Author: space4knews

The government has announced the imposition of a three percent health equity fee on health services provided by private hospitals in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. Health sector experts have commented that charging additional fees to patients at private hospitals without adequately strengthening the public health system is not practical. Private hospital operators have expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the government’s decision attempts to use hospitals as tax collection agents. (May 31, Kathmandu)

Dozens of patients visiting emergency rooms in government hospitals across the country are compelled to turn to private hospitals. The primary reasons include a lack of beds in emergency wards, long waits, and cumbersome services. These patients, seeking affordable and quality care to save lives immediately, often go to private hospitals. However, the government has announced additional charges on citizens forced to seek treatment privately. As stated in the budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle: “To assist in developing and extending education and health infrastructure in remote areas, a minimum rate of equity fee will be levied on education and health services provided by the private sector.”

The bill prepared to implement this financial proposal specifies in Section 17 that a health equity fee at a rate of three percent will be charged on all service fees collected from patients by individuals operating health services in the private sector. This fee is purportedly intended to be spent on improving access to quality health services and the development of health infrastructure. Consequently, an additional 3% charge will be applied to treatment costs at private hospitals.

Experts have highlighted that it is unjust to compel citizens to pay extra taxes when public hospitals lack basic facilities such as specialized doctors, laboratory services, X-rays, and ultrasounds. Madhav Timilsina, Chair of the Consumer Rights Research Forum, said that health services fall within citizens’ fundamental rights and categorizing them under tax is a mistaken practice. While there is agreement on ensuring equal access to health services and strengthening public health institutions, doctors and experts have stated that the chosen taxation method is inappropriate for achieving these goals.

Nepali Congress has expressed its objection to Prime Minister Balen Shah’s statements regarding border issues by issuing a public statement. Congress spokesperson Devaraj Chalise stated that the Prime Minister’s remarks weaken Nepal’s territorial claims and are self-defeating. Chalise characterized the Prime Minister’s claim that discussions on border disputes are underway with the United Kingdom as objectionable and absurd. Kathmandu, 31 May.

The Nepali Congress has responded with disagreement to Prime Minister Balen Shah’s comments. In the statement released by spokesperson Devaraj Chalise, it was noted that the Prime Minister’s views on border matters contradict Nepal’s constitutional map, historical facts, irrefutable evidence, and the national sentiments of the Nepalese people. Such views are unacceptable to the Congress, he clarified.

The Congress also indicated that the Prime Minister’s remarks have undermined Nepal’s territorial claims. The statement reads, “A serious blow has been dealt to the diplomatic agreement to address issues related to Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, Kalapani, and other border matters, and this has automatically weakened Nepal’s claims in a self-destructive manner.”

The Congress finds the Prime Minister’s assertion that talks regarding border disputes are ongoing with the United Kingdom objectionable. The Congress declared, “The claim that discussions about border problems are taking place with England (United Kingdom) is objectionable and extremely ludicrous.” The party has also expressed its intent to seek a stance from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on this matter.

Despite opposition party protests, the House of Representatives has passed the procedural rules in its second session. The third session of the House is scheduled to convene tonight at 9:40 PM. The agenda includes tabling two bills related to elections and the voter registry, which have been returned from the National Assembly. Kathmandu, 17 Jestha.

The third meeting of the House will be held at 9:40 PM. The session, which began at 1 PM, extended into the evening. Following opposition protests, the House moved forward with passing the procedural rules and subsequently suspended the meeting for 15 minutes. The second session ultimately approved the House’s procedural rules despite objections.

After the Speaker removed remaining items from the agenda, the third session was called for 9:40 PM. The agenda for this session includes a report from Prakash Adhikari, Secretary of the House of Representatives, regarding a message received from the National Assembly related to the House member election (first amendment) bill, 2083. It also includes the tabling of the voter registry (first amendment) bill, 2083, along with the related message from the National Assembly. Both bills had previously been passed by the House and submitted to the National Assembly. The National Assembly approved these bills today and returned them to the House of Representatives.

Summary: Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has advised Prime Minister Balen Shah not to speak unpleasant truths while in office. Bhattarai recalled the ethical maxim ‘Speak the truth if it is pleasant; do not speak unpleasant truths’ on the social media platform Facebook. Dated May 30, Kathmandu.

Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has urged Prime Minister Balen Shah, through a Facebook post, to avoid speaking unpleasant truths during his tenure. Highlighting the importance of conduct while holding office, he quoted the ethical verse, stating, ‘It is beneficial to continually remember this principle from our ethics: Speak the truth if it is pleasant; do not speak unpleasant truths.’

Prime Minister Balen Shah’s participation in the House of Representatives to respond to questions raised by members of parliament was regarded as a positive step.

Summary: The government has announced a 10 percent increase in the basic salaries of civil servants as part of the budget speech. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle informed that the 10 percent performance-based incentive allowance and the existing NPR 5,000 cost-of-living allowance will continue. The Ministry of Finance is preparing to present a proposal to the cabinet soon regarding the salary hike of distinguished and constitutional officeholders. Kathmandu, 31 May – On Friday, the government declared an increase in salaries for civil servants during the budget speech. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, while delivering the budget speech, stated that the basic salary of employees will be raised by 10 percent. He added, “I have introduced a new salary structure with a 10 percent monthly incentive allowance based on a performance-based reward system.” According to the budget speech, the current cost-of-living allowance of NPR 5,000 will also continue. Alongside civil servants, other public service staff and personnel are also likely to receive salary increases proportional to those of civil servants. This is expected for the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army, teachers, and employees of public institutions.

The government is preparing to publicly disclose detailed information related to the basic salaries and other benefits of all public officeholders within a few days. However, there is still no clarity on how the salaries of constitutional officials such as the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Speaker, Chief Justice, and provincial-level officials will be managed. Since there are separate laws governing the remuneration and benefits of distinguished individuals, adjustments will be required accordingly. There are distinct legal provisions for the facilities of the President and Vice President, while different laws govern the salaries and benefits of parliamentary officials and judges. These laws specify the principles of the benefits and the procedures for updating them. Ministry of Finance spokesperson Amrit Lamsal revealed that a proposal on the salaries and benefits of distinguished and other elected officeholders will soon be submitted to the cabinet. He stated, “The cabinet will make decisions based on the proposal sent from the Ministry of Finance within the next few days, after which an official notification will be published in the gazette.”

According to him, in the past, salary increases for employees were typically followed by proportional raises for constitutional officials, but since this process has not yet started this time, it remains uncertain how much and in what manner their remuneration will increase. Elected officials at the local government level, including chiefs and deputies, do not receive regular salaries but are provided various facilities instead. Even ward chairpersons and members do not receive fixed remuneration. Therefore, after salary hikes for employees, it is customary to update the allowances and benefits for entities occupying public offices.

Potential Salaries and Benefits for Constitutional Officeholders: In addition to salaries, the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, ministers, federal parliament officials, and judges receive various allowances and facilities that are not included in their pay. The President and Vice President are provided with official residences, vehicles, fuel, hospitality, medical expenses, and a private secretariat. The remuneration and benefits act for ministers grants the Prime Minister and ministers equal facilities, including uniform allowances. Federal parliament officials receive electricity, water, and communication facilities beyond their salary and meeting allowances. They obtain various benefits according to their positions. The Chief Justice and other judges are also entitled to various allowances and facilities beyond their salaries. Judges who rent accommodations receive an annual allowance equivalent to half a month’s home maintenance costs. During foreign visits, these officials receive special allowances, which include an additional 50 percent travel allowance.

The faction led by General Secretary Dr. Dhawal Shamshere Rana, dissatisfied with the leadership style of National Democratic Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden, has collectively resigned and is preparing to form a new party. A meeting of the dissatisfied faction held in Kathmandu initiated a signature campaign for the collective resignation and plans to make a new decision on June 4 (Jestha 21 in the Nepali calendar). Following internal party disputes, former chairmen Pasupati Shamshere Rana, Prakashchandra Lohani, and Kamal Thapa have jointly appealed for members not to leave the party.

June 1, Kathmandu – Internal conflicts within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have escalated to such an extent that the party is on the verge of splitting. The dissatisfied faction, questioning Chairman Rajendra Lingden’s leadership style, is preparing to tender collective resignations. Led by Dr. Dhawal Shamshere Rana, the faction has announced a new campaign aimed at forming a new political force. The group outside the founding leadership believes the current leaders have deviated from the party’s core ideological principles.

Although the RPP has long advocated for the restoration of a constitutional monarchy within a parliamentary system as opposed to a republic, the faction claims the leadership has weakened the party’s stance. Under the leadership of General Secretary Rana, the dissenting faction has expressed that the current leadership fails to prioritize ‘principled and people-centered politics’ over power-centric agendas, which they believe should be the party’s primary focus. The draft prepared for collective resignation contains objections from the dissatisfied faction over the decision to join the government after elections.

Without informing the Central Working Committee, party leadership reportedly became a partner in the coalition program of the Prachanda government aimed at ‘strengthening the federal democratic republic.’ The phrase ‘strengthening the federal democratic republic’ in the program sparked controversy. Chairman Lingden accepted the ministry of energy and joined the government under the RPP banner.

Supporters of General Secretary Rana are in talks to leave the party on Sunday and form a new political force. A meeting of office bearers and central members held in Kathmandu discussed the creation of this new force. They plan to launch a signature campaign toward collective resignation and finalize decisions on June 4. After the meeting, leader Rana publicly urged everyone to participate in this new campaign.

“We tried to steer the Rastriya Prajatantra Party in line with popular sentiment over the past four years, but contradictions and opposition forced it on the wrong path. The RPP has suffered due to public rejection,” he said. “If comrades inside RPP believe that path is correct, we wish them well with no ill will.”

The meeting emphasized the need to unite nationalist forces and incorporate ordinary citizens who differ from the current RPP. Monarchist supporters expressed intentions to engage in dialogue with leaders of other parties. A participant leader said, ‘We plan to discuss strengthening the monarchy agenda with Congress leader Shankar Bhandari, businessman Durga Prasai, and leader Keshar Bahadur Bista.’ The dissatisfied faction concluded by calling nationalists and Hindu advocates nationwide to unite, considering the current political transition.

Leader Ranjan Karki said, “Since our expectations remain unmet by the RPP, a new political force is now necessary. We will unify and build this force in a new way for new circumstances.” The new party to be formed after leaving RPP intends to include more youth members. The meeting raised the need to initiate efforts and campaigns to cultivate youth as nationalists and Hindu advocates.

The dissenting faction is also unhappy with the acceptance of Speaker and Deputy Speaker posts in central and provincial governments, which contradict party policy. Ambar Bahadur Bista became Speaker in Koshi, Bhuvan Pathak in Bagmati, and Menuka Khan KC was Deputy Speaker in Lumbini Province. The faction opposed seeking positions in provincial governments given the party’s anti-federal stance. Despite actions contradicting the party’s core principles and general convention decisions, no clarifications have been provided by involved parties, according to the faction. The party has weakened and disputes have intensified since the last election.

Blaming leadership weaknesses for eroding public trust, the faction noted that 97 percent of the party’s candidate deposits were forfeited. Although the party received 330,684 votes in the proportional representation segment, only one candidate won directly. RPP party spokesperson Gyanendra Shahi won from Jumla directly, while Khushbu Oli, Tahir Ali, Bharat Giri, and Saraswati Lama entered parliament via proportional representation.

Issues such as arbitrary disciplinary actions, disregard for youth leadership, unilateral decisions, and failure to adhere to the party constitution were highlighted by the dissatisfied faction. They have also expressed concern that some leaders affiliated with Ravindra Mishra’s faction have not been updated on the Election Commission’s records.

“The Election Commission remains unaware of which central members have joined or left, or which parties and groups have merged. Founding leaders and activists have repeatedly tried to ensure constitutional compliance, but leadership remains uncorrected,” they said.

The faction noted that the founding leadership’s lack of cooperation in the monarchy restoration movement necessitates the formation of a new political force. They accused Chairman Lingden of undermining pro-monarchy movements and pointed out that no proposals supporting constitutional monarchy were tabled in parliament. The faction cited specific dates, including March 29, 2025 (Chaitra 15, 2081 in Nepali calendar) at Tanku and previous protests in May, where they accused Lingden of opposing pro-monarchy initiatives.

The faction has also urgently demanded a party general convention. Although the Central Committee decided to hold the convention within June, the exact date has not been set. The faction has continuously opposed disciplinary actions, describing them as reckless and constitutionally non-compliant. Leaders including Vice Chairman Mukundshyam Gir, Sagun Lawati, and Dhansur Shahi have faced unconstitutional disciplinary measures. Dissatisfaction increased after the removal of Disciplinary Committee Coordinator Navaraj Subedi.

Vice Chairman Dilvikas Rajbhandari and Central Member Suresh Acharya were removed from their posts amid allegations of sabotaging candidates. Former chairmen Pasupati Shamshere Rana, Prakashchandra Lohani, and Kamal Thapa have appealed through a statement for members not to abandon the party. According to them, the date for the party’s general convention has been fixed by the Central Working Committee, and members are urged not to doubt that it will be held as scheduled.

The Rastriya Sadbhavana Party led by Anil Jha has merged into the Nepali Congress. Following party regulations, the Nepali Congress has appointed Anil Jha, who resides in Rautahat, as a member of its Central Working Committee. Kathmandu, 17 Jestha – Anil Jha, who facilitated the merger of the Rastriya Sadbhavana Party into the Nepali Congress, has been inducted as a central member. Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa appointed Jha, a resident of Rautahat, to the Central Working Committee in accordance with Article 4 of the party’s statute. The Sadbhavana Party under Jha’s leadership officially merged with the Congress on the same day. Previously, in the election held on 21st Falgun, Jha had been nominated by the Congress as a candidate from the Rautahat-1 constituency but lost.