Dubious constituency funds

Budgetary processes and systems in Nepal have been revised many times to ensure proper allocation and utilization of public purse. All the changes and modifications seem to be directed at allocating budget based on public needs and priorities. But the principle of budget allocations has been deliberately misinterpreted and misused by powerful politicians and this practice has been institutionalized through the legislature parliament.

Missing the Forest

A new debate has started in recent days about the number of local bodies proposed by the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission. It has become a big political agenda, both in and outside the parliament. Nepali Congress, the largest political party in the parliament, has formally criticized the preliminary recommendations of the commission, especially regarding the proposed number of local units. Other parties have also expressed their dissatisfaction on the proposed number. The main opposition, CPN-UML, has however not made its official stance public.

नेपालमा बजेट प्रणाली सुधारका सवाल

अनिरुद्र न्यौपाने

बजेट सरकार र जनतालाई व्यावहारिक रूपमा जोडिराख्ने औजार हो । लोकतान्त्रिक देशको बजेटले जनताका आवश्यकता, अपेक्षा र चाहना प्रतिविम्बित गरेको हुनुपर्छ । यसरी बजेटले जनताको सरोकार समेटे वा नसमेटेको मूल्यांकन गर्न सक्ने नागरिक समूह निर्माणको पूर्वसर्त बजेट पारदर्शिता हो । सरकारको आर्थिक नीति र प्राथमिकता के हो ? मुलुकले राखेका आर्थिक लक्ष्यहरू केके हुन् ? ती लक्ष्य हासिल गर्ने रणनीति के–कस्ता छन् ? राज्यको अल्पकालीन र दीर्घकालीन राजस्व नीति र राजस्व परिचालनको रणनीति के हो ? आन्तरिक र बाह्य ऋणको स्थिति के छ ? के सरकारी कोषको प्रयोगमा मितव्ययिता, कार्यकुशलता र प्रभावकारीता छ त ? सरकारले राज्यकोषको खर्च गर्दा मौजुदा कानुनको पालना गरेको छ कि छैन ? लगायत बजेटसम्बन्धी सार्वजनिक सरोकारका प्रश्नहरूको जवाफ खोज्ने जनता र जवाफ नखोजे पनि समय–समयमा जनतालाई आवश्यक सूचना उपलब्ध गराउन प्रतिबद्ध राज्य भएमात्र लोकतन्त्र वास्तविक लोकतन्त्र बन्न सक्छ ।

Open Up

ANIRUDRA, NEUPANE

Informed citizenry is the prerequisite of a functional democracy. Timely access of citizens to government records is important for public oversight. Direct and indirect public participation in decision making process is possible only through easy access to information related to past performance and future plans of the government. The objective of open, transparent and accountable government can be attained only when citizens can conveniently access information of their concern from public agencies.