KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has opened a new door of economic partnership between Nepal and the USA.
At a special programme organised here on Wednesday to celebrate the successful implementation of MCC, PM Dahal opined that successful implementation of MCC projects would help connect Nepal's business network with the countries in Asia with large economies, thereby contributing significantly to reducing poverty and ensuring economic growth.
On the occasion, PM Dahal extended his gratitude to the American government for its consistent support to Nepal in its socio-economic development. Stating that the overall economy of Nepal will be strengthened upon the completion of MCC projects, the Head of the Government acknowledged that American assistance has remained important in Nepal's development endeavours.
The government and MCC under the US government signed an agreement on September 14, 2017, and the implementation phase commenced on August 29, 2022. The MCC project ought to be completed within five years of its commencement.
Dahal was confident that reliable electricity services and road networks could be constructed under the MCC projects. The transmission lines to be constructed under this project would facilitate the export of the surplus electricity, thereby contributing to the economic elevation of the country, he viewed.
Similarly, Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat opined that Nepali citizens will benefit from the improved roads and reliable electricity supply through the implementation of the MCC projects.
He emphasized that there should not be obstruction in the enforcement of the MCC projects that will have investment from the government of Nepal and assured every possible cooperation from the government for the successful completion of such projects.
Similarly, MCC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alice Albright said that the MCC projects would contribute to Nepal's economic development as its backbone. She clarified that the projects were developed in collaboration with the government of Nepal, so the Nepal government would implement them.
A delegation led by CEO Albright arrived in Nepal on a five-day visit last Sunday to commemorate the successful implementation of the MCC, the $500 million grant assistance from the American government to Nepal.
