The government recently approved the code which has now been circulated to government offices for implementation, according to Sharda Prasad Trital, spokesperson at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The code has tried to address three main areas in particular in which conduct by government employees has allegedly gone unchecked.
First of all, the code says that it is unethical for government employees to be affiliated with political parties and to take part in political activities.
This provision has been included in the code as the association of bureaucrats with politics has always been problematic for the civil service, according to government officials involved in preparing the code.
However, a government secretary said that it would be very difficult to implement this code as the political parties always encourage government employees to be loyal to them.
Secondly, the code prohibits government employees from misusing equipment, facilities and office vehicles for personal benefit. In the absence of a code, it was very common for government employees to misuse government vehicles and other facilities at their disposal.
Third, it is unethical for government employees to play cards, drink alcohol and gamble, according to the code.
“We are hopeful the code will contribute to developing an ethical administration in the country,” said Trital.
Yuba Raj Pandey, secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management and expert in public administration, said bureaucrats have to face a difficult situation on many occasions because of the absence of a specific code of conduct.
“The code will make the work of government employees easy. However, whether it will success depends on the implementation,” Pandey said.
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