Kathmandu — Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has proposed a five-point plan aimed at resolving persistent delays and legal complications in Nepal’s infrastructure development.
Thapa presented the proposals through a video message shared on Facebook on Monday, in the context of the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21. He said the Nepali Congress has prepared concrete measures to ensure timely and effective implementation of infrastructure projects.
Legal reform as the first priority
Thapa said comprehensive legal reform is essential. He noted that the Road Act is 48 years old and that regulations related to roads have yet to be formulated. Similarly, the Public Procurement Act is nearly 20 years old.
“Our study shows that unless more than three dozen laws related to infrastructure are amended, revised, or repealed, no amount of public debate will deliver results. We have already prepared a clear roadmap on which laws should remain in force and which should be repealed,” he said.
Improving project selection
As the second pillar, Thapa stressed the need for reform in project selection.
“Problems begin at the project selection stage—sometimes due to political interference, sometimes due to other pressures. Cost–benefit analysis and priority setting should not be left to individual discretion. The law itself must make these processes mandatory. A detailed action plan for this has already been prepared,” he said.
Policy reforms in public procurement
Thapa identified public procurement reform as the third priority. He said existing laws allow not only low-cost bids but also faster project completion proposals to be evaluated, but this provision has not been effectively implemented.
“Based on lessons from India and other countries, we are preparing to introduce best practices suited to Nepal’s context,” he said.
Strengthening governance and transparency
The fourth component of the plan focuses on good governance and transparency. Thapa emphasized the importance of social audits, transparency mechanisms, and strengthening regulatory institutions.
“Infrastructure development is deeply connected to governance. While regulation is necessary, the practice of halting work in the name of regulation must end. Technical evaluations should be conducted by technical professionals, and this system must be strengthened,” he said.
Ensuring financial resources before launching projects
Under the fifth plan, Thapa said infrastructure projects should not be initiated without guaranteed financial resources.
“National pride projects are often announced without proper funding plans. This practice must be stopped through legislation. Public asset monetization, public–private partnerships, and financial models such as the hybrid annuity model practiced in India should be widely implemented,” he said.
Thapa also stressed that while monitoring is necessary, it should not obstruct progress. He called for effective oversight by independent bodies, ensuring there is no room for collusion or irregularities.
“Recently, we have alternated between blaming contractors, civil servants, and issuing unrealistic deadlines, as if development can happen by magic. If this mindset continues, the next five years will also be wasted,” he warned.
Expressing confidence that Nepal can achieve transformative change in the infrastructure sector over the next five years, Thapa said legal reform, institutional capacity building, changes in work culture, adoption of new financial models, trust-based cooperation with the private sector, and improvements in monitoring systems are all essential.
“Projects that currently take 10 to 12 years can be completed within one to two years, with even better quality. Nepal does not need to rely solely on foreign examples—we can become an example ourselves,” he said.
