The government has prepared and implemented the 'The Standard to Determine National Priority Project, 2022' in a bid to put to an end to the system of selecting projects without any study and only buying time allocating meagre budget for the same. The standard is determined by the National Planning Commission (NPC).

As per this standard, the criteria for the national priority projects include a readied detailed project report, evidence guaranteeing the investment resource, falling within the scope of the national priority by the current periodic plan, having environmental impact assessment or the letter of approval of the initial environmental impact assessment and the secretary-level decision of the ministry concerned.

All the ministries, including the Ministry of Forests and Environment, should be informed that the projects designated as 'first priority and second priority projects' in the Mid-term Expenditure Structure and the Annual Development Programmes the NPC approves every year are the 'national priority projects'.

If a project included as the 'provincial priority project' is to be determined whether it is a national priority project or not, the recommendation of the NPC member looking after the concerned sector is required if it is recommended along with the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of the concerned province.

Similarly, in case projects designated as 'local level priority projects' are to be determined whether they are national priority projects or not, these projects should be approved and recommended so by the local level Rural Municipality Town Assembly and forwarded to the NPC through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.

After fulfilling this process, the NPC shall determine whether or not such project is a national priority project on the recommendation of the NPC member looking after the concerned topic.

Regarding the projects with a cost of over Rs 100 million to be operated by the NGO sector or the community for social development, the decision of the local level rural municipality executive is required. This should be forwarded through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to the NPC, which will then determine on the basis of the recommendation of the NPC member looking after the concerned topic whether the project is a national priority project or not.

In case approval is sought for using forest areas for the project, the Ministry of Forests and Environment should give the approval on the basis of the recommendation made by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.