1. We are working to reduce poverty in Nepal. The World Bank has been a development partner in Nepal for the past 35 years, providing financing, technical assistance and advice. Our support has changed to meet the evolving needs of the country, but has always maintained its primary purpose: the reduction of poverty to raise the living standards of the Nepali people. Back to top 2. Our strength lies in partnerships. We work with multiple development partners in Nepal including the government, other bilateral and multilateral donor organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and the general public — including academics, scientists, economists, journalists, teachers and local people involved in development projects. Recently we have worked closely with the International Monetary Fund and the British Department for International Development in financial sector reform, and with UNDP, the governments of Germany, the US and Norway in the development of the power sector in Nepal. Back to top 3. We are a cheap source of financing. Nepal does not pay interest on World Bank loans. Our loans here are provided by the International Development Association—the arm of the World Bank which assists some of the world’s poorest countries. The IDA provides grants and “credits”, which are loans at zero interest, with a 0.75 percent finance charge. They mature in 35 to 40 years with a 10 year grace period. Back to top 4. We are helping Nepal improve education. Since 1978, we have worked to help Nepal improve access to, and the quality of primary and secondary schooling. We have financed projects and undertaken studies looking into the priorities and strategies for education sector reform. We’ve also supported the government’s efforts to return responsibility for school budgeting, management, and monitoring to the district and community levels. Back to top 5. We are promoting better health for the Nepali people. We are working in partnership to help Nepal fulfill its fundamental health needs, with special attention to the poor and most disadvantaged populations. We are supporting actions which will improve health policy and foster commitment to reform at all levels of government. We have assisted with decentralization and the strengthening of community involvement and have worked to improve management of health service delivery by involving private providers. Back to top 6. We are working to make the water safe. Less than half of the population in Nepal has sustained access to safe water supply systems. In 1995 the World Bank, in partnership with communities and NGOs, pioneered a program in which water supply schemes are managed by user groups. Local communities were involved in the selection, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the schemes. The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project also promoted awareness of the benefits of environmental sanitation, and helped reduce time wasted in unnecessarily labor-intensive activities such as fetching potable water. The Bank is now working on a second rural water and sanitation project in Nepal to build on the success of the first. Back to top 7. We are helping Nepal to develop a sound Banking system. A powerful elite has been able to abuse Nepal’s financial system due to poor management of financial resources at Nepal’s two largest commercial banks. Likewise, Nepal’s Central Bank needed assistance in building greater autonomy and independence while strengthening its authority to regulate the entire banking system. The World Bank has provided resources and advice for the transformation of Rastriya Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank Limited into efficient and profitable commercial banks, and to strengthen the role of Nepal’s Central Bank. Back to top 8. We’re working to help Nepal become more competitive. Along with Sri Lanka, Nepal has the most liberalized trade policy in South Asia. Trade was a key factor behind the acceleration of Nepal’s economic growth in the 1990s. However significant constraints and bottlenecks remain, such as delays in customs and a rigid labor market. The World Bank recently took the lead on a report analyzing Nepal’s trade and competitiveness. The report offers policy recommendations on how to overcome these remaining obstacles and provides advice on Nepal’s accession to the World Trade Organization. Back to top 9. We are working to promote gender and social inclusion. We are currently working on a Social Gender Analysis to better understand how various people are left behind in development and how this affects overall poverty reduction in Nepal. We also look carefully at the issue of inclusion in projects in the areas of education, rural water supply and health. Back to top 10. We rely on local expertise. Around 95 percent of the staff in our Kathmandu office—plus additional staff in our Washington office—are Nepali. While a large part of the World Bank’s value is in its global experience and expertise, local knowledge is indispensable to effective development. We also work closely with the government, civil society and communities. Our overall assistance to the country is specifically designed to support the goals outlined by the government and the Nepali people. Back to top
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