Asia Pacific construction conference to be organised this week in Nepal

Kathmandu, Nov. 18

Preparations for the 46^th International Conference of the International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors' Associations (IFAWPCA), an umbrella organisation of construction professionals from 18 countries in Asia and the West Pacific region, which will begin this week in Kathmandu, have been completed.

Ravi Singh, the president of the Federation of Construction Associations of Nepal (FCAN), who is also the president of IFAWPCA, informed about the completion of preparations for the conference through a press conference held on Friday.

The conference with the theme ‘Partnership in sustainable infrastructure’ will start from November 21 and continue till 25. The conference will be inaugurated by President of Nepal, Ramchandra Paudel, and the IFAWPCA Forum will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Singh informed that more than 500 people, including 242 from abroad, will participate in the conference.

He said that foreign representatives have started coming to Kathmandu to participate in the conference. According to Singh, the IFAWPCA conference will be important in attracting international investment in the development of the country's physical infrastructure in the current situation where the entire world is going through an economic recession and Nepal is also bearing the burnt.

He informed that this conference will be fruitful for raising the issue of climate change strongly and also for the expansion of tourism. Announcing the programmes of the conference, Singh said that the formal announcement of the conclusion of the conference will be made on November 24.

The conference will feature Finance Committee Meeting, Presidential Conclave and Executive Board Meeting, General Assembly, Emerging Young Leaders Programmes as well as a tour of various heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

The conference will elect a new executive committee of the organisation. Nepal will hand over the chairmanship to Singapore as well.

Earlier, Nepal had organised the 30^th IFAWPCA Conference in Kathmandu 24 years ago in 1999 when the leading construction businessman Ganesh Lal Shrestha was the President of IFAWPCA.

 Published in The Rising Nepal on 19 November 2023.