PAF to open branch offices in 55 districts

Kathmandu, July 30

The Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF), a body led by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to fight absolute poverty, will soon open branch offices in 55 districts of the country where it is operating its programmes.

A decision in this regard was taken by the 59th board meeting of the PAF held recently.

The PAF has not opened branch offices since it started operation in 2004. As a result, most of the portfolio managers were based in Kathmandu and had to make frequent trips to districts where the PAF had a presence.

Based on the latest board decision, the PAF will depute portfolio managers in each of the district from the current fiscal year, says a press statement issued today by PAF.

“PAF has already requested the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development to provide office space for portfolio managers at the offices of the District Development Committees,” adds the statement.

Supported largely by the World Bank and International Fund for Agriculture Development, PAF programmes have benefited 700,000 poor households so far.

PAF has classified poverty into four categories of hardcore poor, medium poor, poor and marginal non-poor.

Those with food security of less than three months fall under the category of ‘hardcore poor’; those with food security of over three months but less than six months are categorised as the ‘medium poor’; those with food security of over six months but less than a year fall under the ‘poor’ category; and those with food security of over a year fall under the ‘marginal non-poor’ category.