Karnali Province Government Allocates Budget Against Its Own Guidelines
Summary
Karnali Province's government has allocated its budget contrary to established project selection guidelines, prioritizing fragmented and influence-driven projects over strategic infrastructure development.
Key Points
- Karnali Province government has formulated a project selection procedure requiring minimum budget thresholds and prioritizing strategic projects for economic growth.
- The recent provincial budget violates these guidelines, allocating funds to many small or fragmented projects influenced by political leaders and their associates.
- Opposition and former officials criticize the budget for increasing regional disparities and allocation to unproductive sectors and personal interests.
- Planning Commission officials express surprise at the budget allocations and doubt adherence to their procedures; admission from the Minister that fragmented projects could not be fully controlled.
