Kathmandu, September 4:

Two separate missions of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are visiting Nepal this week to take fresh notes on current situation as well as to assess the bank-supported development activities in Nepal.

One of the teams led by Dr Ifzal Ali, chief economist at the ADB, arrived today. He is scheduled to address a workshop on statistical capacity building organised by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) tomorrow. Dr Ali is accompanied by Dr Bishnu Panta, assistant chief economist at ADB.

He is also scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on ‘Inclusive growth in the context of Nepal’ at a lecture programme organised by the South Asian Institute of Management (SAIM), on Thursday. During his stay in Kathmandu, Dr Ali will meet senior government officials, representatives of donor agencies and officials at ADB Nepal Resident Mission.

Another high-level mission, led by Kunio Senga, ADB director general for the South Asia Department, is scheduled to arrive Kathmandu on Saturday.

Dr Senga is scheduled to hold consultations with the finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, senior government officials, and members of the National Planning Commission (NPC), representatives of donor agencies and private sector.

Senga’s visit is a general review and assessment visit for ongoing ADB-supported development projects, said an ADB official in Kathmandu, adding that the consultation is also expected to frame grounds for further assistance to Nepal.

During his five-day long visit to Nepal, he is also expected to communicate the ADB headquarters’ message on multi-million dollar Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project, to the Nepal government officials. The consultation is expected to give a solution to the much controversial project, which has already delayed.

The controversy arose after the ministry of physical planning and works rejected

to award management contract to a UK-based company - Severn Trent for water supply

management in the Kathmandu valley.