April 5: Representatives of Nepal's two major development partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB) have called on Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and discussed relevant issues.    
The WB delegation met with the Minister on Tuesday and the ADB team on Wednesday morning. During the meetings, the development partners urged the minister to take initiatives for the effective implementation of various projects and programmes funded in Nepal by them.    
 Following a discussion with ADB country director for Nepal Arnaud Cauchois' team on Wednesday morning, Finance Minister Mahat said Nepal's development partners are excited to further invest in Nepal and their concern was that their funds could not be spent on time.    
In addition to this, they were concerned about the delay in the implementation of the projects in absence of timely site clearance, delay in bidding process and the lack of expected progress.    
New development projects and programmes were also discussed. Finance Minister Mahat said that the development partners expressed their interest to assist in Nepal's various sectors. The ADB expressed its concern over the Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project while the WB was concerned about the Arun Hydropower Project. Moreover, they expressed their interests in the budgetary assistance for road projects.    
During the separate meetings, the finance minister is said to have apprised the delegations that grants and soft loans were the priorities of Nepal, and the responses were positive. -- RSS