No deadline extension for Millennium Challenge Corporation projects: Sumar

Kathmandu March 3- Nepal will have to buckle up and complete projects undertaken with financial assistance received under Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Programme within the stipulated five-year period as there won’t be any extension to the deadline, a senior MCC official has said. Fatema Z Sumar, regional deputy vice president for Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America in the MCC’s Development of Compact Operation, said the MCC would neither extend the deadline nor add a single dollar of US taxpayers in the event the projects are not completed in time.

Sumar, who is currently on a Nepal visit to observe the status of preparations, said the MCC would undertake only those projects that have a reasonable chance of being completed in time. There will be a three-year project development phase and five-year implementation period. Though Nepal and MCC have decided to invest in transport and energy sectors, no projects have been finalised yet. Projects including the upgradation of Pakali-Kakarbhitta section of the East West Highway, Pokhara-Butwal section of Siddhartha Highway, 400KV Hetauda-Naubise-Damauli-Nawalp-arasi Transmission Line are under MCC’s consideration, according to the Office of the Millennium Challenge Nepal. 

At a time when most of the infrastructure projects are facing delays due to delayed public procurement and other problems such as land acquisition and trouble with local stakeholders, MCC has said any risks will be assessed first and tackled before the project implementation begins. “There will be physical and technical oversight of the progress made in the projects,” said Sumar. Given the government procurement process being blamed for delays in project implementation, the projects to be developed under MCC will not follow Nepal’s Public Procurement Act.  According to Sumar, there is a procurement guideline of MCC, which will be followed.

 
Nepal was selected under MCC Compact Programme in December 2014 and the MCC board reselected Nepal for continuation of the programme in January 2015. The large five-year programme is given to a country that is committed to good governance, economic freedom and investment in the citizens. Source: TKP