Kathmandu, June 24
The ruling Nepal Communist Party is likely to make a decision that the government should reject the USD 500 million grant from the United States government as a part of its Millennium Challenge Corporation programme.
If that happens, the government will not forward the agreement signed with the US government in 2017 about the grant to the Federal Parliament for voting. The agreement has not been implemented yet waiting for the parliamentary endorsement.
It has been learned that the NCP leaders including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who had been pressing for agreement’s endorsement are unlikely to continue their pressure as the country will not be able to meet the deadline agreed to begin the implementation. The two governments had agreed to begin the project by June 30, 2020, but the House of Representatives meeting will not take place before that. Neither is it possible to endorse the agreement and begin implementation on the same day as the House meeting next takes place on June 30.
The ruling party has remained divided on whether the promised assistance was a part of its Indo-Pacific Strategy and whether it would jeopardise Nepal’s national interests. A task force formed by the party has suggested amendments before its parliamentary endorsement.
Meanwhile, the party’s standing committee is holding a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the MCC controversy among others.
