There have been many analyses worldwide about the effects and possible effects of Covid-19 in social, economic, cultural, education, and public health sector. Economists have also discussed the multi-dimensional impacts of Covid-19 in Nepal, most of them based on assumptions or available rough data. This article is mainly focused on how this pandemic is going to affect the lifecycle of development projects in Nepal. Generally, large-scale projects pass through five phases: project conceptualization, project planning (feasibility studies), construction, operations, and handover under the project lifecycle.

BEIJING, Jan 19: China’s state planner said on Sunday that it had approved 157 fixed-asset investment projects in 2019, worth a total 1.33 trillion yuan ($195 billion).

Nepal’s ranking in World Bank’s Doing Business (DB) improved from last year’s 110th to 94th, mainly due to the improved scores in getting credit, trading across borders, and dealing with construction permit sub indicators. This news brought much needed joy to the finance ministry beset with the increasing criticism of how it has hitherto handled economy. The finance minister was said to be “giddy”, according to an expatriate living in Kathmandu who met him after the ranking came out, and a news conference was organized in the ministry the next day. The ranking, which had remained more or less constant for more than 10 years (see the graph), suddenly seemed to be moving in the right direction. The ministry officials rightly promised to create a momentum and improve the ranking in the years to come.

KATHMANDU, Oct 3: The government is committed to facilitate business and investment in Nepal, according to Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

KATHMANDU, Sept 27: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nepal have been largely relying on the ancestral property of their proprietors for the initial investment to start their businesses, according to the latest study report of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

Invitation comes as part of campaign by Gandaki Province that is celebrating Internal Tourism Year 2019

BEIJING, Sept. 22: Jin Liqun, the president of China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), said on Sunday that the bank will invest in six projects with 1.09 billion U.S. dollars in countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

When the basics are not gotten right, analysis becomes wonky and the resulting policy misguided. We can then only pray for Lord Pashupatinath to come to the rescue. It is fashionable among the commentariat, the intelligentsia and the political class to sigh in despair over how little of the remittances sent home by Nepalis toiling abroad is saved. If you ask them how they know that remittance receivers do not save much, they are likely to point to either media reports or the survey such reports cite—the Third Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS)of 2010/11.

Nepal’s young democracy requires Nepalis to demand more from themselves and their government instead of falling victim to the allure of progress that foreign aid promises

KATHMANDU, Sept 6: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Padma Kumari Aryal, has urged cooperatives to make investment in setting up industries to boost production.

KATHMANDU, Aug 21: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun, has urged the Japanese government to further invest in Nepal's energy and water resource.

KATHMANDU, Aug 14: Finance Minister Dr Yubraj Khatiwada told the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that Nepal holds a suitable atmosphere for investment.

KATHMANDU, July 29: Almost all the commercial banks in the country are found ignoring Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)'s request to compulsorily increase the investment in the agriculture sector to 10 percent.

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RAMECHHAP, July 16: Concerned authorities of the district have complained that lack of proper business environment in the district has been hindering entrepreneurs from making investments.

Sources of investment lie in our doorsteps but Nepal is still reeling under low investment trap inimical to achieving prosperity through industry and trade

Nepal’s first ‘Smart Film City’ with modern technologies is going to be built by some private companies in Lamjung. Sky Entertainment and World Area Holding (SRL) signed a contract for the film city which spreads on 5,000 ropanies of land on Wednesday amid a special event organized at the premises of Ministry of Communication And Information Technology.

KATHMANDU, June 27: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged the Nepali honorary consul generals based in different countries to pursue economic diplomacy to raise the flow of foreign investment and transfer technology to Nepal to meet the country's priorities of achieving economic prosperity.

KATHMANDU, June 22: To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), there will be an average investment requirement of Rs 2,024.8 billion per year until 2030, according to an estimate by the National Planning Commission (NPC).

KATHMANDU, June 11: The government has urged the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to increase investment in Nepal's energy sector.

KATHMANDU, May 21: With technological advances changing the nature of many jobs and leading to the need for new skills, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for expediting human-centered agenda for the future of work.

KATHMANDU, May 14: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is currently paying official visit to Cambodia, has said that Nepal can learn a lot from Cambodia's rapid economic development.

KATHMANDU, May 7: Bank's lending to service industry has jumped by 18 percent over the first eight months of the current fiscal year 2018/19, reflecting buoyant sentiment among investors on what is called a tertiary sector in the economy.

KATHMANDU, April 29: Nepal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing-based China Overseas Developing Association (CODA) with the objective of promoting bilateral trade, investment and tourism.

BEIJING, April 28: Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, has said Nepal welcomes foreign investment and is committed to protecting foreign investment.

KATHMANDU, April 19: A high-level interaction has been held between a trade delegation led by Taiwan External Trade Development Council and Nepali businesspersons here on exploring avenues for investment and trade expansion.

KATHMANDU, April 19: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Nepal Matrika Prasad Yadav has urged ministers representing different countries to push investment flow in Nepal.

BHAIRAHAWA, April 16: Twenty-seven youth entrepreneurs have teamed up to establish a notebook factory at Parasahawa in Tilottama Municipality-17, Rupandehi, with an investment of Rs 150 million.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an effective instrument for promoting sustainable development in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal. Realizing this fact, the government of Nepal has organized three investment summits so far. First was in 1992 following the restoration of democracy. The investors attending the summit had pledged investment of approximately $100 million, but only around 25 percent of the pledged amount was realized.

Before and even after Nepal Investment Summit 2019, there have been debates for and against such investment promotion event. Some claimed this is not the right time to organize the event when investment-friendly environment is still elusive in the country. Others went to the extent of saying that it would be a mistake to go for such summit without evaluating the achievement of 2017 summit.

Nepal Investment Summit 2019, held in Kathmandu on 29-30 March, was so well attended that the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies couldn’t even find a vacant seat in the opening session of the conference.

HETAUDA, April 8: State 3 government is to organise a conference to attract investors of the country. The State government is going to request the entrepreneurs of private sector for investment by gathering them to encourage them to invest in different sectors of the state.

If Nepal can diversify foreign investment it will contribute to enabling the country to balance regional and global powers and pursue an independent policy

BRUSSELS – When seeking investment capital and seemingly lucrative commercial deals, EU member-state governments do not always consider shared European interests. This has especially been the case with respect to China. Yet member states that pursue a relationship with China unilaterally endanger both themselves and the rest of Europe.

KATHMANDU, March 30: Investors at home and abroad attending the 3rd Nepal Investment Summit have sought full implementation of Nepal government's commitment to put procedural reforms and policies for investment security, while expressing their excitements over favourable environment created for investment in Nepal.

The Republica Business Bureau caught up with investors from different countries participating in the Investment Summit 2019 to talk about their interest areas and plans of injecting investment in the country.

The government of Nepal has organized Nepal Investment Summit, only two years after holding a similar conference, with more than 600 delegates from foreign governments, multinational institutions and companies around the world. Government has showcased 77 projects with cost of US$ 33.6 billion, and the private sector has proposed 17 projects at $1.8 billion, making the conference price tag $36.4 billion.

KATHMANDU, March 28: The Ministry of Health and Population has kept six different hospitals in a ready position considering the health of the delegates to the International Investment Summit 2019. The two-day summit is beginning here tomorrow.

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KATHMANDU, March 18: The Beema Samiti has paved the legal way for insurance companies to make investment in real estate sector.

Nepal must adopt liberal laws and provide much better opportunities than other Asian countries if it is to become an attractive foreign investment destination

KATHMANDU, March 3: Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has sought a number of legal reforms to attract foreign investment into the country from the non-resident Nepali community.

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal has said that it is the best time for Chinese investors to invest in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI)’s Employers Council chairman Chandra Prasad Dhakal has called on employers and investors of the SAARC region to invest in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Feb 3: Back in March 2017, Nepal received foreign direct investment pledges amounting to $13.51 billion and many hoped something big was going to happen in the country.

KATHMANDU, Jan 31: Minister for Finance, Dr. Yubraj Khatiwada, has urged leaders of agriculture cooperative institutions to reduce production cost by increasing the competitive capacity of agro products.

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun, has urged the Japanese government to increase investment in energy and hydropower sector.

KATHMANDU, Jan 23: Stating that the prolonged political transition in the country was over with the successful promulgation of a democratic constitution, Prime Minister KP Oli has urged investors from around the world to pour in their investment in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Jan 18: Some of the individuals whose names appeared in a list of Nepalis with investments abroad have taken exception to allegations made against them.

DOHA, Jan 17: Trade between Qatar and Turkey is expected to have hit $2 billion in 2018, a Turkish official said, up 54 percent from the previous last year and underscoring Ankara’s solidified role as a top ally to Qatar amid a political rift in the Gulf region.