A government’s prime function is to deliver services to its people in time. Issues related to health, education, finance, and transport are its highest priority sectors. Yet, three issues currently facing the country clearly demonstrate sloppiness in governance and just how irresponsible our government has become. These matters related to health, education and economy have their direct bearing on a citizen’s everyday lives. Let us start with the national health insurance program. Commenced in 2016, the program raised the hope that families could receive proper treatment at hospitals by just paying a nominal yearly fee. The program benefited citizens across the nation, particularly the poor, who could not pay hefty medical bills. With hospitals failing to receive their payments, the government’s dues have reached Rs 18 billion. The Health Insurance Board is unable to clear the bills to hospitals as the government has not provided the required funds. It may compel hospitals to turn away patients, making it a question of life and death for ailing citizens. Failing to clear dues is an irresponsible act on the government’s part.
The second issue is the ongoing teachers' strike. Teachers all over the country are protesting for a positive education law that is favorable to both the teachers and the students. They started their protest in February and are now closing schools all over Nepal. This means millions of students will suffer. What is worse, the government has not yet listened to the teachers or done anything to solve the problem. If teachers are unhappy and feel neglected, they are less interested in visiting classrooms to offer the best education, causing a negative impact on the future of students as well as the overall education system. Certainly, the idea of good governance means listening to the people who offer services to the nation—and teachers are one of the most important.
Governance in Social transformations in Nepal
Finally, the government has not appointed a new governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank after the retirement of the governor. This is a grave issue because the central bank regulates the country's money and financial policy. As per law, the government should have appointed a new governor one month before the retirement of the governor, but nothing happened. Political leaders are too busy fighting and trying to divide the post based on political sharing instead of paying attention to bringing in the most able candidate to the key post. When the country is already beset by financial trouble, inflation, and sloppy business activity, the central bank’s inability to find a governor has put the nation’s financial and monetary system in the doldrums. It again reflects the government’s irresponsible nature and our leaders’ self-serving attitude.
These three issues are a testimony that the government—despite having a near two-thirds majority—is not performing to the best of our expectations. They can be anything but good governance, which is the main agenda of the current government. Meticulous planning in advance, listening to citizens, prudent spending of funds, appointing the best candidates to the public institutions, and offering essential services in time are known as good governance. To solve the aforementioned three issues, the KP Sharma Oli-led government must release insurance funds to hospitals immediately, sit down with teachers and address their grudges by passing the right laws, and avoid playing politics as well as stop middlemen from interfering in the governor’s appointment. The government must serve the people and the nation without ignoring any pressing national issue.
