Addressing challenges in digitalisation, climate change key issues in G20: FM Mahat

Kathmandu, July 19

Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat said upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after attending the G20 Summit held in Gujarat of India that the meeting discussed how international group could help in capacity development of less developed countries like Nepal in the area of climate change and digitalisation.

The G20 meeting talked about the challenges that were generated elsewhere but troubling the less developed nations somewhere. The climate change caused by the greenhouse gas emissions by the industrialised nations and financial crimes perpetrated from other countries were the prime issues.

"The poorer countries are facing trouble to handle the problems of climate change and the challenges caused by digitalisation within the country. They are not being able to cope with them. The economic activity that takes place through digital transactions is also conducted from other places. In such a situation, we also discussed how the international group can help in capacity building," said FM Dr. Mahat speaking with the journalists at the TIA.

The minister also discussed the ways the developed countries could help in climate change from which the less developed nations are troubled much. According to him, increasing the scope of international cooperation in our sustainable development, reducing the impact of price hike on people and other development challenges were the agenda that Nepal put forth at the G20 summit.

He said that the recently held G20 conference in Gujarat was an important achievement for the economic development of Nepal.

Basically, three important things happened at the meeting, Minister Dr. Mahat said. This was the first time Nepal was ever invited to address the G20 Summit where the country got an opportunity to make its point. Nepal's Finance Minister also got an opportunity to hold sidelines meetings with his Indian and Chinese counterparts – Nirmala Sitharaman and Liu Kun respectively. Likewise, meetings and discussions with industrialists in Gujarat should be considered as an achievement as well, Minister Dr. Mahat said.

The G20 is a club of 20 biggest economies, he said, adding that Nepal is not a member of the G20, but because it was invited, the country got an opportunity to put forth the problems of less developed countries at the forum.

Various multilateral organisations including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank also participated in the meeting.

At the interaction with the industrialists of Gujarat, Nepal made a presentation about the possibility of investment in Nepal. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 July 2023.