Public Accounts Committee Pushes Policy Reform to Reduce Arrears

The Public Accounts Committee has stressed the need to address policy and practical problems seen in the settlement of arrears. During today’s meeting of the House of Representatives committee, Chair Bharat Bahadur Khadka said the committee had taken information from various government bodies about the status of arrears. He said detailed discussions would be held on the problems raised by concerned agencies and effective groundwork would be carried out to reduce arrears. Khadka also pointed out the need for policy and legal reforms to support arrears clearance. He said the committee would move forward by studying the situation of arrears in different government bodies and working toward effective reduction.

In the meeting, Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel said the Nepal Army had targeted clearing 60 percent of its remaining arrears this fiscal year, but only 11 percent had been cleared so far. He said the army has more than Rs 5.30 billion in arrears under various headings and sectors, including technical complications related to the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhes Fast Track. Agriculture, Forest and Environment Ministry Secretary Rajendra Prasad Mishra said the former Agriculture Ministry had Rs 6.35 billion in arrears, of which 40.28 percent had been cleared. He also said the former Forest Ministry had Rs 560 million in arrears, but only 16 percent had been cleared. Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said bodies under the Foreign Ministry have Rs 3.08 billion in arrears, with a target to clear 43 percent by the end of the current fiscal year. Officials from different ministries and institutions also presented their arrears details. The Federal Parliament Secretariat reported arrears of Rs 24.061 million, the Youth, Labour and Employment Ministry reported Rs 990 million, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry reported around Rs 170.093 million, and the Information and Communication Ministry reported Rs 30.29 billion in arrears. According to the 63rd report of the Auditor General, total arrears stand at Rs 755.17 billion.