Kathmandu, Bagmati Province, Nepal
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah has taken a significant step toward making his government’s functioning more accountable and results-oriented. On Wednesday, during a program held at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, the Prime Minister signed performance agreements with cabinet ministers. The agreements outline key tasks, priorities, and targets to be achieved during the current fiscal year.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the agreements focus on good governance, social justice, and prosperity. The government aims to clearly define the responsibilities of ministries and link their performance to measurable outcomes. Under the framework, each ministry has been assigned key tasks and expected targets.
Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam also signed the performance agreements. All four are key members of Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government. Following the Cabinet reshuffle in June 2026, official Nepalese news sources also confirmed their respective portfolios.
After signing the agreements, the ministers exchanged copies of the documents with one another. The move is being viewed as an effort to strengthen collective responsibility and coordination among ministries. The government intends to establish clear priorities for each ministry and evaluate their performance against predetermined standards throughout the fiscal year.
An important aspect of the program was the setting of performance targets at the administrative level as well. Chief Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki signed a separate performance agreement with Prime Minister Shah. This indicates that the government is seeking to hold not only ministers but also the senior administrative machinery accountable for achieving defined results.
Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s 46th Prime Minister on March 27, 2026. Along with him, the new government and Council of Ministers also took their oaths of office and secrecy.
The Shah government currently faces several challenges, including administrative reforms, economic management, and improving the delivery of public services. In this context, performance agreements could serve as a mechanism to bring greater timeliness and accountability to government operations.
However, setting targets alone will not be sufficient. The real success of these agreements will depend on how effectively and quickly the assigned tasks are implemented and how much impact they have on ordinary citizens. In the coming months, attention will naturally remain focused on the performance of the ministries and the progress made toward the targets outlined in the agreements.
