Investment Board Nepal (IBN) will be showcasing eight large infrastructure projects as potential ventures at the Nepal Investment Summit slated to be held from March 2-3. 

The board has selected four railway projects, a hydropower project, a tunnel highway, an international airport and a chemical fertilizer plant out of more than 100 schemes under its purview to exhibit as possible investment opportunities at the summit it is jointly organizing with the Industry Ministry.  

According to IBN CEO Maha Prasad Adhikari, the feasibility study of these projects has been completed, and they are ready to attract foreign investment. 

The IBN has given high priority to infrastructure projects designed to increase connectivity within the country, with five of the eight projects singled out being railway and road schemes. 

The four railway projects that IBN plans to exhibit are the East-West Railway Link to India, East-West Electrified Railway Project, Kathmandu-Pokhara Railway Project and Kathmandu Valley Metro Rail Project. 

According to IBN, the route alignment of the East-West Railway Link to India Project passes through six strategic locations close to the Indian border so that a reliable and standard railway link with India can be established. 

The 113.4-km railway connects six major places—Attariya, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Janakpur and Biratnagar—which are considered to be important for trade with India. The IBN has estimated the cost of the project at $227 million. 

Another project identified by IBN is the 945.2-km East-West Electrified Railway Project which links 24 districts in the country. It has an estimated price tag of $3 billion. Similarly, IBN plans to lure investors with the Kathmandu-Pokhara Railway Project which requires a projected investment of $2.83 billion.

The Kathmandu Valley Metro Rail is another project that IBN is showcasing at the event. The 77.28-km metro rail project will have five tracks within the Kathmandu Valley and is projected to cost $5.47 billion. 

Likewise, IBN will show the Tamakoshi-3 Hydropower Project to potential investors. The 650 MW scheme is located in Dolakha and Ramechhap districts. Its estimated outlay is $1 billion. Other projects that will be marketed at the summit are the second international airport at Nijgadh and the Kathmandu-Kulekhani-Hetauda Tunnel Highway.

The board plans to build all these projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) and build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) models. Under the BOOT model of project development, the developer will build the project at its own cost and transfer ownership to the government after operating it for a predetermined period of time. 

These projects will be exhibited at the summit to entice potential investors and they will be awarded through competitive bidding. “In order to maintain transparency, we will award the project only after global bidding,” said Adhikari. “Since feasibility studies of all the schemes have been completed, we can immediately start global bidding if any financier shows an interest in any of them.”