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Govt allows lawmakers to spend pork-barrel funds on Covid-19 response

Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada addresses a press meet, in Kathmandu, on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Kathmandu, June 19

The government has allowed federal lawmakers to spend the funds they receive for the Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme on the Covid-19 response initiatives.

A cabinet meeting held on Tuesday amended the regulations, allowing the lawmakers to channelise the budget to Covid-19 response as per the need, informed the government spokesperson, Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, on Friday.

“They have to deposit such amounts in the Covid-19 fund by June 29 so that it can help address the budget crunch in Covid-19 response,” he said during a press conference held to make recent cabinet decisions public.

The programme promoting pork-barrel spending has been controversial for the past few years. Despite demands for its end, the government has not continued it for the next fiscal year’s budget also.

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