Kathmandu: In a sharp rise of government expenditure, more than Rs 227 billion was spent in Ashar (mid-June to mid-July), the final month of the fiscal year. Despite low spending during the earlier months, this end-of-year rush has raised questions about fiscal discipline, transparency, and development effectiveness.

Massive Spending Surge in Final Month
According to data from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the government spent Rs 227 billion between Ashar 1 and 30. This included:

Rs 125 billion on current expenditures, such as salaries, allowances, and administrative operations.

Rs 70.46 billion on capital (development) expenditure.

Rs 32 billion for debt repayment, highlighting growing pressure from rising public debt.

Experts have repeatedly criticized the tendency of overspending in the last month of the fiscal year, warning that such practices often lead to mismanagement and unproductive expenditure.

82% of Budget Utilized by Year-End
As of Ashar 30, the government has spent Rs 1,515 billion of the Rs 1,860 billion budget announced by former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun. This represents about 82% utilization of the annual budget.

Detailed breakdown:

Current expenditure: Rs 980 billion spent out of Rs 1,140 billion.

Capital expenditure: Rs 214 billion utilized out of Rs 352 billion.

Once again, administrative expenses outweighed development spending, continuing a longstanding trend of underutilized infrastructure budgets and delayed project execution.

Political Shift, Slow Progress
This year’s budget was introduced by the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government, but following a change in the power equation, implementation was handed to the KP Sharma Oli-led government. A year into the Congress-UML coalition’s term, public expectations remain largely unmet.

While the private sector showed some enthusiasm, infrastructure development did not gain the expected momentum. Budget implementation was marred by irregularities, inefficiencies, and distortions in the allocation process.

New Fiscal Year Begins Thursday
The current fiscal year ends on Wednesday, and from Thursday (Shrawan 1), the new budget for Fiscal Year 2082/83, introduced by Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, will be in effect.

Key budget allocations include:

Total budget: Rs 1,964 billion

Rs 1,180 billion for current expenses

Rs 477 billion for capital expenditure

Rs 375 billion for financial management

Budget financing sources:

Rs 1,315 billion from revenue

Rs 534.5 billion from foreign grants/estimates

Rs 233 billion from foreign loans

Rs 362 billion from domestic borrowing

The Ministry of Finance has prepared implementation guidelines, and all government bodies will begin operating under the new budget from the first day of Shrawan.

Growth Target and Economic Outlook
The government has set a target of 6% economic growth for the new fiscal year. Plans include:

Expanding economic activities

Increasing private sector investment

Enhancing employment generation

Accelerating infrastructure development

While the budget looks ambitious, successful implementation remains a key challenge. Experts stress that timely spending, reduced last-minute disbursements, and better governance are crucial to achieving desired results.