The Act establishes the legal framework for promoting good governance in Nepal through accountable, transparent, participatory and service-oriented public administration. It defines fundamental principles governing administrative action, including the rule of law, transparency, impartiality, accountability, decentralization, public participation, efficient management of public resources and corruption-free administration. The Act specifies the organization of public administration at central, provincial, district and local levels and allocates responsibilities among ministers, the Chief Secretary, secretaries, departmental heads and office heads. It also regulates administrative decision-making by requiring prescribed procedures, time limits for decisions, disclosure of reasons, transparency in decision-making and measures to prevent conflicts of interest. The Act further establishes mechanisms aimed at improving public service delivery and administrative oversight. These include performance contracts, citizen charters, public hearings, complaint-management systems, governance reform units, monitoring and evaluation committees, annual reporting obligations and provisions concerning delegation of authority, professional conduct and accountability of public officials. It authorizes the use of information technology in government administration, provides for a Citizen App to facilitate access to public services, regulates interactions with stakeholders and civil society on matters of public concern, and requires public institutions and bodies subject to the Act to apply specified good-governance standards in the exercise of their functions.
Népal · 2008-02-06