This financial indiscipline shown by the government authorities is also a powerful indicator of the extent to which financial rules and regulations are violated

Flash back to any year and read the Annual Report of the Auditor’s General, and compare it with the latest Annual Report of the AG, you will find many similarities and few differences. The differences are in the actual figures of the unsettled accounts and irregularities of the government offices from the highest level downwards. But the same is the trend the way the government offices and their officials spend the public money in an irresponsible way, and the way they do not settle accounts for years on end or recover sunk public money, and the way they spend in a manner that violates the law and the rules and regulations that govern government expenditure. But if we make a time series analysis of the magnitudes of the irregularities and arrears (beruju) of the government offices, it will give an ever-increasing curve. Another noteworthy feature is that the authorities concerned do not seem to be bothered much about the shortcomings pointed out by the AG, and as a result they do not take effective measures to minimize the total amount of arrears and the expenditure made by violating the financial rules and prudence. The 53rd annual report of the AG is no exception in these respects which are the most important because the AG’s report is mainly supposed to deal with these matters.

Apart from this, what is new in the report is that it also points out the government’s failure to incorporate disaster risk concerns into development planning. It has noted that the country suffers from a huge loss of life and property from natural disasters every year, in large part caused by poor preparations of the government for meeting these challenges. The country already has a disaster related law that goes back to 1982. But the report has stressed the need to make the laws in such a way as to address the issues of disaster prevention, risk management, and response. It has also suggested ways of improving the system of storing and distributing the relief materials and launching effective rescue operations promptly, such as upgrading warehouses for storing rescue equipment.

The latest report shows the magnitude of the government’s arrears at about 56 billion rupees. The government leaders and top officials always make commitment to reduce the arrears mounts when their attention is drawn to this increasing curve of arrears accounts, but not much is done afterwards. This is attested by decades of bitter experience in which the arrears amounts have kept soaring. This financial indiscipline shown by the government authorities is also a powerful indicator of the extent to which financial rules and regulations are violated in the country at all levels, costing the taxpayers much. Lack of strict corrective action has made politicians and officials bold enough to take the financial procedure, rules and regulations lightly and spend the public money recklessly, often to reap personal advantage.Parliament has not acted effectively enough, either, otherwise things could have improved. The AG’s yearly reports indicate where we are heading when it comes to the question of financial discipline.

Tragic accident

Traffic accidents in the tortuous hill roads have become commonplace with many people losing their lives, being injured or maimed. In another major tragedy twenty-four people were killed in a bus accident along the Halesi-Diktel section of the Mid-hill Lokmarga in Khotang Tuesday morning. Preliminary reports attribute this to the bus carrying more passengers than its capacity. The driver lost control of the bus and it fell down about 150 metres as it tried to avoid some boulders at the graveled road. Many of the seriously injured were airlifted by army helicopters to hospitals in Kathmandu while others injured are being treated at nearby health centers.

Most of the victims were workers who had been  mobilized for the Hurlung-Japala section of the road. The accidents can be avoided if safety measures are adhered to. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The traffic police are monitoring the movement of vehicles in many highways and they check to see if the bus drivers are sticking to the traffic rules and also if they are ferrying passengers beyond their capacity.  Journeys by road are becoming increasingly dangerous with frequent mishaps due to sheer negligence. Therefore, it is essential to observe the traffic rules to avoid more tragic accidents.