May 1: The government has approved the Public Procurement Regulations in a way to expand bidding agreement of various projects facing obstruction due to crisis resulting from COVID-19 by a maximum of a year based on the work progress.    
During a press conference held at Singha Durbar on April 30 to disclose the decisions of the 26 April cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and minister for finance, communications and information technology Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada shared that a decision was made to endorse the Public Procurement (10th Amendment) Regualtion-2077 upon the proposal of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.    
The arrangement has been put into effect after amending the regulations, Dr Khatiwada shared.

“The amended regulation has called for application from contractors within 21 days seeking timeline extension of the projects which have made progress in the run-up to complete the contractual deliverables up to 26 April 2020 following 27 May 2019 but yet not accomplished the stipulated works.”    
The regulation has been amended to extend the contract by a year acting on the work progress of the company, he shared.    
The government \has also decided to accept the Green Climate Fund and World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s grant of Rs 4.79 billion to be spent by the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The cabinet decided to delegate responsibility to the Ministry of Finance for mobilizing additional international aid and managing necessary resources to lessen the losses to be inflicted on national economy by the COVID-19.    
It is also shared that the government has decided to designate the responsibility to the Nepal Army to open the 87-km-long track from Darchula to Tinkar (total 134 km) along the Mahakali Highway.    
The cabinet has approved Social Organizations Mobilization Work Plan-2077 to address the potential problems to be faced by women, children and people with disabilities as well as senior citizens from the coronavirus infection. The government has decided to request the Public Service Commission to put off all the works related to the fulfillment of vacancies till the next arrangement and also decided to adjourn Organization and Management Survey until another circular.    
Khatiwada further shared that the government has approved the directives on providing grants to the proposed coronavirus treatment hospitals, operation of the COVID-19 unified hospitals and risk allowances to the human resource involved in the treatment of coronavirus. -- RSS