National pride projects see scanty budget spending

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 15: The pace of national pride projects considered crucial for the country’s economic growth and transformation have recorded very slow budget spending in the current fiscal year 2025/26.

According to the half-yearly budget review report made public by the Ministry of Finance, only 15.49 per cent of the allocated budget for these projects was spent in the first six months of the fiscal year 2025/26.

The government had allocated a budget of Rs. 67.08 billion for 23 national pride projects for the current fiscal year. However, by mid-January 2026, only Rs. 10.39 billion had been utilised.

According to the Ministry, the rate of budget spending for the national pride projects so far in the current fiscal year is nominal rather than exceptional.

Starting with 17 projects in the fiscal year 2011/12, the number of national pride projects has now reached 27, of which 23 are currently under implementation, in addition to those that have already been completed.

Among them, the construction of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Gautam Buddha International Airport, Pokhara Regional International Airport, and the Melamchi Drinking Water Project (phase one) has been completed and the projects are now operational.

In terms of physical progress, as of fiscal year 2024/25, 81.73 per cent of the Pushpalal Highway, 74.35 per cent of the Postal Highway, and 42.13 per cent of the Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway have been completed.

Although the government aims to accelerate development and generate employment through these large-scale infrastructure projects, the pace of implementation has remained sluggish.

The Ministry said that problems in land acquisition and compensation distribution, complexity in forest area utilisation, lack of inter-agency coordination, and local-level obstacles are the main problems for expediting the works of these projects.

To address these challenges, the Ministry of Finance has suggested that contracts should only be awarded after completing detailed project reports (DPR) and resolving land management issues, in a bid to prevent further delays in the implementation of national pride projects.

National pride projects projects are categorised as having strategic importance from an economic, social, cultural, and national security perspective, with the goal of contributing to the country's long-term economic growth and structural transformation.

The criteria for declaring a project of national pride include that it must cost at least Rs. 50 billion, have national security or strategic importance, and make a significant contribution to job creation.