KATHMANDU: Minister for Finance, Ram Sharan Mahat, has said that the Nepal Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to be prepared by the government should be trustworthy to attract foreign investment. At a programme organised by the National Planning Commission (NPC) here today, Minister Mahat said that all should pay attention for reconstruction tasks in wake of the devastating April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks as it will be successful only after taking the national and international arena into confidence. 'There is no budget crunch, there is only lack of capacity to spend it.' He said, 'Support of all is necessary for the overall reconstruction.' The Minister added that problem has surfaced in implementation, rather than means and resources in the country. Mahat said, 'There is no budget crunch, there is only lack of capacity to spend it.' Stating that good governance has become weaker for lack of the stable government, he said donors have been raising the questions in this regard. Similarly, NPC Vice-Chairman, Govinda Raj Pokhrel, said that the preliminary report of the PDNA has incorporated impacts of the quake in social and economic sectors and added that the report would be submitted to donor agencies after completing the report. He also stressed on the need of building capacity of the nation to collect funds for the reconstruction after taking the donors into confidence. Likewise, Chief Secretary Leelamani Paudyal said that the reconstruction tasks should be taken ahead in a transparent manner soon by removing obstacles surfaced in the policy level. He stressed on the need of allowing the reconstruction mechanism under leadership of the Prime Minister to carry out works in a free manner. Members of the NPC shed lights on methods adopted while preparing the PDNA. Lawmakers, former Finance Ministers, former NPC Vice-chairpersons, former Nepal Rastra Bank governors, and economists, among others were present at the programme. The participants suggested for making the evaluation reliable, trustworthy and acceptable to all while evaluating the damaged structures, their construction, financial and social activities. During the programme, it was shared that the property and structures worth of Rs 513 billion were damaged and Rs 666 billion is needed for the reconstruction bids. READ ALSO:

• Nepal earthquake damage billed at Rs 513 billion, income loss Rs 187 billion