Government arrears soars to Rs 396.25 billion

KATHMANDU: The Office of the Auditor General's annual report revealed that the Government of Nepal's arrears soared to Rs 396.2561 billion in the last Fiscal Year 2014/15.*

Rs 97.4369 billion was not cleared in the fiscal, while the rest amount of total arrears was carried over from the previous fiscals, according to the OAG.

In accordance with the Article 294 of Nepal's Constitution, Acting Auditor General Sukdev Bhattrai Khatry presented the Auditor General’s 54th Annual Report to President Bidya Devi Bhandari today.

The OAG audited expenditure worth Rs 3339.78 billion in as many as 4,786 units.

In the previous fiscal year, arrears stood at Rs 328.5238 billion.

Five ministries -- Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation respectively -- witnessed higher arrears that is 80.48 per cent of total arrears in the government agencies.

Interestingly, the OAG itself has arrears, though of meagre Rs 9,000.

Arrears in the Fiscal Year 2015/16

  1. Irregularities of Government offices: Rs 167,492.7 million
  2. Irregularities related to District Development Committees, other Institutions and Committees: Rs 543,99.8 million
  3. Audit backlog: Rs 5306.4 million
  4. Revenue arrears: Rs 132,181.8 million
  5. Outstanding reimbursable foreign grant: Rs 225,17.7 million
  6. Outstanding reimbursable foreign loan: Rs 143,37.2 million
  7. Overdue principal and interest on loans obtained in GON guarantee: Rs 20.5 million

    Total: Rs 396,256.1 million

Arrears in the Fiscal Year 2014/15

  1. Irregularities of Government offices: Rs 112,515.50 million
  2. Irregularities related to District Development Committees, other Institutions and Committees: Rs 50,404.90 million
  3. Audit backlog: Rs 5,741.20 million
  4. Revenue arrears: Rs 128,233.70 million
  5. Outstanding reimbursable foreign grant: Rs 21,269.10 million
  6. Outstanding reimbursable foreign loan: Rs 8,305.10 million
  7. Overdue principal and interest on loans obtained in GON guarantee: Rs 2,054.30 million

    Total: Rs 328,523.80 million

Source: OAG

*This version corrects the figure.