President Ramchandra Paudel presented the Nepal Government’s policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 to the joint session of the federal parliament on Friday.
The President addresses a joint sitting of both Houses of the Federal Parliament after the commencement of the first session of each year, according to Article 95 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.
The highlights of the President’s address have been presented below:
Governance
- The government is committed to strengthening the constitution and the federal democratic republican system and countering any regressive, monarchist, or anarchist activities against it.
- A commitment is made to review the constitution, strengthening its positive aspects and correcting shortcomings seen during implementation, based on consensus to advance the amendment process.
- A key focus is on economic-social transformation towards socialism based on democratic values, prioritising political stability and policy consistency.
- The Prime Minister’s office aims to function as a Centre of Excellence for effective public service and development administration.
- A zero-tolerance policy against corruption will be implemented. Transparency and accountability in government bodies will be increased.
- The government is committed to fully complying with international standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing by 2083 BS (approx 2026).
Economy and Employment
- The government aims to achieve rapid economic development and create employment opportunities through cooperation among the public, cooperative, and private sectors.
- Entrepreneurship will be developed to create internal employment opportunities.
- The coming decade will be declared the “Decade of Domestic Employment.”
- Foreign employment will be made safer, dignified, and regulated.
- Mandatory social security is being implemented across various employment sectors, requiring companies, organisations, and cooperatives to include workers in the Social Security Fund and submit proof of regular contributions during registration renewal.
- Structural transformation of the tax system is planned to enhance industrialisation, investment, and economic competitiveness.
- The government plans to operate commercially viable but currently dormant industries.
- Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial areas will be prioritised and operated/expanded under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Education and Human Resources
- The government aims to make school education accessible, high-quality, and life-oriented. University education will be made research-oriented.
- A policy of “Entrepreneurship-friendly Education” will be adopted to address the skills gap. Curriculum, learning, and teaching methods will be reformed.
- The “Earn While You Learn” policy will be implemented for students at Bachelor’s level and above, allowing them to work up to 20 hours a week for a fixed minimum wage.
- National standards for private schools will be issued, and the teacher qualification system will be reviewed and reformed.
Health
- Healthcare access and quality will be enhanced through infrastructure expansion and balancing the ratio of service providers to recipients.
- The health insurance system will be strengthened and its scope expanded. Services for serious diseases are planned to be included in the insurance coverage.
- The government is working towards linking basic and essential medicines provided by the state to the health insurance system to reduce the burden on the insurance system.
- All government hospitals will be integrated into a single online service via the Nagarik (Citizens) App.
Agriculture
- Agriculture will be modernised (with mechanisation and specialisation) to achieve self-reliance in agricultural products. A strong ecosystem will be established for farmers, including access to land, inputs, insurance, purchase agreements, and markets. Youth will be attracted to agriculture.
- The government aims to promote organic farming and regulate chemical inputs. Work is planned towards establishing a fertiliser factory.
- Conservation of agricultural land, utilisation of barren land, and promotion of land consolidation and contract farming will be encouraged.
- The government will determine minimum support prices before planting crops and conduct advance purchase agreements after planting for commercial farming.
- Subsidies in the agricultural sector will be ensured to benefit actual farmers.
Environment and Climate Change
- Sustainable management of forests will be promoted.
- Significant attention will be given to climate change adaptation and mitigation, including increasing access to international climate finance.
- Nepal is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Infrastructure and Digital Transformation
- Development of physical infrastructure, including roads, railways, and water transport, is a major focus to stimulate economic growth.
- There’s an emphasis on modern infrastructure like tunnels, flyovers, and overpasses.
- Public-private partnerships (PPP) will be promoted for large projects and special economic zones.
- Digital transformation is a key strategy. Plans include upgrading the land information system, developing a digital economy, operating Nepal’s own satellite, and effectively implementing the Digital Nepal Framework.
- The Citizen App will be improved to link public services and government hospitals.
Security
- Strengthening national security, border security, and controlling crime are highlighted.
- The national identity card will be used as a basis for public service delivery.
Federalism and Coordination
- The government seeks to strengthen the federal system by improving coordination, cooperation, and collaboration among the three levels of government.
- A unified project bank system will be implemented to avoid duplication in development programs across the three levels.
