Lower House endorses five ordinances

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 6: The House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed five ordinances out of six introduced by the government in January.  

They included ‘Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2081’, ‘Economic and Business Environment Reform and Investment Promotion Amendment Ordinance, 2081’, ‘Privatisation (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2081’, ‘Ordinance to Amend some Nepal Acts related to the Promotion of Good Governance and Public Service Delivery, 2081’ and the ‘Ordinance to Amend some Nepal Acts related to Cooperatives, 2081’. However, the ordinance related to land was put on hold as Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal, one of the ruling parties, stood against it.

 The five ordinances now await approval from the National Assembly. 

The Lower House approved the 'Ordinance to Amend some Nepal Acts related to the Promotion of Good Governance and Public Service Delivery, 2081’, aimed at promoting good governance and enhancing public service delivery. Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung presented the ordinance on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. 

Minister Gurung, while presenting the ordinance, said that the amendments were crucial for improving governance, streamlining public services and facilitating non-resident Nepalis’ involvement in the country's development.

Despite opposition from seven lawmakers, who argued that the ordinance was unnecessary and bypassed the regular legislative process, the proposal to reject the ordinance was defeated. 

Minister Gurung defended the ordinance, stating that it was essential for the country’s economic progress and the delivery of services, including health insurance. He urged lawmakers to support the ordinance, highlighting that the government had acted within its constitutional authority. 

The House also approved the ‘Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2081’ after a proposal was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel. The ordinance was approved by a majority vote, despite opposition from lawmaker Dr. Swarnim Wagle of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, who had proposed its rejection.

In his response, Minister Paudel dismissed claims that the ordinance diminishes the roles of the Planning Commission and the Natural Resources and Finance Commission. He also reassured that the government was committed to removing Nepal from the 'grey list' and would do so before the two-year deadline. 

Opposition MPs, including Wagle, criticised the ordinance, arguing that it contained policy and procedural flaws. Wagle said that the government had bypassed the parliamentary committee by presenting a bill as an ordinance, undermining the committee’s dignity. He also called for more effective actions against money laundering, urging the government to ensure public bodies are results-driven and to strengthen the economy.

The House also approved the ‘Privatisation (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2081’, with a majority vote. The proposal, also presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Paudel, aims to offer various investment options in public institutions, not solely focusing on privatisation. DPM Paudel defended the ordinance, highlighting the government’s past investments in public institutions, which had not yielded expected results, citing examples such as the Udayapur Cement Factory and Dairy Development Corporation.

Opposition MPs, including Madhav Sapkota and Urmila Majhi, opposed the ordinance, arguing that it prioritises private sector interests over the people’s welfare. Other MPs, including Suryaman Tamang and Metmani Chaudhary, also opposed the ordinance.

Similarly, the 'Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts relating to Improving the Economic and Business Environment and Promoting Investment,' 2081 was also approved by a majority. The proposal presented by Deputy Prime Minister Paudel aims to improve the economic and business environment and attract foreign investment. Despite opposition from MPs, including CPN (Maoist Center) MP Ranendra Barali, who argued that the ordinance favours businessmen, DPM Poudel defended it, stating it would strengthen the economy, create jobs, and improve productivity. The ordinance seeks to amend provisions in the Black-Marketing Act to make them more consumer-friendly. Opponents questioned the legitimacy of the ordinance and its timing.

The House also endorsed the 'Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Relating to Cooperatives, 2081' by a majority. The proposal presented by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari aims to address irregularities in the cooperative sector and safeguard the savings of common savers. The ordinance includes the establishment of the National Cooperative Regulatory Authority and the Savings and Credit Protection Fund.

Opposition MPs also opposed this ordinance, arguing that it was designed to benefit cooperative leaders rather than victims. 

Earlier in the House proceeding, Speaker Devraj Ghimire addressed concerns raised by opposition parties during emergency, zero, and special hours. 

The Speaker directed the government to provide clarifications on several issues, including the performance report of the Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kulman Ghising. 

The lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of various issues, including the slow progress on the Damauli road and inadequate budget allocation for important projects. Concerns were also raised over the government's approach to privatisation, with MPs calling for more transparency and accountability in its implementation.

Additionally, MPs drew attention to a series of incidents, including the attack on spectators at the Prime Minister’s Cup final and the shooting of Raju Lodh. MPs called for investigations into these incidents.

The next session of the House is scheduled for March 6 at 1 pm.