The government has introduced a new provision, allowing ministers to expand their advisory teams and personal secretariats, reversing an earlier decision that had reduced political appointments and capped support staff.

Under a Cabinet decision taken on April 15, each minister can now appoint between three and five advisers (equivalent to secretary level), along with a nine-member personal secretariat.

The directive is being circulated to ministries by Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal for implementation. Officials at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers said the delay in communicating the decision was linked to concerns over possible backlash.

The April 15 decision has not been made public, even though other Cabinet decisions from the past months have been released.

The arrangement applies to 17 federal ministries. Under the formula, ministers can collectively appoint 57 advisers and 153 members in their personal secretariats, in addition to statutory staff already provided under existing laws

A Cabinet document shows that the ministries of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure Development, and Agriculture, Forest and Environment can each appoint up to five advisers, including one at the secretary level. Other ministries are allowed up to three advisers, including one equivalent to the secretary level.

Any additional appointments beyond the ceiling will require approval from the Ministry of Finance based on workload justification.

If each of the 17 ministers appoints nine secretariat members, a total of 153 appointments will be made.

Similarly, the Infrastructure, Energy and Agriculture ministries can each appoint five advisers, amounting to 15 posts in total, while the remaining 14 ministers can appoint three advisers each, allowing up to 57 advisers across ministries.

After the Gen Z movement, the Sushila Karki-led government cut the posts and quotas of advisers and personal secretariats for ministers, deputy prime ministers and ministers for state on September 21, 2025. The posts of personal secretaries for federal and provincial ministers and MPs were also reduced.

The Prime Minister’s Office said it has become necessary to revise the structure and facilities of ministers’ advisers and personal secretariats, taking into account the current workload, coordination and administrative requirements.

To make the performance of all ministries more effective, organised and result-oriented, the number of advisers and personal secretariat staff for ministers has been increased, a member of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said.

The Ministry of Finance had already given its consent to the Office of the Prime Minister on April 7, 2026, to maintain the posts and facilities of ministers’ personal secretariats.

The Prime Minister’s Office had sought consent from the Ministry of Finance to increase the number of advisers and personal secretariat staff based on the nature of ministries, workload and requirements.

Each minister’s personal secretariat will consist of a chief personal secretary, a personal secretary, a coordination and implementation and monitoring officer, a communication and public relations assistant, support staff, two light vehicle drivers and two office assistants, making a total of nine members. According to the decision, the secretariat will include one under-secretary-level official, two officers, two non-gazetted first-class officials and four other staff, including drivers and office assistants.

“The chief personal secretary will be appointed by the concerned minister, while the remaining staff will be appointed by the chief personal secretary,” the Cabinet decision states.

Secretaries and joint secretary-level officials at various ministries argue that the government’s decision to appoint advisers will increase state expenditure without delivering meaningful results. They also complain that the move reflects a lack of trust in the bureaucracy.

Former secretary Gopinath Mainali argued that ministers do not need advisers or personal secretariats.

“The secretary of a ministry is the minister’s most important adviser, and ministers already have an under-secretary serving as their private secretary,” he said. “Why is there a need for additional advisers and personal secretariat staff?”

Mainali said past experience showed that advisers and personal secretariats had not been effective.

“When ministers in previous governments appointed advisers and personal secretariat staff, their attention often shifted to matters outside their core responsibilities,” he said. “They were particularly focused on civil service transfers and procurement contracts.”

Serving secretaries and joint secretaries say the growing influence of advisers and personal secretariat staff in ministries could further weaken civil servants’ morale and deepen mistrust within the bureaucracy.

“Civil servants are the permanent government. Advisers and personal secretaries are not accountable to the ministry or the law, have no authority to sign official documents and do not even have designated offices within ministries. Their presence could create the risk of a parallel power structure,” a secretary told Kantipur.

Mainali also said ministers should make better use of existing officials and staff within ministries to improve performance.

“A government elected with a strong public mandate should place greater trust in the existing administrative structure. If that trust is lacking, institutions and civil servants become weaker. It creates a sense of inferiority among employees and encourages ministries and the government to operate on an ad hoc basis rather than strengthening the system,” he said.

Mainali suggested that ministers could instead hire subject-matter experts temporarily for specific assignments when specialised expertise is needed.

The Ministers’ Remuneration and Facilities Act, 1992, contains provisions related to ministers’ private secretariats. It requires the government to provide the necessary staff and resources for private secretaries and secretariats.

Under Cabinet decisions, ministers have been appointing advisers and personal secretariat staff in accordance with operational guidelines issued by the Ministry of Finance. The guidelines specify salaries and other benefits for personal secretariat personnel.

Since the 2006 People’s Movement, successive Cabinets have repeatedly revised these arrangements to suit their preferences, increasing or reducing the number of advisers and personal secretariat staff appointed by ministers.