Vija Srestha Nov 29, 2010
Dear Shred and the Readers of the Nepali Times,
First of all I appreciate your comments and would have responded earlier ,however it took me sometime to locate the Speech by Finance Minister Mr.Pandey ,ecatly the one I had based my overall comments .I would also appreciate if people who make comments would write their full names as it is a simple courtesy to all who read you.
I hope that Shred understands that articles are printed to open a discussion ,to hear , to communicate and in the end to learn about the problems and solutions together with people in a community.
I would like to reply to Shred�s question.
I would not want to be a Finance Minister in any scenario as I consider myself a responsible person and making announcements as it was done by Finance Minister is an in-excusable in any situation and specially in the present situation.
We can not go ahead if we do not account for what the real situation is.Everyone needs to know what he has in his purse ,even if somebody else counts and in this present situation it is crusial. Talking about the priorities.
There would not be country such as Nepal without people caring for the country.So here are the priorities and if everyone would get the priorities straight ,we wouldn�t be in in such a �limbo� Shred ,but seems to me you need to set them straigth too.
People ,budget or in simple words caring is what we have as Nepal today.It is we who let it happen and specially people who have taken up responsibilites for other people�s lives and leading them ,are the responsible ones for the situation in the country.
Dear Shred,I count myself a responsible person and I do not base any of my comments without reading and giving a thought.
I would like to comment more about the speech as Shred needs some help.
The Speech is about the �Income and Expenditure�
In the whole speech there is no account of what was the income, profit in any field ,at least few examples would do.
Point 2 of the Speech �Government expenditure is a major source of liquidity
flow in the rural economy��
This is where the Government invested the least, is the truth.The above background compelled even the top leadership of all the
political parties to think seriously�..
What were they thinking about before????
Starting new
projects and programs to be assisted by international donor
communities�..
Here is the inconsistency in the Speech,in one paragraph Finance Minister talks about not investing in new projects giving priority to the ones which need completion,but no one ever questions when the projects were supposed to be completed,is it a never ending process?????Even if the natural disasters are present ,the roads built never had the full allocated sources needed to complete.
Because of high revenue growth and prudential expenditure
management, we have been successful in maintaining balance on public
finance despite long conflict and transitional period�.
High Revenue Growth �..when the tax system itself is not even established to the minimal requirred honesty.My question is who is paying taxes ,for what and main quiestion,how much?
Emphasis has been given to complete the
projects which are being implemented from the past�..
Of the 39 bridges to be constructed under this
Highway, 22 bridges will be constructed this year and design of
remaining 17 will also be completed�.
Mr.Pandey uses a lot of future tense words like ,design of remaining will also be completed I have allocated Rs. 680 million for
opening the track next year.
Be realistic,but Mr.Pandey has not forgotten to write exactly how much has been allocated and has no idea when it will be completed.English Language has a very interesting meaning to it.If one uses �will� there are many options and choices to make ,I guess that is the reason Mr.Pandey has chosen this tense as �will be� requires an exact proposed time of completion ,but it just doesn�t exist in his speech.
A High Level committee, with full
authority, will be formed to complete�..
I have allocated adequate amount of grant for the transportation of foodgrains,
salt, seeds and chemical fertilizers in remote areas�..
How much ,at least the approximate numbers!!!!
I have made separate arrangements for the appropriation of one percent
income tax being charged as social security from the beginning of the
last year.
Separate arrangements for who?One procent for who?Don�t we pay tax on income,national insurance,tax on land ,the properties one owns adequately regarding of who you are .Having private bizness whatever it is,one should contribute accordingly to what one earns from all ,but again it is not clear �
The Government will provide Rs. 500 thousand cash to any organizer
holding meeting, seminar, workshop, or interaction program once at a
time involving more than 100 foreign passport holders entering Nepal
through air- route within 7 days of completion of such programs upon
submission of the evidence and relevant documents.
What can be the worst form of cruelty towards poor people of country?
Do you really think that we have no brains.It is clear to everyone that tourism bizness is one of the most profitable biznesses in Nepal and how much one earns but the question shoud be how one earns.Not all the means to earn living are acceptable .The rescue flights and helicopter crash is one of the examples.
Property of Swargadwary will be protected and its master plan will also
be developed.
When and how much it will cost????
With an aim to ensure financial transparency, arrangements will be made
to submit the statement of foreign aid received by non-governmental��.
So the transparency never existed till now and expenditure and income of the Government institutions and organizations is not even needed as the Government has the right not to be accountable ,it only announces what it will be supposedly cost.
Implementation progress of this budget will be reviewed periodically. I
have made an arrangement for a periodic review and monitoring of both
physical and financial performances of the projects with a budget
allocation of more than Rs. 150 million by a high level committee to be chaired by the Finance Minister.
Is in�t it the primary duty and responsibility of the Finance Minister .As a Finance Minister ,one is being paid already from the fonds of the Government.
Current provision allowing 12 remote districts including districts of
Karnali zone to spend any of the unspent capital budgets upto November
of the following Fiscal Year has caused problems in claiming
reimbursement, and timely preparation of financial statements and audit
reports. To correct this, I have made provision that the budget unspent
by the end of the concerned Fiscal Year will be frozen.
Don�t you think that the fonds allocated to these projects should be released to the concerned organizations and biznesses if it was allocated ,unless the money allocated was used for other reasons and there is no money to be spent so the way out is to froze.Bravo,who could come up with such a clever idea !
I have also made
arrangement for additional releases in the next Fiscal Year in the cases
of capital construction works already started, but payment yet to be made.
Where will one get money,promises made ,hoping to find some way how to flow money around�.
The list goes on,however it is commendable that changes in accountability of Tax and Revenue office are planned ,and it is the pressing need of time.There are more than 28 million people living in country and it is a responsibiltiy of every citizen to participate.
I hope Shred has read the whole speech by Finanace Minister, but most importantly has learnt about the priorities and not just clap hands hearing the name Finance Minister Mr.Pandey.
My comments about the article 'Budget Annouced 'which was printed on 20.11.2010 was based on the Speech by Finance Minister Mr.Pandey were exactly about the All Plans ,no Work attitude that transpires in Mr.Pandey's speech.Supposedly allocated money spent,how much and where is the rest,is not known.
Best Wishes to all the People of Nepal.
Sincerely,
Vija Srestha
