The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has condemned the government for ‘failure’ to implement the recommendations of the Public Expenditure Review Commission (PERC) while bringing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, 2020/21.

Presenting a proposal to deduct the expenditures under the headings of Ministries of Finance; and Physical Infrastructure and Transport; and the Urban Development under the Appropriation Bill-2077 BS today, NC lawmaker Jitendra Narayan Dev said it was a surprise that the Commission recommendations were not followed by the Nepal Communist Party-led government in the budget procedures. Earlier, the government had constituted the Public Expenditure Review Commission headed by economist Dr Dilli Raj Khanal. The Commission advised the government to scrap over 200 commissions and 123 Board and Development Committees and to integrate some other public entities. ”But the government did not feel it necessity to implement suggestions of the body that it had formed itself,” Yadav said. Another lawmaker from the same party, Prakash Pantha, proposed the deduction of the expenditures of Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology by one rupee.

He insisted on further strengthening the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and linking IT to education, agriculture and national security issues. He was of the view for developing the Nepal Television and Radio into public broadcasters. Taradevi Bhatta from NC proposed the House to reduce the expenditures of Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens by one rupee. As she complained, the budget failed to incorporate indices for empowering women, adolescents and girls. ” She questioned the government why empowering budget was missing stating that it did not mention about Ministry’s efforts to control women violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Another lawmaker from the same party Anita Devkota proposed to cut down the budget of Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation; Ministry of Labour, Transport and Social Security and Ministry of Water Supply by Rs 100. She drew the government’s attention towards the possibility of misappropriation of national fund in the name of Prime Minister Employment Programme, demanding the creation of jobs for those youths who have returned from abroad after losing jobs there.

She sought creating atmosphere for good labour relations by connecting all workers to the Social Security Fund and rescuing Nepali migrant workers unable to afford fare on the government’s expenditure. Another lawmaker from the same party Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi proposed to deduct the expenditure of Ministry of Forest to one rupee. ”Tree transplantation is limited only in papers and intentional forest fires caused the loss of budget,” he said, seeking the government’s attention towards that