Nepal Government Raises Pay for ECD Facilitators, School Staff and Grant Teachers
Cabinet approves 11 major decisions, including Japanese assistance for Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal-Saudi air service agreement and participation in UN General Assembly
KATHMANDU / The Nepal government has decided to increase the salaries and federal grants provided to Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilitators, school employees, support staff and teachers working under federal teaching assistance programs in community schools.
The decision was among 11 major measures approved by the Cabinet at a meeting held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, covering education, civil aviation, international relations, disaster preparedness, financial legislation and senior government appointments.
Under the new arrangement, the federal government will increase the monthly remuneration grant for ECD facilitators, school employees and school support staff by Rs 5,000.
An ECD facilitator who previously received Rs 12,000 per month from the federal government will now receive Rs 17,000. The monthly payment for school support staff will rise from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, while employees handling school accounts will receive Rs 20,000, up from Rs 15,000.
The government has also raised the salaries of teachers working under the federal teaching assistance grant program. Secondary-level teachers will now receive Rs 48,058 per month, up from Rs 43,669, while basic-level teachers will receive Rs 38,203, compared with Rs 34,730 previously.
The salary increases are expected to create an additional annual financial burden of approximately Rs 4.69 billion for the government.
Education and Sports Minister and government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel described the decision as an important first step toward addressing the long-standing concerns of ECD facilitators and school employees who have worked for years on relatively low salaries.
Japan to Support Air Traffic Control Upgrade
The Cabinet also approved the acceptance of approximately Rs 2.73 billion in grant assistance from the Government of Japan for a project aimed at upgrading air traffic control and related systems at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Japan, mainly through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has supported Nepal’s civil aviation sector for years, including communications, navigation, surveillance and radar systems.
Modernizing air traffic management is considered especially important for Nepal because of its difficult terrain, changing weather conditions and increasing air traffic.
Nepal to Join Border Management Talks With India
The government decided to send a Nepali delegation led by a joint secretary from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the 14th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Working Group on Border Management, scheduled to be held in India on Bhadra 4 and 5.
The two countries regularly discuss issues related to their open border, including cross-border movement, security, smuggling, transnational crime and local border-management challenges.
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center to Establish Sub-Center in Nepal
The Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a sub-center of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in Nepal.
As Nepal remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, landslides, wildfires, glacial lake outburst floods and other natural disasters, the center is expected to contribute to disaster preparedness, risk reduction, training, research and regional coordination.
Foreign Minister to Lead Delegation to UN General Assembly
The government approved Nepal’s participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the delegation to be led by the foreign minister.
Nepal-Saudi Arabia Air Service Agreement Approved
Another major Cabinet decision was to authorize a bilateral air service agreement between Nepal and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement is expected to strengthen the legal framework for expanding direct and commercial air connectivity between the two countries. Air travel between Nepal and Saudi Arabia has become increasingly important because of foreign employment, religious travel, tourism and trade.
Cabinet’s 11 Major Decisions
The Cabinet approved the Software Development and Operation Committee Formation Order, 2083; accepted Japanese grant assistance for air traffic control improvements at Tribhuvan International Airport; approved Nepal’s participation in border-management talks with India; authorized establishment of an ADPC sub-center in Nepal; approved participation in the UN General Assembly; increased remuneration for ECD facilitators and school employees; raised salaries for teachers under federal teaching assistance grants; approved the Nepal-Saudi Arabia air service agreement; authorized amendments to the Payment and Settlement Act and the Citizen Investment Trust Act to be tabled in Parliament; and promoted Kamal Prasad Bhattarai to secretary and appointed him Chief Secretary of the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of Bagmati Province.
The pay increase is expected to provide immediate relief to ECD facilitators and school employees who have long complained of inadequate remuneration. However, broader issues—including permanent positions, social security, employment benefits and long-term career development—remain unresolved.
