Kathmandu, July 30: The directive by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to make public expenditure productive, economical and rational has stated to see results following its implementation. As per the directive given by the Prime Minister to the government secretaries, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers (OPMCM) itself has reduced its annual expenditure.
Expenses under the headings of fuel, communications, vehicle repairs, and office supplies and miscellaneous expenses were reduced in the last fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year. Compared to the fiscal year 2080/081, the OPMCM office has cut expenses under various headings in 2081/082, resulting in a savings of 20.64 million. A comparative study of the expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office in the fiscal years 2080/081 and 2081/082 shows that there was a savings in miscellaneous expenses, in monitoring and evaluation, and in the purchase of office supplies and office equipment.
The expenditure of the Prime Minister’s Office during the tenure of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was less than that of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. Overall, the expenditure of the Prime Minister’s Office during the Oli tenure was reduced by 33.27 percent compared to the Prachanda’s tenure.
The Prime Minister’s Office has spent more in the monitoring and evaluation expenditure heading in the last fiscal year than in the previous fiscal year. A total of 2.194 million was spent in the fiscal year 2080/81, while 3.352 million was spent in the fiscal year 2081/82.
Meanwhile, other ministries and responsible officials have also been held accountable for cutting down expenses. It may be noted that the government has been giving high priority to good governance and governance reforms since the formation of a high-level governance reforms commission under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Furthermore, the current government has been giving high priority to cutting public expenditure and increasing the development budget to improve the situation of the economy.
