Government Sets Deadlines for Timely Legislation Across Key Sectors

March 30, Kathmandu – The government has initiated a process to draft and amend laws within specified deadlines. According to the 100-point governance reform agenda, legislation priorities have been assigned corresponding time frames.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam has disclosed that progress has been made regarding ministry-related tasks outlined in the 100-point governance reform plan.

A fast-track desk has been established within the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to expedite bills and related work submitted by various ministries.

Additionally, the concerned ministries are advancing their legislative initiatives on their own accord.

Draft laws proposed by each ministry are submitted to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for legal advice prior to being registered in the cabinet.

Even after ten years since the promulgation of the constitution, many laws required for implementation remain unestablished. Minister Gautam emphasized special attention to this matter. After assuming office on March 27, she stated, ‘This time, we must work with great urgency. In the past, necessary legislation was not adequately developed. Our ministry will ensure continuous coordination moving forward.’

She expressed confidence that Parliament will also move promptly alongside the government, adding, ‘Parliament members are equally eager to develop laws. They too must expedite their work. Both Parliament and government must advance swiftly.’

Three Bills Within 30 Days

The government has planned to draft three bills within 30 days.

Redundancy, complexity, and unnecessary procedures across all public bodies have caused delays and increased costs in service delivery. To address this, related organizations will conduct comprehensive reviews to eliminate redundant and repetitive processes.

The government is committed to limiting decision-making approvals to no more than three levels and streamlining service delivery through business process reengineering.

Necessary procedures, standards, and monitoring mechanisms will be developed and enforced within 30 days. Draft amendments to laws will also be prepared within the same timeframe if necessary.

The government is preparing to issue a National Ethics Policy within 30 days.

The reform agenda includes the commitment to promote ethics, protect whistleblowers, manage conflicts of interest, and advance related law formulation or amendments within 30 days through the National Ethics Policy.

Aim is also set to enact laws within 30 days to prevent delays in national and priority infrastructure projects.

To prevent repeated failures in contracting, policies are proposed for direct implementation of projects failing more than twice through a government infrastructure construction company.

Necessary resources, tools, personnel, and equipment for the company will be arranged alongside the legislation drafted within 30 days.

Civil Service Bill Within 45 Days

The government plans to prepare the Federal Civil Service Bill within 45 days.

The goal is to free public administration from political interference, making it impartial, neutral, and citizen-focused. Civil servants, including employees, teachers, and professors, will be required to remain free from any direct or indirect association with political parties, groups, or vested interests.

The bill will include provisions for strict departmental action if civil servants violate rules.

The government aims to abolish party-based trade unions in public administration, eliminate undesirable interference and informal pressure, thereby enhancing decision-making and service delivery efficiency.

The Federal Civil Service Bill will be legally enacted to facilitate these reforms within 45 days.

The constitution mandated staffing at all three levels of government in 2015, yet the Federal Civil Service Bill has not been enacted until now. Earlier parliamentary attempts failed to pass the legislation.

Six Bills Within 60 Days

The government plans to draft the Information Technology and Electronic Governance Bill within 60 days.

Details of the bill’s content have not been fully disclosed, but it is included in the governance reform agenda.

According to the plan, all digital infrastructure will be consolidated under the Prime Minister’s Office. The existing Information Technology Department will be dissolved and replaced with an ‘Information Technology and Electronic Governance Office’ under the Prime Minister’s Office.

This initiative is listed as item number 39 in the reform agenda.

In brief, it mandates establishment of the new office within three months and consolidation of all public IT bodies under this office.

The new structure aims to address fragmentation, poor interconnectivity, lack of standards, and weak institutional coordination in Nepal’s IT and electronic governance systems.

It also targets overcoming limitations such as shortage of skilled personnel, technical capacity deficits, and inefficiencies in service delivery, establishing integrated, secure, proficient, and results-oriented digital governance.

The government is preparing to draft five additional bills within 60 days.

Among these, bills related to urban development and waste management are slated to be tabled in the federal parliament after cabinet approval.

Policies and laws related to digital governance and personal data protection are also planned to be drafted within 60 days.

This will facilitate citizens’ access to services through a single digital platform, aiming to reduce redundancies, inefficiencies, and costs in service delivery.

A legal and institutional framework to establish an independent regulatory body for information technology and digital governance is also scheduled to be legislated within the 60-day timeline.

Additionally, to eliminate delays caused by various legal and procedural obstacles in projects, a draft umbrella law on project facilitation is to be prepared within 60 days.

The government also aims to introduce a Corporate Social Responsibility Bill within 90 days.

Based on the 100-point governance reform agenda, this bill will be presented to parliament within three months.

It plans to centralize the social responsibility funds of industrial establishments into government-designated funds for investment in priority sectors and complete necessary legal reforms and drafting within the same timeframe.