KATHMANDU: Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alice Albright has said she is confident and optimistic about the timely completion of the MCC project.
At a press conference organised on Tuesday, visiting CEO Albright mentioned that she found the Government of Nepal and other stakeholders effortful with dedication for the implementation of MCC as the project has to be completed within five years after its commencement.
"MCA Nepal has the responsibility for MCC implementation. This is a structure under the Government of Nepal", she added.
CEO Albright shared that projects under MCC have been executed in different parts of the world and stressed the need for cooperation from all sides to overcome challenges that evolve in the course of its implementation.
Sharing that the high-level meetings and discussions during her Nepal visit were fruitful, she said matters related to the successful implementation of the project were discussed on the occasion.
During her stay, CEO Albright-led delegation called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud, Minister for Finance Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala among others.
Noting that MCC has already entered into implementation Albright expressed her confidence that the project would be completed in the designated period.
The MCC CEO further mentioned they had agreed and accepted the interpretive declaration attached to MCC while endorsing the MCC-related proposal from the parliament.
She further said MCC was a crucial part of the US foreign grants assistance and its execution believably would further deepen the Nepal-US relations.
Further, CEO Albright expressed her hope that the project would help develop reliable electricity service and road networking as well as open up avenues for electricity export through the construction of transmission lines.
She said that the projects under such grants would contribute to the economic growth of Nepal.
Under the grants programme, the Nepal government and MCC have anticipated improvements in roads and enhanced reliable access of Nepali people to clean and affordable energy, she said, adding it would help strengthen energy and transport sectors.
CEO Albright said the Government of Nepal itself has also made investments in the project so the government has shown strong commitment to the project keeping it under the national pride project category.
Also on the occasion, US Ambassador Dean Thompson and MCA Nepal's Executive Director Khadga Bahadur Bista also responded to the queries of journalists on the project affairs.
The MCC compact has already entered into execution since last August 30. The MCC compact was signed between the Nepal government and MCC under the US government on September 14, 2017.
After a long debate, the parliament endorsed the compact last year.
There is a provision in the compact that the power transmission lines and road construction project should be completed within five years after the commencement of the project execution.
