Govt’s foreign trips overshadow cabinet’s austerity pledges
Summary
The Nepalese government continues to approve foreign visits by senior officials despite repeated pledges to limit such trips as part of austerity measures, resulting in excessive expenditures and rising public debt.
Key Points
- The Nepal government frequently approves foreign visits by senior officials despite previous commitments to limit such trips to reduce costs.
- The Cabinet decided on March 5, 2025, to curb foreign travel, limiting delegation sizes, but these rules have been disregarded in practice, as seen in the 23-member delegation to the SCO Summit.
- Nepal's fiscal data reveals significant expenditure on recurrent costs and foreign trips, with over Rs 3 billion spent on official travel last fiscal year.
- Rising public debt and inadequate revenue collection exacerbate financial pressures, with debt reaching Rs 2.669 trillion and Rs 362.59 billion spent on loan servicing last fiscal year.
