LALITPUR: Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel has clarified that the government has not slashed the budget allocated to projects set to be completed within the current fiscal year or those with financial commitments.
Speaking at a program organized by the Society of Infrastructure Journalists on Wednesday in Lalitpur, Minister Paudel stated that although several thousand minor projects have been dropped, initiatives nearing completion or already generating fiscal liabilities remain unaffected.
He said a minimum allocation threshold of Rs 30 million has been set to avoid scattered and stalled projects, which he described as a necessary measure to ensure budget discipline and effective project implementation.
Highlighting the government’s priorities, Paudel said efforts will focus on sustainable infrastructure development in geologically sensitive areas and locations with high traffic congestion.
Addressing challenges in the construction sector, the Finance Minister acknowledged that while the 14th amendment to the Public Procurement Regulations has resolved some issues, it does not address all. He committed to pursuing long-term solutions to structural problems facing the construction industry.
Paudel also pointed to the shortage of construction materials as a major factor in project delays, noting that the government is promoting the excavation, processing, and utilization of mineral and river-based materials.
Surplus resources, he added, will be exported in line with the government’s resource mobilization strategy.
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