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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

Nepal government to cut 1,800 civil service posts in bureaucracy overhaul

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The government plans to cut approximately 1,800 civil service positions as part of a major restructuring to make state administration leaner and more efficient.
  • These planned reductions follow a government-wide survey and align with Prime Minister Balendra Shah's agenda to reform the civil service, reduce costs, and streamline operations.
  • The Cabinet has already reduced the number of federal ministries to 18, and the proposed cuts, representing about 3.5% of the workforce, are awaiting final approval after ministry reviews.

Nepal's government is set to eliminate around 1,800 civil service jobs in a significant overhaul aimed at creating a more efficient and cost-effective state administration. This move is a key component of Prime Minister Balendra Shah's governance reform agenda, which prioritizes administrative restructuring and fiscal discipline.

The planned reductions stem from a comprehensive Organization and Management (O&M) survey conducted across all ministries. The federal government currently employs about 52,000 people. Officials indicate the proposed cuts will affect roughly 3.5% of this total workforce, though the exact number will be finalized once all ministries complete their reviews of revised staffing needs.

The restructuring is already underway, with the Cabinet having reduced the number of federal ministries to 18 in mid-May. Ministries were subsequently instructed to identify staffing requirements based on their new responsibilities. The government aims to make the civil service structure less cumbersome and more efficient, as highlighted in the finance minister's budget presentation.

Revised organizational structures and staffing levels were approved by the Cabinet in mid-July. These proposals are now undergoing review by the Prime Minister's Office before final approval by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration. A joint team is working to finalize the remaining structures, with some ministries needing an additional week to complete their O&M report reviews. The cuts will notably reduce ten secretary-level positions and 45 joint secretary positions across various service groups.

Overall, around 1,800 posts are expected to be cut.

— an official involved in the processAn official involved in the restructuring process confirmed the expected number of job cuts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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