Prime Minister KP Oli has implemented new guidelines for foreign visits by government officials during Monday's cabinet meeting. The move comes in response to recent criticisms and aims to prioritize domestic work and ensure gender representation in official delegations.
The three key directives issued by PM Oli are:
Minimizing foreign trips: Ministers, secretaries, and other high-ranking officials are advised to limit their foreign visits as much as possible, given the current need for focused work within the country.
Shortening trip durations: When foreign visits are necessary, officials are instructed to keep the duration of their stays abroad as brief as possible.
Mandatory inclusion of women: At least one woman must be included in every official delegation, even if the team consists of only two members.
A minister present at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, "It has been decided that even if there are only two people in the tour board, at least one woman must be mandatory." The minister added, "The prime minister has given instructions not to visit as much as possible because it is time to work day and night."
These new guidelines come in the wake of recent controversies surrounding foreign trips by government officials. Some ministers faced criticism for extended stays abroad, and there have been instances of ministers remaining overseas even after leaving office.
Despite the new restrictions, the cabinet approved foreign visits for two ministers during Monday's meeting. Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Damodar Bhandari will attend the BIMSTEC meeting, while Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary will travel to France for the Olympic Games ceremony.
The Prime Minister's office hopes these new measures will improve efficiency, accountability, and gender representation in official foreign delegations while ensuring that government officials remain focused on pressing domestic issues.
