Kathmandu, January 25
The Legislature-Parliament’s International Relations and Labour Committee has directed the Ministry of Finance to come up with a clear policy and related Acts for mobilisation of foreign aid.
The directive comes amid complaints that mobilisation of foreign aid has not been transparent and effective. Monday’s meeting of the committee directed the ministry to introduce Acts without delay for mobilisation of foreign aid in national interest.
The committee also directed the government to accept foreign aid with a provision to spend it through a government mechanism by giving due priority to high-priority projects, according to committee Chair Prabhu Sah.
At the meeting, Minister of State for Local Development, Kunti Shahi, said the government spends aid on the basis of priority that national budget accords. It spends aid by working together with the finance ministry and the National Planning Commission, she maintained.
Committee members said international donor agencies entrust non-government organisations with mobilisation of their aid because aid mobilisation procedures of government mechanisms are full of hassles and inconvenient. They suggested the government to make the procedures more effective and efficient.
