Kathmandu: The government has revealed several significant cabinet decisions, including an extension of the committee deadline tasked with assessing the losses during the Gen-Z protests on September 8 and 9. The committee will now have an additional 30 days to complete its work.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel announced that the government plans to issue identity cards with photographs to the families of the martyrs from the Gen Z protests. These cards will be provided by the Home Ministry to the parents, spouses, and unmarried children of the martyrs. Additionally, the government will observe Gen Z Martyr Day annually on Bhadra 23.
In other decisions, the cabinet has appointed Bhupal Baral, the Revenue Secretary of the Finance Ministry, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Employees’ Provident Fund. The government has also set a new threshold for cash transactions, mandating that any transaction exceeding Rs 500,000 for goods and services must be conducted through a financial institution or banking channel starting January 15, 2026.
The cabinet approved the participation of a Nepali delegation, led by Joint Secretary Shivaram Pokhrel, in the upcoming Nepal-India Joint Working Group on Oil and Gas Cooperation meeting in New Delhi on December 8. Changes have also been made to the remuneration and conditions of service acts for Supreme Court, High Court, and District Court judges.
Further decisions include approving the Nepal Special Service (Twentieth Amendment) Regulations, 2082 BS, and providing $200,000 in aid to Sri Lanka following devastating floods and landslides. The government also granted approval for the Health and Population Minister to attend two significant WHO events in New Delhi from December 17 to 19.
Appointments announced include Prof Gyan Bahadur Thapa to the University Grants Commission, Er. Dipak Shrestha to the Lumbini Development Trust, and Dr Kumar Sharma Acharya to the Press Council Nepal. The cabinet has also approved the Carbon Trade Regulations for 2025.