DHAKA, Dec 1, 2019 (BSS) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is banking
high on the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiative to
boosting regional connectivity, cooperation, trade and tourism since it would
be a ‘win-win’ situation for the countries concerned.
“It’s (SASEC) progressing well and that will really contributing to
improving connectivity between countries and really advancing regional
cooperation. It will also be beneficial to the concerned countries and the
region,” said ADB Country Director for Nepal Mukhtor Khamudkhanov while
exchanging views with a group of South Asian journalists recently at its
Resident Mission Office in Kathmandu.
The ADB organized the South Asia capacity building media tour on disaster
management and promotion of regional tourism.
Mukhtor said the SASEC Programme would certainly be a ‘win-win’ situation
for the concerned countries.
The SASEC programme, set up in 2001, brings together– Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka– in a project-based
partnership to promote regional prosperity by improving cross-border
connectivity, boosting trade among member countries and strengthening
regional economic cooperation.
The ADB Country Director for Nepal said certainly a lot has been done on
that initiative and connectivity itself is also contributing to boosting
regional trade and that would be easy to basically transport goods across
borders including the SASEC countries.
“Certainly there will be less transaction time and transportation cost,
less wastage of perishable products as we actually can quickly send those to
the borders of the neighboring countries,” he said.
Khamudkhanov went on saying, “So, this will be contributing to trade and
when you talk about trade, it’s certainly not goods, but also power trade.”
He also mentioned about the implementation of the up-gradation of east-west
Highway in Nepal which would also be contributing to this SASEC initiative.
As of September 2019, SASEC countries have implemented 55 regional projects
worth over US$12.5 billion in the energy, economic corridor development,
transport, trade facilitation and information and communications technology
sectors.
The Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as the
Secretariat for the SASEC member countries.
Earlier, the ADB Country Director for Nepal said that ADB would extend
every possible support for the socio-economic development of Nepal and making
it free from poverty.
He said the ADB has been carrying out construction of school buildings
damaged by the massive earthquake in 2015 under the emergency assistance
project where some 162 schools have already been constructed so far.
Similarly, senior manager of the ADB Rudi van Deal made a power-point
presentation on the ADB’s current portfolio of US$2.8 billion in Nepal
comprising of 36 projects alongside 18 technical assistance projects worth
about US$26.34 million.
He also highlighted the support provided by the ADB in Nepal’s energy,
transport, communication, education sector and post-earthquake
reconstruction.
ADB’s senior official Sharad Bhandari carried out review about various
dimensions of Nepal assistance strategy recently issued by ADB board of
directors.
Senior Communications specialist at the ADB headquarters Graham Dwyer said
the regional programme organised in Kathmandu as Nepal is an appropriate
place for media persons’ exposure.