PM Balen Shah Puts Ministers On Performance Agreements: Will Written Targets Bring Clearer Accountability And Results?

KATHMANDU | AUGUST 19, 2026

Ministers Sign Performance Agreements With PM

Prime Minister Balendra Shah signed performance agreements with ministers at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar on Wednesday. The agreements set out major work and expected achievements for the current fiscal year, with a focus on good governance, social justice and prosperity. The purpose is to make government work more results-focused and create clearer responsibility for what ministries are expected to deliver. This comes as Shah's government continues to stress governance reform and measurable performance after making administrative reform and better public services key priorities of its first year.

Key Ministers Sign The Deal

The agreements were signed with Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Home Minister Sudan Gurung, Law Minister Sobita Gautam and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Mahabir Pun. Ministers responsible for women and social security, land and federal affairs, health, education, tourism, communications, agriculture and industry also signed agreements with the Prime Minister.

Two Ministers Could Not Attend

Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal could not attend because of illness, while Youth, Labour and Employment Minister Ramji Yadav was unable to participate because he had to attend Parliament. Chief Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki also signed a performance agreement with Prime Minister Shah. The Prime Minister's Office currently lists Karki as Nepal's Chief Secretary.

Why Performance Agreements Matter

A performance agreement is meant to turn broad government promises into clearer responsibilities that can be reviewed later. Nepal's governance policies have previously called for performance agreements to become more objective and measurable, reflecting a wider effort to connect government responsibilities with actual results. For Shah's government, the agreements are particularly important because it entered office promising governance reform, better public services, stronger administrative systems and greater accountability.

Government Performance Under Attention

The agreements also come at a time when the government's performance has faced public and political scrutiny. Recent reporting has pointed to concerns within the ruling side about the performance of some ministers, while Prime Minister Shah has instructed ministers to focus more strongly on addressing public concerns. Finance Minister Wagle has separately argued that government leaders and ministers must remain accountable to the public as well as their political leadership.

The Bigger Question Is Delivery

Signing an agreement creates a written commitment, but its real value will depend on what happens next. The important questions are whether each ministry's targets are measurable, whether progress will be regularly reviewed, and whether the public will be able to see which commitments were completed. If the agreements are followed by transparent monitoring, they could provide a clearer way to judge ministers by results rather than promises.