Scourge of Asare Bikas

With less than a week remaining in the current fiscal year, authorities have only used 47.69 percent of their development budget. This year, just Rs 166.22 billion of the Rs 352.35 billion earmarked for capital expenditure was spent. This is just around half of the overall budget. Although the financial system is shut down on Asar 25 (July 9), money for roads, irrigation, hydropower, and infrastructure is sitting idle. Year after year, the tale remains the same. The capital budget accounts for only 18% of the entire national budget; however, it has been mismanaged. The current scenario is worse than the previous year, when a minimum of 49.63 percent had already been spent by this point in the fiscal year. However, recurring spending has already surpassed 82 percent. Salaries, allowances, and day-to-day office expenses are quickly released, but development work is slowed due to budget release delays. Experts accuse the administration, its line ministries, and agencies of moving too slowly. Contractors also report nonpayment and project delays. Even for important strategic road network improvements, money is not always given on schedule.