The compounding costs of delayed development projects

When preparing a new government budget, the goal is usually similar to that of the previous: meet new development priorities while keeping the house in order. 

On the one hand, there are expenses the government cannot do without, otherwise known as the non-discretionary spending. Generally, they aren't given much thought because they are recurring - for example, salaries. 

They’re almost automatically added to the budget each year. 

The spending which requires more thought (also known as discretionary spending), are those that must align with objectives for the year and through which a government carries out new projects. 

Still, all spending requires attention and precision to avoid expenditures that don’t add proportional value to the economy. 

It is also essential to prevent enormous schemes from becoming white elephant projects which are large, and sound great, but are not feasible in the end. 

A public sector expert attributes these grand projects to