Government ministers’ foreign junkets between January 15 to February 15 cost the nation over Rs6.56 million. That is not all. The government disbursed a total of Rs70 million in December last year from the state coffers against the foreign trips made by the ministers at different times.
A team led by Prime Minister KP Oli to attend the UN General Assembly incurred a cost of over Rs40 million to the state coffers.
According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), it disbursed around Rs2.60 million to Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali for his trip to the United States of America in December last year. The amount includes the cost of his delegation.
Likewise, the government spent Rs 5.6 million in the inauguration of its Social Security Program last year.
Likewise, a record by the Ministry of Finance reveals that Foreign Minister Gyawali and his team spent over four million rupees during the visits to countries like Austria, Japan, and Thailand.
Similarly, the MoF disbursed a total of Rs3.7 million in the name of foreign trips of the MoF officials.
Minister for General Administration Lal Babu Pandit’s trip to Dubai to attend the “World Global Summit” of the Third Global Dialogue for Happiness Seventh Gathering cost the nation over Rs5.6 million.
Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Biswokarma spent around Rs1.80 million during his trip to New Delhi to receive an international award last year.
Likewise, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Yadav’s trip to India’s Mumbai to attend the 25th Edition of the Partnership Summit 2019 cost the nation Rs2.5 million.
Similarly, the government disbursed Rs 4.27 million in the name of renovating the office and secretariat of the Minister for Energy and Irrigation, Barsa Man Pun.
What is more intriguing is that state coffers have resulted in the loss of Rs.7, 50,000 as part of releasing cabinet decision.
Likewise, the government spent Rs 5.6 million in the inauguration of its Social Security Program last year.
Likewise, a team led by Minister for Forest and Environment, Shakti Bahadur Basnet during the UK visit spent over Rs3.1 million last year. The team was in the UK to attend a program “Illegal Wildlife Trade’. Similarly, an informal visit of President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to Poland incurred the state coffers over Rs200 million.
In the same vein, Minister for Communication and Information, Gokul Prasad Baskota and his team spent around two million during its visits to countries such as India, Switzerland, and Germany.
What is more intriguing is that state coffers have resulted in the loss of Rs.7, 50,000 as part of releasing cabinet decision.
Whereas the cabinet decision would be released the government spokesperson on the same day of the decision taken, the provision was later altered such that the cabinet decisions are not released once a week.
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