KATHMANDU: The National Planning Commission has tabled the draft of the 13th plan with an ambitious goal to transform Nepal from least developed country to a developing country in the next ten years.

The long-term goal of the new three-year plan is to make Nepal a developing country by 2022. The draft of the interim plan was tabled before the National Development Council on Friday.

The proposed draft also targets to bring down the population below the poverty line from existing 23 per cent to 18 per cent with an economic growth rate of 6 per cent.

Other goals of the plan are to achieve an annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent in the agriculture sector, take life expectancy to 71 years, employment growth rate to 3.2 per cent and the maternal mortality rate to 134 per 100,000.

Hydropower and energy development, increasing agricultural productivity, basic education and health, drinking water and cleanliness, good governance, tourism, and industry and trade are areas of priority in the plan.

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers and top leaders of major political parties have pledged to work together to materialize economic revolution in the country and lead the country towards prosperity.

Addressing the 47th general assembly of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in the capital today, they said that political parties would not engage in leg pulling if the issues were concerned with economic activities.

On the occasion, Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi said its high time to work for the nation building. He also defended the adjusted budget unveiled by the government on Tuesday but added that the budget in itself was not final for development.

However, many regard the political leaders’ commitments unbelievable.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had arrived the capital city from Baglung just for few hours to address the FNCCI program while NC President addressed the program in a video conference. Similarly, CPN (UML) Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Nepal) Upendra Yadav, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) Bikay Kumar Gachhadar expressed their opinions and claimed that they would work for economic prosperity as Nepal possess many potentials for development.

On the occasion, Prachanda said that minimum national consensus was needed in economic agendas.

Similarly, CPN (UML) Chairman Khanal said Nepal should learn from the models of economic development carried out by neighbouring countries China and India.

Likewise, NC President Koirala said the NC was always for economic development in the country.

During the program, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidhya urged the political parties to move ahead by making a minimum economic agenda for country’s development.

Similarly, top leaders of the major political have expressed their commitment to energy sector’s development.

KATHMANDU: Nepal is a star performer in reducing the number of poor compared to larger economies such as India, according to an Oxford University study published on Monday. South Asian nation Bangladesh and Rwanda are also in the same list.

All three could be on track to eradicate poverty in 20 years if they keep up their current rate of progress, according to the study. The study, based on research in 22 countries, said the three nations had the strongest decreases in poverty as recorded by its Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) which looks at various indicators including health, education and living standards.

“The success of Nepal and Bangladesh in reducing poverty despite their relatively low income highlights the effectiveness of social policy investments combined with active civil society engagement,” said Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

“Countries managed to reduce multidimensional poverty through tackling a range of different deprivations, with no single formula for success emerging from the study,” said an OPHI statement.

“Nepal did the best in areas like nutrition, child mortality, electricity, improved flooring and assets. Rwanda showed the biggest improvement in sanitation and water, and Bangladesh did best in improving sanitation and school attendance.”

India, which is home to around 40 percent of the world’s one billion people living below the poverty line, cut poverty by an average of only 1.2 percentage points annually between 1999 and 2006, said the study.

In India, the study said the least progress had been made in the most under developed areas such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal – and among the most marginalised communities such as Muslims, tribals, lower castes and female-headed households.

Even India’s best-performing regions – Kerala and Andhra Pradesh – progressed little more than half as fast as Nepal or Bangladesh in reducing multidimensional poverty.

KATHMANDU: The Asian Development Bank ( ADB) has agreed to provide a grant assistance of US Dollar 11 million (around Rs. 946 million) to the Government of Nepal for the implementation of the Water Resource Project Preparatory facility.

An agreement to this effect was signed and exchanged at the Ministry of Finance, Kathmandu on Friday.

The main objective of the project is to improve the readiness of water resources management projects for the implementation and it is expected that the there will be more water efficient and climate and disaster resilient food supply after the completion of this project, said the Ministry.

The expected outputs of the project include detailed feasibility of high priority water resources projects undertaken, environmental, social and technical capacity of Department of Irrigation and Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention ( DWIDP) improved , irrigation Master Plan updated and efficient facility management.

Ministry of Irrigation will be the executing agency of this project whereas Department of Irrigation will be main implementing agency. The estimated cost of the project US Dollar 13.8 million and the Nepal Government shall also have the investment of US Dollar 2.8 million in the project.

The agreement was signed by Lal Shankar Ghimire, Joint Secretary and Chief of the Foreign Aid Corporation Division, Ministry of Finance and Mr Kenichi Yokyama, Country Director, Nepal Resident Mission on behalf of their respective sides.

The Government of Nepal has expressed its sincere appreciation to the ADB for this grant assistance and for prolonged support in the socio-economic as well as infrastructural development of Nepal. RSS