KATHMANDU, Aug 21: Concerned over the haphazard way benefits are provided to the staff and board members of public entities, the CIAA has asked the government to adjust such benefits in the salaries and maintain consistency across such enterprises.
The Ministry of Finance, the body responsible for monitoring salaries, perks and additional benefits for public servants, is also being suggested to adjust such perks in the salaries and review the arrangements if necessary.
Out of 11 public entities studied by the CIAA, most were founding providing their staff additional benefits other than regular salaries.
The initiative from the anti-graft body came after the public entities were found providing a range of additional benefits to staff and members of the management committees . They provided the free benefits through the decisions of their management committees.
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The benefits thus provided differ from one organization to another.
Nepal Telecom provides free mobile, landline, and internet services to all staff from the management committee members down. These services added Rs 560 million to costs in the last five years.
Nepal Airline Corporation provides the maximum benefits to its staff, retired staff and members of the management committee. A member of the management committee gets up to four free air tickets and three round tickets at 90 percent discount. A retired member of the management committee gets two free air tickets and two round tickets at 90 percent discount.
Serving staff also enjoy the same benefits as members of the management committee. A retired employee, however, gets two tickets annually. These are transferable to family members.
An employee of the Dairy Development Corporation gets a liter of milk daily and one kg of ghee monthly. Likewise, a staffer at Nepal Water Supply Corporation gets Rs 560 monthly.
Nepal Electricity Authority provides up to 125 units of electricity free whereas Hetauda Cement Factory provides six sacks of cement annually.
The CIAA has found that such perks are costing the public enterprises millions.
Previously, Nepal Oil Corporation used to provide free petroleum items to its staff but this has been stopped since the last five years.
According to details provided by the CIAA, Udayapur Cement Factory, National Trading Limited, Timber Corporation of Nepal and Nepal Food Corporation have not provided any benefits to employees on top of their salaries.
