KATHMANDU: The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has made public its major activities and achievements from the past week, including measures related to digital governance, policy research, performance monitoring, fertilizer management and the promotion of domestic products.
At the office’s regular weekly media briefing on Friday, spokesperson and Joint Secretary Hemraj Aryal presented the key activities undertaken by the Prime Minister’s Office and its subordinate agencies.
According to Aryal, the government approved the Software Development and Operations Committee (Formation) Order, 2083 during the week. The order provides for a six-member committee led by the secretary responsible for governance affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The committee will provide policy guidance to the Software Development and Operations Center and oversee the development, upgrading and maintenance of software used by public bodies, with the aim of improving technology-based service delivery.
During the week, eight reports prepared by the Policy Research Institute were forwarded for internal and expert review. Among them, reports on Gender Issues and Domestic Violence in School Curriculum, Crime and Punishment and Strengthening the Capacity of Teachers and Management System for Improving the Quality of School Education in Nepal: A Strategic Study were sent to the institute’s Publication Review and Recommendation Committee for internal review. The report Study on Determining the Basis of Identity of Backward Classes was forwarded for expert review.
Five other reports—including studies on the identity of poor Khas-Aryas, the review of the National Housing Policy 2068, integration of the social security system, foreign direct investment commitments and their implementation, and the reintegration of returnee migrants—were sent for both internal and expert review.
Aryal said the Prime Minister’s Office and the federal ministries have prepared draft concept papers for 65 programmes expected to have an immediate impact on citizens. The concerned ministries have been asked to revise and refine the drafts as necessary before implementing the programmes.
He said performance agreements have also been signed between Prime Minister Balendra Shah and ministers, as well as with the Chief Secretary, outlining annual targets, key activities, performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms for the current fiscal year.
According to Aryal, Prime Minister Shah will regularly monitor implementation of the agreements and review progress based on decisions of the Ministry-level Development Problem Solving Committee and monthly and annual reports submitted through the office’s online monitoring system.
Meanwhile, a 12-member task force has been formed under the coordination of a joint secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office to study problems related to fertilizer supply and recommend short- and long-term solutions. The task force includes officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment; the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; the Ministry of Finance; and other relevant agencies.
The Prime Minister’s Office has also issued a circular directing government agencies to prioritize Nepali products in procurement and use. The circular calls for greater use of Nepali handicrafts in offices, meetings, ceremonies, gifts, decorations and other appropriate settings to promote domestic products, protect local skills and enterprises, create employment and reduce imports.
The National Vigilance Center, meanwhile, monitored 29 government bodies in the Kathmandu Valley. The monitoring found that 257 employees had failed to comply with prescribed office hours, while 45 had not worn the required uniform. The concerned agencies have been instructed to take necessary action.
The office is also conducting a detailed study into transparency in the procurement and distribution of health insurance services and free medicines, with monitoring teams deployed to various districts of Gandaki Province.
Similarly, more than 100 employees were found to have failed to comply with official working hours during monitoring of the code of conduct at various government offices. The concerned agencies have been instructed to take action, Aryal said.
Comment