Kathmandu, March 11:

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ while inaugurating an international conference of consultants on ‘Making Global Work: Role of Consultants’ here today said, “We hope for better support from experts.”

He sought the engineers’ and consultants’ support for foreign direct investment in mega projects. “We need technical and financial support from the international community and consultants for hydropower development,” he added. The government has set a 10,000 mega

watt electricity generation target in next 10 years.

Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai stressed on making the agro-based economy an industrialised one. He said 96 years’ experience of FIDIC would be beneficial for Nepali engineers.

He urged them to support in achieving double digit growth. The Finance Minister pointed out that Nepal has huge potential for foreign investment in hydropower, tourism, Infrastructure development and agro-forestry based industries. “As we are between two growing economies, India and China, where there is high demand for energy, Nepal can take advantage,” he added.

Minister for Physical Planning and Works Bijay Kumar Gachhedar said that Nepali society

has fully recognised the value of consultants.

Dr John Boyd from the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (IFCE) laid emphasis on assignment of local consultants in development projects. TCDPAP president Karamat-ullah Chaudhary said that the conference would bring engineers and consultants together to meet global challenges. Engineers and consultants from 16 nations are participating in the three-day long seminar that has been organised by Technical Consultancy Development Program for Asia Pacific (TCDPAP), FIDIC/ASPAC.