Kathmandu: The government has initiated an extensive governance reform process, announcing the formation of multiple committees, task forces, and study teams within a month to ensure its work becomes result-oriented, effective, measurable, and accountable.

The move follows the approval of a 100-point governance reform agenda by the Council of Ministers, aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and institutional efficiency.

A key provision under Point No. 7 of the agenda mandates the formation of a high-level investigation committee within a week to probe the incident that occurred on Bhadra 24. The committee will be tasked with collecting and analyzing all relevant details, identifying responsible parties, and submitting a report within a stipulated timeframe. The government has committed to taking necessary action based on its recommendations.

In a major anti-corruption step, the government will form a fully empowered Property Investigation Committee within 15 days under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The committee will include experts from legal, financial, revenue, and research sectors, along with representatives from concerned agencies. It will be authorized to collect, analyze, and recommend actions based on asset records and related documents.

The investigation will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, property details of major political figures and high-ranking officials who held public office from 2062/63 to 2082/83 BS will be examined. The second phase will cover officials from the period 2048 BS to 2061/62 BS. The process is expected to follow legal standards and evidence-based, impartial procedures, with implementation of recommendations through relevant bodies.

The reform agenda also includes forming a high-level task force to review unproductive, overlapping, and financially burdensome boards, committees, and institutional structures. The task force—comprising representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration—will submit its recommendations within one month on whether to abolish, merge, or restructure such entities.

Additionally, a study team will be established within 30 days to address issues related to stalled projects, broken contracts, and unproductive investments. The team will assess project viability and recommend whether they should continue.

Another task force will be formed to conduct an organizational and management survey to eliminate overlapping roles among the Investment Board Nepal, Trade and Export Promotion Centre, and the Department of Industry. It will propose a roadmap to establish an integrated single-window system for investment promotion, export development, industrial growth, and development financing, along with necessary legal and structural reforms.

To address external risks, an inter-ministerial task force led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be formed within 30 days to study the impact of international and regional crises. A separate high-level team will assess the potential economic, labor, supply chain, energy, and social impacts of the evolving situation in Middle Eastern countries. This team is expected to submit a detailed report within seven days, outlining short-, medium-, and long-term policy measures.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has also decided to form a task force to prepare a “Constitution Amendment Debate Paper.” Coordinated by Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s political advisor Asim Shah, the task force will include representatives from parliamentary political parties. It will be formed within seven days under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to build national consensus on long-term political and institutional reforms, including the electoral system and constitutional amendments.

The government stated that all processes under the reform agenda will be conducted in a transparent, participatory, and result-driven manner.