Kathmandu, July 16 :

International Coordination Council of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has welcomed the budget that according to them has created conducive climate for NRN investment in Nepal.

The NRN community is happy that the government has recognised the enormous potential of NRNs to contribute to the nation’s development through the transfer of knowledge, skills and technology as well as financial investment, states a press release issued today.

“Improving legal framework and contemplating dual citizenship are the welcome move,” it states.

“By recognising these long-standing aspirations of overseas Nepali communities, the government has demonstrated its genuine intention to create an environment for our full and continued involvement in overall development of the nation. The provision of dual citizenship will open doors for people of Nepali origin to make an active contribution towards the socio-economic transformation of the mother land,” states a letter sent to the government by NRNA signed by its president Dr Upendra Mahato.

The NRN Ordinance issued in 2005 treated NRNs merely as a source of monetary investment and did not recognise the value of their accumulated knowledge in diverse fields. The ordinance had drawn sharp criticism from the NRNs and they had submitted a set of recommendations to amend the ordinance after the Second Global NRN Conference held in Kathmandu in October 2005, adds the release.

NRNA is hopeful that the government will follow the declaration and bring new NRN law to address all the concerns of the NRN community and the NRN movement. NRNs had recommended the government to implement a number of measures to minimize the plight of overseas Nepali workers and regularise the foreign employment sector in their first regional conference held in Doha in 2005.

In order to safeguard the interests of Nepali workers abroad, the conference had recommended measures like provision of legal assistance locally, supervision of contracts and recruitment procedures in Nepal, provision of life insurance scheme and creation of welfare fund for workers in need.

“NRNs remain focused and are committed to the welfare of Nepal and fully realize that they must seek a more pro-active role in Nepal’s historical transformation towards becoming a modern, inclusive and democratic nation,” reads the statement.