Kathmandu, April 23 : The Transparency International (TI) Nepal has called for maintaining accountability, transparency and integrity in the disaster management activities the three tiers governments have been carrying out or are to carry out in future in connection with containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The international accountability watch organisation has demanded that works related to COVID-19 should be made transparent from within the government and the organisations themselves, and to ensure that no action would be taken against the employees giving out information on any irregularity in that connection, TI Nepal said in a press release.
Through the press release, TI Nepal general secretary Mukunda Pradhan called for promoting accountability in the works related to the prevention of coronavirus carried out in coordinated manner by the centre, state and local governments and their subordinate bodies. He also called for transparency in terms of the budget allocated by the three tiers governments as well as the fund collected for the purpose of prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19.
Likewise, TI Nepal has urged all the three levels of government to make the information on the use of these funds and expenses transparent for the general public. Similarly, TI Nepal has demanded that the procurement process for medical equipment and goods as well as medicines related to prevention of COVID-19 should be done strictly following the public procurement process and the Act and the regulations governing it. He also called for respecting the right of the citizens to seek information regarding the works on COVID-19 prevention as well as all the human rights in course of disaster management activities. —
