KATHMANDU, APRIL 15

The two-day schedule of the Third Nepal Investment Summit going to be organized in the federal capital, Kathmandu, on April 28 and 29 has been made public.

As per the information shared by the Investment Board, two special sessions along with the inaugural session would be held on the first day. The two plenary sessions are entitled 'Exploring Investment Opportunities in Nepal' and 'Success Stories of Investments in Nepal'.

On the second day of the Summit, there will be three parallel sessions with each session having three panel discussions, the Investment Board Nepal Office said. The Parallel Session 1 of the second day is on 'Navigating Nepal's Renewable Energy Potential', 'Discussions on Innovative Financing Landscape', and panel discussion on 'Investment Opportunities and Green and Climate Resilient Business in Nepal'.

Similarly, the panel discussions under the Parallel Session 2 are on 'Harnessing Green Finance for Sustainable Investments', 'Investing in Tourism Paradise' and 'Strengthening Nepal's Agro-processing Value Chain for Export Growth'.

The Parallel Session 3 is on 'Driving Innovation and Growth in Manufacturing', 'Enhancing Nepal's Startup Climate and Ease of Doing Business' and 'ICT: a Vibrant Investment Platform'. The Session 4 is panel discussion on 'Leveraging PPP for Infrastructure and Services.'

The event with the theme, 'Emerging Nepal Investment Summit 2024', will be held at the Hotel Soaltee in Kathmandu.

Preparations have been made to present about 150 showcase projects in the Summit. The Board had planned to present 125 projects as showcase projects before this and the number has increased with the addition of some projects brought by the private sector, provinces and local levels as well, said Pradyumna Prasad Upadhyay, the Board spokesperson.

According to Upadhyay, there will be separate stalls and their own staffs for providing information about the projects of the private sector and the local levels. He added that preparations are being made to set up 22 to 25 stalls at the Summit venue.

With only twelve days remaining for the Conference to commence, preparations are in full swing, said Upadhyay. The Board expects over 260 guests from 31 countries to come to attend the event by Sunday evening.

In course of Summit preparations, the Board is actively working on drafts of Project Development Agreements (PDAs) for three projects. Negotiations with developers are underway for the Nepal-China Friendship Park, Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydro Electricity Project, and Kohalpur and Banganga Solar Plants. Likewise, preparations are in progress for a Project Investment Agreement (PIA) with Dabur Nepal Private Ltd. Before the Summit commences, a meeting of the Board chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will be organised.

Nepal plans to issue a call for Expression of Interest (EOI) from potential investors for 20 projects during the Summit. Six projects are earmarked as market-sounding projects, 33 are in the preliminary phase of identification, and 20 are deemed capable of securing financial investment.