Government to form ‘Arrears Settlement Committee’

Kathmandu: The government has decided to form the ‘Arrears Settlement Committee’ under the chairmanship of a member of the Public Accounts Committee, Achyut Prasad Mainali, and define its jurisdiction to settle arrears.

At a news conference organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology here today to make public the decisions of Wednesday’s cabinet, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, shared that a decision was taken to observe Baishakh 7 as the National Yak Day every year.

Also, the spokesperson of the government, Minister Gurung mentioned that the cabinet decided to give permission to a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Bishnu Poudel, to attend the joint annual meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund scheduled in Washington DC of the United States of America from October 21-26.

Likewise, the government has decided to form a talks team under the leadership of the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance to hold negotiations on behalf of the Government of Nepal for receiving a concessional loan of 170 million US Dollars (approx. Rs 22.89 billion) and a grant of 17 million US Dollars (approx. Rs 2.1 billion) from the Asian Development Bank for the Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Improvement Project (Second).

The talks team will also finalize the financial agreement and other documents related to the grant assistance of 3 million US Dollars (approx. Rs 403.9 million) to be received from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific.

Similarly, the Cabinet decided to repeal the Guidelines for Providing Grant on the Premium of Crop and Livestock Insurance, 2070, to approve the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism between Nepal and the Republic of Indonesia and to give authorization to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for signing on the counterpart MoU.

The government spokesman Gurung said,” A decision has been made to give authority to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval of visa exemption to the carriers of diplomatic and special passports between Nepal and the Republic of Indonesia, and to sign on the counterpart agreement on this.”

The Cabinet has also decided to allow Nepal Internet Model Transport Development, Kathmandu to use National Forest land for the construction of Dodhara Chandani Dry Port/Integrated Check Post.

On the occassion, the government has promoted Kamal Prasad Pokharel (Sharma) to a vacant post of special class under the Nepal Administration Service Group and posted him in the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Sudurpaschim Province.

Communication Minister Gurung shared that all ministries will follow the government’s common determination and policy commitment.