Kathmandu. All government accounts will be frozen for a week from 12 midnight tonight.

Spokesperson of Malenica Sushila Aryal informed that the accounts operated by the Office of the Controller General of Accounts (Malenica), The Office of the Provincial Controller of Accounts (Pralenica) and the Office of the Controller of Funds and Accounts (Colenica) of all the districts will be closed as per the provisions of Rule 30 of the Economic Procedure and Financial Responsibility Regulations, 2077 BS.

According to him, today is the last day to release the budget amount for the current fiscal year 2081/82 BS. Local Consolidated Fund Management System (SUTRA), Single Account Fund System (TSA) and Computerized Government Accounting System (SIGAS) will be closed for a week from tonight.

Aryal said that in the previous years, Malenica used to issue circulars to all the pralenica and colenica to stop the release of the budget in the last week of June, but this year the circular has not been issued due to the mandatory provisions in the Economic Procedure and Financial Responsibility Act and Procedure.

“The law states that government accounts should be frozen one week before the end of the financial year. From tonight, no expenses will be paid except for essential purposes. Since this is a matter in the law, no circular has been issued to Block the accounts of Pralenika and Kolenika,” he said.

Rule 30 of the Economic Procedure and Financial Responsibility Regulations stipulates that the release of payments has to be stopped one week before the end of the financial year. No amount other than the title specified by the Appropriation Act as ‘freezing’ cannot be paid. Spokesperson Aryal shared that there is a provision in the regulation that the expenses incurred for essential purposes can be paid only after taking the consent of Malenica.

The government’s expenditure is around 79 per cent till Tuesday, the day before the last day of the budget payment for the current fiscal year. According to the Office of the Controller General of Accounts, 84 percent of the budget has been spent on current head, 53 percent on capital and 86 percent on financial management.