Finance Committee demands disclosure of USAID expenditures in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Members of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives have demanded that the government disclose public expenditures under USAID programmes in Nepal.

During a committee meeting today, lawmaker Ganga Karki stated that the government should reveal expenditure details following US President Donald Trump's allegations of 'fraud' in aid implementation. It has been unofficially reported that the funds were spent through the Natural Resources and Finance Commission, which should address these concerns.

Gyanendra Bahadur Karki called for clarity on the context in which the US President cited 'fraud'. He mentioned that the US-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact was signed during his tenure as Finance Minister and was endorsed by parliament. Karki also emphasised the need to conclude the bills currently under discussion in the Finance Committee.

Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri suggested that the US President's statement should be debated in the House rather than the Committee, as it is a parliamentary issue.

He proposed that the details of expenditures under USAID could be obtained from the Ministry of Finance. Thapa Chhetri also noted that the committee meetings often exceed their timelines and focus on discussions outside the agenda, reducing their effectiveness.

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