KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 2

The National Vigilance Centre has made various recommendations to the government by way of measures to be taken for control corruption, austerity and good governance in the public sector.

A recent report published by the NVC highlighted the need to gradually provide light vehicle driving training to all the employees above the rank of section officers working at the federal, provincial and local levels. It has also urged the government to make the provision for recruiting only such persons as officer-level employees who have acquired driving licence.

According to the NVC, this provision will help the government maintain austerity by reducing the expenses incurred while hiring light vehicle drivers.

The anti-corruption watchdog has also made recommendation to set standard for medals and awards to be conferred by the government on various personalities. The decisions taken by the government to honour controversial persons without checking and verifying their background had drawn public criticism in the past.

Similarly, the NVC has urged the government to make technical audit an integral part of development projects, enforce rules of correction in the event of non-compliance by a project as indicated by the technical audit and expand the anti-corruption watchdog in all the provinces.

The anti-corruption watchdog also wants the government to develop a mechanism to share electronic information between the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the NVC, and bring financial irregularities in the private sector under the ambit of law, in accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption to which Nepal is a party.

As per the recommendations, there is urgent need for the government to end the practice of attaching special priority to limited number of construction entrepreneurs in a bid to discourage malpractices in big projects. The government has been told to fix the procurement rate of office items at the central level and allow public entities to procure goods or materials under the prescribed rate. It will not only maintain consistency in procurement price but also ensure austerity in the administrative business of public entities, the NVC said.

It has urged the government to initiate stern action against the authorities, construction entrepreneurs and consultants colluding with one another for delay and negligence in development activities. There are instances of collusion between suppliers and pharmacies in the supply and distribution of substandard drugs and medical equipment due to lack of effective inspection and monitoring by the regulatory bodies.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 03, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.