Five government officials bag Integrity Icon Award 2019

Five government officials were awarded Integrity Icon-2019 by Accountability Lab Nepal at a public event yesterday.
The officials, who have been honoured for their integrity are, section head under the Ministry of Forest and Environment’s Project Facilitation Section Gyanendra Kumar Mishra, food investigation officer at Department of Food, Technology and Quality Control Iswar Subedi, chief administrative officer of Chulachuli Rural Municipality in Illam Kajiman Rai, a teacher at Shree Bhanu Secondary School in Dhumsichaur of Tanahun Prem Bahadur Darai and senior Auxiliary Nurse Midwife at Mugu District Hospital Punya Prabha Devkota.
The award was handed over by chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Anup Raj Sharma, according to the Accountability Lab, which is an organisation that works to strengthen accountability system in various countries.
Congratulating those who had received the awards, Sharma said awards like Integrity Icons will be instrumental in promoting integrity. “When we look back into history, we can observe that people with integrity have always been the real change makers,” he said, adding that he looks forward to seeing these icons continue their journey of being change agents in public service.
Accountability Lab has been organising this global campaign every year since 2014.
The chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Accountability Lab Nepal Narayan Adhikari, on the occasion, said that the time has come to empower young local leaders, who could lead the new generation and make them responsible leaders.

Government rolls back 13 per cent tax on internet fee

The government today rolled back its decision to raise internet fees by 13 per cent from 11 per cent.
This is the second time the government has rolled back its decision – announced in the budget for the current fiscal year – after West Seti. The government had – against the agreement between the Chinese company and Investment Board of Nepal – in the budget for the current fiscal year claimed to construct West Seti on its own. However, the Chinese government protested claiming that it is going to construct the hydropower project as the agreement has not yet been terminated. The government through the investment board – which has the Prime Minister as its chair – rolled back the decision to construct on its own and reassured China that the hydel project will be constructed by the Chinese company as according to the agreement.
Likewise, the government rolled back the decision to hike tax on internet fee after a meeting between the internet service providers and Ministry of Industry and Communications today.
The internet service providers will not charge additional 13 per cent tax levied by the Nepal Telecom (NT) now, according to the agreement. "They will pay the telecommunications service fee to the government from the amount they have been charging to the customers."
The agreement will be implemented for those customers, who have been taking the service only for home service. The corporate customers, however, still have to pay the 13 per cent tax, though the internet is not the end product and is a tool that could boost the productivity and also profit, which will be returned back to the government. The government will get more benefit, if it decreases the tax than increase.
The government earlier had formed a committee comprising internet service providers, Nepal Telecom (NT) and ministry officials.

Accountability Nepal to strengthen capacity of Office of Auditor General

'Accountability Nepal' has been officially launched, here today, aiming at  strengthening the Office of Auditor General.
Experts during the launch of 'Accountability Nepal' shared their ideas on strengthening financial audits, performance audits, and highlighted the efficient management of public resources.
"Effective implementation of the Auditor General's annual report is a must for government accountability," said acting auditor general Bimala Subedi, inaugurating the programme.
Every year, the Office of Auditor General publishes the audit report of government agencies, public entities and local government bodies. "The report is handed over to the head of the state, who then sends it to the Parliament," she said, adding that Public Accounts Committee (PAC), under the Parliament, further scrutinises it for its effective implementation.
"Though effective implementation rests on respective agencies themselves, questionable expenses have been increasing continuously," she added.
Apart from promoting accountability and transparency in public spending, Accountability Nepal aims to improve the quality of audit and its impact within the portals of government and in the broader public sphere, said team leader of Accountability Nepal Anupam Kulshrestha.
Sponsored by Multi Donor Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank, and implemented by Office of Auditor General, the project was started in November 2012, he said, adding that the project will run for 30 months till May 2015. "Cowater International Inc of Canada is serving as project consultant with associates PP Pradhan and Co of Nepal."
The project, a part of the government's Public Financial Management Reform Programme, will also enhance the quality of financial statement audits, upgrade the capacity to conduct performance audits, and enhance the impact of audits.
"It has a target to increase the percentage of financial audits meeting international standards to 70 per cent under the enhancement of quality of financial statement audits," Kulshrestha added. "Likewise, it will help increase the number of in-depth performance audits reported to Parliament annually to three from one on a selected theme, programme, department of the government under upgrading capacity to conduct performance audits."
Similarly, it will give technical support to PAC, enhance audit reporting process, enhance audit follow-up process and software — under enhancing impact of audits — which will help increase percentage of current year audit recommendations implemented to 50 per cent from less than 35 per cent at present, he added.