Government Pledges Infrastructure Overhaul and Policy Reforms

Kathmandu. The government has pledged to prioritize infrastructure development in its national commitment paper, resolving to eliminate policy and procedural hurdles in project implementation.

The commitment paper, which incorporates the manifestos of six major political parties that participated in the Falgun 21 election, outlines a strict policy to curb delays and irregularities in infrastructure construction.

Accordingly, project managers and relevant staff will no longer be transferred until a project is completed. The government plans to adopt a 'mission mode' approach to ensure projects are completed on time and with quality.

A key point of the commitment paper is the goal to upgrade the East-West Mahendra Highway to international highway standards within the next three years. It also mentions the development of an 'integrated multimodal transport system' by connecting roads, waterways, and airports.

The government has announced an end to the existing trend of allocating budgets based on access and influence. The commitment paper states that from now on, budgets will only be allocated to projects that have undergone study, demonstrated necessity, priority, and resource assurance, and align with national development goals.

To facilitate Nepal's international trade, the government plans to effectively utilize cross-border waterways with India and maritime ports as per transit and trade agreements with China. This aims to establish Nepal's access to international waterways. Additionally, the government claims it will accelerate the construction of North-South highways.

Infrastructure construction will prioritize natural environmental conservation to ensure climate change adaptation. The commitment paper also includes provisions for modern technology, necessary resources, and specialized training for personnel to make the transport sector dignified and accident-free.

The government has stated that result-oriented and time-bound action plans will be prepared and implemented for national pride projects, and inter-agency coordination will be made more effective.