Federal government decides to reduce ministries

Kathmandu, May 14: With the main objectives of carrying out administrative reforms, ensuring austerity, reducing unnecessary recurrent expenditure, and making performance more effective and efficient, the government has decided to reduce the number of federal ministries from 22 to 18.

The Cabinet meeting approved the “Government of Nepal (Allocation of Business) Regulations, 2083”, formally endorsing the reduction in the number of ministries. According to Deepa Dahal, Press and Research Advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, the government has kept the following ministries unchanged: Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Likewise, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; and Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation have also remained unchanged.

Prioritizing technology and innovation, the government has separated science and technology functions from the former Ministry of Education and established a separate Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, which will also oversee newly added innovation-related matters.

The 18 Ministries are:

1. Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

2. Ministry of Finance

3. Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies

4. Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation

5. Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

6. Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment

7. Ministry of Home Affairs

8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

9. Ministry of Infrastructure Development

10. Ministry of Land, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration

11. Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Security