The US Indo-Pacific Commander is on a visit to meet Nepal senior leadership and Nepal Army Chief Purna Chandra Thapa.

Post Davidson’s arrival, he met and held discussions with Thapa at the Nepal Army headquarters.

According to Nepal Amy Spokesperson Yam Prasad Dhakal, the meeting was a continuation of courtesy call for enhancing relations between Nepal and USA.

During the course of his visit, the US Indo-Pacific Commander Chief will also be meeting Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli Sharma, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel.

“The meeting will take place today [January 11, 2019] morning. We are not briefed about the agenda items to be discussed at the meeting. They may disclose the agenda at the meeting itself,” said Nepal Defense Ministry Spokesperson Baburam Gautam.

Besides meetings with Nepal senior leaders, the US commander will also visit Birendra Peace Operations Training Center at Panchkhal.

Earlier, on Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali’s visit to US, he sought USA’s support in upgrading the Panchkhal training center.

Amid other military discussions at the US-Nepal bilateral meeting, the two leaders also discussed the resolving of legal hurdles to procure over 6,000 M-16 from the US Government.

Nepal’s procurement law recommends that the payments are made on installment basis but US is asking for payment for the purchase in a lump sum.

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On December 27, 2018, Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli Sharma laid the foundation of Nepal’s historical structure Dharahara, marking the beginning of its restoration.

As per the new design, the candle-like tower will house a mini theater hall, food court, museum, musical fountain, stone water sprouts, and souvenir shops.

The Nepal Government has invested an amount of NPR 3.45 billion for the prestigious project which will be established in two years, if everything goes according to the plan.

Speaking at the occasion PM Oli said that the new Dharahara will resemble the original tower but the construction will have a modern approach.

He also asked the construction company to leave no room for error in the project.

“Once the Dharahara is built, both children and the elderly will be able to use a lift. After two years we will be able to see a green and beautiful Valley from atop the new Dharahara,” Oli added.

According to Nepal National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) the tower covers an area of 21,267 sq.m and will be 75 meters in height.

The structure will be a 22-storey building but will be made to like a 11-storey building on the outside.

As per Reconstruction officials, the remains of the tower from the 2015 earthquake will be preserved under a glass-covering. The new Dharahara will stand next to the base of the old structure.

The Dharahara reconstruction project has been awarded to Raman GIETC joint-venture.

It was originally built by Nepal’s then Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in 1825 and was destroyed by two earthquakes in 1934 and 2015, respectively.

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The meeting is being held to evaluate his own government’s performance and will continue until November 23, 2018, as revealed by officials familiar with this process.

It will give Oli the time needed to weigh his ministers works who will be under the scanner for alleged financial irregularities, accusations of being responsible for the administration’s growing unpopularity and poor performance.

Oli’s Row of Questions
When the meeting started on November 21, 2018, Oli said that his ministers work culture has not improved at the top level and that he will not listen to any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ from the cabinet ministers, a secretary present at the meeting shared.

“Why does it take months to shift one file from one government entity to another? I urge you all to work for visible change and results,” Oli further questioned.

As part of the Wednesday meeting, Oli evaluated Agriculture, Energy, Industry and Urban Development Ministries and the National Reconstruction Authority based on the progress reports they presented.

PM Oli has been going through each ministry’s report card and rating them based on their performance.

He continued to review budget expenditure, large infrastructure projects progress and if these ministers met policy and budget targets.

Ministers pointed at lack of inter-ministerial coordination and internal hiccups for failure of meeting budget expenditures in the previous four months.

Clearly displeased, Oli urged ministers to ensure the fulfillment of outstanding policy, program and budget targets along with increasing speed of work, Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada informed.

“I do not see any budgetary problems in carrying out and implementing projects,” Oli angrily questioned according to one of the secretaries.

He further asked the concerned ministers to inform him if the cabinet, ministers, secretaries or any laws and regulations were causing any delays.

“Why has there been no progress? Whatever the reasons are, we need results. I urge you not to be satisfied with the work you have done so far,” he asked.

The Prime Minister’s Office developed an app that monitors and evaluates various ministries projects.

As per the app, Ministries with above 80 percent progress rating get a green signal, 80-50 percent get a yellow signal and below 50 percent- red signal indicating their failure to achieve progress.

“I do not expect any red signals,” Prime Minister Oli said.

Poor Capital Expenditure
The government expressed displeasure with Nepal’s capital expenditure status in the first four months of FY 2018-19 after it was criticized for poor performance.

According to Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada, about 19 percent of the capital budget was spent in the given period, which was close to 39 percent in the same period, last year.

“Although capital expenditure has increased, we are still not satisfied,” he said after a meeting with ministers and secretaries of development-related ministries today at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

“Since the capital expenditure in the first four months of the last fiscal was poor due to elections, the 39 per cent increase in expenditure this year was not satisfactory,” Khatiwada added.

To address this, Khatiwada said that the government is planning to address all obstacles capital expenditure by mid-December and achieve the targeted expenditure by the end of FY 2018-19.

Khatiwada added that his ministry would not entertain funds demands from various sectors. “We shall only address rational demands,” Khatiwada said.

Nepal lawmakers and political leaders were depending on funds from the finance ministry to implement their pet projects in their respective constituencies.

Khatiwada shared, ministries also seek additional budget despite being unable to spend the allocated budget. “This should be discouraged, we should not allocate funds to programs that have not been included in the annual budget announcement. It will not be fair to taxpayers and donors,” he said.

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With common areas of concern including connectivity trade, investment, tourism, climate change, transnational crime, terrorism and peace & security, the BIMSTEC member states representatives pitched for enhanced cooperation.

Reiterating BIMSTEC’s immense potential, representatives pointed out that every member has to utilize the co-operation’s full potential. They also pledged their firm commitment to strengthening the sub-regional collaboration for mutual prosperity.

Host Country’s PM Oli’s Message:
In his opening speech, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that the member states were connected by the Himalayas and Bay of Bengal and they are keen on eliminating the obstacles to development and prosperity by strengthening cooperation in various sectors like trade, infrastructure, road, energy, business, tourism, and connectivity.

“Above all, it is our commitment — a commitment for deeper integration of our economies, of our trade and commerce. It is a commitment espoused over two decades ago, as a thoughtful response to seize the opportunities of globalization and shifting of the economic locus to Asia,” said Oli.

Pointing that the region must first focus on eliminating poverty to realize its full potential, Oli said that the BIMSTEC Poverty Plan of Action must be fully implemented.

Addressing ‘climate change’ he says, member states should build stronger ties to adapt and eliminate this menace.

“Strong political will, coupled with right mix of policies, institutions, and resources could ensure the success of BIMSTEC,” he said.

Coming to connectivity, Oli said connectivity of infrastructure & industries and connectivity of markets have the power to trigger multiplier effects to ignite innovation, spur growth and propel progress.

“I underline the importance of developing and operationalizing a Buddhist Circuit in the region to promote connectivity and tourism,” Oli said.

PM Modi’s Address at BIMSTEC
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit PM Modi said that all BIMSTEC member countries seek peace and prosperity and this is achievable only if there is connectivity across all aspects between members.

“Each of our countries seek peace, prosperity and happiness, but in today’s interconnected world, we cannot achieve this alone,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi called on member states representatives to take the BIMSTEC Coastal Shipment & Motor Vehicle Agreement-related process forward.

Also talking about regional cooperation with Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Thailand he said, “We are committed to expanding digital connectivity in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand and other countries.

Furthermore, creating an opportunity for the development of arts and culture, he said that they will set up a center for Bay of Bengal Studies in Nalanda University for conducting research on arts, culture, and maritime laws.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s Message:
Sheikh Hasina said that Dhaka’s role in hosting the BIMSTEC secretariat was a sign of the country’s commitment to regional cooperation.

Speaking about BIMSTEC’s success over the last two decades, Hasina said that the co-operation had a long way to go to achieve success through the adoption of a consolidated legal framework and substantial engagement for visible results.

She also highlighted the need for trade promotion and free trade area.

Bhutan’s Chief Justice Tshering Wangchuk’s Message:
Tshering Wangchuk identified robust partnership as a driving force for shared prosperity and achieving national and mutual goals of the region.

Wangchuk also emphasized on the need for enhanced co-operation in areas such as trade, regional integration, connectivity, security, people-to-people contact and climate change.

Myanmar Pres. Win Myint & Sri Lankan Pres. Maithripala Sirisena
Win Myint said cooperation and trade in energy was essential to fill the immense energy deficit in the region. He also urged member states for early finalization of the Free Trade Agreement, in a bid to promote trade and investment.

He shared similar views with Indian PM Modi on terrorism and extended active cooperation in fighting terrorism. However, he mentioned that the region is still in the grip of poverty.

Sri Lankan President Sirisena stated that all BIMSTEC states were facing similar political and social problems and enhanced collaboration could address these common problems.

Thailand PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s Message:
Chan-O-Cha said BIMSTEC could link South Asia with South East Asia. Saying that member countries should more on quality rather than quantity, he said that the co-operation could focus on five important areas, that is, trade, connectivity, people-to-people contact, security and science and technology.

He also stressed on early finalization of the Motor Vehicle Agreement.

BIMSTEC Summit Concludes with Kathmandu Declaration:

The Fourth BIMSTEC Summit ended today, with the signing of the 18-point Kathmandu Declaration.

The declaration includes issues like agricultural technology exchange, fight against terrorism, gradual reduction of climate change impacts, increased trade and investment and easing the visa processing for the BIMSTEC member states citizens.

Following the conclusion of the summit, the member states have agreed to connect the countries through highway, railway, air, sea and power-transmission line.

The member states have also firmly resolved to eradicate poverty from the region by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Similarly, they have pledged to stand against terrorism.

Conclusion:
We wish the countries luck for their endeavors and hope that they are able to provide timely support and co-operation for meeting the development goals of the BIMSTEC region.

Fourth #BIMSTEC Summit 2018 at a Glance

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Nepal Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi will lead the meeting, which will be attended by all BIMSTEC member countries foreign secretaries— Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

According to Nepal Foreign Affairs Ministry (MoFA) Assistant Spokesperson Ram Babu Dhakal, this ‘plan-of-action’ meeting will discuss the following matters:

1. All areas of preparation for BIMSTEC Summit
2. Nepal government’s views on taking forward the regional integration initiative
3. Member countries’ VIPs and VVIPs discussion agendas and their outcomes
4. Other Issues including poverty alleviation, climate change and cross-border crime

BIMSTEC to Promote Regional Cooperation:
Gyawali is eagerly looking forward to this meeting as it presents an opportunity to discuss connectivity through road, railways, and power grid network.

The BIMSTEC summit will also play a key role in establishing regional cooperation between SAARC and Southeast Asian Nations’, as the seven countries from both regions are members of BIMSTEC.

Additional Preparations for the Upcoming Summit:
Nepal MoFA says that the preparations are under full swing and official invitations have been sent to all member countries heads and their governments.

As part of the preparations, Nepal has formed several committees including a steering committee led by Nepal PM, KP Sharma Oli and preparation & co-ordination committee lead by Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali.

Conclusion:
Nepal became a BIMSTEC member in 2004, after its formation in 1997.  We hope that the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit will drive the desired regional cooperation and encourage the development of member countries with each other’s support.

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