Legalizing Corruption: Prime Minister and Ministers Gain Authority to Set Their Own Salaries

Summary:
The Nepalese government has amended a law allowing the Prime Minister and ministers to set their own salaries through cabinet decisions. The revised act, certified by President Ram Chandra Paudel on August 14, 2025, removes fixed salary amounts previously stated in the 1992 act. Now, the cabinet can decide and publish salaries in the Nepal Gazette at any time.

Previously, salaries were fixed by law: the Prime Minister earned NPR 9,000 monthly, Deputy Prime Minister NPR 7,500, ministers NPR 7,000, state ministers NPR 6,700, and assistant ministers NPR 5,800. However, in practice, a 2021 directive set the Prime Minister’s monthly salary at NPR 94,280 (including allowances), Deputy Prime Minister at NPR 84,640, and ministers at NPR 79,230.

With this change, the government no longer needs to amend the law or issue directives to revise these salaries; the cabinet can make decisions as needed and publish them officially. This gives the Prime Minister and ministers direct control over determining their pay and benefits.

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