Nepal govt to probe assets of political leaders
Kathmandu: The new government of Nepal on Saturday announced that it will set up a committee to investigate the assets of political leaders and high-ranking officials who have held public office from 1990 to 2026.
The government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, said in a 100-point governance reform agenda unveiled on Saturday that a powerful asset investigation committee will be formed within 15 days.
The decision comes at a time when several politicians who have led the government over the past three decades are facing allegations of corruption, with calls for a probe body growing from various quarters.
Perceived corruption among political leaders has been cited as one of the reasons behind the Gen Z movement in September last year, which led to the ouster of the government led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
The first Cabinet meeting of the new government, held on Friday, approved the 100-point governance reform agenda.
The government stated that the committee is being formed to end widespread corruption, concealment of assets, and the culture of impunity in the country.
In the first phase, the committee, operating under the Office of the Prime Minister, will collect, verify, and investigate the asset details of key political office bearers and senior bureaucratic officials who held public office from 2006 to 2026.
In the second phase, the government’s plan states that the assets of major political office holders and officials who served between 1990 and 2005 will be investigated.
To institutionalise anti-corruption efforts, Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank, will establish a digital asset registry within 100 days, encompassing bank accounts, digital wallets, share investments, and other financial activities.
A risk-based indicator system will be implemented, and suspicious transactions will be automatically identified and forwarded to the concerned authorities for investigation, the plan stated.