April 19, Kathmandu – The government has formulated a plan to provide salaries and allowances to civil service employees in installments every 15 days. The Ministry of Finance issued a ministerial-level directive last Friday, instructing the Office of the Comptroller General to make the necessary arrangements for this change. Comptroller General Shobhakant Paudel confirmed the receipt of the circular from the ministry and stated that the decision will be implemented soon. “The circular has arrived from the Ministry of Finance. The implementation will commence shortly,” he said.
According to the ministry, the decision aims to ensure timely crediting of funds into employees’ accounts and to keep the economy functioning smoothly. However, implementing this decision requires amendment of the existing legislation. Currently, government employees receive their monthly salaries and allowances once a month, with payments transferred to their bank accounts during the last week of each month. Transitioning to a bi-monthly salary payment system necessitates changes to the Federal Civil Service Act. “Under the old act, civil servants receive their salaries and allowances only after completion of the one-month payment cycle,” an official from the Ministry of Finance explained. “Therefore, to introduce salary and allowance payments every 15 days, amendments to the act are essential.”
The current administration is preparing to enact a new Federal Civil Service Act, which will include provisions for salary payments every 15 days. “Once the Federal Civil Service Act is passed, the decision can be implemented at any time. Necessary preparations are underway,” a source from the Ministry of Finance stated.
