Finance minister Khanal urges disclosure of ministers' assets

KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Rameshore Prasad Khanal has urged that information on ministers' assets be made public, saying such disclosure would be a good practice. 

He made the remarks during an interaction themed 'Use of RTI in media: Practice and challenges', jointly organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the National Information Commission in Kathmandu on Thursday.

"Although there is a practice of collecting the details of the ministers' assets, there is no practice of making them public," the minister said, calling for reconsideration of that practice. Khanal opined that it would be better if such details were disclosed in the same way Cabinet decisions are made public.

Khanal stressed that the right information and transparency are essential to steer the country's economy forward and argued that the right to information (RTI) was not only meant for journalists but also for all citizens. Noting instances of non‑journalists misusing information obtained through RTI, he observed that citizens could truly be well informed if accurate information reached them.

He further asserted that accurate information is crucial for the proper functioning of the national economy, and that making information public is mandatory to ensure equal rights in business and economic activities.

Dr Kumar Acharya, chairperson of the Press Council Nepal, said the council has consistently been working to implement the RTI and suggested broader discussions among stakeholders to strengthen its application. Dr Suresh Acharya, Chief Information Commissioner, said the commission often receives applications for review where requested information is denied by authorities and that it was working on amending RTI laws that conflict with the Constitution. He echoed Khanal's concern over the misuse of information obtained under the RTI law.

FNJ President Nirmala Acharya said the interaction aimed to assess the current status of RTI use and whether it is being properly exercised, and added that the event also sought to help reduce the spread of false and misleading information. Dr Mahendra Bista, chairperson of Public Service Broadcasting, said seeking information that authorities are reluctant to provide and proactively disclosing it would significantly promote transparency and reduce misinformation.

Former FNJ President Taranath Dahal said 80% of information should be freely accessible while 20% should require formal requests, and urged journalists to pursue information that is hidden so citizens can be well informed.

RTI expert Yakraj Pathak, who presented a working paper titled 'RTI: Media and Practices', observed that despite a prevailing culture of hiding information, the practice of seeking information is gradually increasing. He warned, however, of rising concerns surrounding RTI, including low information seeking, limited public awareness, insufficient exposure of irregularities, inadequate use of information as a tool against corruption, lack of systematic data management and insufficient fact‑based investigative journalism.

Pathak's paper also set out recent figures on RTI use: during the fiscal year 2024/25, 42.21% of RTI applications were registered at local level. A further 21.10% of similar appeals related to education, health and sports, followed by 15.20% in administration and 7.73% in banks and financial institutions.

By RSS