17.5 billion from the World Bank for urban governance and infrastructure development

Kathmandu. The World Bank will invest about Rs. 17.55 billion ($150 million) in urban governance and infrastructure development in Nepal. The World Bank will invest the amount in Nepal through the ‘Nepal Urban Governance and Infrastructure Project’. The project was jointly inaugurated by Ramesh Prasad Singh, secretary, Ministry of Urban Development and Lada Stralkova, Operations Manager for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka at the World Bank.

The four-year project aims to support sustainable development in post-secondary strategic cities and economic upliftment in the aftermath of the Covid-19 epidemic. It also aims to support the recognition of federalism and the implementation of the National Urban Development Strategy.

The Ministry and the World Bank hope that the project will help the developing municipalities to streamline and institutionalize their infrastructure and service delivery.

“Due to rapid urbanization, implementation of federalism and epidemics, the project needs to be taken forward in a proactive manner to serve the needs of the people and meet the immediate needs,” said Secretary Singh at the launch of the project.

The programs under this project will be implemented in 17 strategic municipalities of Provinces 1, 2, Gandaki and Lumbini. He said that the municipalities selected for the program from these provinces are important due to Nepal’s economic development, commerce and administrative activities.

The project will also be aimed at increasing the capacity of 12 more municipalities and the capacity of four municipalities. Out of the total loan assistance for the project, 95 percent will be invested at the local level.

“Under the World Bank’s Covid-19 epidemic, the project will provide employment for more than 20,000 unemployed and unstable workers for at least 50 days,” said Stralkova, the World Bank’s operations manager. “It will help develop and upgrade public infrastructure.”