KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Finance has issued an 81-point guideline to all the ministries, departments and line agencies for the effective implementation of the budget for the fiscal year 2023/24.
The guideline focuses on the maximum utilisation of resources, becoming economical on expenses and ensuring effectiveness and efficiency. Likewise, the ministry has asked to maintain fiscal discipline.
The guideline has ordered the officials and stakeholders to complete the preparatory jobs for the implementation of the annual plans and programmes.
Furthermore, the ministry has asked the government institutions to formulate new procedures, directives and standards within a month if they were to seek approval from the ministry. Such approved procedures should be updated on the agencies' website within a week.
Government institutions should call tenders within the first three months of the fiscal year by preparing the annual procurement plan, detailed design and cost estimation.
The contract agreement should be done by mid-November and commence the job within 15 days of the contract agreement, the Finance Ministry stated.
Likewise, the agreement will be automatically scrapped if the contract agreement is not carried out within nine months after the assurance of resources. This move will come into operation for the projects of the last fiscal year as well.
The guideline for budget implementation states that the source agreement will be scraped for those projects which have not yet gone into bidding despite the completion of nine months of the agreement and have not been proposed for appropriations in the current fiscal year budget.
Likewise, the implementation of the Parliamentary Constituency Infrastructure Development Programme and the Production and Employment Generation Programme will take place by the thematic committees and implementation provisions will be recommended accordingly.
The Finance Ministry has directed to adopt 'reward' and 'punishment' culture in the construction business. Construction companies are mandated to take permission in writing from the respective project chief if they need to seek services from the entire and specific works via an auxiliary contract. However, Auxiliary contract has been discouraged in most essential case.
The guidelines insist on the development of culture holding project chiefs and construction companies responsible for timely and quality delivery.
Likewise, projects worth over Rs 100 million have been recommended for undergoing construction quality tests by the National Vigilance Centre.
The implementation has not been recommended in case of those programmes and projects not endorsed by the budget.
Likewise, It has been recommended not to introduce any programme in the mid of the budget. The payments have been suggested only on the basis of physical progress and quality of the projects.
For the second quarterly budget release, there should be 30% work progress, while for the third quarterly release, there has to be at least 50% physical progress.
Environmental impact assessment and preliminary environment test should be carried out within the fixed timeframe for facilitating the project implementation.
The multi-year contracted projects should be implemented from the allocated budget itself.
Organisation and management surveys should be carried out before mid-December so that the existing organisation of public administration will be made smooth.
The Ministry of Finance has asked budget implementers to maintain utmost frugality in administrative expenses including allowance, training, seminar, service fee, visit, stationery, maintenance, fuel, electricity tariff and rent.
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Published Date: July 20, 2023, 12:00 am
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