Kathmandu, April 9

A meeting of secretaries, joint secretaries, and departmental director generals and deputy director generals recently held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in the presence of Chief Secretary Somlal Subedi has made various decisions to bring about immediate reforms in bureaucracy.

According to a decision, all departments of the government may now maintain direct contact, coordination and communication with one another on subjects other than those relating to policy. Earlier, one department was required to communicate to its another counterpart through its line ministry and was not allowed to maintain direct coordination and communication.

A joint secretary at the OPMCM said a decision was taken enabling all departments to maintain direct contact with each other for exchange of technical views, inter-departmental discussion for problem solving, seeking data and information relating to a department and dealing with other issues as allowed by existing laws.

However, the departments will be required to use the channel of their concerned line ministry on policy issues. The official said a decision to this effect is expected to strengthen coordination between departments.

“For example, the Department of Revenue Investigation was required to use the channel of its line ministry (Ministry of Finance) and Ministry of Home

Affairs for any communication with the Department of Immigration under the MoHA, making it a lengthy and time-consuming process. Now, the DoRE can directly communicate to the DoI,” said the official.

Similarly, the meeting has decided that director general of the departments shall delegate his/her powers to deputy director generals and other office-bearers as provided in the law.

The meeting also decided not to transfer chiefs of all offices till the end of the current fiscal year to meet the target of capital expenditure.