National Assembly Passes Federal Civil Service Bill

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the much-hyped Federal Civil Service Bill, 2023, which had drawn widespread attention after the House of Representatives endorsed it with changes to the cooling-off period provision.

During the Upper House meeting on Tuesday, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagwati Neupane proposed that the bill, already endorsed by the House of Representatives and sent with a message, be passed by the National Assembly. The proposal was unanimously approved by the Assembly, chaired by Narayan Prasad Dahal, within the constitutional deadline for the Upper House to endorse the bill received from the Lower House.

The passage of the bill restricts civil servants from immediately taking up other government jobs or appointments, as the amended clause bars them from doing so for two years after retirement.

Before the endorsement, Minister Neupane had presented a proposal to hold discussions on the bill along with the Legislative Management Committee’s report. Responding to lawmakers’ concerns during the debate, the minister expressed confidence that the bill would enable the management of civil servants in line with the spirit of federalism.

“The National Assembly has made history today. This crucial bill required for the implementation of federalism has received broad consensus,” Minister Neupane said. “Although years have passed since the country adopted federalism, civil service management had not aligned with its spirit. Now, the uncertainties and difficulties in personnel management will be resolved.”

Lawmakers Gopi Bahadur Sarki Achhami, Gopal Bhattarai, Radheshyam Paswan, Padma Bahadur Pariyar, Bishnu Bahadur Bishwakarma, Renu Chand, Krishna Bahadur Rokaya, and Maya Prasad Sharma took part in the debate.

Earlier in the day, Legislative Management Committee Chairperson Tulsakumari Dahal presented the committee’s report on the bill, stating that it would make administrative federalism more effective. She noted that the bill contains provisions to ensure professionalism, integrity, and commitment among civil servants, while preventing conflicts of interest in policymaking and implementation.

“In particular, it restricts retired employees from taking up other jobs or appointments for two years after retirement,” she said.

According to the bill, the mandatory retirement age will be gradually increased: 58 years in the first year after the law comes into effect, 59 years in the second year, and 60 years from the third year onward.

With its passage by the National Assembly, the bill will now return to the House of Representatives. The Lower House may accept or reject the amendments made by the Upper House before sending it to the President for authentication.

The next meeting of the National Assembly has been scheduled for Monday, September 9, at 1:15 pm. -- RSS