KATHMANDU, Aug 30: Lawmakers at the Legislative Management Committee of the National Assembly on Saturday agreed to include a two-year cooling-off period for civil servants in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
This provision has gained widespread attention after it was earlier incorporated by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives but was altered without lawmakers’ knowledge when it was passed by the Parliament, allowing high-ranking retired civil servants to be immediately nominated by the government in different positions.
The bill was then forwarded to the National Assembly for further deliberations.
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The cooling-off provision specifies that civil servants will need to observe a two-year cooling-off period before assuming any government or constitutional posts after resignation or retirement.
Tulsa Kumari Dahal, Committee Chairperson said that it was agreed the language of the cooling-off period would be finalized by the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, in consultation with the Parliament Secretariat.
Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Bhagwati Neupane, confirmed in the committee meeting that the government had agreed to include the cooling-off period based on concerns raised by lawmakers. She explained that the provision should apply not only to lower-level employees but also to senior officials, including the chief secretary, secretaries, and under-secretaries.
Minister Neupane said, “This provision must not create difficulties for lower-ranking employees. The cooling-off period should now be a well-established provision in the civil service bill, and it is important to approach this issue with a positive outlook and reach a conclusion.”
Members from the Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialists), and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal all advocated for a two-year cooling-off period. However, the ruling CPN-UML suggested that the period could be shorter than two years.
The bill must be presented to the House of Representatives by September 2. Once passed by the lower house, it will be sent to the President's Office for authentication.
