How successful was PM's visit?

KATHMANDU, April 4: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said his visit to Norway and Finland was "successful". However, interviews with those on his delegation during the six-day visit reveal that the visit was not as fruitful as it is being made out. [break]



PM Dahal has something to show, though.



First, Norway has agreed to help establish polytechnic institutes to ensure higher education to the youths here. Secondly, it is said that Finland would enhance its assistance to Nepal by about 25 per cent from the current level each year, which shall reach about 20 million Euros by 2012.



As significant as these two achievements may seem, however, the PM’s visit has, in reality, failed to address the major issue facing the country – immediate relief from the power crisis.



The prime minister himself had said before leaving for Norway that the visit was focused on garnering support from these Nordic countries in hydropower and wind energy development to address the energy crisis facing the country. However, neither the MoU signed with Norway, nor the high-level talks with Finland´s top political leaders, could bring anything concrete in this regard.



The PM said after his arrival on Saturday that the possibility of generating wind energy has now been put off. "We realized that it is going to be extremely expensive and difficult to transport the supporting equipment needed for generating wind energy to the places like Manang and Mustang," said Om Sharma, the press advisor to PM. "The option has thus been put off by the government.”



Sharma added that no specific agreement was reached between Nepal and Norway on the hydropower development although Nepal requested one hydropower project as a gift project. Out of the three requests – hydropower project, generating wind power and polytechnic institutes – sought by the government of Nepal, Norway only promised to build polytechnic institutes.



The PM´s request, however, to bring the Norwegian-built thermal plant in Biratnagar into full operation has been heeded by Norway government.



Kush Kumar Joshi, president of FNCCI, who accompanied the PM on the visit, said, "It would have been better had the government made better preparation and engaged in better planning before the trip." He, however, informed that FNNCCI has requested both the governments to help enhance technical capability of the private sector.

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