Kathmandu, January 1:

The finance ministry is appointing the heads of Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse), Insurance Board (IB), Citizen Investment Trust (CIT) and Employees Provident Fund (EPF) on the basis of merit. On Friday, the applicants are appearing at the interviews for the coveted posts.

Five short-listed candidates will be interviewed for the post of general manager of Nepse and an equal number of candidates for the posts of IB head and CEO of CIT. For the head of EPF, four candidates will appear. “It is a professional approach, the ministry is doing it on the basis of merit,” a candidate said adding that politicisation of government entities would not be good for the country’s economy.

Finance secretary Rameshwor Prasad Khanal - during the monthly review meeting today at the ministry - said that the appointment of heads of government’s undertakings under all ministries should be on a professional and merit basis, like under the finance ministry.

The finance ministry today reviewed its progress — specially under Priority one (P1) and Priority Two (P2) - of development projects and implementation of the budget for the fiscal year 2008-09. According to the ministry, it reviewed overall progress in development projects and the implementation of programmes mentioned in the budget. The department of different development projects apprised the finance minister of progress in the projects and various problems they face.

Speaking at the programme, Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai urged the department heads to prepare monthly progress reports and list the achievements in comparison to the same month the last fiscal year.

He also asked them to work whole-heartedly for the fulfillment of people’s dream of prosperity. “To protect the national economy from the global financial crisis and start operation of Hetauda Textiles as soon as possible are some of the priorities,” he said adding that farmers should get hassle-free loan-waiver facility according to the budget. “Action against defaulters should also go hand-in-hand,” he said.

On the occasion, acting governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Krishna Bahadur Manandhar spoke about the action being taken against the defaulters.

Revenue secretary Krishna Hari Baskota said that should be for more effective working procedures for getting better results.