Kathmandu, August 12
The government of Nepal and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have reached an agreement, according to which the ADB is to provide a Rs 19.58 billion concessional loan to Nepal to buy Covid-19 vaccines.
The ADB Country Representative Arnaud Cauchois and Finance Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini signed the agreement amidst a function organised at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday.
It is hoped the assistance would be utilised to buy 15 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to materialise the national vaccination drive. As many as 6.8 million people would be benefitted from the vaccination as a result of the support.
On the occasion, Secretary Marasini viewed that that ADB assistance would be a milestone to ensure vaccines and thereby safety to the Nepalis so that the country’s economy could be restored. Vaccination is the top priority of the government, he added.
Similarly, the ADB Country Director Cauchois expressed the belief that the ADB assistance to Nepal in such need would help Nepalis save lives and restore and economic and social activities. Such help to Nepal would continue in the days ahead, he assured.
