NC, UML agree to reduce ministries in Bagmati

By Rammani Dahal,Makwanpur, Oct. 12: Amid growing concerns about the increasing number of ministries and the financial burden they impose, the Bagmati Province government is preparing to reduce the number of ministries.

The ruling coalition in Bagmati Province, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, has reached an agreement to downsize the provincial ministries. 

A joint meeting of the two parties decided to move forward with the plan to reduce ministries as part of broader efforts to cut down on government spending.

Speaking about the agreement, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Prabhat Tamang, said the meeting discussed eliminating unnecessary government expenditures, including reducing the number of ministries. 

The two parties have agreed to reduce the ministries. It is now up to the government to implement this decision,” said Minister Tamang, who is also the spokesperson of the Bagmati Province. 

Currently, Bagmati Province has 14 ministries, including the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. Along with the reduction in ministries, redundant bodies such as directorates and councils will also be removed.

According to Minister Tamang, the two ruling parties have agreed in principle to reduce at least two to three ministries each from their current responsibilities, depending on feasibility. The government will take the final decision.

He added that the joint meeting prioritised cutting administrative costs and eliminating unjustified and inefficient expenditure. Based on his proposal, the parties have agreed to release only 50 per cent of the grants allocated to organisations in the current fiscal year 2025/26 and just 40 per cent of the budget for seminars, workshops, and similar events.

Additionally, the meeting granted the government authority to reduce inter-provincial visits, drop unnecessary plans and trim the number of non-essential contractual staff.

The meeting also discussed the election of the vacant post of provincial assembly and the resumption of the Provincial Assembly session, which is likely to be held after the Tihar festival.

Among the austerity measures, the contingency fund has also been halved from 4 per cent to 2 per cent.  The overall aim is to cut administrative costs while making government services more efficient.

Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya, former Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama Tamang and CPN-UML parliamentary party leader Jagannath Thapaliya, among others, were present at the meeting.