Prime Minister Balen Shah Meets Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda

Kathmandu. Prime Minister Balen Shah has stated that the current government's priorities are promoting good governance, rapid economic growth, job creation, and providing quality public services to citizens.

Prime Minister Shah expressed this view during a meeting with Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda today.

On that occasion, Prime Minister Shah also informed President Kanda about enhancing the effectiveness of public investment, promoting private sector-led economic growth, accelerating energy development, and advancing infrastructure modernization and digital transformation.

He also expressed confidence that a stable policy environment and strong institutions are the basis for attracting investment and achieving sustainable and inclusive development.

Prime Minister Shah's Press and Research Expert Deepa Dahal informed that the meeting focused on further strengthening the partnership with ADB.

On that occasion, it was mentioned that Nepal has great potential in hydropower, and emphasis was placed on partnership in clean energy production under ADB's energy strategy.

During the discussion, Prime Minister Shah stated that the Dudhkoshi Reservoir Hydropower Project, being constructed with ADB's assistance, is a priority project of the Nepal government and is extremely important for long-term energy security. The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to expedite its financial management process.

During the meeting, discussions were held on further cooperation under ADB's 'Country Partnership Strategy', especially in the areas of energy, connectivity, urban development, and digital infrastructure.

Prime Minister Shah expressed gratitude on behalf of the Nepal government and the Nepali people for the continuous support provided by ADB in Nepal's development journey for over the past five decades and expressed expectations for continued support in the future.

ADB, a major development partner of the country, currently has a net active portfolio in Nepal of approximately 4.20 billion US dollars. 31 projects are in operation under this.

ADB has a financial assistance program of 150 million US dollars in 2026 under 'Policy Based Lending'.

Under this, discussions were also focused on priority areas such as drinking water, sanitation, urban infrastructure development, youth employment promotion, disaster risk management, digital governance, and cooperation.

According to the Prime Minister's Press and Research Expert Dahal, during the meeting, satisfaction was expressed over the development of Nepal's digital economy as a new basis for economic growth and employment, and ADB's commitment to continued support in strengthening digital infrastructure and digital public infrastructure was expressed.