The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has appealed to its donors to maintain transparency in post-earthquake reconstruction work.During a recent meeting with stakeholders from development agencies and representatives of countries that have pledged support to the government in its rebuilding efforts, the NRA said Nepal seeks transparent delivery of $4.1 billion pledged by the international donors.

NRA’s Deputy Spokesperson Bhisma Kumar Bhusal said, “It is our responsibility to ensure transparency, effectiveness, credibility and certainty of result. We need to work together.”

Three years since the earthquake struck, managing resources for the reconstruction works appears a difficult task for the government. A recent White Paper unveiled by Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwadahad states that there is a shortfall of Rs100 billion to complete reconstruction of the private homes destroyed in the disaster.

Only 16 percent of the $4.1 billion has so far been disbursed, even though the loan and grant agreement with donors account for 75 percent of the total pledged amount— $1.97billion in grant and $2.13 billion loan. According to the NRA data, the donors have agreed to provide $1.55 billion grant and $1.51 billion loan.

Ambassador of Germany to Nepal Roland Schafer, along with representatives from the embassies of India, China and Switzerland, was present at the meeting of the Foreign Aid Coordination and Facilitation Committee under the NRA.

Also in attendance were officials from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Department of International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) which have been working in the post-earthquake reconstruction process.    

During the meeting, the members of the diplomatic community updated the authority about their initiatives and ongoing efforts in the reconstruction process.    

NRA Chief Executive Yubraj Bhusal urged the agencies willing to assist people above 70 years, over 65 years old differently abled and single women, visually impaired, differently-abled people holding red and blue card issued by the government and those under 16 in the reconstruction of private homes to come with a concrete proposal. He also said that the authority has put 18,505 quake survivors in

danger zones under utmost priority.