Monday, August 6, 2012

Australia has tripled aid to Nepal


Australia has tripled its aid to Nepal.
In the context of the scale up, Australia has increased the aid to Nepal by $5 million this year, bringing it up to $35 million, Australian Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Secretary Richard Marles said, adding that it represents a tripling of its development assistance to Nepal since 2008.
Recognising the importance of human resource development, Australia will provide more than 80 Australia Awards to Nepal over the next four years, particularly targeting civil servants in the sectors that it is supporting.
Similarly, Australia is increasingly focused on the results achieved from Australia’s aid and managing these in a way that ensures transparency and accountability to its public. "Future growth in Australia’s aid to Nepal will depend on results achieved and the strengthening of governance and financial management," Marles added.
Vice chair of National Planning Commission (NPC) Deependra Bahadur Kshetry and finance secretary Krishnahari Baskota were also present in the meeting.
Similarly, caretaker finance minister Barshaman Pun hailed the Australian help to Nepal since last half century.
During a meeting between Nepal and Australia — led by the visiting Marles — here today, Pun also said that Australian aid has helped Nepal to achieve desired economic growth.
" The meeting highlighted the strengths of Australia and Nepal’s development partnership which builds on more than 50 years of diplomatic relations," Marles said, adding that the government of Australia is pleased to support Nepal during its challenging transition. "AusAID will invest $35 million in education, health, rural livelihoods and governance reform to improve the quality of life of Nepalis," he added. "Australia recognises that Nepal has made remarkable progress towards many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but we have concerns that a protracted period of political uncertainty may lead to erosion of some of these gains, and that Nepal may be unable to maintain momentum for reform and economic growth."
The government of Australia has committed that its global aid programme will reach 0.5 of its gross national income by 2016-17.

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