Kathmandu: The government of Nepal has taken decisive steps to bolster its infrastructure and development initiatives by accepting substantial international financial assistance. The Council of Ministers, in a meeting held on July 28, has approved a grant assistance of 2.8 billion Japanese Yen from Japan for the emergency restoration of the BP Highway, which was severely damaged by recent floods.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the government also accepted a concessional loan from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group, amounting to approximately Rs 18.92 billion. This funding is earmarked for the third phase of the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project. In addition, a USD 120 million concessional loan from the IDA, including USD 86.7 million of shorter maturity, will support the Power Distribution Strengthening Programme (PDSIP). This initiative will also benefit from a Euro 20 million grant from the Government of Germany.
Further, the Cabinet has endorsed a ‘Letter of Exchange’ to amend the Protocol of the Nepal-India Transit Treaty, 2023, authorizing a government representative for its signing. Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, is slated to represent Nepal at the ‘National Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower’ in Paris this September.
Moreover, the Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Parashwar Dhungana, has been granted permission to attend a crucial session on Marine Biodiversity at the United Nations in 2025. The government also announced the promotion of Man Bahadur Karki and Bimal Paudel to significant judicial positions, following recommendations from the Judicial Service Commission.
The government spokesperson, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, stated that Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Gokarnamani Duwadi, will participate in the ‘Care for South Asia Project Completion and Dissemination Workshop’ in Bangkok. Additionally, a Nepali delegation led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will attend the ‘Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries’ in Turkmenistan.
Other key decisions include the appointment of Dhrubaraj Bhattarai as Registrar of the Nepal Engineering Council, theoretical approval for a draft bill amending national youth-related laws, exemptions on salutation costs for climbing activities in Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces, and the appointment of Dr. Ujjwal Chalise as Executive Director of Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital Development Committee.