Cabinet decision: Government accepts $150 million concessional loan from World Bank

Kathmandu, October 20 — The government has accepted a concessional loan assistance of 150 million US dollars (approximately 20.12 billion Nepali Rupees) from the World Bank. This information was shared by government spokesperson and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung during the announcement of cabinet decisions on Sunday.

Additionally, the government has decided to form a negotiation team, led by a joint secretary from the Ministry of Finance, to discuss the acceptance of approximately 135 million US dollars in loan assistance proposed by the World Bank for green, resilient, and inclusive development.

The cabinet also approved providing customs duty exemptions on goods received as grants to the Nepalese government for relief and reconstruction purposes in response to disaster-related events. It decided to reappoint Ashish Gajurel as the executive director of the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee and granted approval for Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Deepak Khadka to participate in the seventh meeting of the International Solar Alliance, scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, from November 4 to 7, 2024.

Furthermore, the government has decided to reorganize the recommendation committee formed on the cabinet's decision of March 13, 2024, to appoint the chair and members of the Commission for the Investigation of Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The new committee will be chaired by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Om Prakash Mishra, with members including human rights activists, psychologists, legal experts, conflict resolution specialists, women’s rights advocates, and others involved in peace processes, such as Khamma Bahadur Khati, former Attorney General, Dr. Arjun Kumar Karki, and Stella Tamang.

The government has also decided to grant prior approval for surveying the organization and management of quarantine offices under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.