Kathmandu, October 23
The government will arrange loans of up to Rs 6 million for the chief secretary and secretaries to purchase vehicles.
Under the Directive on Vehicle Management for Government Employees, 2083, the government will arrange loans for employees who wish to buy a vehicle. The government will bear 100 percent of the interest on the loans.
According to the directive, joint secretaries will receive loans of Rs 5 million and under secretaries Rs 4 million.
Section officers will be given loans of Rs 400,000 for a two-wheeler, and gazetted unranked staff Rs 200,000. The loans must be repaid within 20 years.
Employees who obtain a vehicle this way will not be allowed to use government vehicles. However, the directive states that this restriction does not apply to designated post-holders, including chief district officers and chief administrative officers.
Driver facility as well
The directive also provides a driver facility to officials from the chief secretary down to joint secretaries. However, they must choose one of two options: drive the vehicle themselves or hire a driver.
If they drive themselves, they will receive the driver’s basic salary. Other employees will not get the driver facility.
The loans will be available from the Employees Provident Fund, the Citizens Investment Trust, the Social Security Fund or other banks designated by the government. Employees must repay the principal themselves in monthly installments.
The directive encourages the purchase of vehicles assembled in Nepal. To promote electric vehicles, it states that the government will work with the Nepal Electricity Authority to set up charging stations at government offices.
The directive also states that government vehicles will be used collectively. Senior-level employees will get them in that process.
