Following instructions from Prime Minister Balendra Shah, the government has directed all public offices to prioritize local products and services in their procurement processes.
Government Moves to Promote Local Products
The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has sent official letters to all federal ministries, commissions, secretariats, provincial governments, local levels, and even Nepali missions abroad. These offices are requested to give first priority to Nepali goods and services in their buying processes whenever possible.
This new step was started on the direction of Prime Minister Balendra Shah after he recently held consultations with local entrepreneurs and business owners. The main goal of government is to increase the use of local goods and services while fully following the Public Procurement Act, 2063.
Aims of the New Decision
By prioritizing local items, the government want to increase internal production, reduce imports, and promote domestic businesses. This decision will also help protect local skills and create more jobs inside the country.
Now, government offices must use Nepali handicraft items for their meetings, ceremonies, souvenirs, gifts, and decorations. Also, they need to prioritizing domestic products when buying stationery, printing materials, furniture, office decor, construction materials, machinery, agricultural products, and food items.
Quality Standards and Regular Monitoring
However, these domestic goods must meet the necessary standards of availability, quality, price, and safety. All purchases must strictly stay within the limits of the Public Procurement Act, 2063 and other existing laws. Public entities must include this priority for domestic goods right when they prepare their tender and bidding documents.
To make sure this rule is followed properly, the heads of each government office must regularly monitor the purchases. Ministries will also carry out inspections every three months to make sure everyone is buying local goods as directed.
AI Disclaimer: This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. It has been translated with the help of AI. For the best understanding and accurate facts, we recommend reading the original Nepali version.
