With Nepal once again on the top list of corruption, the government's good governance policy and commitment are under serious question.

According to Transparency International's latest report, Nepal scored only 34 out of 100 on the Corruption Perceptions Index, placing Nepal among the most corrupt countries in South Asia. Even after the formation of the three-tier government, there has been no significant improvement in effective policies and implementation of corruption control. Government machinery has not been freed from the quagmire of corruption, which has eroded the trust of the common citizen towards the state.

The roots of corruption are deeply buried in politics. Political interference, self-interested decisions by officials, and a tendency to disrupt the legal process have further fueled corruption. Attempts are being made to render ineffective the regulatory bodies like the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. The setting and commission game dominates large development projects, government procurement processes and contracting systems. According to the report of Transparency, Nepal has received only 39 points from the World Bank, 30 points from the World Economic Forum, and 32 points from Global Insight on the scale of governance. All these indicators clearly show that governance in Nepal is not transparent and accountable.

When compared to other countries in South Asia, Nepal's situation looks more miserable. Bhutan leads the region with 72 points, while India and Maldives have the same 38 points. Nepal is stuck at 34 points. In this situation, the tendency of ministers to hide their property details has become a more serious problem. Anti-corruption laws have not been effectively implemented, further reinforcing a culture of impunity.

To reduce corruption in Nepal, the government needs to take decisive steps towards effective policy making, transparency, and ending impunity. It is important to allow the Authority, the Office of the Auditor General and other regulatory agencies to function independently. It is necessary for the government to adopt a strict policy to make financial transactions transparent, prevent misuse of public assets and bring people involved in major corruption cases to justice. If corrective measures are not taken in time, Nepal will continue to sink deeper into the mire of corruption, which will not only spoil the country's international image, but also undermine economic development.

– Santosh Simkhada , Tokyo, Japan