Kathmandu, July 17 -- The government has fallen far short of its development spending target, underscoring a persistent problem that has slowed infrastructure expansion and weakened the impact of public investment.

Despite repeated commitments to improve budget execution, successive governments have struggled for years to convert allocated funds into completed projects. Low capital spending in Nepal has often been blamed on delays in project preparation, procurement hurdles, weak implementation capacity and frequent political disruptions.

The problem has continued despite changes in government and repeated calls for reforms in public spending systems. Economists say poor capital expenditure not only slows infrastructure development but ...