NEA being dogged by financial constraints : NEA chief

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 20: Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kulman Ghising, has expressed concerns over budget shortages in the energy sector. Speaking at the third annual general meeting and second convention of the Nepal Infrastructure Journalists’ Society on Friday, he highlighted that despite the need for numerous infrastructure projects, many remain unrealized due to financial constraints.

“We are facing a scarcity of financial resources. The money we have is limited, and there are many infrastructures we need to develop. While we cannot rely solely on the Ministry of Finance for significant allocations, the government must pay greater attention to this sector."

" Significant projects are underway in Nepal’s infrastructure domain, particularly in electricity and roads, which form the backbone of our development efforts. To advance Nepal's electricity sector further, we require substantial investment, especially foreign funding for major projects,” said Ghising.

Criticism of negative narratives around load-shedding

Ghising also remarked on a section of society that seemed to celebrate load-shedding during its occurrence in Nepal. He accused this group of spreading rumours about power cuts.

“There is a growing trend of negativity in Nepal. I’ve observed some elements that seemed to rejoice during the days of power outage. These same people are the ones spreading rumours about its return. Ironically, they show no happiness when the NEA generates profits but seem delighted when it incurs losses,” he added.

Addressing current power distribution issues

Ghising clarified that the current electricity supply issues are not due to load-shedding but technical problems in hydropower projects. He assured that once major projects like Tupper Tamakoshi and Kaligandaki are completed, the challenges in electricity distribution will be resolved.