The government has prepared a blueprint for restructuring ministries. According to the proposed plan, there will now be 17 ministries at the federal level.
Under the proposed structure, some ministries will be merged, some are slated for dissolution, and others will be renamed.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane said that discussions are ongoing about merging ministries with overlapping functions, such as Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Urban Development, and Water Supply.
“Various commissions have previously recommended reducing the number of ministries, suggesting a range of 15-18. The RSP has also emphasized reducing the number of ministers in its manifesto, and extensive discussions have taken place on this. We are close to reaching a decision,” he said while speaking to journalists on Sunday.
Lamichhane added that the restructuring is being guided by the principle of merging ministries with similar functions.
According to the proposal, the current Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development will be restructured by merging the ministries of agriculture, land, and cooperatives. The new name proposed is Ministry of Agriculture and Land Management.
The scope of the existing Ministry of Forests and Environment will be expanded and it will be renamed Ministry of Forests, Environment, and Climate.
The ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Defense, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Foreign Affairs will remain unchanged.
Youth affairs will be separated from the current Ministry of Youth and Sports. A new ministry combining youth, labor, and employment is proposed.
The social security function will be separated from the current Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, said a source at the prime minister’s secretariat.
A new Ministry of Gender Affairs and Inclusion is also proposed, combining women’s affairs and potentially social security.
According to the proposed restructuring, the ministries of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Urban Development, and Water Supply will be merged into a new Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
The current Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration will no longer exist as a separate entity; its functions will be moved under the Prime Minister’s Office. Human resource management will also be integrated there.
The scope of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply will be expanded by replacing “supply” with innovation. It will be renamed Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Innovation.
The Ministry of Education will incorporate sports, while science and technology will be removed from its scope.
Previously, in 2019, the then government had formed a high-level administrative reforms implementation and monitoring committee led by Kashiraj Dahal.
In its 250-page report, the committee had recommended limiting the number of federal ministries to 15, dissolving many structures deemed unnecessary and merging others.
The proposed ministries included the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; the Ministry of Finance and Planning; the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies; the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs; the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives; the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Forests and Environment; the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport; the Ministry of Women, Children, Labor, Employment, and Social Security; the Ministry of Defense; the Ministry of Education, Science, and Communication; the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Civil Aviation, Youth. and Sports; and the Ministry of Health and Population.
Currently, there are 21 ministries at the federal level, while the present Cabinet consists of 15 members.
Prime Minister Balen Shah is personally overseeing the Ministries of Defense and Home Affairs.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sunil Lamsal is also handling the Urban Development portfolio.
Minister Pratibha Rawal is responsible for the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, as well as Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation.
Sasmit Pokharel is handling the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, along with Youth and Sports.
Gita Chaudhary is in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, as well as Forests and Environment.
