Communications Ministry marks notable progress in implementation of 100-point governance reforms agenda

Kathmandu: Most of the programmes run by the Ministry of Information and Communications under the 100-point agenda on governance reforms have been completed so far.

Reviewing the progress of such programmes today, the Ministry shared that most of the planned works, after completion, have entered the implementation phase.

Minister for Information and Communications, Dr Bikram Timilsina, instructed the concerned agencies to swiftly bring the reform-intensive programmes, put forth by the government to ensure easy, transparent, and result-oriented service delivery, to implementation before the deadline. He directed the authorities to take the initiative for immediate solutions by coordinating with the concerned agencies if any problems occurred during implementation.

It may be noted that the government had directed every ministry to identify 10 priority works and develop a plan of action to contribute to the implementation of results-oriented governance management. The Communications Ministry prepared its action plan and submitted it to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers within the stipulated timeline.

The action points set out in the plan are being reviewed in a routine manner, the ministry shared. The committee, formed under the business process reengineering programme to make service delivery effective and result-oriented, have completed their preliminary work.

Reviewing the existing process of the ministry, the committee prepared a report for removing unnecessary hassles and facilitating services. Collections of suggestions to this effect have been completed while necessary processes will be taken ahead if legal amendments are felt to be required, the ministry stated. Most of the indicators of the programme have been met.

Likewise, the ministry has achieved remarkable progress towards staff administration reforms. The ministry has enforced the employees’ code of conduct to minimise fiduciary irregularities, red tape, and indecent conduct towards the service recipients.

However, the key programme to connect the performance of the employees to results has yet to be materialised. The task of preparing objective performance indicators for each post has come to the final stage.

Similarly, a list of training requirements prepared for enhancing the capacity of the employees working at the front desk has been sent to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration after collecting necessary details.

The ministry has also achieved remarkable progress in digital administration and office restructuring. It is expected to make service delivery faster, more transparent, and traceable in the future. Towards citizens’ grievance management systems, the ministry has also completed relevant structural works.

The grievance management committee has been formed, and the ministry is preparing to operate a multi-channel system to register grievance/complaints through phone, mobile apps, portals, and social media.

The plan to transform postal services, listed as the most ambitious programme in the government’s 100-point agenda, into a ‘Government Courier Service’ is also in the final phase of implementation.

So far, postal services have started delivering government documents to individuals’ homes in 62 districts. This service is also expected to begin in the remaining districts within a few days, according to the Director General at the Department of Postal Services.

Similarly, in collaboration with the National Public Health Laboratory, 835 health test samples have been transported from 17 hospitals. More than 553,000 driving licences received from the Department of Transport Management have been sent to the relevant districts, and trials of home delivery are also being conducted in four districts.

An academic certificate transportation programme has also started. However, the national identity card distribution programme could not proceed as the relevant department has not made the cards available.

Likewise, the SIM card distribution programme of Nepal Telecom will only be carried out after receiving the materials from the concerned authorities; it is shared.

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