departments are not monitored nor are the Civil servant staff trained to treat the public in proper way.

It always my way or highway where the public are bound to suffer the consequences of bad services and facilities. Today #WED2016  I went to the Department of Transportation and Management (DoTM) for my pollution sticker. I was firm about my rights and what I need to do so I was not framed but despite that I was asked to use and I refused it.

I believed that for change you have to stand up from inside, so my take was that on Environment Day 2016 no matter what I would take the Vehicle Pollution Test and get a green sticker. It is my responsibility at individual level to promote pollution free vehicle and I think what better to do it than today.

While waiting for my turn, I was surprised to hear the stories of People and the current agent trend that is adapting upon the public services which is directly promoting corruption to a new level.

You cannot make things happen or cannot do a public work without the agents. You have to pay extra money to hire an agent for the quick services. If you try to do the job yourself it will probably take ages not because you will have troubles knowing  the public but the staffs won't cooperate. The problem here is not the cooperation but the adaption of the agents services in public services and governance. These agents are so powerful that they have their own affiliation and working strategy.

The staff are  rude and they just out lash their  frustration upon the public like anything. It completely  impossible to even deal with them at person level.

 Another sad Aspect of sad public governance is the public line up from 4 AM for the application submission of driving licence and still after waiting in the line for hours they are turned down depending upon the random number of application accepted by the DoTM staff.

Sad Reality but yes there is no public service or governance in Nepal.

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