Prime Minister’s Office Gaining Increasing Authority

March 28, Kathmandu – The government released 100 action points on Saturday for administrative reform. If implemented, these plans will centralize greater authority in the office of the Prime Minister.

Among the 100 action points, 13 pertain directly to the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office. These include a plan to abolish old structures and simultaneously develop new organizational frameworks.

Key political and administrative initiatives such as leading constitutional amendment debates, controlling corruption, and investigating the assets of public officials will be managed under the Prime Minister’s direct oversight.

With implementation, the role of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers’ Office will expand in policy formulation, execution, monitoring, and reforms.

Action point number 9 observes that the number of ministries has grown beyond necessity, increasing recurrent expenditures. To address this, a decision will be made within 30 days to reduce the number of ministries through amendments to the Government of Nepal (Organization of Functions) Regulations, ultimately fixing the number of federal ministries at 17.

Following the ministry restructuring, workforce management will be conducted to avoid service disruption, with the formation of a ‘Restructuring Management Secretariat’ within the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office to prepare transition roadmaps, and manage human resources, budget, and programs.

Point number 11 targets the abolition of unproductive boards, committees, projects, and institutional structures with overlapping functions or unnecessary financial burdens.

To integrate or restructure these bodies, a high-level task force comprising representatives from the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration will be formed. This task force will be mandated to submit clear recommendations within one month.

This demonstrates the new government’s effort to downsize the administrative structure while making the Prime Minister’s Office’s participation indispensable in decision-making, thus empowering the Prime Minister further.

Monitoring Ministries

According to action point 2, the government plans to implement a results-oriented governance system (Delivery-Based Governance) to ensure overall performance is outcome-focused, effective, measurable, and accountable.

Under this system, each ministry must identify its top 10 priority tasks within seven days, create work plans including timelines, responsible officers, and performance indicators, and submit them to the Prime Minister’s Office. Monthly progress reports will also be submitted accordingly.

The Prime Minister’s Office will oversee ministry activities, acting as a performance controller with enhanced authority.

The action points specify, “These tasks’ monthly progress will be submitted to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office to ensure regular monitoring, evaluation, and public reporting.”

This will grant the Prime Minister’s Office a stronger role in overseeing ministry achievements.

A dedicated structure will be established within the Prime Minister’s Office to measure ministry performance, track project progress, and promptly resolve issues—outlined in point 64 of the management action points.

It states, “To integrate, enhance, and make effective the country’s investment, production, exports, productivity, and development finance system, an immediate establishment of a ‘Prime Minister’s Performance Unit’ under the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office is mandated.”

This unit will operate a central dashboard with major performance indicators, ministry-level tracking, and mechanisms for problem-solving for nationally prioritized projects.

This model is similar to the ‘Delivery Unit’ approach adopted by neighboring India, the United Kingdom, and some Southeast Asian countries.

Consequently, through the implementation of the 100-point action plan, the Prime Minister will be closely engaged in all ministries’ work, overseeing reporting directly.

Point 49 addresses development project management. The plan includes reviewing old, stalled, or poorly progressing projects and arranging budget provisions, with the Prime Minister’s direct involvement.

Procedures such as land acquisition, environmental impact assessment (EIA) approvals, and contract cancellations will be simplified. A study team will be formed within 30 days to assess these issues and recommend solutions, including evaluating the projects’ reality and feasibility.

If coordination among multiple agencies is needed, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office will promptly facilitate such coordination, according to the action points.

To expedite implementation of national pride and major strategic projects, fast-track mechanisms will be applied to processes like land acquisition, compensation determination, tree Cutting, and EIA report approvals, with the Prime Minister’s direct supervision.

The action plan emphasizes that, “Through integration and automation of approvals among relevant agencies, unnecessary delays and duplication will be eliminated. Implementation will proceed within defined deadlines with direct monitoring and facilitation from the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office.”

Prime Minister’s Office Role in Digital Governance

All digital governance structures will be consolidated under the Prime Minister’s Office. The current Information Technology Department will be dissolved, replaced by a new ‘Information Technology and Electronic Governance Office’ under the Prime Minister’s Office.

This is included in point 39 of the action plan.

It states, “Establish the Information Technology and Electronic Governance Office under the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office within three months, dissolve the existing IT Department, and place all public IT-related agencies under this office.”

This restructuring aims to address Nepal’s fragmented IT and electronic governance systems, lack of interconnectivity, standards, and institutional coordination weaknesses. It will also remedy shortages in skilled personnel and technical capacity, improving effectiveness to create an integrated, secure, efficient, and result-oriented digital governance system.

According to point 33, the Prime Minister’s Office will have access to citizens’ digital records.

“While digital signatures currently rely on certificates, arrangements will be made to utilize NID cards, biometrics, or OTPs for e-signatures, enabling citizens to submit their details digitally,” the document says.

The National Identification and Registration Department will be physically and organizationally strengthened. A study will be coordinated by the Ministry of Home Affairs to implement digital signature authentication for all services based on National ID (NID) numbers, with a report to be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office within a month.

This means that digital services, data management, and citizen services will be controlled by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Formation of Asset Investigation Committee Under Prime Minister

The government’s 100-point action plan includes the formation of a powerful asset investigation committee under the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office. While the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the Asset Laundering Investigation Department exist as separate investigative bodies, this committee will be directly under the Prime Minister’s leadership.

Point 43 states that in order to eradicate widespread corruption, wealth concealment, and impunity, this empowered asset investigation committee will be established within 15 days.

The committee will include experts in law, finance, revenue, investigation, and representatives from relevant agencies. Necessary legal and technical mechanisms will be developed to ensure transparent and results-oriented processes.

Demand for asset verification of individuals holding public office has been long-standing in Nepal, with political parties including this promise in their electoral manifestos.

The authority of the Prime Minister’s Office is expanding from policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, and corruption control, to preparing national commitments and leading constitutional amendment debates.

According to election pledges, the committee will first collect, verify, and examine assets of key political officials and senior employees who have held public office since 2005/06 onwards.

The second phase will cover asset investigation of officials who held prominent public office between 1991 and 2005/06.

The investigations will be conducted based on legal standards and evidence in a fair and impartial manner, and the committee’s reports and recommendations will be implemented through relevant authorities.

This means that former prime ministers, ministers, senior former officials, and heads of constitutional bodies will all be subject to asset examination. The committee will have powers not only to review documents but also to collect data, verify authenticity, investigate sources, and recommend actions on suspicious properties.

Government officials regard this as a systematic approach to investigate assets of public office holders, which should end the practice of submitting only formal declarations while hiding actual wealth.

However, there are concerns that those involved, especially veteran party leaders, may face pressure, which could also create political leverage for the Prime Minister against other parties.

Active Role in Legislative Affairs

The concentration of authority in the Prime Minister’s Office now extends beyond policy-making, monitoring, and anti-corruption efforts to preparing national commitments and leading constitutional amendment processes.

Point 3 outlines the drafting of a ‘national commitment’ by synthesizing implementable items from the manifestos of all political parties.

This document will embody the essence of Nepal’s constitution, strengthening democratic systems, and institutionalizing the mandates expressed through elections across all participating political parties by amalgamating common themes in their manifestos and commitments.

The government will align policies, programs, and budgets with this national commitment, moving beyond reliance on just the ruling party’s manifesto toward a state policy reflecting multi-party consensus, with the Prime Minister’s Office leading.

Leadership for debates on constitutional amendments, a highly political topic, will not be delegated to any independent commission or body. Instead, the Prime Minister’s Office will lead these discussions.

The government plans to handle parliamentary discussions and related feedback mechanisms through the Prime Minister’s Office, which will analyze party manifestos to make decisions accordingly.

Point 4 states, “To build national consensus on long-term political and institutional reforms, including electoral systems and related constitutional amendments, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office will prepare a ‘Constitutional Amendment Discussion Paper’ within seven days, establish a taskforce, and ensure that the debate process is participatory, transparent, and fact-based.”

This implies that political debates such as constitutional amendments will be steered by the Prime Minister’s Office rather than an independent entity.