KATHMANDU: The government has prohibited employees from engaging in share transactions during office hours after it was discovered that many were involved in trading instead of serving the public effectively. The move follows concerns about reduced service quality due to employees' focus on personal investments during working hours.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) conducted a monitoring operation after receiving oral and written complaints, particularly focusing on employees within Singha Durbar, Nepal’s Central Government Secretariat Complex. The employees were found prioritizing share market activities over their official duties.

Following the monitoring, the CIAA wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on September 6, urging action to prevent this misuse of office time. The Prime Minister's Office responded by calling for all concerned entities to enforce a ban on operating Trading Management Systems (TMS) during office hours.

Instructions have been issued to ministries, commissions, secretariats, and the Chief Secretary. The Chief Ministers and Office of Council of Ministers of all seven provinces were also informed, emphasizing that it is inappropriate for employees to engage in private share transactions during work hours.

The government has requested all offices to ensure that TMS platforms are not used during office time. Additionally, a monitoring system leveraging information technology is to be implemented to track whether employees are abiding by the new rules.