Newly appointed Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has urged the donor communities to assist Nepal in a more coordinated manner as Nepal was passing through a difficult situation.
Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat

Speaking at the fifth general convention of the NGO Federation of Nepal in the capital, Kathmandu, on Sunday, Dr Mahat said the donor communities should assist Nepal as per the need of Nepali people rather than imposing their own agendas.

Stating that the government was bearing high debt and had a great challenge of addressing the development goals, Minister Mahat urged the donors to support Nepal’s development goals wholeheartedly.

However, other participants of the programme urged the government to find the resources by reducing the expenditure of the royal palace and unnecessary military expenditures rather than asking donations from the international communities to repay the loans and meeting the development expenditure.

Speaking at the same programme, representatives of the donor agencies suggested that the government formulate a long term peace and development plan for the socio-economic development of the country.

They pointed out the need of implementing inclusive development programmes to bring sustainable peace in the country. They, however, said that it will take some time to prepare strategies to assist Nepal and to provide assistance.

Dr Arjun Karki, chairman of NGO Federation of Nepal, called for transparency and accountability on the part of non-governmental organizations, government and the donor agencies for effective utilization of resources.

Over 600 representatives of non-governmental organizations from all 75 districts in the country are taking part in the two-day general convention that kicked off on Sunday.