Online Portal Launched to Collect Public Suggestions on Policy, Program and Budget
Kathmandu. The government has launched a “Suggestion Collection Portal” with the objective of incorporating public suggestions into the policy, program, and budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has started the digital platform named suggestions.opmcm.gov.np.
The general public can now submit suggestions online on what issues should be included in the government’s overall policy and budget, including the education budget. According to sources, arrangements have been made so that citizens can easily convey their advice and suggestions to the government.
According to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, citizens can also submit suggestions through the portal for the policy and program that the government is preparing to make public next Monday. The office stated that the platform has been launched to make governance more transparent and people-oriented by incorporating the real needs and original expectations of the public.
The office stated that the portal has been launched in line with Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s main plan to ensure that the government’s policy-making process is not confined only within the administrative sphere, but also values the sentiments and expertise of the general public. The office said that suggestions received through the portal will be reviewed seriously at the administrative level and taken forward for policy-level implementation.
The office informed that the system also includes a “suggestion tracking” feature, allowing citizens to receive information about the latest status of the suggestions they have submitted and the steps taken by the government. Citizens can use the portal through the official website of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to send their opinions and suggestions directly to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
Similarly, the Ministry of Finance has also issued a notice stating that suggestions can be submitted through its website or by letter to make the budget more people-oriented and result-oriented. The ministry has also provided a facility to submit budget suggestions by scanning a QR code.
According to the Constitution of Nepal, 2015, the annual statement of income and expenditure, or the budget, must be made public every year on Jestha 15. In line with this provision, the government has been moving ahead with the budget-writing process.
The Ministry of Finance has formed a five-member budget writing committee under the coordination of Joint Secretary Uttarkumar Khatri and has been continuously carrying out related work. In addition, the ministry has also been continuing ministry-wise suggestions and discussions.
Before the budget is made public, it is customary for the President, on behalf of the government, to present the policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year at a joint meeting of both houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister’s Office has also requested suggestions from the general public for the same policy and program.
The government has announced that the upcoming fiscal year’s budget will be made a starting point for good governance and reform. Sources mention that Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has been stating in public forums that the new budget will break from the past and create a foundation for ensuring governance.
