A meeting attended by the government secretaries and held at the OPMCM under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire decided to issue a 13-point directive in line with the instructions issued by Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai to special class bureaucrats two days ago.[break]
Now onwards, according to Chief Secretary Ghimire, secretaries and other high ranking state officials have been asked not to accept all invitations for trips abroad.
"Secretaries and high ranking civil servants are instructed to make foreign trips only for government-related work and are advised not to go abroad to attend programs not directly concerned with government work and that are hosted by other agencies," reads the directive.
With Prime Minister Bhattarai´s decision to use a Nepal-made Mustang as his official car, the secretaries are also being asked to use less expensive, less luxurious vehicles. The meeting decided to set up a study committee to formulate a mechanism in this connection. The committee will be led by Home Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal.
"The committee has been mandated to develop a mechanism concerning the kinds of vehicles to be used by government secretaries," OPMCM Secretary Som Lal Subedi told Republica.
- Secys asked not to go abroad except on govt business
- Home secy to formulate mechanism for vehicle use
- Secys asked to furnish relief programs within three days
- OPMCM to formulate code of conduct for all ministries
- Develop new procurement system
According to Secretary Subedi, OPMCM will also formulate a code of conduct on the operation and management of all the ministries. The role, responsibilities, rights and facilities of ministerial personal secretaries and other details to be adhered to by the secretariats of the respective ministers will be set out under the code of conduct.
The committee will furnish its report, including recommendations as to what kinds of vehicles secretaries should use, the numbers involved and also the models.
Similarly, OPMCM has directed all secretaries to come up with relief programs within three days, improvement plans within seven days and long-term plans within a month.
"The meeting has directed secretaries to formulate a civil servants transfer mechanism," said Subedi, adding, "Secretaries are also advised to revisit the calendar on transfer of government officials." As per existing provisions in the Civil Service Act, the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) had made civil servant transfers in February.
To regulate, implement and tighten the public procurement process, OPMCM directed the Office of Public Procurement to develop a procurements system.
Likewise, the secretaries are being asked to float suggestions for developing austerity directives. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) will prepare a directive on austerity based on suggestions floated by all the secretaries.
Secretaries are also being asked to furnish suggestions for amending the regulations on work division.
Also, the directive says the ministries will be ranked on the basis of their performance. Government secretaries and other officials will henceforth not be allowed to print greeting cards using governent funds.
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