Meeting Between AIIB and Nepal Rastra Bank Officials
KATHMANDU: Today, a meeting was held between a team from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) visiting Nepal and senior officials of Nepal Rastra Bank.
The AIIB team, led by Board of Directors member Mr. R.M.P. Rathnayake met with Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari, Deputy Governor Bam Bahadur Mishra, and other bank officials. During the meeting, Governor Adhikari discussed Nepal's current economic situation, including GDP growth, inflation, foreign exchange reserves, and the external sector.
He expressed his belief that Nepal's financial sector is overall satisfactory due to the effective regulation and supervision of Nepal Rastra Bank. Governor Adhikari also mentioned that Nepal has a favorable environment for foreign investment and briefed the visiting team on the investment approval process and institutional arrangements.
Highlighting the lack of domestic resources for Nepal's infrastructure development, he emphasized the need for institutions like AIIB to increase investment in infrastructure sectors such as hydropower and transmission lines.
During the meeting, the AIIB team leader, Mr. Rathnayake, and other members expressed interest in Nepal's investment policies, potential infrastructure areas for AIIB investment, loan approval processes, and loan interest rates. Additionally, they inquired about Nepal's policy efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change.
The program included discussions between the two parties on various topics, including Nepal's development priorities and investment opportunities in infrastructure development.
Nepal Rastra Bank was represented in the meeting by Executive Directors Dr. Nephil Matangi Maske, Dr. Gunakar Bhatta, Dr. Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Guru Prasad Poudel, and other officials.
About AIIB: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was established in 2016 with the primary objective of promoting investment in sustainable and green infrastructure development for Asian and other member countries. The bank's headquarters are located in Beijing, China.
