CNI hails MCC’s entry in parliament
Kathmandu, Feb. 20
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has said that the parliament will decide
whether development assistance is needed for the country, and whether it is in
the best interest of the country and people.
"The sovereign parliament of
Nepal alone decides what development assistance is needed in the best interest
of Nepal and Nepali people," it said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement came hours after the
government tabled the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant support by
the United States of America in the Federal Parliament.
The statement was issued in
response to the media queries about the views appeared in various media on the
Millennium Challenge Compact assistance to Nepal.
People have sought the government
position following the statement from the USA and China where the former was said
to be pressurising the government for early ratification of the agreement and
the latter was patronising Nepal saying that 'China opposes coercive diplomacy'
as the USA had urged Nepal to endorse the project by February 28.
The MoFA said that the decision
to accept the development assistance was taken by Nepal in terms of the
national interest and priority. "We sincerely hope for continued goodwill
of our friends," it added.
The Government of Nepal remains
grateful to our neighbours and those friends with whom Nepal has traditionally
been enjoying strong partnership and cooperation as well as regional and
multilateral development partners, including the United Nations for their
continued support to the socio-economic development of Nepal, read the
statement.
According
to the MoFA, Nepal has always been pursuing an independent,
balanced and non-aligned foreign policy. In pursuant to this policy, as a
sovereign country, Nepal has accepted and utilised development assistance as
per her national requirement and priority.
It maintained that development assistance
has played an important role in the building of infrastructures and development
in Nepal.
Nepal needs MCC
project: CNI
Meanwhile, Confederation of
Nepalese Industries (CNI) has welcomed the tabling of the MCC Nepal Compact at
the Parliament and has expressed its hopes that the project would help the
country in gaining economic benefits.
"Conceived after a series of
discussions and preparations, this project can be a base for a sustainable
economic growth. Nepal needs infrastructure projects like the MCC for the
post-COVID-19 economic revival," it said in a statement on Sunday.
It also hoped that the
implementation of the project will boost the confidence that the donor agencies
are having in Nepal.
The USA is the second largest
export market for Nepal. Nepal should maintain good relations with it to
sustain favourable trade policies after the country graduates to the developing
country’s status in 2026.
According to CNI, the project
will help in bringing the much-needed foreign currency into the country. And,
it will present a model for project management by completing the development in
five-year.
Although Nepal started the
process to get the MCC project a decade ago and signed the agreement for the
compact in 2017. The project was set to begin in 2020 July following its
ratification from the parliament, but it was politicised and pushed into
controversy by various political parties and interest groups.
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