Kathmandu – The government has begun discussions on shutting down government agencies deemed unnecessary, merging them with others, or transferring them to provincial and local levels. The issue was discussed during the second meeting of the High-Level Governance Reform Commission held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar under the chairmanship of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.

The meeting assigned the commission’s implementation committee, led by Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, to carry out a detailed study and bring concrete proposals based on past reports and recommendations made by various commissions and task forces.

Prime Minister Oli directed the committee to prepare a result-oriented and practical report with clear options within 15 days.

Members of the commission include Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ajay Kumar Chaurasia, and Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagwati Neupane. This was the first meeting since the addition of Nepali Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, UML Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa, and three expert members.

The meeting was also briefed on preparations to present the proposal for functional adjustments among the federal, provincial, and local governments to the Cabinet after its approval by the National Coordination Council.

The commission has been tasked with making service delivery agencies more people-friendly in terms of infrastructure and procedures, ensuring faster and more result-oriented decision-making, removing duplication and delays, strengthening cooperation among all three levels of government, and reforming administrative structures and laws in line with federalism. It will also focus on good governance reforms and work to make the civil service competent, disciplined, and accountable.