Government expenditure on grants and subsidies has surpassed USD 175.08 million this year, an 8 per cent increase that signals a widening fiscal footprint even as the state curtails spending on public health.
According to the latest ‘Weekly Fiscal Development’ report released by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, these allocations rose from the USD 162.15 million recorded during the same period last year. As of 2 April, the state’s commitment to these broad transfers underscored a steady expansionary trend in the national budget.
This growth stands apart from a sharp retrenchment in the nation’s universal health insurance scheme, Aasandha. Disbursements for the programme reached USD 28,320,363 to date, a 28 per cent decline from the USD 39,422,831 spent during the equivalent window a year ago.
While the national budget appropriated USD 130.95 million for the initiative this fiscal year, the current pace of spending leaves a remaining balance of approximately USD 102.52 million. The narrowing of health outlays extends to direct medical assistance, which fell 45 per cent to USD 2,854,670, down from USD 5,255,180 a year earlier.
In contrast to the austerity seen in medical aid, the state has bolstered its funding for local governance. Grants to local administrative councils rose to USD 41,181,976 this year, a notable increase from the USD 34,810,640 provided during the same timeframe last year.