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All ministries and departments will now have to account for budget implementation quarterly and report to government budget-management committee for review every three months to remedy lapses, sources say.
The ministry of finance has issued such direction, incidentally against the backdrop of annual national-budget implementation lagging far behind the mark.
In a notification, issued last week, the ministry also asked them to submit budget-implementation plan by October 8 and scrutinised progress report to the finance division within a month of every quarter of the financial year ended.
The budget wing of the finance division issued the notification which says the ministries, divisions, and other government offices achieved 'commendable skills', including in the case of yearly budgetary-target fixation.
"However, timely and proper implementation of budget still remains a big challenge."
The notification notes that every budget contains some new policies, projects, and programmes and this year's budget also has some new premises.
"Specific and time-bound plans need to be taken at the beginning of the fiscal year for proper and timely implementation of these activities," the finance authority says in its instructions.
Citing the previous experiences, the notification notes that budget implementation remains in slow lane during the first half of fiscal year. The implementation gathers pace in the last quarter of fiscal year, so the quality of public spending cannot be ensured.
Moreover, the government is forced to take unplanned loans in the last quarter of fiscal year and so fiscal discipline also cannot be guaranteed.
The notification reads if advanced plans can be taken for proper budget implementation, the government may be able to lower spending incurred from unplanned loans and borrowing costs.
The finance division has prepared requisite policies and procedures and various forms to help the ministries and departments concerned to take proper plan for budget implementation.
A senior finance official told the FE Sunday that, in most cases, government offices show reluctance in implementing budgeted projects and programmes.
On the other hand, they start working hurriedly in the last quarter to prevent return of budgetary allocations, thus the quality of works is compromised.
"We want to reduce the tendency from this year," he says about getting tough on budget probity.