OAG dissatisfied with misuse of investment for Security Press construction in Panauti

By Kedar Timalsina,Kavrepalanchowk, Apr. 30: The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has shown dissatisfaction over the utilisation of investment for construction of Security Press at the Information Technology Park in Ward No. 5 of Panauti Municipality of Kavrepalanchowk district.

According to the 60th annual report of the OAG, the budget allocated for the construction of the Security Press until late was being invested in other areas without even starting the procurement process for the press installation.

The government started the process to construct a Security Press in the park during the fiscal year 2017/18 to prevent spending on printing and importing important assets such as passports and currency notes.

“With an aim to build the Security Press, Rs. 2,151,858,000 has been allocated from 2017/18 to 2021/22,” reads the report.

On November 6, 2019, the then Cabinet had given permission to procure infrastructure for the Security Press, such as press machine and technology, through the government-to-government (G2G) model. On July 14, 2021, the government accepted the Security Printing Centre’s (SPC) report that the expected investment for the procurement of necessary resources for the press would be Rs. 33 billion.

According to the OAG, despite a clear pathway to procure necessary equipment, the allocated budget of over Rs. 2 billion was misused in the past few years as some of it was spent on other areas without meeting the objective of the budget.

According to the concerned authority, two highly secure digital printing machines for excise duty stickers and a die-cutting machine have been installed at the press. The government is now said to be preparing to start printing the excise duty stickers inside the country at the earliest.

Similarly, a four-megawatt generator has been managed at the press while two drinking water tanks with a capacity of 100,000 litres each, an under-ground petroleum tank with a capacity of 300,000 litres and other necessary infrastructures are being constructed.