With the formation of a new government in Nepal, a wave of hope and expectation has once again been created among the people. Past experience has shown that a change of government alone will not automatically improve the overall situation in the country. For that, a clear vision, effective policy interventions and strong political will are required.

In this context, ‘good governance’ should not just be a slogan for the new government, but should become the central basis for implementation. Since good governance encompasses transparency, accountability, participation, rule of law and effectiveness, its assurance is a prerequisite for sustainable development and strengthening of democracy. In this article, I will focus on transparency.

The first basis of good governance is transparency. The tendency to hide information still exists in public bodies in Nepal. Although the right to information has been given constitutional and legal recognition in Nepal, its practical implementation still seems weak.

The new government should strengthen the flow of information through digital means and provide citizens with easy access to government decisions, expenditures, and plans. This will help control corruption and increase public trust in the government. The new government should strengthen the flow of information through digital means and provide citizens with easy access to government decisions, expenditures and plans. This will help control corruption and increase public trust in the government. It is necessary to develop a culture of transparency at all levels of the state by prioritizing open data systems and e-governance.

The fact that transparency is the first foundation of good governance is not only a theoretical concept but also the basic foundation of the practical governance system. When the question of transparency arises in Nepal, the first thing that needs to be discussed is the tendency to hide information in public bodies. Although the right to information has been ensured at the law and policy level, in practice, the culture of ‘having to hide’ rather than ‘having to know’ still seems to be dominant. This seems to have created a gap in trust between the state and the citizens.

The constitutional basis for transparency in Nepal is provided by the Constitution of Nepal, 2072. In particular, Article 27 ensures the fundamental right of every citizen to receive information on matters of public importance. To implement this, the Right to Information Act, 2064, has been enacted, which clearly stipulates the obligation of public bodies to provide information.

According to this act, every public body is required to appoint an information officer, regularly publish information, and provide information requested by citizens within a certain time frame. In addition, the National Information Commission has been given the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of this act.

However, in reality, these legal provisions have not been fully implemented. Various studies show that many government offices have not fulfilled their obligation to publish information automatically. There is still a tendency to delay information requests, provide incomplete information, or refuse it on various pretexts. The information management system is found to be weak, especially at local levels. This indicates that transparency is limited to paper only.

The state of transparency is also measured by international indices. According to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International, Nepal has performed moderately in recent years. For example, in recent years, Nepal has been ranked around 100 to 110 out of 180 countries, which shows that there is still a need for improvement in transparency and corruption control. Nepal has also been consistently in the 34-36 range, which is considered weak on a scale based on 100. This indicates a lack of transparency in state institutions and a high risk of corruption.

Similarly, despite Nepal's participation in international initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership, there are challenges in its effective implementation. Institutional capacity building is still needed to translate such initiatives that promote open government, open data, and citizen participation into practice.

Digital services such as the Citizen App, online tax system, passport service, and company registration system are expanding. However, these services have not reached all citizens equally. The digital divide, unequal access to technology, and lack of technical skills have limited their impact. Nepal has made some progress in the area of ​​digital governance. Agencies such as the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and the National Information Technology Center have made efforts to promote e-governance. Digital services such as the Citizen App, online tax system, passport service, and company registration system are expanding. However, these services have not reached all citizens equally. The digital divide, inequality in access to technology, and lack of technical skills have limited their impact.

Open data systems are crucial for promoting transparency. Despite the launch of an open data portal in Nepal, the quality, timeliness, and usability of data are still not satisfactory. Many government data are not updated on time, are incomplete, or are difficult to use. This hinders research, policymaking, and public oversight.

On the other hand, the public procurement system is an area directly linked to transparency. Although the Public Procurement Act 2063 aims to ensure a transparent, competitive, and fair procurement process, in practice there are problems of irregularities, collusion, and political interference. If digital tracking and e-procurement systems can be fully implemented in this area, transparency can increase significantly.

Overall, Nepal is neither completely behind nor ahead in the journey of transparency. It seems to be at a ‘changing stage.’ Although the legal framework is strong, implementation is weak. Digital initiatives have started but are not widespread. There are international commitments but limited impact at the local level. The new government needs to take some concrete steps to overcome this situation.

First, active disclosure should be mandatory and strictly implemented. Second, all government services should be gradually converted to digital platforms and arrangements should be made to provide real-time information. Third, the National Information Commission should be made more powerful and independent and its orders should be implemented. Fourth, it is necessary to implement an open data policy and make all government data standardized and publicly accessible. Fifth, programs should be launched to enable citizens to use information.