KATHMANDU, March 26:   The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has said it accords top priority to Nepal for investment. A visiting high-level delegation from the AIIB said this during a meeting with Finance Minister Barshaman Pun, according to the Minister's Secretariat.

The Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track project has long been hailed as a game-changer for Nepal's infrastructure development, promising to drastically reduce travel time between the capital city and the southern plains. The recent revision of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), resulting in a reduction of both cost and length of the road project, is undoubtedly a positive step forward.

KATHMANDU, March 23: Minister for Urban Development, Ram Kumari Jhakri has said that the ministry should not invest in structures including view towers in the upcoming budget. She further added that there is no need to include unnecessary expenditures in the budget.

Encroachment, irrational infrastructure development, and anthropogenic activities have all contributed to the degradation of Nepal's wetland region.

KASKI, Jan 17: The preliminary task of expansion and up-gradation of the Prithvi Highway that connects tourism city Pokhara with federal capital Kathmandu has begun with the cutting down of trees. With a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Mugling-Pokhara road project has advanced its works as part of its plan to expand the existing two-lane to four-lane road and improve the quality.

KATHMANDU, August 30: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) will spend around Rs 6 billion on infrastructure development.

KATHMANDU, April 19: The Non-resident Nepali Association (NRNA) launched a Rs 10 billion fund that aims at generating capital to invest in Nepal’s mega infrastructure development.

KATHMANDU, Jan 6: A study has been forwarded for the construction of flyovers at three places in the Kathmandu Valley.

HETAUDA, March 8: The Bagmati state government has planned Rs 3 billion-budget for the tourism promotion with infrastructure development in the current fiscal year.

Govt increases tax net

February 27, 2020 19:00 pm

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The government has made a slight revision in the tax imposed on infrastructure development.

Message from Arun-3 Financial Closure

February 24, 2020 10:23 am

The 900MW Arun-3 Hydropower Project accomplished its key milestone—Financial Closure (FC) on February 6, 2020. A consortium of seven banks, including two Nepalese banks—Nabil and Everest—put a total of NPR 101 billion to the project, which has the total investment of approximately NPR144 billion. With the FC, the project has guaranteed its financial capability and we will witness its commercial operation by 2023 given any technical hitches don’t stall its construction. Arun-3 has become the largest project in terms of capacity and investment in Nepal.

DHANGADHI, Feb 10: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has prepared a 20-year master plan to upgrade Dhangadhi Airport into an international airport.

KATHMANDU, Feb 6: The government invested a total of Rs 89 billion in airport infrastructure development and acquisition of land for airports across the country over the past two and half years.

Vision for 2020 and beyond

January 14, 2020 08:26 am

The last decade(s) was a decade of great disillusionment for Nepal. Petty politics reigned supreme and issues of development took a backseat. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that all the social progresses Nepal has made thus far—decreased infant mortality rate and progress on education, maternal health etc—have been despite the government, not because of it. But the 2020s presents an opportunity for Nepal to right its wrongs and chart a new way forward to ensure economic prosperity for all.

Failing to spend

January 14, 2020 08:15 am

When the government fails to speed up infrastructure development, it could mean three things. One, the government has not been able to manage fund for development, meaning there is little capital to spend. Two, the government has enough money to spend but it has no proper plans for the same. Three, the government has commitment for speeding up capital spending process but the procedural hurdles are way too many or our bureaucracy is too lethargic. But in either of three cases, it is the government or the people in the government who are responsible. Nepal’s story has been that, despite being a struggling economy, we somehow manage funds for development but we simply fail to spend. Here is the irony, the irony that is making the mockery of capacity of almost every government, of federal democratic Nepal that needs to be sorted out once and for all.

KATHMANDU, Nov 20: The government spending on development works was recorded 6.05% of the allocated budget in the first four months of the current fiscal year, revealing low spending capacity of the government in the construction of infrastructure despite its repeated commitments to spearhead economic prosperity.

KATHMANDU, Nov 12: The government has asked local units to prepare master plan for infrastructure development in 100 potential tourist destinations across the country.

KATHMANDU, Sept 13: It is an opportune time to put in place mechanisms to mobilize private sector solutions for infrastructure development in Nepal, a new World Bank assessment has concluded.

RUPANDEHI, June 18: Aligning the major focus of budget towards agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure development, Province 5 has set an ambitious goal of achieving eight percent growth rate.

JANAKPUR, June 18: The government of Province 2 has prioritized infrastructure development, irrigation and education sectors in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year – FY2019/20.

KATHMANDU, March 28: Investors have said that Nepal has high potential in an emerging market for infrastructure development.

Nepal, China agree to expedite past deals

December 14, 2018 08:03 am

KATHMANDU, Dec 14: Nepal and China have agreed to expedite the implementation of past agreements and understandings and prioritize projects under bilateral co-operation.