Just like London buses you wait for ages then TWO turn up, UK Minister of State For Overseas Development makes TWO visits to Nepal within 9 months of being appointed. I can't remember his Labour Party predecessor visiting at all! Good news all round too as he increases UK aid to Nepal by around 50% rising to a 90% increase within a couple of years.
A report in today's Himalayan Times states:
"With an allocation of £331 million, the UK government has committed to support Nepal over the next four years (2011-2015) in the plan in various sectors including the country’s peace process.
According to a DFID statement, the money will be used to support the peace process, help strengthen governance and improve security and access to justice; help poor and excluded people benefit from economic growth; help deliver better health and education services; help Nepal adapt to climate change; reduce risk from disasters, including earthquake; and to Improve the lives of women and girls."
According to a DFID statement, the money will be used to support the peace process, help strengthen governance and improve security and access to justice; help poor and excluded people benefit from economic growth; help deliver better health and education services; help Nepal adapt to climate change; reduce risk from disasters, including earthquake; and to Improve the lives of women and girls."
We don't always agree with DFID's allocation of funds for development in Nepal, too much being spent on "the peace process", whatever that means, or on building a school in one area that costs millions. We do write to them and try to bear influence but UK civil servants plus Nepali politicians are a powerful bureaucratic force!
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