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China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD), earlier known as China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) is the only active Chinese NGO working in Nepal. The NGO started its work in Nepal right after the earthquake of 2015 through an emergency response program. Shristi Kafle spoke with Zou Zhiqiang, director of the Nepal office of CFRD, on various aspects of poverty alleviation measures in Nepal.

Last month marked the ninth year of your organization working in Nepal. How is the experience so far?

When I first arrived in Nepal in 2015, I almost felt like it was my hometown. It was similar to any other Chinese provinces like Yunnan and Sichuan, just across the Himalayas. Before coming here, I worked in mainland China for 15 years and then in Ethiopia and Sudan. All those experiences helped me and my organization to start our journey. CFPA came to Nepal immediately after the devastating earthquake of April 2015. At least 28 people worked here in the beginning for relief and rehabilitation programs, while the international department worked together with the Nepali volunteers. Coincidentally, it was also the 60th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China. Besides immediate support, my job was to do research, planning and share proposals for long run support programs, as we realized that people needed us after the disaster. We didn’t work alone, but coordinated with the Chinese Embassy, over a dozen Chinese NGOs, the United Nations Nepal team, and other international donors. When the disaster emergency response team returned in June, it was only me who stayed back because there were many unfulfilled jobs. Gradually, we focused on other areas of work. There were rough roads too, but overall, with the support of our local partners and love of the general public, it has been a fulfilling experience so far. 

What are the major working areas of CFRD at the moment?

 After 2020, our major focus is on rural development. We changed from CFPA to CFRD. We work on health, education, drinking water and WASH, skill development of youth, women and microfinance, school meal and warm kits distribution, among others. We completed reconstruction of three school buildings destroyed by the earthquake in the Kathmandu valley. Last year, we focused our support to earthquake-affected communities in Jajarkot and Rukum West. Recently, we kicked off the first tea project in Nuwakot for value chain enhancement through Chinese machineries and equipment. We have continued serving nutritious meals to around 10,000 students in 52 schools of Dang, Kathmandu and Lalitpur. These are just a few activities. 

From 2015 to 2023, we have spent $10,350,000 in Nepal, and almost 650,000 people have benefited. As the biggest foundation of its type in China, we focus on agricultural industry development, creation of an internet platform to sell agro products and items to cities, tourist villages, and training the local farmers. All these programs were  successful in China. So we are blending these experiences in Nepal as well. 

How is the Chinese NGO different from other NGOs working in Nepal? 

As an NGO, we do not want people to be dependent upon us. Instead, we believe in providing skills and techniques to locals after which they can support themselves. I see that so many I/NGOs talk about rights, but care less about ground reality and livelihood. For instance, when we talk about women’s rights, it means women should be economically independent. We provide them with practical training, we want women to learn, and make money and live a confident and comfortable life. If they are engaged in any agricultural or skill related product, we provide them training on research, marketing, and how to brand their goods and sell at a higher price. For those who do not have any access to financial institutions, we have supported them with basic things like how to use and save money, and open bank accounts. We work closely with the community. I myself spend more than 120 days a year in the field. This is the major difference. We have partnered with over 20 Chinese donor institutions so far. Besides, we have come up with two books as guidelines for other Chinese NGOs who want to work in Nepal. CFRD doesn’t just work alone, we all want to work together to help more Nepali people.

How is the coordination with the local governments and agencies? What are the challenges?

I would say the major challenge here is geography, which is very uneven and even dangerous in some places. It’s easy to work around Kathmandu and other major cities, but to reach far flung areas, the transportation cost is high. And half a year, works are halted by monsoon and monsoon induced disasters. Besides geography and weather, the bureaucratic process is also difficult. Whenever we submit a proposal, it has to go through many channels, and most of our time is wasted just in waiting. The government keeps changing in Nepal, as do the officials in many departments. 

Sometimes, even a single permit could take three years. It’s comparatively getting better in recent times, as I feel the Social Welfare Council is working efficiently. In terms of working with the local governments, it’s quite easy as they are quick in response and management. Local government is more active than the center. Local representatives are from communities, so they come up with important proposals, which are related to the real needs of people, and the implementation part is satisfactory. But the central system is often changing. In terms of other partners, we worked with some 20 NGOS across the country, and we believe their capacity building is also important. So, we are also assisting in capacity building of local NGOs and staff.

You have visited many districts of Nepal. How do you find the living situation and poverty status of people outside Kathmandu? Is it similar to Chinese society?

I have visited at least 66 districts of Nepal, covering mountain, hill and Tarai region. Based on my experience of working in Nepal for nine years, I find that Nepal’s poverty status is better than China's. Decades ago, when I started work in this program, Chinese people were really poor. There was a lack of arable land and the weather was not favorable. There was a problem with the drinking water facility too. Resettlement was a huge challenge. In Nepal, I find comparatively a better situation. When someone has fertile land, and is provided with seeds, at least he will not sleep hungry. The problem in China was more serious. It’s a different kind of opportunity here. There are new concepts and ideas in agriculture and production, and immediately you can reap benefits out of something. This gives me hope. Last time, under the agro support project, we invited an expert team to conduct soil tests and water tests in some places, and found that everything was organic. In China, it would have been filled with chemicals. Thus, organic products in Nepal have a huge market, and they can be sold at higher rates. In Nepal, everyone has at least something to eat. People do not get nutritious food, enough meat or protein, but they do not sleep hungry. It should be counted as a blessing. 

What are the similarities between the Chinese and Nepali way of working for poverty alleviation and rural development?

Poverty is not just about food and housing, but it also incorporates many other components like safe drinking water, education, and basic health care. Thus, the poverty alleviation measure should be multi-dimensional. There should be a solid long-term strategy. Since 1989 till now, we have worked under the robust guidelines. In terms of the Chinese way of working, there is a strong collaboration from the top to the bottom. For instance, the east team of the country works together with the west team and share their experiences and expertise. There was also a provision that the officers needed to work in another province for three years in order to get their promotion. This is how the teams were mobilized to work in backward regions and at the grassroots level. Each country has its own distinctive national conditions, and the policies should be made accordingly. Nepal might have its own strategy, but it can definitely learn from Chinese anti-poverty experiences.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has pledged to provision the setup of an innovation fund in the upcoming fiscal year's policy, program and budget for the expansion of the information technology sector.

In his address to a program organized on the occasion of the 7th National ICT Day here today, PM Dahal informed that groundwork was being done for the formulation of necessary laws for the establishment of the innovation fund.

"The government believes that economic and social transformation can be achieved only through the development, expansion and use of communications and information technology," he said, adding, the young scientists will be encouraged to earn income through information technology at their own capacity and access.

He made it clear that the government was seriously working to integrate and effectively implement the 'Startup Program focusing on the youth.

Prosperity could be achieved through development, good governance and employment only by accepting information technology as the 'leading factor', the Prime Minister said while appealing to all concerned for rapid development in the field of communications and information technology for economic and social transformation of the common people through it.

"The government is committed to make necessary policy and legal arrangements to ensure the development, expansion and safe use of information technology," he noted.

PM Dahal said the incidents related to cybercrime, which were on the rise lately, would be controlled through legal and policy measures.

An elderly couple died in a fire that broke out at a house in Ghattekhole, Purandanda, Thakre Rural Municipality-5, Dhading on Wednesday.

The deceased have been identified as Tej Bahadur Lama (70) and his wife Thuli Lama (70), SP Gautam KC, Chief at the District Police Office, Dhading said.

“We got the information about the incident at around 11:30 pm yesterday. When a team from the temporary police post, Hapsechaur and the Area Police Office, Khanikhola reached the incident site, they had already breathed their last,” SP KC said.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said weather now is partly cloudy in the hilly areas and fair in remaining parts of the country.

The partial influence of westerly wind and local wind is still continuing in the country, the Department said, adding weather will witness partial changes in the hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces while it will be partly fair in remaining areas this afternoon.

There is a possibility of light rain with thunderstorms and lightning at one to two places of hilly areas in Koshi and Gandaki provinces.

There is a chance of light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous region of Koshi province. Likewise, gusty winds are predicted to occur at some places of Koshi, Madhes and Lumbini provinces.

The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly region and fair in the rest of the country tonight. In the next 24 hours, there is a chance of light rain with thunder and lightning at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces.

In view of thunderstorms in some places of Koshi, Madhes and Lumbini provinces and its possible impacts on daily life, the Department has urged the people to take necessary precautions in the areas.

Ambassador of Nepal to Canada Bharat Raj Paudyal presented his Letters of Credence to Mary J. May Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, amidst a special ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on April 30, 2024. 

Ambassador Paudyal was received in the audience by the Governor General of Canada following the presentation of Credentials.

During the audience, Ambassador Paudyal conveyed greetings and best wishes from the President of Nepal Ram Chandra Paudel and the Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal to the Governor General of Canada for her personal health and happiness as well as for the continuous peace, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Canada, reads a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa, Canada.

Ambassador Paudyal appraised the Governor General on the state of friendly bilateral relations between Nepal and Canada and shared major priorities of the Government of Nepal, including the consolidation of democracy and accelerating the economic development efforts.

He also highlighted the efforts being made to ensure smooth and sustainable graduation from the LDC status and achieving of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

While appreciating the Government of Canada for its continued cooperation in times of need, he expressed his commitment to work closely with the Canadian Government and private sector to promote bilateral trade, tourism, investment, and technology transfer, strengthen people to people relations and advance mutually beneficial economic partnership, according to the statement.

The Governor General extended her best wishes to the leadership of Nepal and congratulated Ambassador Paudyal for his accreditation as Ambassador of Nepal to Canada.

She expressed satisfaction on the excellent state of bilateral relations, assured him of full support of the Canadian Government to further strengthen bilateral ties, and wished the Ambassador for a successful tenure of office, the statement further reads.

High ranking officials of the Government of Canada including representatives of Global Affairs Canada and senior officials from the Office of the Governor General were present on the occasion.

During the ceremony, Paudyal was accompanied by his spouse, family members and the officials of the Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa.

Nepal suffered a 76-run defeat at the hands of West Indies ‘A’ in the third match of five matches held at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Wednesday.

Chasing the target of 288 runs, Nepal were bowled out for 151 in 19.2 overs, losing all the wickets.

For Nepal, Karan KC scored 28 of 17 balls hitting three fours and one six, Lokesh Bam 28 off 29 balls with one boundary and two sixes in 29 balls, Kushal Malla 20, Binod Bhandari 19 and. Anil Shah, 14. However, other batters failed to score in double digits.

Earlier, West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first and scored 227 runs in allotted 20 overs at the cost of three wickets.

For the team, Johnson Charles hit beyond the century as he recorded 119 off 61 balls with 13 boundaries and seven sixes.  Andre Fletcher scored 53 off 33 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. Fabian Allen made 19, Alick Athanaze 17 and Keemo Paul was not out with 13.

Nepal's Karan KC and Sagar Dhakal took one wicket each. 

In the ongoing T20 series comprising five matches in total, Nepal lost two matches and won one.  

Nepal won the opening match by four wickets while lost the second with 10 runs and third with 76 runs. The fourth match will take place tomorrow, Thursday.

The two-day third Investment Summit concluded on Monday with only a few investment commitments. Observers say Nepal Investment Board has failed to send out positive messages about the investment climate in the country.

The Summit saw the stark lack of coordination among the government agencies and there were several loopholes in the management of the event. Though the government tried to give a message that there is an all-party consensus and policy continuity, international investors are still skeptical about several issues such as security of the investment, tax system, markets and bureaucratic red-tape. The amendment of nine acts was conducted at the eleventh hour through the ordinances.

The event saw participation of over 2,500 delegates including over 800 foreign delegates. The government showcased a total of 154 projects. It sought expressions of interest for 19 projects. Investors have been given 45 days to submit their expression of interest for hydropower projects and 35 days for other projects.

According to the Office of the Investment Board Nepal (OIBN), representatives of the World Bank Group as well as from China, India, Kuwait, UAE, UK and US held discussions with concerned stakeholders in Nepal and studied investment opportunities.

Officials of the OIBN said foreign delegates showed concerns and made queries on different projects showcased during the summit. But there were no significant investment agreements.

On the first day of the summit, BLC Group of Nepal signed an agreement with Yotta Data Services of India to set up a data center in Ramkot, Kathmandu. Likewise, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Chamber of Commerce, Malaysia for bilateral trade and investment cooperation. FNCCI also signed an MoU with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.

Likewise, the Nepal Association of PPP Professionals and Practitioners (NAPPP) signed an MoU with the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals (WAPP) for promoting private-public partnerships on the second day of the summit. Similarly, Saakha Group of Nepal signed an agreement with the Hong Kong-based Bower Group for cooperation in the wellness resort and hospitality sector. An investment of 100m yuan has been proposed in this venture.

Separate MoUs were also signed between Nexgen Management Solution Pvt Ltd of Nepal and MABC Investment of China, and between the Federation of Nepalese Industries and Commerce and Dongguan Jinyang Lighting Co Ltd of China for investment facilitation. Likewise, Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Ltd signed an MoU with the Non-Resident Nepalese Association to mobilize workers' remittances for hydropower development.

Meanwhile, the Department of Industry (DoI) approved investment proposals worth Rs 9.13 billion for four different projects. During the summit, DoI also inaugurated an automated system for investment approvals. Japanese bank interested in Nijgadh airport project

OIBN had showcased the airport project in the 2019 Nepal Investment Summit as well. This time, OIBN bundled the Nijgadh International Airport project with the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) of Kathmandu. The Public-Private Partnership Study Committee formed by the tourism ministry had recommended to the ministry to include a management contract for TIA as an incentive for the Nijgadh International Airport project.

Since the number of passengers using TIA is expected to reach 20 million by 2030, the government has been considering developing an international airport in Nijgadh, Bara. An expressway connecting Nijgadh to Kathmandu is already under construction. As per the feasibility study conducted in 2011, the Nijgadh International Airport is estimated to cost $6.56bn. OIBN has proposed to build the airport under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the summit, former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli said all political parties share a common commitment to fulfilling Nepal’s aspirations for development and prosperity. He stated that Nepal has emerged as a new investment destination and assured the foreign delegates that the country remains committed to ensuring investment security. The summit featured different plenary and parallel sessions on different themes.

Police have arrested four persons including two Indian nationals for their alleged involvement in stealing over Rs 10. 34 million on Sunday night.

Police said that they have also recovered some cash of the total amount stolen from the bank.

Two Nepali nationals were apprehended from Rautahat and two from Ghodasahan of India.

According to a police source, one remaining person of the group involved in the theft is on the run and search for him is underway.

The arrestees have been identified as Sanjay Jayaswal and Chote Jayaswal of Pathara Budharam, Maulapur Municipality-7, Rautahat and Mantu Paswan and Lalan Kumar of Ghodasahan, East Champaran District, Bihar.

Police arrested Sanjay and Chote from Maulapur, Rautahat on Tuesday evening. Police nabbed the duo while they were heading towards Kathmandu in a night bus.

Both of them have been kept at the District Police Office, Parsa.

Similarly, Indian police detained Mantu and Lalan from Ghodasahan.

They are currently in the custody of Indian police.

According to a preliminary investigation, they had booked a room at the Naya Bus Park-based Ranipokhari Hotel in Birgunj in the name of Chote Lal Jayaswal and stayed there on Sunday before robbing the bank.

DSP Kumar Bikram Thapa, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Parsa, however, said that only two Nepali nationals were rounded up on suspicion of their involvement in the incident.

“So far, we have arrested two Nepali nationals. Their identities cannot be disclosed due to security reasons. We have got information that Indian police have also arrested a person in India also,” he said.

DSP Thapa confirmed that the police team recovered some cash of the total amount stolen from the bank .

Nabil Bank branch manager Bijay Paudel said that the incident occurred due to their sheer negligence as they did not keep a security guard in the bank during the night time.

In the video recorded in the CCTV camera, a group of four to five persons were seen entering the bank at Bypass Road in Birgunj by breaking the bolt of the main gate and decamping with the money, putting it in a sack.

According to branch manager Paudel, more than Rs 50 million was kept in the metal safe inside the bank’s vault.

But the thieves stole the money kept only in the tin box.