Kathmandu, June 17
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has unveiled
its new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Nepal for 2025–2029.
The strategy launched on Tuesday has set a
comprehensive agenda to support the country’s inclusive, resilient, green, and
employment-intensive economic growth, the ADB informed in a statement.
According to the ADB, the strategy focuses
on three strategic priorities: private sector–led, employment-intensive, green
economic transformation; inclusive and quality human capital development and
public services; and environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
“As Nepal advances toward graduating from
least developed country status, the CPS will support the country’s transition
to a more sustainable and inclusive growth model,” said ADB Country Director
for Nepal Arnaud Cauchois.
He maintained that this model prioritises
productivity gains and job creation through domestic private investment and
foreign direct investment, improved access to quality infrastructure, skills
development, deeper integration with regional and global value chains and
exports, while also strengthening resilience to disasters and climate change.
"The CPS is aligned with Nepal’s 16th
periodic plan, which seeks to promote good governance, social justice, and
shared prosperity, and the government’s Green, Resilient, and Inclusive
Development (GRID) approach," read the statement.
The strategy incorporates cross-cutting
themes such as digital development, good governance, and capacity building for
federalism, and empowerment of women and disadvantaged and vulnerable groups to
ensure that development benefits reach all segments of society.
The ADB said that it’s investments will be
delivered through investment projects, policy-lending, and sector development
programmes that combine policy reforms, institutional strengthening and
investments.
The CPS was prepared through a joint
strategic approach with the World Bank Group country partnership framework
which creates opportunities for continuous deep collaborations between the two
organisations.
The ADB and the World Bank Group together
account for around 70 per cent of Nepal’s development financing, according to
the multilateral donor.
"A low-risk Group A developing member,
Nepal will be eligible to access concessional ordinary capital resources (COL)
and ADB expects to mobilize about US$2.3 billion (COL) between 2025 and 2029
and selective grants from the Asian Development Fund 14 which are allocated on
project basis for specific thematic priorities," informed the ADB.
Commitment of these funds is guided by
government priorities, project readiness, and the country's performance. ADB
will also support the mobilisation of additional resources through cofinancing,
innovative financing solutions, exploring mobilization of funds from green
bonds and the issuance of thematic and local currency bonds (such as Nepali
rupee-linked bonds) to international investors.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 June 2025.
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