Sumar calls on Finance Minister Sharma

Kathmandu, Sept 11

Vice President of Compact Operations of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Fatema Z. Sumar has paid a courtesy call to Finance Minister Janardan Sharma on Saturday.

In the meeting, Minister Sharma said that discussions were being held at the political level to facilitate its implementation.

Sumar expressed her belief that the MCC compact would be ratified by the Nepali parliament at the earliest and taken ahead for the implementation.

Earlier on Friday, Sumar had paid a call to Prime Minister and President of Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba at his office in Singha Durbar, and Chairman of CPN (MC) Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda at his residence in Khumaltar.

During the meeting, PM Deuba had informed Sumar that he had continued discussions at the political level to move ahead with the MCC compact.

Likewise, Prachanda said that his party was clear on moving ahead with the MMC Compact with consensus among all political parties in Nepal.

Upon her arrival in the Capital on Thursday, Sumar held meetings with Chairman of main opposition party CPN (UML) KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur and Chairman of the CPN (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal at his party office in Singha Durbar. In the meetings, she had urged them to take the programme forward for the ratification process. She said that the USA wanted to complete the process and implement the project.

The US$ 630 million - $500 million from the MCC and $130 million from Nepal - programme, aims at developing large transmission lines, including Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission facility, and rehabilitate strategic roads.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 12 September 2021.