USAID official calls on Finance Minister Khatiwada

Kathmandu, Nov 7: USAID Assistant Administrator of the Bureau of Asia, Gloria D Steele paid a courtesy call on Finance Minister Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada at the Finance Ministry in Singha Durbar today.

Welcoming the US AID Assistant Administrator, Minister Khatiwada thanked the Government and people of the United States for decades long USAID support in various areas of Nepal’s development.

Finance Minister recalled USAID’s assistance in policy reform right from the 1990’s, which was a transformative one. Minister Khatiwada highlighted Nepal has focused on the credible budget system along with accountability, transparency in Public Financial Management (PFM) at all levels of the government.

In addition, he pointed out the importance of effective revenue mobilization avoiding multiple and double taxations so as to reduce the cost of doing business as components of Public Financial Management.

Similarly, Assistant Administrator Steele assured Minister Khatiwada for USAID’s continued support to Nepal’s socio-economic transformation along with the implementation of the federal system. She also mentioned USAID’s readiness to support capacity building efforts of the Government particularly at the provincial and local levels together with other development partners