KATHMANDU, July 20: The government has unveiled a series of reform measures aimed at improving budget implementation and strengthening fiscal governance in the current fiscal year, including the formation of a task force to assess the impact of the two-day public holiday on service delivery and economic productivity.
The 22-point decision was endorsed during a meeting of government secretaries chaired by Chief Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki.
The meeting decided that ministries and agencies must immediately prepare implementation schedules to ensure that the budget and programs allocated for the current fiscal year are completed within the stipulated timelines and quality standards. It also directed government bodies to begin public procurement procedures from the start of the fiscal year, ending the practice of initiating procurement only toward the end of the fiscal year.
'Lack of inter-ministerial coordination severely affecting publ...
To accelerate development projects, the government has decided to include budget expenditure and project implementation as key performance indicators in performance agreements signed by ministries and departments. The move is expected to increase accountability among concerned officials.
The meeting also prioritized anti-money laundering efforts to safeguard Nepal’s financial credibility. All relevant agencies have been instructed to fulfill their assigned responsibilities on time to help prevent Nepal from being placed on the international financial watchdog’s grey list.
Secretaries were further directed to ensure fiscal discipline, adopt austerity measures in public spending and expedite the settlement of audit irregularities while preventing new irregularities from arising.
The government also decided to strengthen coordination among relevant agencies to curb revenue leakage and prevent illegal cross-border trade.
To make public services faster and more efficient, the government plans to introduce Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) by eliminating unnecessary procedures and documentation.
One of the key decisions was to review the effectiveness of the current two-day public holiday observed on Saturdays and Sundays. A task force has been formed to study its impact on public service delivery and economic productivity and has been given 15 days to submit its report.
Through these decisions, the government said it aims to boost capital expenditure, enhance fiscal transparency and improve the efficiency of public service delivery.
