Government to Form Multiple Committees Within a Month as Part of Governance Reforms

As part of the implementation of the one-hundred-point agenda for governance reforms approved by the Cabinet to make government performance result-oriented, effective, measurable, and accountable, various committees, task forces, and study teams will be formed within a month.

Point number 7 of the agenda mentions that a high-level investigation committee will be formed within a week to investigate the facts of the incident that occurred on Bhadra 24. The government is preparing to assign the committee the mandate to collect, analyze all details related to the incident, identify responsible parties, and submit a report within a specified timeframe, with further necessary action to be taken based on the committee's recommendations.

The agenda also includes the formation of a powerful asset investigation committee under the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers within 15 days to end the tendencies of corruption, asset concealment, and impunity.

This committee will include experts from the fields of law, finance, revenue, and investigation, as well as representatives from relevant bodies. The agenda states that the necessary legal and technical mechanisms will be developed to ensure the entire process is transparent and result-oriented. The committee will be granted authority including collecting, analyzing documents, details, records, and making recommendations.

In the first phase, asset details of key political office bearers and high-ranking officials who held public office from 2062/63 to 2082/83 will be collected and investigated. In the second phase, the committee will investigate the assets of officials and employees of the same nature who held public office during the period from B.S. 2048 to 2061/62.

It is mentioned that arrangements will be made to conduct the investigation process based on legal standards, evidence, and impartially, and that the report and recommendations submitted by the committee will be implemented through the relevant bodies.

The agenda includes the formation of a high-level task force to comprehensively evaluate, abolish, integrate, or restructure unproductive boards, committees, projects, and institutional structures that have overlapping functions or create a financial burden.

It is mentioned that the task force, comprising representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, will be mandated to submit a report with clear recommendations within one month.

Furthermore, the agenda includes the formation of a study team within 30 days to resolve the problem of sick projects, terminated contracts, and fruitless investments. This team will evaluate the justification and feasibility of the projects and recommend whether they should continue or not.

The agenda also mentions the immediate formation of a task force for an integrated organizational and management survey within 30 days to end the duplication of responsibilities among bodies such as the Investment Board Nepal, the Trade and Export Promotion Center, and the Department of Industry.

This task force will submit a report with a clear roadmap, functional structure, and necessary legal provisions to transform investment promotion, export expansion and promotion, industry development, project structure, and development finance functions into an integrated single-window service system. Based on this report, necessary institutional and legal reform processes will be immediately advanced.

The governance reform agenda mentions the formation of an inter-ministerial task force under the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 30 days to study the impact of international and regional crises and prepare necessary policies and strategies based on the findings.

A high-level inter-ministerial study task force, represented by relevant ministries, will be formed to timely evaluate and manage the multifaceted impacts that may arise in the economic, foreign employment, supply chain, energy, and social sectors in Nepal due to the developing situation in the Middle East countries.

The agenda states that this task force will conduct a detailed study and submit a report with short-term, medium-term, and long-term policy and programmatic measures within 7 (seven) days, and based on this report, necessary decisions and implementation processes will be immediately advanced.

Formation of Task Force for Constitution Amendment Debate Paper

To implement the subject mentioned in point number 4 of the governance reform agenda, the Cabinet, on Monday, decided to form a task force under the coordination of Asim Shah, the political advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, with the participation of political parties represented in the Parliament, to prepare a Constitution Amendment Debate Paper.

The agenda mentions that the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers will form a task force within seven days to prepare a 'Constitution Amendment Debate Paper' to build a national consensus on constitutional amendment issues, including long-term political and institutional reforms and the electoral system, and that the debate process will be made participatory, transparent, and fact-based.