Kathmandu, July 12

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today expressed dissatisfaction over the trend of capital expenditure towards the end of the fiscal year.

He said despite timely presentation and endorsement of the budget, the situation had not improved.

“I do not find any tangible difference in capital budget expenditure in the last and current fiscal. We need to take this issue seriously,” he said at the end of the government performance review meeting of the fiscal 2018-19, that began yesterday at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. “Next year, no ifs and buts will be tolerated,” an OPMCM statement quoted Oli as telling his ministers present in the meeting, underscoring the need for making monitoring of development works effective. “I expect national pride projects will buck the trend of sluggish development work and move ahead with new momentum from the beginning of the next fiscal.”

Oli also said ministries should give up the practice of completing only 60 per cent of a project and terming it as an accomplishment in their work evaluation report.

He directed ministries to boost coordination among themselves to make development works effective. “The trend of passing the buck for failure should be stopped,” he directed the ministers, adding, “There should not be any delay in service delivery and in completing development projects.”

Oli also warned ministries not to brief him wrong information about development works. “I am sensing the way work is being done is not right. I want you to be serious about it,” he said.

On corruption, he said all government officials were under the radar, and that anybody could be arrested anytime. He said the government trusted all, but they were also constantly being monitored.

He also directed ministries to take stern action against those involved in haphazard awarding of contracts and non-performing contractors.

Appealing to all ministries to place special focus on Kathmandu, he directed the ministries to ensure clean and green capital. At a time when there is high peace and security threat, Oli said the police should further strengthen its role in discharging their duties.

“All ministries should coordinate to foil any bid to destroy the country’s tourism sector,” he told the ministers. He directed the ministries to properly communicate to the people about good works done by the government.

The two-day meeting that concluded today saw all the ministries presenting their progress reports.