Kathmandu — Speaker of the House of Representatives Dev Raj Ghimire has said Nepal must assess the progress and challenges of federalism as the country approaches a decade under the system.
Speaking at a program organized by the Nepal Administrative Staff College in Lalitpur on Friday, Ghimire said it was time to evaluate both the strengths and shortcomings of federal governance. “We are entering the tenth year of federal practice. It is necessary to analyze what has worked, what has not, and what needs to be improved,” he stated.
Ghimire noted that federalism was envisioned on the principles of cooperation, coexistence, and coordination, but translating these ideals into practice has been difficult. Centralized thinking, staff management issues, and weak coordination among government tiers remain major challenges, he said.
He also warned against a growing tendency of insisting only on one’s own position, saying such an approach makes it harder to achieve results.
The Speaker said solutions should be guided by Nepal’s own federal experience, while also learning from international practices. “We cannot import answers directly from abroad. Our unique context must guide reforms,” he remarked.
He called on all levels of government to take joint responsibility and emphasized the need for an administrative culture aligned with federalism. The event also featured the release of the second volume of Nepal’s Federal Governance System: Dimensions and Practices, published by the Administrative Staff College.
