INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, MARCH 23The National Vigilance Centre has made a 19-point recommendation to the government to control
corruption and maintain austerity and good governance in the public sector.
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In the annual report (2020-21)
recently submitted to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the NVC underscored the need to gradually provide light vehicle driving training to
all employees above the rank of section officers working at the federal, provincial and local levels
It also suggested that the government make provision for recruiting only such persons as officer-level employees, who have acquired driving
licence.
"This provision will help the government maintain austerity by reducing the expenses incurred while hiring light
vehicle drivers," the NVC said
The anti-corruption watchdog has also made recommendation to determine the standard for medals and awards to be conferred by the government
on various personalities.Decisions taken by the government to honour controversial persons without checking and verifying their background
had drawn public criticism in the past.Likewise, the NVC has urged the government to make technical audit an integral part of development
projects, enforce rule of correction in the event of non-compliance by a project as indicated by the technical audit and expand the
anti-corruption watchdog in all the provinces
The anti-corruption watchdog also wants the government to develop a mechanism to share electronic information between the Commission for the
Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the NVC, and bring financial irregularities in the private sector under the ambit of law, in
accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption to which Nepal is a party.According to the recommendations, there is urgent
need for the government to end the practice of attaching special priority to limited number of construction entrepreneurs in a bid to
discourage malpractices in big projects
The government has been told to fix the procurement rate of office items at the central level and allow public entities to procure goods or
materials under the prescribed rate."It will not only maintain consistency in procurement price, but also ensure austerity in the
administrative business of public entities," it said.The NVC has urged the government to initiate stern action against the authorities,
construction entrepreneurs and consultants, colluding with one another for delay and negligence in development activities
According to the NVC, there were instances of collusion between suppliers and pharmacies in the supply and distribution of substandard drugs
and medical equipment due to lack of effective inspection and monitoring by the regulatory bodies."Patients are compelled to pay exorbitant
charge for substandard drugs and medical equipment, which may further deteriorate their health," it warned.A version of this article appears
in the print on March 24, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com