Prime Minister Oli signals Cabinet reshuffle
Kathmandu, November 28 — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has hinted at the possibility of reshuffling the cabinet, citing dissatisfaction with the performance of some ministers.
During the first quarterly review meeting on the implementation of the government's policy, program, and budget on Wednesday, Prime Minister Oli expressed his discontent, stating that not enough work had been done as expected. He emphasized that the current situation required positive changes, but this could not be achieved with the current pace and methods of work.
When he was appointed as Prime Minister on July 15, Oli had directed all cabinet members on August 15 to come up with solid plans to bring about a wave of rapid development and set new milestones within three months.
"We are not working for a salary, but for the service and development of the country and its people, for future generations," Oli stated during the meeting. "Therefore, the work we do cannot be compared with our salaries."
The Prime Minister directed the ministers to present concrete plans for reviewing the progress of ministries, implementing the current fiscal year's budget, and outlining major government activities.
While ministers and secretaries had made plans for action, Prime Minister Oli was dissatisfied, stating that there was no visible change or improvement that the public could feel. He expressed dissatisfaction with the ministers' performance, particularly in areas such as governance and revenue collection.
"Specifically, the Prime Minister appeared dissatisfied with the lack of progress in governance and revenue collection during Wednesday’s review," a minister told Ratopati. "While he didn’t directly point to anyone, it was clear that he was expressing dissatisfaction symbolically."
According to some ministers, the Prime Minister's dissatisfaction seemed to be directed at the performance of ministers from his own party, rather than those from coalition partners like the Nepali Congress. "The Prime Minister pointed out that revenue had not been raised, and the economy had not been revitalized, which is related to the Ministry of Finance," a minister added.
Bishnu Paudel, a Vice Chairman of the UML, is the current Finance Minister. Sources from within the UML say that the relationship between Prime Minister Oli and Finance Minister Paudel has not been smooth recently.
Additionally, Prime Minister Oli is reportedly dissatisfied with the performance of Minister for Physical Infrastructure Devendra Dahal. Other ministers, including the Minister of Industry Damodar Bhattarai, Minister of Labor Sharatsingh Bhandari, and Minister of Tourism Badri Prasad Pandey, have also failed to meet expectations.
"The economy could be revitalized by spending 100% of the development budget, but it doesn’t seem like that is happening," the ministers quoted Oli as saying.
However, during the same meeting on August 15, Prime Minister Oli had told the ministers that setting specific targets would lead to success. "In the next three months, we need to work harder than ever before. If we do a lot of work, problems may arise, or we might have to give statements to the commission, but don’t fear," he had said. "If there is no corruption or mistakes, there will be no problems."
Sources indicate that following his visit to China from December 2 to 5, Prime Minister Oli plans to make changes to the cabinet, reshuffling responsibilities among ministers who have performed poorly.
"Following the three-month review, it seems that the Prime Minister will remove poorly performing ministers and possibly reshuffle their responsibilities," one minister said. "Ministers from the Congress and the UML are likely to be affected."
During the quarterly review, some ministers and secretaries complained about the difficulties of working with the budget left by the previous government without proper resource allocation. In response, Prime Minister Oli stated, "The budget can be reviewed, but we need to bring a fundamental change in our working style."
In the meeting with Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, officials from the National Planning Commission, Chief Secretary, and secretaries, Prime Minister Oli revealed that 11,000 fake projects had been introduced, highlighting issues with the budgeting process.
"Projects that have only a 2 million rupee allocation this year must be ended. Each ministry must think about what new, revolutionary work they can do in fields like production, agriculture, energy, or IT," the Prime Minister emphasized.
Prime Minister Oli also criticized ministers who focused more on speeches than on actual work, saying the national development and economy cannot run on words alone.
"We cannot just get bogged down in talk and procedural delays. We must deliver solid, result-oriented work as per the people’s expectations," he said. "We need policies that increase employment and income in the country. We cannot sit idly by when work isn’t happening. I need concrete plans on what to do next. We must make the government effective."
Prime Minister Oli also pointed out that the lower classes had not felt the impact of the government, and there was no clear plan for addressing closed industries.
"How can we benefit the lower classes? What do we do about closed industries? If we cannot run them, why not allow those who can to do so?" Oli questioned, targeting the Minister of Industry and the secretary.
He concluded that there would be no more time for indecision, and that if any minister’s performance was ineffective, a review would be made. "Employees must work with enthusiasm. The Prime Minister, ministers, and secretaries must intervene for positive results, and ineffective employees must face not just transfers but disciplinary action as well," he said.
Rimal says no truth in Cabinet reshuffle speculation
Prime Minister's political advisor Bishnu Rimal denied the rumors about a cabinet reshuffle, stating that there was no truth to it. "There is no need to respond to external rumors. There is no cabinet reshuffle planned at this time," Rimal stated.
He added that the Prime Minister is focused on making the government's work effective, with an emphasis on delivering results to the people.
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