Kathmandu, June 26 -- The government has transferred more than Rs5 billion to new budgetary headings as it scrambles to speed up spending at the tail end of the fiscal year. Expenditure usually gets bunched up during the period mid-May to mid-June as the government scrambles to use up unspent funds with the fiscal year drawing to a close.

Budget transfer means moving funds from one assigned programme or project to another. In many cases, government agencies seek to adjust budgetary allocations after being unable to spend earmarked money.

Finance Ministry records show that most of the transfers to non-budgetary headings were made under the title of emergencies of general administration and development programmes. A large amount of funds ...