Fifty years of USAID in Nepal

January 30, 2001
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Kathmandu, Jan.30: His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev graced a photo-exhibition and a reception organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to mark its 50th anniversary in Nepal here today. Her Majesty the Queen was also present on the occasion.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala attended the programme held at the residence of the US Ambassador Ralph Frank here this evening.

Speaking during the function, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya said that Nepal has been benefiting from the US assistance. “The US assistance has helped us from building infrastructure to consolidation of democracy.”

Highlighting the government’s development policy, Acharya said that the focus was on people-friendly, pro-poor, and gender balanced programmes. “The future will not forgive us if we do not address poverty now.”

Dwelling on foreign aid, the foreign minister said that the government expects quality aid from donors that could support the reform process adopted officially.

Speaking during the occasion, American Ambassador Frank said that the photo exhibition was retrospective of Nepal-US relationship and the achievements over the past five decades. “In the last five decades, Nepal has built roads, hospitals, schools, and drinking water systems. The Nepalese people can expect to live twice as long as they could in 1951. They can also expect a better education. In 1951, there were only 300 college graduates in Nepal. Today, there are over 100,000 who attend university in Nepal alone. Literacy, especially among women, continues to grow.”

Commenting on the current environment, Frank said that while he had not seen a comprehensive study, he would guess that the economic costs of bandhs each year were larger than his government’s bilateral AID budget. “And the economic costs of the anti-government insurgency is far greater. It’s been found elsewhere in the developing world that countries succeed best in the development process when they have chosen elected, representational democracy as the form of government; when they have developed strong democratic institutions, including an independent judiciary and a free press; when they have a vibrant opposition that is free to engage in peaceful, constructive, non-violent process.”

Joanne Hale, Director of USAID, said that Nepal and the US have walked hand in hand down the road of development since 1951. “We have done that seeking a better life for Nepal, respecting her rich inheritance and wonderful people, finding ways to get family planning services, immunisations, malaria control, vitamin A, antibiotics, fertilisers, seeds, electricity poles, literacy classes, and micro finance services into remote areas and to get its high value crops services, and products out.”

She further added, “The road does not end here now. It continues and it is with great pride that we continue down it with you (Nepal). To find new areas, which will continue to enrich the lives of the average Nepali citizen, the person in the remote village that deserves to live with electricity and the benefits of education and health services.”

The USA extended its first technical co-operation to Nepal for malaria control and education way back in 1951 under the Point IV Agreement.