MP Prakash Singh Karki Opposes Merger of Government Bodies

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress MP Prakash Singh Karki has opposed the government's decision to merge two government bodies with different objectives and legal structures. Speaking in the House of Representatives meeting on Monday, MP Karki stated that the scope and nature of 'Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee' and 'Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company Limited' are completely different. According to MP Karki, 'Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee' is a statutory and specialized institution established to develop Nepal's intermodal transport system based on the technical study of the World Bank. On the other hand, Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company is a commercial company wholly owned by the government. 'The objectives and legal status of these two institutions are different, merging them is not logical,' he said. Karki argued that solving the managerial, commercial, and strategic challenges within Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company is not by merging it with another institution. He said, 'If there are problems in the company, it should be strengthened through necessary reforms and consolidation, not by merging it in a way that destroys the specialized institution.' MP Karki questioned whose 'personal interest' this decision is based on. He said, 'For whose personal benefit is the government taking such a step? The merger of two institutions without consulting stakeholders and without necessary study should be stopped.' MP Karki demanded that the cabinet's decision be immediately reconsidered, and a decision be made only after an independent study of the legal, technical, and economic aspects of both institutions and after consulting with the relevant stakeholders. He demanded that the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee be strengthened as Nepal's specialized intermodal transport development authority and that Nepal Transit and Warehouse Company Limited be made capable through commercial reforms.