Kathmandu, Feb. 7
Prime Minister and Chairman of the National
Coordination Council, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', has reiterated his
commitment to be firm in the implementation of federalism.
Addressing the second full meeting of the National
Coordination Council (NCC) held on Wednesday at the Office of the Prime
Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar, PM Prachanda said,
"Chief Ministers have trusted me in the implementation of federalism; with
this trust I will move ahead for the effective implementation of
federalism."
The Prime Minister recalled that although the law
regarding the council was passed in 2018, he held the first meeting in June
last year. "Four years passed without a single meeting. I have taken
initiative to implement federalism by holding two meetings in six months,” he
said.
The first meeting of the National Coordination Council
was held on July 1, 2023.
Informing that he was in constant discussions with the
Chief Ministers of the provinces to implement federalism, PM Prachanda said,
"I feel that this meeting has created momentum. I have hope and trust in
all the Chief Ministers. This is my strength in implementing federalism."
He has assigned responsibility to the Deputy Prime
Ministers for the Federal Civil Service Act and the adjustment of police in
provinces. “Our main task is to formulate federal laws. When the provinces
start serving the people, that will be a good answer to the anti-federalism
elements," said PM Prachanda.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and
Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka said that the implementation of
federalism is a shared responsibility and urged everyone to work with a
collective spirit.
Similarly, DPM and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha
said that the process for police adjustment had progressed and would be completed
in a few days.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Dhanraj Gurung informed that the ministry was working on the creation of
federal laws and assured that most of the federal laws would be passed in the
current parliament session.
The meeting discussed the unbundling and detailing of
the responsibilities of various levels of government and maintained that it should
be made simple, clear and without duplication of responsibilities.
The meeting also delved into the reasons for not being
able to issue the Federal Civil Service Act, which is considered a guideline
for the provinces and local levels while the necessary laws, rules and
standards for the implementation of the list of common rights according to
schedule 7 and 9 of the constitution were discussed.
Although the local government can enact a single
rights law, it has been emphasised that the problems that arise when the 753
local levels enact separate laws should be properly discussed and managed.
The practice of tax collection by making laws has
started at the local level. From the eighth meeting of the Intergovernmental Fiscal
Council, decisions have been made to prioritise development projects and
eliminate duplication, maximise the use of resources, eliminate the duplication
in taxation and create laws necessary for the implementation of fiscal
federalism.
Prime Minister Prachanda has given special priority to
reducing the financial dependence on the association at the provincial and
local levels. He has directed the provincial and local levels to increase their
attention towards the proper utilisation of their resources by exercising the
rights mentioned in the constitution. He emphasised on the need to strengthen
the provincial and local levels by identifying new sources of revenue.
The meeting of the NCC is organised under the
chairmanship of the Prime Minister to ensure coordination and interconnection
between the three levels of the government. The council has members including
Minister for Finance, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs,
Minister for Home Affairs, and Minister for Federal Affairs and General
Administration of the federal government, Chief Ministers of the Provincial
Governments, Leader of the opposition party in the House of Representatives and
the federal MPs appointed by him and seven members from the local levels with at
least three women representatives appointed by the PM.
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